It's easy to see them as just divine punishment, but the rabbis found layers of meaning, justice, and even hidden miracles within each one. Let's look at the plague of boils as described in Shemot Rabbah, a classic rabbinic commentary on the Book of Exodus.
"The Lord said to Moses and to Aaron: Take for you handfuls of soot of the furnace, and Moses will throw it heavenward before the eyes of Pharaoh" (Exodus 9:8). Seems straightforward. But the Rabbis immediately notice something… peculiar. The verse says both Moses and Aaron took handfuls of soot. But how much soot could two hands hold?
Shemot Rabbah highlights the miracle right away: a great miracle was performed, because both Moses and Aaron took their handfuls, and Moses's hand held both his handful and Aaron’s! It's a fascinating detail, isn't it? From here, the text tells us, we can learn that a small area can have a large capacity, if God wills it. It’s a reminder that the natural world is always subject to the divine will.
The text continues, noting that the plague came upon the Egyptians through the Holy One, blessed be He, Moses, and Aaron. Both Moses and Aaron took the soot, Moses threw it heavenward, and the Holy One transformed it into boils above, and it fell upon them. "It will become dust over the entire land of Egypt, and will be boils erupting into blisters upon man and upon animal, throughout the land of Egypt" (Exodus 9:9).
But why boils? Why this particular affliction?
Shemot Rabbah offers a compelling explanation: the Egyptians had cruelly tasked the Israelites with heating hot water and cooling cold water for their baths. So, as a measure-for-measure punishment, they were afflicted with boils, making it impossible for them to even touch their own bodies. A perfect, poetic justice.
The text then quotes Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, who adds another layer of wonder. He points out that when a person shoots an arrow upward, it doesn't travel very far. And yet, Moses threw a mere handful of soot – a substance with practically no weight at all – and it reached the very Throne of Glory! What an image!
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi isn't done yet. He points out another miracle: what Moses’s hand held was two handfuls, even though it should have only held one. And finally, a third miracle: normally, when someone scatters a kav (a specific measure) of dust, it scatters only four cubits. But Moses took just a handful – considerably less than a kav – and scattered it throughout the entire land of Egypt.
These aren't just random details. They're clues, pointing us toward a deeper understanding of the Exodus story. The rabbis, in their wisdom, saw these plagues not just as punishments, but as demonstrations of God's power, justice, and ability to defy the very laws of nature. They saw miracles within miracles, reminding us that even in the midst of suffering, the divine presence is always at work. And perhaps, that even the smallest act, like throwing a handful of soot, can have a world-altering impact when guided by divine will.