Derasha 2 on Bo 10:14

Parashas Bo · Passuk 10:14

The Complete Passuk

וַיַּ֣עַל הָֽאַרְבֶּ֗ה עַ֚ל כׇּל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיָּ֕נַח בְּכֹ֖ל גְּב֣וּל מִצְרָ֑יִם כָּבֵ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד לְ֠פָנָ֠יו לֹא־הָ֨יָה כֵ֤ן אַרְבֶּה֙ כָּמֹ֔הוּ וְאַחֲרָ֖יו לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־כֵּֽן׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Tanna de-Vei Eliyahu Rabbah 7 (verified).

Sefaria — Exodus 10:14

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Tanna de-Vei Eliyahu Rabbah 7
וַיַּ֣עַל הָֽאַרְבֶּ֗ה עַ֚ל כׇּל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיָּ֕נַח בְּכֹ֖ל גְּב֣וּל מִצְרָ֑יִם כָּבֵ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד

English: Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, bring the plague of locusts upon them? Because they made Yisrael sowers of wheat and barley and all kinds of legumes; therefore He brought locusts upon them and destroyed everything that Yisrael had sown for them.

In context: See the cited source for the full section.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (midrash) — measure-for-measure correspondence between the forced agricultural labor and the destruction of the crops.

What Is Learned

The locust plague answered the forced sowing imposed on Yisrael: what the Egyptians made them plant was consumed by the locusts.