Portion of the Portion

Hail and Prayer

We have discussed the plague of BARAD - hail before, but this year we will look at some new insights from the Shem MiShmuel.

After experiencing the plague through- out the land of Egypt, Par’o again tells Moshe that he will allow the Jews to leave Egypt and he requests that Moshe remove the plague. Moshe tells him that when he goes out of the city he will stretch out his hands to Hashem and the thunder and hail will stop (Sh’mot 9:29). Why does Moshe say “when I go out of the city I will pray?” Couldn’t he pray in the city? Rashi says that he couldn’t pray in the city because it was filled with idols. It seems that Moshe was saying that he couldn’t “talk to Hashem” properly because of all the idols around. But didn’t Moshe pray to Hashem to remove the plagues of frogs (8:8) and locusts (10:18-19)? There he prayed in the city. What had changed? What was different in the plague of hail?

We see something different already in G-d’s speech to Moshe to bring the hail. He says to him, “Stretch out your hand upon the heavens, and there will be hail in all the land of Egypt (9:22). The word upon is a bit unusual and that is why Rashi brings a Midrash that Hashem lifted Moshe above the heavens. But the word upon is also used at the plague of CHOSHECH - darkeness (10:21) and Rashi there doesn’t say that Moshe was lifted above the heavens. Why does he say it by hail? What was so special about the hail?

The verse tells us that there was “hail and fire flaming within the hailstones (9:24) Rashi explains that this was a double miracle - that in order to do Hashem’s will water (hail) and fire worked together. They made peace. They reverted to a relationship from an earlier stage in history when fire and water were mixed together - as it says in B’reshit Rabba about the SHAMAYIM - the heavens - that G-d made them by mixing fire (EISH) and water (MAYIM) - EISH+MAYIM = SHAMAYIM = the heavens. Moshe did have to go to a higher realm - to above the heavens - to bring the hail, which was a combination of fire and water. That’s why Rashi makes that comment at the plague of hail and not at the plague of darkness.

So hail was special and Moshe had to go to a different domain to bring it, but why couldn’t he stay in the city to remove it? Why did he have to leave the city to pray? Jews have had to pray amongst non-Jews for any centuries. Are we implying that this is not allowed?

The SHEM MISHMUEL explains that just like a special spiritual force was needed to bring the hail - a similar special spiritual force was needed to remove it. Moshe’s prayer needed to stretch the limits of human ability - demanding a perfect environment and the utmost concentration. This could not be achieved around idols so Moshe left the city.

We may not want hail now, but we sure could use some rain - and some special praying could only help.
The verses dealing with the plague of hail end by saying that the flax and barley plants were destroyed by the hail but the wheat and buckwheat were not. Here is a recipe for flax and buckwheat muffins. If you don’t have buckwheat flour just use regular flour instead.

BUCKWHEAT FLAX BRAN MUFFINS

3 cups bran
2 cup buckwheat flour
4 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup soy milk
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup raisins or Craisins
1 cup chopped nuts
1-3 Tbsp flax seeds

Mix ingredients together in large bowl. Make sure the batter is smooth; let sit for 10 minutes.
Spoon into muffin tins. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350F

• Other Portion of the Portion
• The Hide & Seek of Purim
• SHOV'VIM TAT
• The Women in Sh'mot