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In the Jewish textual tradition, frogs feature most notably in the plague of frogs wrought upon the Egyptians in the book of Exodus. Later sources describe how these frogs developed and multiplied, analyze the frogs' traits, and even derive laws based on the actions of the frogs. Frogs are also featured in various stories and teachings throughout midrashic and rabbinic literature.
Notable Sources
All Sources
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The Frog's Divine Mission
MIDRASH
Even the smallest creatures, like frogs, can play a role in the divine plan. Bereshit Rabbah, an ancient midrash on the book of Genesis, offers a parable about a frog and a scorpion, demonstrating how every part of creation serves a purpose in God's plan.
Purity and the Problem of Frogs
MISHNAH
The debate over whether encountering dead frogs in public spaces renders a person ritually unclean highlights the complexity and nuance of Jewish purity laws. The Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law from the early third-century land of Israel, records debates between Rabbi Akiva and other sages on the intricacies of ritual purity.
Frogs in the King's Chambers
TANAKH
The frogs in Engypts are described as so numerous that they even invaded the private chambers of the Egyptian king. The book of Psalms, a collection of 150 poems, includes references to the plagues of Egypt.
A Lesson in Humility from a Frog
KABBALAH
Even King David, the revered psalmist and king, learns a lesson in humility from a frog. The Zohar, a foundational work of Jewish mysticism, recounts this humbling encounter.
The Martyr Frogs
COMMENTARY
The frogs' self-sacrifice during the plagues in Egypt serves as a powerful lesson in sanctifying God's Name. The early 17th-century Torah commentary, Kli Yakar, by Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz, refers to a parallel drawn in earlier works between the frogs' actions and the story of Chananyah, Mishael, and Azariah in the book of Daniel.
The Frog's Song of Praise
LITURGY
The frog, often overlooked, is celebrated in Jewish liturgy for its role in praising the divine, highlighting the spiritual significance of nature. Perek Shirah is an ancient text that personifies elements of nature, like frogs, to express their praise for God, offering spiritual and ecological insights.
Frog or Toad?
TALMUD
Specific creeping animals can impart ritual impurity through contact with their carcasses. Although frogs are not among those creatures, the Babylonian Talmud in tractate Ketubot discusses the implications of touching one of a set of carcasses including a frog and other animals, and not remembering which one it was.
Moses and Pharaoh's Deal
MIDRASH
The negotiation between Moses and Pharaoh over the plague of frogs reveals the intricate dynamics of their interactions and the precise conditions under which divine intervention was sought. Shemot Rabbah, a medieval midrash on the book of Exodus, delves into the specific timing and conditions Moses set for the removal of the frogs, offering a deeper understanding of this biblical event.
Get Your Frogs in a Row
CHASIDUT
A close reading of the text of Exodus can suggest purpose even in the listing of places where the frogs died. Rabbi Chaim Tyrer of Czernowitz, in his 19th-century Torah commentary Be'er Mayim Chaim, details the specific order in which the frogs died to highlight the precision of God's actions and investigate God's relationship with Moses.
Beware the Nile 'Frog'
COMMENTARY
Perhaps the plague of frogs was more frightful than it first seemed! Rabbeinu Bahya, a medieval Jewish commentator, describes a human-eating crocodile as a type of frog, which retreated to the Nile after Moses called an end to the second plague.
Divine Challenge Unveiled
COMMENTARY
The plague of frogs was not just a random affliction but a direct challenge to the Egyptian goddess Heket, who was depicted as a woman with the head of a frog. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in his contemporary Torah commentary, explores how the plagues targeted the gods worshipped by the Egyptians.
Frog Horror
COMMENTARY
Midrashim around the plague of frogs add fanciful and terrifying details to the story of the swarm of frogs. Rabbi Yedidiah Tiah Weil, in his 18th-century central European commentary on the Passover Haggadah, collects a number of the extrapolations of the plague of frogs.
Frogs Here, Frogs There
COMMENTARY
Even without additional monstrous miracles, a swarm of frogs can do a lot of damage. This 17th-century Italian commentary on the Passover Haggadah by Rabbi Eliezer Foah provides a vivid account of how the frogs interfered with the Egyptians' baking process.
Jumping Not Quite Everywhere
SECOND TEMPLE
A tradition states that the frogs specifically avoided the Hebrews, demonstrating a clear distinction between who should be punished and who should not. Philo of Alexandria, a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, offers an interpretation of the biblical plagues, emphasizing divine protection for the Hebrews.
Pharaoh's table is infested with frogs, Passover Haggadah created by Jacob ben Judah Leib of Berlin, 1740
Pharaoh's table is infested with frogs, Passover Haggadah created by Jacob ben Judah Leib of Berlin, 1740
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