The Judean then remarked as follows: ‘The slaying of the flocks and herds in Egypt was of three kinds. One was through the murrain, one through the hail, and a third was limited to the firstborn.
In regard to the first it is written: “Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which are in the field.” Whereas previously it is written, “it is the finger of God” (Ex. 8, 16), here it speaks of “the hand of the Lord”, to wit, with all its five fingers, for the reason that five species of cattle were smitten, as enumerated in the passage, “upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the herds, and upon the flocks.” They were smitten each one by one of the five fingers, and thus together by the hand of the Lord. Hence we read, “a very grievous murrain”, signifying that the cattle died of themselves, suddenly and without any visible cause.
Afterwards, as the Egyptians did not repent, the DeBeR (murrain) literally turned about its letters and became BaRaD (hail), which killed all those that survived. The difference between the two was that the former killed gently, and the latter with violence and with fury. Both, however, struck the same species, and by means of the five fingers.’
אָמַר הַהוּא יוּדָאִי, הָא דְּאַמְרִיתּוּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָטַל בְּמִצְרַיִם, כָּל אִינּוּן עָאנֵי, כָּל אִינּוּן בְּעִירֵי. תְּלַת מוֹתָנֵי הֲווֹ בִּבְעִירֵי. חַד, דֶּבֶר. וְחַד, אִינּוּן דְּקָטִיל בָּרָד. וְחַד, אִינּוּן בּוּכְרֵי דִּבְעִירֵי.
The Judean then remarked as follows: ‘The slaying of the flocks and herds in Egypt was of three kinds. One was through the murrain, one through the hail, and a third was limited to the firstborn.
וּמַה הֲוָה מוֹתָנָא דִּילְהוֹן. אֶלָּא, הָא, כְּתִיב בְּקַדְמִיתָא, (שמות ט׳:ג׳) הִנֵּה יַד יְיָ' הוֹיָה בְּמִקְנְךָ אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה, אֲמַאי בְּכֻלְּהוּ לָא כְּתִיב יַד יְיָ'. אֶלָּא, הָכָא (נ"א לא כתיב יד אלהים אלא יד יי) (ס"א אל יד ה') אִיהוּ יָדָא בַּחֲמִשָּׁה אֶצְבְּעָאן. דְּהָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא כְּתִיב, אֶצְבַּע אֱלֹהִים הִיא. וְהָכָא כֻּלְּהוּ חָמֵשׁ אֶצְבְּעָאן, וְכָל אֶצְבְּעָא וְאֶצְבְּעָא, קָטַל זִּינָא חֲדָא. וַחֲמִשָּׁה זִינִין הֲווֹ, דִּכְתִּיב, בַּסּוּסִים, בַּחֲמוֹרִים, בַּגְּמַלִּים, בַּבַּקָר, וּבַצֹּאן. הָא חֲמִשָּׁה זִינִין, לַחֲמִשָּׁה אֶצְבְּעָאן, דְּאִקְרוּן יַד. בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ, הִנֵּה יַד יְיָ' הוֹיָה וְגוֹ' דֶּבֶר כָּבֵד מְאֹד. דַּהֲווֹ מֵתִים מִגַּרְמַיְיהוּ, וְאִשְׁתְּכָחוּ מֵתִים.
In regard to the first it is written: “Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which are in the field.” Whereas previously it is written, “it is the finger of God” (Ex. 8, 16), here it speaks of “the hand of the Lord”, to wit, with all its five fingers, for the reason that five species of cattle were smitten, as enumerated in the passage, “upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the herds, and upon the flocks.” They were smitten each one by one of the five fingers, and thus together by the hand of the Lord. Hence we read, “a very grievous murrain”, signifying that the cattle died of themselves, suddenly and without any visible cause.
בָּתַר דְּלָא אֲהַדְרוּ מִצְרָאֵי, אִינּוּן אַתְוָון מַמָּשׁ, אֲהַדְרוּ וְקָטְלוּ כָּל אִינּוּן דְּאִשְׁתָּאָרוּ. וְדֶבֶר, אַהְדָּר בָּרָד. מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי. אֶלָּא דָּא בְּנִיחוּתָא, וְדָא בִּתְקִיפוּ דְּרוּגְזָא. וּתְרֵין אִלֵּין, הֲווֹ בַּאֲתַר חַד, בְּחָמֵשׁ אֶצְבְּעָאן.
Afterwards, as the Egyptians did not repent, the DeBeR (murrain) literally turned about its letters and became BaRaD (hail), which killed all those that survived. The difference between the two was that the former killed gently, and the latter with violence and with fury. Both, however, struck the same species, and by means of the five fingers.’