No warning
Brought by Aharon
Lasted seven days
Egypt sorcerers unable to duplicate and confessed “finger of G-d”
Everywhere was afflicted, something beyond the ability of the Egyptians
This plague arrived without warning and was everywhere throughout Egypt.
Two types of lice existed. One type plagues the people and the animals which were all bothered by these small vermin. A second type infested the ground.
Paroh’s magicians were unable to replicate this plague and declared this was the “finger of G-d.”
Rambam says only this plague also affected the Jews. Ramban disagrees and says the lice did not go into Goshen.
What was unique about the plague of lice and what constructive effect did it have on the Egyptians?
If we look closer, we will notice that this was the first plague that convinced Paroh and his court that Moshe was not doing the plagues by means of magic. The first two plagues, blood and frogs, might have come about (according to Paroh's sorcerers) by way of magic, but after the lice came, the sorcerers proclaimed, "It is the finger of G-d" (Shmos 8:15). Evidently, it was the plague of lice that convinced the Egyptians of the existence of G-d - but how?
The Talmud, cited by Rashi, explains that the powers of Paroh's magicians only extended to larger forms - so they were able to turn water into blood and bring frogs into the land themselves and were thus not impressed with the first two plagues. With regard to smaller matters - things that were smaller than a "barley corn" - they were impotent. When the sorcerers saw that the Power Moshe represented was able to create something as tiny as lice, they were convinced that they were dealing with a Being that surpassed their deities.
But is realizing that there is a Power that holds sway over objects smaller than those that the magicians can control such a convincing and sophisticated proof for the existence of an unlimited, all powerful G-d?
To understand this, we must first understand a bit about how pagans view their deities. Maimonides writes that the original pagans believed in G-d. They believed, however, that it was beneath His dignity to "personally" deal with the lowly affairs of our physical world. G-d, they reasoned, must have delegated those responsibilities to other powers. Thus, for example, G-d let the sun make sure that the crops would grow well, and if one wanted good produce, he had better worship the sun. After all, would a monarch who has to worry about the needs of an entire kingdom busy himself with the nitty-gritty details of his lowliest subjects?
Thus, the sorcerers didn't just believe that their deities didn't deal with things smaller than a barley corn - they felt that no deity would deal with such miniscule things. Clearly, they thought, it must be beyond the realm of involvement of any form of pagan power.
When they saw that the Power that Moshe represented did in fact relate to the most miniscule and insignificant of creatures, they realized that their original understanding of deities was mistaken. True, a finite power can be more partial to a higher level of life and indifferent to lower ones. But if there is a Power that deals with tiny insignificant lice, it must be because that Power is truly infinite. From the perspective of an Infinite Being, there is no difference between greater and lower forms of life. G-d is no closer to (what can be viewed as) a more important creature and no more distant from an inconsequential one. Thus, the plague of lice educated the Egyptians of the Limitlessness of G-d, and hence His closeness to every part of His world.
Unique reasons G-d chose to strike the Egyptians with this creepy infestation:
- The Jews had actually acquired the land in Goshen. However, the Egyptians conspired, and their legal system would not recognize the deeds of the Jews. The lice also burrowed into the ground the depth that reflected change of ownership, so the land was no longer owned by the Egyptians.
- The Egyptians robbed the Jews of time to take them away from their faith, Torah and prayer. The lice covered the Egyptians which they could not destroy, and the lice bothered them constantly so that they were unable to have any of their own time.
- The Egyptians provided the Jews with poor building materials, so they would have no lasting product from their labors. Now, the lice made their materials like dust and became totally unusable.
- The Egyptians forced the Jews to sweep the streets and roads of dust. As a fitting punishment all the dust in Egypt became infested with lice (and the Jews could no longer be made to sweep the streets).
- The Egyptians did not allow the Jews to bathe even after a hard day or work. Thus, they were subject to attacks by lice and other vermin. Now the tables were turned. The Egyptians were attacked all over their bodies and could not bathe them away.
- The Egyptians attempted to deprive the Jews of their humanity by means of deprived clothing, food, etc. The lice severely afflicted the Egyptians (and did not so afflict the Jews). The Egyptians felt so bad that they were unable to stop the pain, that they were striking themselves attempting to kill the lice. Further their food was also affected.
- The lice suck out the blood and do not give any benefit. This is the paradigm for evil. It takes and does not give. This reflects the parasitic attitude of the Egyptians that they had no limits for self-glorification.
- Personal Lesson: To break the limitations of your personal Mitzrayim, one needs to see the finger prints of G-d in the world.
