Written by Moshe Kormornick
Many sources bring down the following lesson (kal vechomer) that we can learn from the frogs: Just as the frogs went willingly into the ovens to fulfil HaShem’s command to spread all over Egypt, so should we willingly do the will of Hashem.
But, how can we learn such a lesson when the frogs were specifically commanded to jump into the hot ovens, and we are not specifically called upon to take such drastic measures?!
The Darkei Mussar answers that the kol vechomer is in fact, learned in a different way:
The frogs were commanded to go EVERYWHERE, and so they all went out to cover the entire land. When some of the frogs got to the kitchens and faced an oven in front of them, they dived right in! They could have said, “HaShem told us to go everywhere, ok, that includes the ovens, but it also includes the pantry, the food cupboards – besides, someone else will get in the ovens, I don’t need to.” Instead, the frogs that came first to the ovens were mekadesh HaShem by going into the first place that they were able to, which just happened to be the ovens. This is the great lesson from the frogs.
So as a practical application of this vort, if we see someone who needs an act of chesed, if we are first on the scene, or have the ability to help – even if others can do it – make a kiddush HaShem, learn from the frogs and jump straight into the Mitzva.
