Lessons of Kedushah from Tzefardeia
Kabbalah sefarim teach us that the ten makos represent the ten sefiros, starting from the tenth going backwards. The first makah, dam, represents the tenth sefirah, malchus. Tzefardeia represents the ninth sefirah called yesod, and so on.
The sefirah of Yesod is about kedushah, which refers to tznius, pure thoughts, holy eyes, and so on. Therefore, there are lessons in this plague, showing us how we can improve in these areas.
One unique aspect of the tzefardeia is that it was the only makah that went into fire. It states (7:28) ובחדר בביתך ובאו ועלו צפרדעים היאר ושרץ ובמשארותיך ובתנוריך ובעמך עבדיך ובבית מטתך ועל משכבך, "The Nile will swarm with frogs, and they will go up and come into your house and your bedroom and upon your bed and into the house of your servants and your people, and your ovens and into your kneading troughs." Even though the ovens were lit, the frogs went inside.
From here, we learn that when it comes to the midah of yesod (which this makah represents), one must be prepared to jump into the fire. Because of the importance of this midah, one should have mesirus nefesh to acquire perfection in midas ha'yesod.
It states (8:9) מן הצפרדעים וימתו משה כדבר 'ה ויעש השדת ומן החצרת מן הבתים, "Hashem did according to Moshe's word, and the frogs died from the houses, from the courtyards, and from the fields." The Daas Zekainim writes, "The frogs that went into the ovens didn't die because they trusted in Hakadosh Baruch Hu, and they entered the hot ovens by Hashem's command." This tells us that when one is moser nefesh for kedushah, miracles will happen to him.
It states (8:10) ותבאש חמרים חמרים אתם ויצברו הארץ, "They gathered them into many heaps, and the land stank." This is the only makah where it states that the earth stank. (By blood, it says that the Nile stank, but the earth stank is only by this makah.)
The Chidushei Harim zt'l says that this makah represents yesod, and the stench of the sins related to yesod is foul and disgusting to Hashem.
Another significance of tzefardeia is that this is the only time that it states that Moshe davened with shouts, as it states (8:8) ויצעק הצפרדעים דבר על 'ה אל משה, "Moshe shouted out to Hashem concerning the frogs." This expression of prayer isn't used for any other makah. We find (8:26) 'ה אל ויעתר, and we find (9:23) 'ה אל כפיו ויפרש, but we don't find ויצעק only by tzefardeia. This is because many sincere, intense, and desperate tefillos are needed to become pure in yesod.
