144. Come and see, Pharaoh ruled with THE POWER OF water, as it is written, "The great crocodile that couches in the midst of his streams" (Yechezkel 29:3). Therefore, first his river was turned into blood. Afterward, frogs CAME OUT OF IT that plagued EGYPT with sounds that shook within their bowels. They came out of the River and onto the ground with high pitched voices in all directions until the Egyptians fell as if dead in their homes.
145. And the secret of the matter is that all the ten signs the Holy One, blessed be He, performed originated from the strong hand, WHICH IS GVURAH, and this hand overpowered all the levels of their dominion in order to confuse them. They did not know what to do TO BE SAVED. COME AND SEE, When the grades tried to do something, it became apparent to all that they could do nothing TO BE SAVED FROM THE PLAGUES because of the strong hand that rested upon them.
146. "And the River shall bring forth frogs in swarms, and these will go up and come into your house" (Shemot 7:28). Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion saying, "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children..." (Yirmeyah 31:14). Come and see, This passage has been explained in many places. But this passage is difficult, for it says, "Rachel weeping for her children," yet only Joseph and Benjamin were the children of Rachel and no more, while Leah had her six tribes, so why did Rachel weep and not Leah?
147. HE ANSWERS, But it has been said, it is written, "And Leah's eyes were weak" (Beresheet 29:17). Why were they weak? Because every day she would go out to the crossroads and ask about Esau. They would tell her about the actions of that wicked man, and she feared she would fall into his lot, so she wept daily until her eyes became weak.
148. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, You are weeping to merit that righteous man, Jacob, and not be the lot of that wicked man. Upon your life, your sister will rise at the crossroads and weep over the exile of Yisrael. But you will be inside, NAMELY IN THE CAVE OF MACHPELAH, and will not weep over them. Rachel will weep over the exile of Yisrael.
149. However, this passage really refers to what we said, MEANING THAT ACCORDING TO THE LITERAL MEANING IT IS INTERPRETED THIS WAY, but the secret meaning of the matter is that Rachel and Leah are two worlds. THE NUKVA FROM THE CHEST UP OF ZEIR ANPIN IS CALLED LEAH, AND THE NUKVA THAT IS FROM THE CHEST DOWN OF ZEIR ANPIN IS CALLED RACHEL. One is the world of concealment, NAMELY LEAH, and one is the world of revelation, NAMELY RACHEL. Therefore, the one, LEAH, was buried and concealed within the cave and was covered, while the other, RACHEL, remains at the crossroads, FOR SHE WAS BURIED ON THE WAY TO EFRAT, in the open. And everything is in the likeness of above. Therefore, Jacob did not bring RACHEL into the cave or to any other place, as it is written, "yet there was but a little way to come to Efrat" (Beresheet 48:7). He did not bring her to the city, because he knew that her place was in an open spot.
150. Come and see, the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is called Rachel, as it is written, "And as a sheep (Heb. rachel) before her shearers is dumb" (Yeshayah 53:7). Why is she dumb? IT IS because her voice, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, is stopped when other nations rule, and she becomes dumb.
151. This is the meaning of, "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping..." "A voice was heard in Ramah" refers to celestial Jerusalem, NAMELY BINAH. "Rachel weeping for her children": As long as Yisrael are in exile, she weeps for them because she is their mother. "She refused to be comforted for her children." What is the reason? "Because he is not." HE ASKS, It should have said, 'Because they are not,' AND ANSWERS it is because her husband, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN called voice, is gone from her and is not joined to her.
152. Come and see, She did not weep over Yisrael just once, but rather every moment they were in exile. For the reason THEY BLEMISHED THE VOICE, WHICH WAS GONE FROM RACHEL, the Holy One, blessed be He, brought about a voice to the Egyptians TO PUNISH THEM, as it is written, "And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it..." (Shemot 11:6). He also arranged for them other voices in these frogs that raised their voices in their intestines, so they fell dead in the marketplaces.
153. "And the frog came up" (Shemot 8:2). IT SHOULD HAVE SAID 'FROGS' IN THE PLURAL. HE ANSWERS, IT WAS ONE FROG, BUT IT BRED AND THE LAND BECAME FILLED WITH THEM. AND THEY ALL GAVE THEMSELVES OVER TO THE FIRE, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "AND INTO YOUR OVENS, AND INTO YOUR KNEADING TROUGHS" (SHEMOT 7:28). THEY SAID, "WE WENT THROUGH FIRE AND THROUGH WATER; BUT YOU DID BRING US OUT INTO ABUNDANCE" (TEHILIM 66:12). AND IF YOU ASK, HOW DOES THIS CONCERN THE EGYPTIANS THAT ALL THESE FROGS WENT INTO THE FIRE? HE ANSWERS, they all came into the fire and went into the ovens yet did not die. Those that did die, what did they do? There was bread in the oven, and they came into the bread and burst, and others came out of them and were swallowed in the bread. And when they wanted to eat of the bread, the bread in their bowels turned back into frogs that danced and raised their voices until THE EGYPTIANS died. This PLAGUE was harder on them than all the others. Come and see, it is written, "And the River shall bring forth frogs in swarms, and these will go up and come into your house, and on your bedchamber, and upon your bed...AND THE FROGS SHALL COME UP BOTH ON (LIT. 'IN') YOU, AND ON (IN) YOUR PEOPLE, AND ON (IN) ALL YOUR SERVANTS" (Shemot 7:28-29). SO THEY CAME INSIDE THEIR BODIES. Pharaoh was smitten first and more than everyone else, FOR IT SAYS, "ON YOU, AND ON YOUR PEOPLE, AND ON ALL YOUR SERVANTS." May the name of Hashem be blessed from everlasting to everlasting, for He examines the actions of people in everything they do.