If you examine the פסוקים very carefully, you’ll notice some very strange things happening. Just take a look into the pesukim and you’ll surely realize what I mean. We constantly find an interplay between the use of the word “מטה” – stick, and the word “ידך” – your hand. There doesn’t seem to be any consistency. Sometimes Moshe is told to raise his stick with his hand while other times he’s just told to stretch out his stick without mentioning his hand. Why the constant changes? One also wonders why is משה רבינו told to stretch out his stick “with his hand?” Isn’t this the normal way one stretches out a stick.
Let’s have a look at the פסוקים!
דם. The פסוק tells him “Take your stick and stretch out your hand.”
שמות פרק ז (יט) אֱמֹר אֶל אַהֲרֹן קַח מַטְּךָ וּנְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל מֵימֵי מִצְרַיִם עַל נַהֲרֹתָם עַל יְאֹרֵיהֶם וְעַל אַגְמֵיהֶם וְעַל כָּל מִקְוֵה מֵימֵיהֶם וְיִהְיוּ דָם וְהָיָה דָם בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וּבָעֵצִים וּבָאֲבָנִים:
It then continues by saying “And he lifted with his stick…”
שמות פרק ז וַיָּרֶם בַּמַּטֶּה וַיַּךְ אֶת הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר בַּיְאֹר
Notice that it does not say that he stretched out his hand since it is self understood.
Frogs. Once again Moshe is told to tell Aron, “Stretch out your hand with your stick.”
שמות פרק ח אֱמֹר אֶל אַהֲרֹן נְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ בְּמַטֶּךָ עַל הַנְּהָרֹת עַל הַיְאֹרִים וְעַל הָאֲגַמִּים וְהַעַל אֶת הַצְפַרְדְּעִים עַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:
Thereupon it says “And Aaron stretched out his hand.”
שמות פרק ח (ב) וַיֵּט אַהֲרֹן אֶת יָדוֹ עַל מֵימֵי מִצְרָיִם וַתַּעַל הַצְּפַרְדֵּעַ
Here it says Aaron stretched out his hand. It does not say with his stick as before. There is a slight change.
. it says “Stretch out your stick…” 3 By כנים
שמות פרק ח אֱמֹר אֶל אַהֲרֹן נְטֵה אֶת מַטְּךָ וְהַךְ אֶת עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ וְהָיָה לְכִנִּם בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:
It then says “Aaron stretched out his hand with his stick…”
וַיֵּט אַהֲרֹן אֶת יָדוֹ בְמַטֵּהוּ וַיַּךְ אֶת עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ
Now it adds the word hand
4) ערב – This מכה was done only by ה’ and therefore there is no mention of the stick.
5) דבר – This מכה was done only by ה’ and therefore there is no mention of the stick.
6) שחין – Here we find that soot is used. Why not use the stick as by all the rest of the makkos?
שמות פרק ט קְחוּ לָכֶם מְלֹא חָפְנֵיכֶם פִּיחַ כִּבְשָׁן וּזְרָקוֹ משֶׁה הַשָּׁמַיְמָה לְעֵינֵי פַרְעֹה:
7) ברד. Here Moshe is told, “Stretch out your hand.” Then it says “and Moshe stretched out his stick.”
שמות פרק ט כב) נְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם וִיהִי בָרָד בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם עַל הָאָדָם וְעַל הַבְּהֵמָה וְעַל כָּל עֵשֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶה בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם: כג) וַיֵּט משֶׁה אֶת מַטֵּהוּ עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם
Why the change?
8) ארבה. Here Moshe is told to “Stretch out his hand.” שמות פרק י נְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בָּאַרְבֶּה
It then continues by saying that “Moshe stretched out his hand …וַיֵּט משֶׁה אֶת מַטֵּהוּ עַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם
.” Why doesn’t it say with your stick as it does in previous times?
9) חשך. Here Moshe is told to “Stretch out his hand.”
שמות פרק י נְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם וִיהִי חשֶׁךְ עַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְיָמֵשׁ חשֶׁךְ:
It continues by saying that “Moshe stretched out his hand.”
(כב) וַיֵּט משֶׁה אֶת יָדוֹ עַל הַשָּׁמָיִם וַיְהִי חשֶׁךְ אֲפֵלָה בְּכָל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם
Why is there no mention of the stick as it does before?
10) מכת בכורות. Done by ה’ and therefore no stick is used.
11) ים סוף. It begins by telling Moshe to lift his stick and stretch out his hand.
שמות פרק יד וְאַתָּה הָרֵם אֶת מַטְּךָ וּנְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ עַל הַיָּם וּבְקָעֵהוּ
It continues by saying that Moshe stretched out his hand.
…וַיֵּט משֶׁה אֶת יָדוֹ עַל הַיָּם
Later on Moshe is told to stretch out his hand,
. … נְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ עַל הַיָּם וְיָשֻׁבוּ הַמַּיִם עַל מִצְרַיִם עַל רִכְבּוֹ וְעַל פָּרָשָׁיו:
and then still later it says “Moshe stretched out his hand.” Why is there no mention of the stick?
(כז) וַיֵּט משֶׁה אֶת יָדוֹ עַל הַיָּם
Since every word in the Torah is exact, then why the constant changes?