[Avodah] frogs

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, Jan 31, 2012 at 10:26:19PM +0200, Eli Turkel wrote:
: Pof. Sperber based on many poofs claims that tzefardea is a crocodile and
: and not a frog

Rabbeinu Chananel, Ibn Ezra and Abarbanel said it first.

Two factors (not proofs, just indications) in favor of "frog":

Heket, the Egyptian fertility goddess, has a frog head. As RSRH notes,
this would make the makkah about fertility symbols emerging from the
river where they drowned Jewish babies (Shemos 1:22). Doesn't work with
crocodiles.

Second, a number of medrashim (including the Tanchuma, Bo 4 and Shemos
Rabba 10:6, Yalqut Shim'oni 182...) and the Zohar speak of the deafening
noise of the tzefarde'im. Crocodiles can "howl"
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEj5imOSJ40>, but the noise is lower and
not as incessant as the croaking of frogs.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             We are great, and our foibles are great,
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