In the Haggadah it says: (text from WikiSource)
רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר: מִנַּיִן אַתָּה אוֹמֵר שֶׁלָּקוּ הַמִּצְרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם עֶשֶׂר מַכּוֹת וְעַל הַיָּם לָקוּ חֲמִשִּׁים מַכּוֹת? בְּמִצְרַיִם מָה הוּא אוֹמֵר? וַיֹּאמְרוּ הַחַרְטֻמִּים אֶל פַּרְעֹה: אֶצְבַּע אֱלֹהִים הִוא, וְעַל הַיָּם מָה הוּא אוֹמֵר? וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַיָד הַגְּדֹלָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְיָ בְּמִצְרַיִם, וַיִּירְאוּ הָעָם אֶת יְיָ, וַיַּאֲמִינוּ בַּיְיָ וּבְמשֶׁה עַבְדוֹ. כַּמָּה לָקוּ בְאֶצְבַּע? עֶשֶׂר מַכּוֹת. אֱמוֹר מֵעַתָּה: בְּמִצְרַיִם לָקוּ עֶשֶׂר מַכּוֹת וְעַל הַיָּם לָקוּ חֲמִשִּׁים מַכּוֹת.
This opinion says that there were 10 plagues in Egypt (as we know), and 50 plagues at the sea, because in Egypt, the plagues are compared to a finger, and at the sea, "we saw Hashem's 'hand'". 10 plagues in a finger X 5 fingers in a hand = 50 plagues with a hand.
We then bring two other opinions that say each plague was actually four or five, but still keep the 1:5 ratio.
However, we're taking this "finger" source out of context! The pasuk is Shmot 8:15, and it's in the middle of the third plague. Hence, we see that a "finger" causes 3 plagues, in which case a "hand" would be 15 (3x5).
Why then do the rabbis in the Haggadah treat a finger as being worth all 10 plagues? Is there a source for this?
Answer
R. Abarbanel (in his Zevach Pesach) explains: The magicians had tried to replicate the first three plagues, but were unsuccessful with the third, lice, which proved to them retroactively that all three had indeed been God's finger, as would any remaining plagues be. That's why they didn't bother trying to replicate the remaining plagues, and why Pharaoh didn't ask them to. (In fact, this lack of trying is how R. Yosi knows their "God's finger" pronouncement applied to all the plagues.)
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