Fear The Barad

The possuk says כִּ֣י | בַּפַּ֣עַם הַזֹּ֗את אֲנִ֨י שֹׁלֵ֜חַ אֶת־כָּל־מַגֵּֽפֹתַי֙ אֶל־לִבְּךָ֔ וּבַֽעֲבָדֶ֖יךָ וּבְעַמֶּ֑ךָ, why is this makkah called כָּל־מַגֵּֽפֹתַי֙ more than any other?  Rashi says מִתְלַקַּחַת בְּתוֹךְ הַבָּרָד: נֵס בְּתוֹךְ נֵס, הָאֵשׁ וְהַבָּרָד מְעֹרָבִין, וְהַבָּרָד מַיִם הוּא, וְלַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן קוֹנָם עָשׂוּ שָׁלוֹם בֵּינֵיהֶם.  This was the only makkah in which the makkah itself contained a miracle inside of it.  The  miracle within a miracle demonstrates that another level or dimension of control that Hashem has over creation in that not only does he change nature to His will but he does not have to follow the rules at all.  This dominion is further enhanced by the destruction wrought by this plague which destroyed everything, plant life, animals and humans.  The previous makkot had a focus on an area where the plague took hold, whether it be in the people, the land or animals, barad had elements of all three.  This is the מגפתי.  

In the warning of the makkah of barad it says הִנְנִ֤י מַמְטִיר֙ כָּעֵ֣ת מָחָ֔ר בָּרָ֖ד כָּבֵ֣ד מְאֹ֑ד.  Rashi says שרט לו שירטא בכותל, למחר כשתגיע חמה לכאן, ירד הברד.  Why specifically for this makkah does Moshe give an exact time?  This makkah is a makkah of joining opposite forces, fire and water, din and rachamamim, giving people an ability to bring their animals inside.  So too, the makkah was an out of nature experience but tied to the measure of an exact time (see Likutay Sichos volume 31.)  

Why specifically for this makkah is there a special dispensation for the ירא דבר ה to be able to save their animals?  It is only after this makkah that Pharaoh utters a true statement of vidduy, וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֖ם חָטָ֣אתִי הַפָּ֑עַם י״י֙ הַצַּדִּ֔יק וַאֲנִ֥י וְעַמִּ֖י הָרְשָׁעִֽים.  What inspires him here to utter this statement? The Tanchuma says since Hashem gave advice to avoid the animals dying, as opposed to humans that fight that try to wipe out the opponent, this inspired Pharaoh to do teshuva.  The Ramban adds that this shows the point of  the makkah was not to merely cause destruction but to inspire teshuva.  The barad is like the Gemarah Berachot (59a) says אמר ר' אלכסנדרי אמר ר' יהושע בן לוי: לא נבראו הרעמים אלא לפשוט  עקמומית שבלב, thunder is placed in the world to awaken one to do teshuva.  The darkness, banging and sound of the barad was meant to inspire fear.  That's why there was a "way out" for the ירא דבר ה in this makkah because the goal of this makkah was not pain but fear and that was accomplished is one felt יראה enough to bring their animal inside.  This awe inspiring show led even Pharaoh to feel true feelings of repentance.  However, afterward it says  וַיַּ֣רְא פַּרְעֹ֗ה כִּֽי⁠־חָדַ֨ל הַמָּטָ֧ר וְהַבָּרָ֛ד וְהַקֹּלֹ֖ת וַיֹּ֣סֶף לַחֲטֹ֑א וַיַּכְבֵּ֥ד לִבּ֖וֹ ה֥וּא וַעֲבָדָֽיו.  Here Pharaoh was יוסף לחטוא because he really felt an internal stirring but he pushed that aside, that is the יוסף לחטוא.  Pharaoh had a real opportunity after this makkah to due teshuva and he would not be ignored.  However, once he removed the feelings of remorse, then Hashem hardened his heart to not send away Bnei Yisrael (last Sforno in the parsha.)  

Why the uniqueness of barad?  Possibly because it is the culmination of the makkos of this week's parsha.  It is the end of a set.  It is the 7th makkah, כל השביעין חביבין, in other words like Shabbat, etc. the totality of everything before it.  Rav Wolfson adds based upon the Chiddushay HaRim that the 10 maakot correspond to the 10 utterances used to create the world, barad corresponds to Shabbat.  שבת is connected to yirah as the Tikkunay Zohar says בראשית is ירא שבת.  He cites the Tanchuma says that the barad is suspended in the air waiting to fall on גוג ומגוג.  In other words, the barad remove the final push of מרידה against the malchus of Hashem (7th sefirah, machus.)  He explains that is why Moshe had to exit the city to pray for this makkah to be removed, why was it different from the earlier makkot?  Since this prayer was not to make the makkah removed from the world, instead to merely suspend it in the heavens, Moshe had to be completely removed from the tumah of Egypt in order for this level of tefillah to be accepted.    Hence, the design of barad was to strike fear in Pharaoh.