The fourth plague was the sudden attack of a mixed horde of wild animals. G-d had Moses tell Pharaoh that this horde would not attack the province of Goshen, where the Jews lived.
Healthy Distinctions
וְשַׂמְתִּי פְדֻת בֵּין עַמִּי וּבֵין עַמֶּךָ וגו':
(שמות ח:יט)
[G-d instructed Moses to tell Pharaoh,] “I will make a redemptive distinction between My people and your people.”
Exodus 8:19
The most frightening facet of this plague was that the horde
of wild animals attacked as a disorderly mixture rather than species by
species. This anarchy and the terror it inspired are similar to what happens
when the moral boundaries that keep society intact are breached.
There is value in questioning the established morals of secular
society, but this can only be done when we are firmly grounded in our
commitment to the Divine values of the Torah. Only when we are clear about what
values are authentically holy can we properly evaluate each element of secular
culture and choose what to co-opt and what to reject.
When we embrace this essential distinction between holy and
unholy values, it is easier for us to enhance our connection with G‑d.1
