What is the meaning of "meha'Boker v'Ad Es Mo'ed"?
Rashi, from Targum Yonasan, Brachos 62a #1: It is from when the Tamid is slaughtered until it is brought up [on the Mizbe'ach to burn it].
Radak and Malbim, both citing Brachos 62a #2: It is until midday, which is one of the times of the sun. Sunrise is one time, midday is another time, and sunset is another time.
Radak citing Midrash Shmuel 31:3: It is from dawn until sunrise.
Hashem said that the plague would be three days. Why was it less than one day?
Radak: Amidst mercy, Hashem shortened it. 1
Radak citing Midrash Shmuel 31:3: There was a decree of 36 hours of punishments; great advocates came and nullified most of it. The advocates are five Chumshei Torah, seven days of Shabbos, eight days of Bris Milah, and the merit of the three Avos; 13 hours remained. One Amora said that the merit of 12 Shevatim removed 12 hours; another said that it was the merit of Aseres ha'Dibros and the two Luchos; one hour remained. [This is the time] from when the Tamid is slaughtered until Zerikas ha'Dam.
Perhaps this is because people honor Shabbos the entire week, like Shamai (Beitzah 16a).
Had the plague lasted three days, how many would have died?
Malbim: According to the opinion that it lasted was one hour (and 70,000 died), in one whole day, another 1,610,000 would have died. This is more than Yo'av counted. The number of men was the same as the number of women, and the same as the number of children, like the Mechilta (on "Erev Rav Alu Itam" (Shemos 12:38) says about the 600,000 who left Egypt. If so, in three days everyone would have died! According to the opinion that it lasted until midday, in three full days (12 times as much time) 840,000 would have died. This is about the total number counted (from Yisrael, i.e. 800,000 1 ).
Malbim implies that all of Yisrael would have died. Why does he say so? In half a day, 5% of Yisrael and 6% of Yehudah died. If we assume that that they would continue to die at this rate, in three full days 60% of Yisrael and 72% of Yehudah would die! (PF)
Why did so many people die?
Radak (25, citing Shochar Tov 17): It is because they did not demand [to build] the Beis ha'Mikdash. They were punished even though it was not built and not destroyed in their days. We, that it was build and destroyed in our days, how much the more so (we must demand that it be rebuilt)! Therefore, they enacted that Yisrael pray three times every day for the return of the Shechinah and Hashem's Malchus to Tziyon, and the Avodah to Yerushalayim!
