‫נר לאפרים‬ ‫בס"ד‬

The ten plagues ‫עשר מכות‬

CONTENTS
The Ten Plagues – Chart
DeTzaCh ADaSh BeAChaV
Ten Plagues Pattern
How Many Plagues Were There?
How Long Did the Makkos Last?
Plague of the Blood
Plague of the Frogs
Plague of the Kinim
Plague of Dever
Plague of Arov
Plague of Shchin
Plague of Hail
Plague of the Locust
Plague of the Darkness
Makkos Bechoros
Sod Etzba Ehokim
The Ten Makkos – Riddles and Questions

www.parshapages.com
For subscription to weekly emails send note to info@parshapages.com
Collection compiled hopefully for the elucidation of Torah
 THE TEN PLAGUES
‫דצ"ך עד"ש באח"ב‬
‫"ב‬ ‫ח‬ ‫א‬ ‫ב‬ ‫"ש‬ ‫ד‬ ‫ע‬ ‫"ך‬ ‫צ‬ ‫ד‬
‫מכת‬
‫חשך‬ ‫ארבה‬ ‫ברד‬ ‫שחין‬ ‫דבר‬ ‫ערוב‬ ‫כנים‬ ‫צפרדע‬ ‫דם‬
‫בכורות‬

Warning Warning Warning Warning Warning Warning Warning

No No No
at the at the at the at the at the at the at the
warning warning warning
palace palace river palace river palace river
Brought
by
Brought Brought Brought Brought Brought Brought Brought Brought Brought
HaShem
by by by by by by by by by
Moshe
HaShem Moshe Moshe Moshe HaShem HaShem Aharon Aharon Aharon
&
Aharon
In addition to punishing the Egyptians, each plague furthered the Egyptians’ awareness of G-d
(according to Rashi & the Rebbe)
Confirmation of G-d’s control of
Confirmation of G-d’s Providence Confirmation of G-d’s existence
time, space & man
Deity of
Jewish Egypt
Jewish Paroh’s Combined Deity of
people sent
people able
heart is
Demonstrat
natural Egypt Egypt
(Nile) is
to extract ion of Cattle of Egypt
out of hardened order and sorcerers (Nile) is the afflicted
the G-d’s those thrown into in its
Egypt; despite miracle unable to source of
treasures of precision in Egyptians unpreceden
G-d’s wish to result in the duplicate havoc for entirety;
Egypt; the exact that fear ted havoc,
involvemen concede, utter and confess the Egypt; constant
some time the G-d are inspiring
t in the making a humiliation “finger of everything involvem
places were plague spared fear
affairs of mockery of of the G-d” created by
man
dark, others
Egypt
begins
Sorcerers G-d
ent by G-
were not d in
Creation
(Pictures from Torahtots.com)
 DeTzaCh ADaSh BeAChaV
These are the Ten Plagues which the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians:

‫מכת‬
‫חשך‬ ‫ארבה‬ ‫ברד‬ ‫שחין‬ ‫דבר‬ ‫ערוב‬ ‫כנים‬ ‫צפרדע‬ ‫דם‬
‫בכורות‬

Rabbi Yehudah referred to them by acronyms: ‫דצ"ך עד"ש באח"ב‬

‫"ב‬ ‫ח‬ ‫א‬ ‫ב‬ ‫"ש‬ ‫ד‬ ‫ע‬ ‫"ך‬ ‫צ‬ ‫ד‬
The acronym is in order to understand the order of the warnings prior to the plague. The first
Daas Zkeinim plague of each set (1,4,7) the warning is to Paroh at the river. The second in each set (2,5,8)
is to Paroh in the palace. The third in each set (3,6,9) was given without warning.
The plagues were divided into three groups. The first three were done by Aharon with the
Ravan staff. The second three were done by Moshe without the staff. And the third set of three
were done by Moshe with a staff.
First set of three plagues were of the earth below and the water; the second set involved in the
Maharil Diskin
air close to the earth; and the third set was in the sky close to the heavens
First group of three expressed confirmation of G-d’s existence; the second group of three
Malbim expressed confirmation of G-d’s Providence; and the third group of three expressed.
confirmation of G-d’s control of time, space & man
First group of three came to confirm the existence of G-d; the second set came to confirm the
Alshich unique bond between G-d and the Jews; and the third set came to confirm His complete
rulership of all things
The simanim come to indicate that the plagues were for the sake of the Jews
Klil Tiferes ‫דור צדיקים כשרים עם דעה שלימה בני אלקים חיים בינה‬
A generation of Kosher Tzadkim with complete knowledge children of G-d living understanding
The Russian government once requested that HaRav Yitzchok of Volozhin and the Rebbe HaRav Menachem Mendel of
Lubavitch come to St. Petersburg, the capital, to answer many questions pertaining to Judaism. With HaShem's help, they
succeeded in pleasing the government officials with their answers.
One day a Catholic priest approached them. The rabbonim were surrounded by many Russian ministers who had gathered
to see whether or not the Jews could refute all the questions about Judaism. The priest brazenly said: "You Jews. You
always say that you do not need human blood for Pesach, but I will show you in your own book that you all need blood!"
While speaking he took out from under his coat a Haggadah Shel Pesach and pointed with his finger at the passage stating
that R' Yehuda made mnemonic signs of the initials of the ten plagues: Detzach, Adash, BeAhav. The priest said that the
initials stand for:
Dam tzerichim kulanu (‫ — )דם צ ִריכִ ים ּכּולָנּו‬We all need blood —
al devar sheharagnu (‫ — )על דבַ ר שהָ ַרגְ נּו‬because we killed —
ben Ei-l chai bashamayim (‫ל חי בשָ מַ ִים‬-‫ — )בית א‬the ‘son’ of the living god in heaven.”
"Now I want you to admit to me," said the priest, "that the Jews need blood on Pesach."
We can, of course, understand it being undesirable to admonish the priest for his warped pshat, nor answer him calmly with
an explanation found in the commentaries, such as according to R' Ovadiah of Bartenura, R' Yehuda made mnemonic signs
of the ten plagues to help him remember them. The priest would surely not accept that explanation despite it being true,
since he was not seeking the truth but only to hurt the rabbonim and disgrace the Jews.
One of the Rabbis immediately devised a true answer that effectively closed the priest's mouth. “I will explain to you what
the initials that R' Yehuda gave mean.
Dovrim tzorereinu kazav (‫ — )דֹובְ ִרים צ ְֹור ֵרינּו ּכזָב‬Our enemies talk falsehood —
alilat dam sheker (‫ — )עלִ ילַת דם שקר‬blood libels are false —
b’nei Avraham chalilah bezot (‫)בנֵי אבְ ָרהָ ם חלִ ילָה בזאֹ ת‬-the children of Avraham would never do such a thing.”
Upon hearing this explanation HaRav Menachem Mendel expressed his agreement to prove it correct. They both looked at
the bewildered priest who neither knew what to answer nor add to what he had previously said. (Mishel Ovos)
 PATTERNS

The Kli Yakar offers that the Plagues are a response to the actions of the Egyptians:
1) The Nile was smitten in response to Paroh's saying that the Nile was his and he created himself (Yechezkel
29:3). The death of the fish was a response to the Egyptians restraining the bnei Yisroel from multiplying as
fish.
2) The frogs are a response to Paroh's saying that he does not recognize HaShem. Lowly frogs, however, did
recognize HaShem and did His bidding by entering heated ovens and the like. This also negated Paroh's claim
that he created the Nile, and here we find the Nile spewing forth legions and legions of frogs.
3) Lice were a response to the Egyptians forcing the bnei Yisroel to work so hard that they sweated profusely.
This brings on lice, especially when bathing facilities were not available. The lice came from the earth since
the Egyptians forced the bnei Yisroel to work the land very hard.
4) The mixture of wild animals was a response to enslaving the bnei Yisroel who are likened to animals, "Ki
chayos heinoh" (Shmos 1:19).
5) The pestilence that killed the Egyptians' livestock was a response to the Egyptians forcing the bnei Yisroel to
forsake their former occupation of herding livestock, changing it to creating clay bricks. In response all their
livestock died.
6) Boils and other skin afflictions were a response to the Egyptians restraining the bnei Yisroel from reproducing.
Cohabiting when one has these skin afflictions is very painful and deleterious for the skin condition. This
concept is mentioned in Bereshis Rabbah 41:2, where Paroh was afflicted with this skin condition after he
took Sarah. Although this should have served as a warning for the future, once again history bears out that it
is a study of mankind not learning a lesson from history.
7) Hail and the accompanying deafening sounds were in response to Paroh's saying that he would not hearken to
the voice of HaShem. Paroh now suffered not only the damage inflicted by the fiery balls of hail, but also the
"Kol HaShem al hamoyim kol HaShem chotzeiv lahavos aish."
8) Locust, "Arbeh," came upon the Egyptians in response to Paroh's attempting to stem the blessing of, "Harbeih
Arbeh es zar'eich" (Breishis 22:17) with his saying "pen yirbeh."
9) Darkness came upon the Egyptians in response to their causing the bnei Yisroel to hide their newborn males
in the depths of dark.
10) The killing of the Egyptian firstborn was in response to their planning to destroy HaShem's firstborn, the bnei
Yisroel. He ends by saying that the destruction the Egyptians met at Yam Suf was not an eleventh plague, as
nothing was visited upon them. Rather, they ran into the sea and met their doom.
 The Undoing of Creation – Maharal of Prague

G-d created the world with His speech; to be precise, with 10 utterances. But Paroh
denied these 10 Divine utterances.
And so, the 10 plagues corresponded with the various elements that G-d created in the
world, each one demonstrating that a seemingly stable and independent aspect of creation—
something that could easily be attributed to “nature”—was entirely in G-d’s hands.
Thus, the plagues proved that G-d truly is the omniscient, all-powerful Creator.
1. Blood
The first plague eliminated drinkable water, established that G-d rules over the water.
2. Frogs
During the plague of frogs, the creatures even got into the stone ovens, which proved
that G-d rules over all physical man-made creations.
3. Lice
With the third plague, lice, which was accomplished by striking the dirt, it became known
that G-d rules over all the dust of the land.
4. Wild Animals
The fourth plague, where the wild animals destroyed anything in their way, demonstrated
that G-d rules over all of the animals of the land.
5. Pestilence
Through spreading disease amongst the animals, it became known that G-d controls all
of the air we breathe.
6. Boils
The boils all over the Egyptian bodies established that G-d can cause any living person
or animal to suffer or to be healed.
7. Hail
The plague of hail, which rained in the form of fire in ice, declared that G-d controls the
element of fire.
8. Locust
When locusts consumed all the crops, it became clear that G-d rules over the earth’s
vegetation.
9. Darkness
By dropping thick darkness over the Egyptians for several days, G-d demonstrated that
only He can change that which is found in the sky
10. Death of the Firstborn
Through the death of only the Egyptian firstborn, it became known that G-d rules over
the angels and the spiritual worlds.
Overview of the Various Proposed Units within the Ten Plagues
One Unified Process
All of the Plagues form one cohesive unit with unifying patterns.
Sources: Pesikta DeRa Kahana, Tanchuma Bo
Gradual progression – These Midrashim compare the process of the Plagues to a series of increasingly severe
measures a king takes to subdue a rebellious country. There is no indication of any internal division in this
analogy.
Origin – The source of the Plagues gradually moves from the waters up to HaShem Himself.
Paroh's reactions – Paroh's negotiating stance becomes more flexible as the series continues.
Two Pentads (Groups of Five)
The Ten Plagues can be divided into two sets of five, from ‫ דָ ם‬to ‫ דֶּ בֶּ ר‬and from ‫ ְׁשחִ ין‬to ‫בְׁ כֹורֹות‬.
Sources: Tanchuma Vaera; Shmos Rabbah11:6 13:3, Maharal Gevurot HaShem 31 Gevurot HaShem 56, Vilna Gaon
(GR"A) Commentary on Haggadah s.v. ‫ביד חזקה‬
Hardening of Paroh's heart – The Midrashim highlight the switch between Paroh's hardening of his own heart
and HaShem's more active role in the hardening which begins in the Plague of ‫שחִ ין‬. ְ
Introductions – The introductions to the miracles of the ‫ תַ נִ ין‬and ‫ ְשחִ ין‬are unique in that they include both
Moshe and Aharon – "‫" ַוי ֹאמֶ ר ה' אֶ ל מֹ שֶ ה וְ אֶ ל אַ הֲרֹ ן‬.
Origin – Abarbanel notes that the first five plagues came from the water and earth, while the second set of
five came via fire and air.
First plagues of the set – The miracles of the ‫ תַ נִ ין דָ ם‬and ‫ ְשחִ ין‬parallel the three signs which were given to
Moshe already in Shmos 4,6. As such, they serve as appropriate opening warnings for each set of plagues.
Final plagues of the set – Each set of five ends with a particularly devastating plague, ‫ דֶ בֶ ר‬and ‫בְ כֹורֹות‬, the
only two plagues which explicitly caused death.
Three or Four Triads (Groups of Three)
The two variations of this approach differ regarding the total number of plagues and about whether the relatively
lighter plagues of ‫כִ נִ ים‬, ‫שחִ ין‬,
ְ and ‫ חֹ שֶ ְך‬are the openings or conclusions of the various groupings.
Three Triads (Groups of Three)
The first group consists of ‫דָ ם‬, ‫צְׁ ַפ ְׁרדֵּ ַַע‬, and ‫כִ נִ ים‬, the second includes ‫ ָע ֹרב‬, ‫דֶּ בֶּ ר‬, and ‫שחִ ין‬,
ְׁ and the third is composed of
‫בָ ָרד‬, ‫אַ ְׁרבֶּ ה‬, and ‫חֹשֶּ ְך‬.
Sources: R. Yehuda in Sifre Devarim; Midrash Tannaim Devarim 26; Lekach Tov Shmos 8:15; Rashbam Shmos 7:26; R.
Avraham b. HaRambam Shmos 9:19; Ramban Shmos 8:15; R. Bachya Shmos 9:14, Shmos 10:1; Ritva Commentary
on the Passover Haggadah s.v. ‫ ;באח"ב‬Ralbag Shmos 8,2; Akeidas Yitzchak Shmos #36; Abarbanel Shmos; Seforno
Shmos 4:23, Shmos 7:4 Shmos 8:12, Keli Yekar Shmos 7:17; R. S"R Hirsch Shmos 7:15; Malbim Shmos 7:14
Number of miracles – This approach views the nine plagues from ‫ דָ ם‬to ‫ חֹ שֶ ְך‬as a distinct unit. Commentators
who count ten or eleven miracles, need to still view ‫ תַ נִ ין‬as an introductory sign, and the Plague of the
Firstborn and Splitting of the Sea as separate from the main cycle of the Plagues.
Three Lessons – The Akeidas Yitzchak and Abarbanel explain that each set was designed to teach a different
lesson and therefore begins with an explicit statement to that effect. The Plague of ‫ דָ ם‬is introduced with
"'‫"בְ ז ֹאת תֵ דַ ע כִ י אֲנִ י ה‬, ‫ עָרֹ ב‬by "‫"לְ מַ עַן תֵ דַ ע כִ י אֲנִ י ה' בְ קֶ ֶרב הָ אָ ֶרץ‬, and ‫ בָ ָרד‬with "‫"בַ עֲבּור תֵ דַ ע כִ י אֵ ין כָמֹ נִ י בְ כָל הָ אָ ֶרץ‬.
Thus, the first triad was intended to verify HaShem's existence, the second set to proclaim His providence,
and the final group to demonstrate His unique and incomparable abilities.
Progression – Ralbag points out that each set was more severe than the previous one. The first triad was
composed mainly of nuisances, rather than threatening calamities. The second set more seriously attacked
the Egyptian's livestock sources of sustenance and brought bodily pain through the ‫שחִ ין‬. ְ The third set, in
attacking crops, affected even future livelihood, and the darkness caused more distress. Finally, the last
plague brought death itself.
 Target – Ralbag suggests that in each threesome there was both an attack on the food supply and on the
Egyptians' own bodies.
Agent – The Tanchuma Vaera notes that Aharon brings the first set, Moshe initiates the plagues of the final
triad, HaShem directly brings ‫עָרֹ ב‬, ‫דֶ בֶ ר‬, and ‫בְ כֹורֹות‬, while ‫ ְשחִ ין‬is brought by both Moshe and Aharon
together.
Warning – Many of these commentators point out that in each set, the first two plagues were preceded by a
warning, while the last one was not.
Language and location – Ramban notes that before the first plague of each set, Moshe is told "‫"הִ ְתיַצֵ ב לִ פְ נֵי פ ְַרעֹ ה‬,
while in the second plague the language is "‫"ב ֹא אֶ ל פ ְַרעֹ ה‬. He explains that the warning for the first wonder
of each set took place by the Nile, while the warning for the second plagues of each group was delivered
in the palace.
Timing – The warning for the first plague of each set took place in the morning.
Hardening of Paroh's heart – This division does not account for the shift midway through the Plagues from
Paroh himself hardening of his heart to HaShem doing so.
Four Triads (Groups of Three)
The first group consists of ‫תַ נִ ין‬, ‫דָ ם‬, and ‫צְׁ ַפ ְׁרדֵּ ַַע‬, the second includes ‫כִ נִ ים‬, ‫ ָע ֹרב‬, and ‫דֶּ בֶּ ר‬, the third is composed of ‫שחִ ין‬,
ְׁ
‫בָ ָרד‬, and ‫אַ ְׁרבֶּ ה‬, and the fourth contains ‫חֹשֶּ ְך‬, ‫בְׁ כֹורֹות‬, and ‫יַםַסּוף‬.
Sources: R. Yosef ibn Kaspi Shmos 11:10; R. N"H Wessely Ruach Chen 12 (pp.210-224); Shirei Tiferet, Intro.
to Vol. 3; R. Y"S Reggio Shmos 7:3; Shadal Shmos 7:17
Nature of the miracles – R. N"H Wessely suggests that the first of each set served as a warning sign while the
other two plagues served as punishments. He thereby explains that there is no warning for ‫כִ נִ ים‬, ‫שחִ ין‬, ְ and
‫חֹ שֶ ְך‬, as they themselves constituted warnings for the plagues which followed.
Origin –R. N"H Wessely, each triad stemmed from a different source: water, land, air, and heavens.
Target – R. N"H Wessely notes a progression in the severity of the Plagues from one set to the next. The
plagues of the first triad destroyed the fish of the Nile, those of the second group attacked the cattle, the
third set ruined the agricultural produce, while the final plagues brought death to humans.
Agent – The pairs of punishment plagues in each set were brought by different agents. Aharon initiated ‫דָ ם‬
and ‫צְ פ ְַרדֵ ַע‬, HaShem directly brought ‫ עָרֹ ב‬and ‫דֶ בֶ ר‬, Moshe was responsible for bringing the ‫ בָ ָרד‬and ‫אַ ְרבֶ ה‬,
while HaShem and Moshe combine to bring about ‫ בְ כֹורֹות‬and ‫יַם סּוף‬.
Hardening of Paroh's heart – According to this approach it is exactly midway through the Plagues (after the
first two triads) that HaShem (rather than Paroh himself) begins to harden Paroh's heart.
Magicians – There is a gradual lessening of the magician's roles and status between the triads. In the first
cycle the magicians are able to replicate all three wonders. By the second set, though, they can no longer
bring the signs. In the third, their stature decreases even further, as due to the ‫ ְשחִ ין‬they can no longer even
stand before Paroh. In the last set they are missing from the story altogether.
Tehillim 78 – Wessely explains why the wonders of the ‫תַ נִ ין‬, ‫כִ נִ ים‬, ‫שחִ ין‬, ְ and ‫ חֹ שֶ ְך‬are absent from the Psalmist's
description of the plagues, as all of these were only preparatory warning signs, not actual plagues.
Five Pairs
The Ten Plagues from ‫ דָ ם‬until ‫ ְׁבכֹורֹות‬are divided into five groups of two.
Sources: R. Yehuda HaLevi cited by Ibn Ezra Long Commentary Shmos 9:1; U. Cassuto Shmos Intro 7:8 – 11:10
Origin – R. Yehuda HaLevi sees a progression through the pairs of plagues from the water to the heavens: ‫דָ ם‬
and ‫ צְ פ ְַרדֵ ַע‬were plagues originating from the water, ‫ כִ נִ ים‬and ‫ עָרֹ ב‬were scourges from the land, while ‫דֶ בֶ ר‬
and ‫ ְשחִ ין‬were airborne. Both ‫ בָ ָרד‬and ‫ אַ ְרבֶ ה‬were windswept, the former as part of a storm, the latter brought
by an easterly wind. Finally, the last two calamities were heavenly-sent.
Nature and effects – Cassuto points to the similarity of the plagues in each of the five pairs: ‫ דָ ם‬and ‫ צְ פ ְַרדֵ ַע‬both
attacked the Nile, ‫ כִ נִ ים‬and ‫ עָרֹ ב‬were both plagues of insects, ‫ דֶ בֶ ר‬and ‫ ְשחִ ין‬were both diseases, with the
former affecting animals and the latter affecting humans, while ‫ בָ ָרד‬and ‫ אַ ְרבֶ ה‬both caused agricultural
devastation. The last pair brought darkness, first a literal absence of light, and then the darkness of death.
 How Many Plagues Were There?
Based on paper from alhatorah.org
No Biblical Source
The "Ten Plagues" or "‫ "עֶשֶ ר מַ כֹות‬is such a famous phrase that it is frequently taken for granted and rarely
questioned. But how do we know that there were "Ten Plagues"? Surprisingly, the Torah never uses either the
number ten or the term "‫ "מכות‬to describe the miracles in Egypt. Instead it refers to them as either "‫"אֹותֹ ת ּומֹ פְ ִתים‬
("signs and wonders") or as "‫"שפ ִָטים‬
ְ ("acts of judgment").
The traditional count of the "Ten Plagues" begins with the Plague of Blood and concludes with the Plague of the
Firstborn. However, the Biblical text sets no definitive starting or ending point for the series, leaving room to
question the status of the two miracles which frame the set of the Plagues: the sign of the ‫ תַ נִ ין‬and the splitting of
Yam Suf. Are these fundamentally different from the other so called "plagues"? After all, these also are performed
by a wondrous staff in front of Paroh, involve the hardening of his heart, and teach recognition of G-d. Moreover,
the ‫ תַ נִ ין‬is explicitly called a "‫"מֹופֵת‬. Conversely, perhaps the Plague of the Firstborn should be omitted from the
count. Structurally it is distinct from the main plague narrative, and it is the only one of the wonders referred to
as a "‫" ֶנגַע‬.
The count among the commentators ranges from 9 Miracles through 12 Miracles as described below:

Twelve Miracles
The twelve miracles from the sign of the ‫ תַ נִ ין‬through the drowning of the Egyptians in Yam Suf all form one
unified series.
SOURCES: R.
N"H Wessely Ruach Chen 12 (pp.210-224) Yein Levanon Avot 5:5 Shirei Tiferet, Intro. to Vol. 3, R. Y"S Reggio Shmos 7:3,
Shadal Shmos 7:17
"‫ "אֹותֹ ת ּומֹ פ ִתים‬and "‫ – "שפ ִטים‬These exegetes maintain that the terms denote different categories of miracles,
with "‫ "אֹותֹ ת ּומֹ פְ ִתים‬referring to the four interspersed signs of ‫תַ נִ ין‬, ‫כִ נִ ים‬, ‫שחִ ין‬,
ְ and ‫ חֹשֶ ְך‬which were relatively
harmless, and "‫"שפָטִ ים‬ ְ (literally, "acts of judgment") being the other eight much harsher plagues and
punishments. Thus, the full set of twelve miracles consists of four triads, each of which opens with an initial
5

warning sign ("‫ )"אֹות ּומֹופֵת‬which is then followed by two more severe punishments ("‫)"שפָטִ ים‬. ְ Alternatively,
though, "‫ "אֹותֹ ת ּומֹ פְ ִתים‬may refer to the first ten miracles, and "‫ " ְשפָטִ ים‬could describe the Plague of the Firstborn
and the Splitting of the Sea.
Dual purpose of the miracles – The four signs and wonders were intended to warn, instill fear, and embarrass
the magicians, while the eight destructive plagues were meant to punish the Egyptian nation.
Inclusion of ‫ –תנִ ין‬The sign of the ‫ תַ נִ ין‬is similar in purpose to the warning plagues of ‫כִ נִ ים‬, ‫שחִ ין‬,
ְ and ‫חֹ שֶ ְך‬, and it
deserves to be counted just as they are.
Inclusion of Yam Suf – As the process of the punishment of the Egyptians was completed only with their
drowning in Yam Suf, the Splitting of the Sea is also included in the count of twelve.
Patterns – The grouping into four sets of three creates certain patterns as far as the agent who brings the
plague, the object of destruction, the role of the magicians, and the lessons to be learned.
Interruptions of the narrative flow – This approach could argue that the legal material in Chapters 12–13 is
secondary to the main storyline of the twelve miracles.
Hardening of Paroh's heart – According to this approach, exactly midway through the plagues (after two of
the four triads), Paroh's resolve weakens and HaShem begins to harden Paroh's heart.
"‫ – "עֹוד נגע אחד א ִביא‬This verse which precedes the Plague of the Firstborn would be interpreted as saying that
there would be one more plague before the Exodus, but not that this would conclude the entire series.
 Eleven Miracles
One can arrive at this total by including either the ‫ תַ נִ ין‬or the drowning of the Egyptians in Yam Suf.

Blood – Yam Suf

The eleven miracles from the Plague of Blood through the drowning of the Egyptians in Yam Suf all form one
unit, but the ‫ תַ נִ ין‬is not included.
SOURCES: Seforno Shmos 4:23 Shmos 7:4 Shmos 8:12

"‫ "אֹותֹ ת ּומֹ פ ִתים‬and "‫ – "שפ ִטים‬Seforno contends that the first nine wonders were simply signs and are referred to
in the verses as "‫"אֹותֹ ת ּומֹ פְ ִתים‬. In contrast, the last two – the killing of the firstborn and drowning in Yam Suf –
were actual plagues, and thus the Torah refers to them as "‫"שפָטִ ים‬. ְ
Dual purpose of the miracles – According to Seforno, the first nine signs had an educational purpose, to
inspire the Egyptians to recognize HaShem and repent. In contrast, the last two plagues were to exact
retribution from the Egyptians measure for measure.
Exclusion of ‫ –תנִ ין‬Surprisingly, Seforno does not include the ‫ תַ נִ ין‬in his grouping of signs. Perhaps the omission
is related to the exclusive nature of the sign. Since it was viewed only by Paroh and his staff and did not affect
the rest of the Egyptian nation, it was a much less effective educational tool.
Unique character of the Plague of the Firstborn – Seforno notes that the original warning for this plague is
the only one which emphasizes the concept of a measure for measure.
Inclusion of Yam Suf – As the ultimate retribution was completed only with the drowning of the Egyptians in
Yam Suf, the Splitting of the Sea is also included in the count.
Literary patterns and breaks in the narrative – Seforno's count and division might be supported by the
distinct literary styles of his two groupings. While the first nine plagues follow a somewhat similar pattern (the
transmission of a command to Paroh to release the nation, the bringing of the plague, negotiations, the
hardening of Paroh's heart and his refusal to free the people) and flow one into the other, the descriptions of
the last two plagues are exceptional. Each plague is surrounded by outside narrative unrelated to the plague
itself, and each focuses not just on the Egyptians but also on the Israelites.
"‫ – "עֹוד נגע אחד א ִביא‬This verse which precedes the Plague of the Firstborn would be interpreted as saying that
there would be one more plague before the Exodus, but not that this would be the final one of the entire series.

Tanin – Firstborn
The eleven miracles from the sign of the ‫ תַ נִ ין‬through the Plague of the Firstborn are all part of one series, but
Yam Suf is not included.
SOURCES: Ralbag Shmos 8, Toelet 2

"‫ "אֹותֹ ת ּומֹ פ ִתים‬and "‫ – "שפ ִטים‬Ralbag maintains that these three terms are all synonyms which refer to the same
series of eleven miracles.
Inclusion of ‫ –תנִ ין‬Shmos 7:9 explicitly describes the ‫ תַ נִין‬as a "‫"מֹופֵת‬, and this warrants its inclusion. Ralbag
explains that HaShem began the sequence with a relatively harmless wonder in order to gradually ratchet up
the pressure on Paroh.
Purpose of the miracles and the exclusion of Yam Suf – As the primary goal of the miracles was to compel
Paroh to let the nation go, this process ended once permission was granted. Ralbag views Yam Suf as a
completely separate event, with the different objective of the Egyptians recognizing HaShem.
Escalating process – Ralbag delineates how these eleven miracles intensified in severity step by step.
Frame – The wonders from the ‫ תַ נִ ין‬through the warning regarding the Plague of the Firstborn are framed by
mention of the "‫"אֹותֹ ת ּומֹ פְ ִתים‬, suggesting that all of the miracles which are in between (including the ‫תַ נִ ין‬, but not
Yam Suf) are part of the same process.
"‫ – "עֹוד נגע אחד א ִביא‬This verse supports the notion that the Plague of the Firstborn was the culmination of all of
the wonders.
 Ten Miracles
One can obtain a total of ten by including either the ‫ תַ נִ ין‬or the Plague of the Firstborn.

Blood – Firstborn
The ten plagues from the Plague of Blood until the Plague of the Firstborn create a complete set.
SOURCES: Philo On the Life of Moses I, XVII (96-97), Mishna Avos 5:4, R. Yehuda in Sifre Devarim 301 and Midrash Tannaim Devarim
26, Tanchuma Vaera 3 Bo 4, most commentators

"‫ "אֹותֹ ת ּומֹ פ ִתים‬and "‫ – "שפ ִטים‬This approach could either understand that all of these terms refer to the entire
Ten Plagues, or that "‫ "אֹותֹ ת ּומֹ פְ ִתים‬refers to the first nine plagues while "‫"שפָטִ ים‬
ְ refers to the Plague of the
Firstborn.
Purpose of the miracles –Philo view the Plagues as retributive and punitive in character.
Exclusion of ‫ –תנִ ין‬As the ‫ תַ נִ ין‬did not punish the Egyptians or have harmful repercussions, it is not counted as
one of the Ten Plagues.
Exclusion of Yam Suf – The drowning of the Egyptians at Yam Suf is viewed as its own distinct unit because of
the magnitude of the miracle, or because it occurred outside of Egypt and only after the Exodus.
Patterns and divisions – This approach can divide the first nine plagues into three triads, each of which shares
a number of common elements and features.
Hardening of Paroh's heart – The Tanchuma notes that it is exactly midway through the Plagues that the
verses state that HaShem begins to harden Paroh's heart (rather than Paroh himself doing the hardening).
"‫ – "עֹוד נגע אחד א ִביא‬This verse supports the idea that the plagues reach their climax with the Plague of the
Firstborn.

Tanin – Darkness
The ten miracles from the ‫ תַ נִ ין‬through the Plague of Darkness are a distinct unit.
"‫ "אֹותֹ ת ּומֹ פ ִתים‬and "‫ – "שפ ִטים‬This approach would maintain that the terms "‫ "אֹותֹ ת ּומֹ פְ ִתים‬refer to the ten wonders
from ‫ תַ נִ ין‬to the Plague of Darkness, while the word "‫"שפָטִ ים‬
ְ refers to the Plague of the Firstborn.
Purpose of the miracles – The "‫ "אֹותֹ ת ּומֹ פְ ִתים‬may have been designed to lead the Egyptians to recognize
HaShem, while the "‫"שפָטִ ים‬
ְ were intended simply to punish or to compel Paroh to release the Israelites.
Inclusion of ‫ –תנִ ין‬Shmos 7:9 explicitly describes the ‫ תַ נִ ין‬as a "‫"מֹופֵת‬, and this warrants its inclusion in the set.
Exclusion of ‫ בכורות‬and "‫ – "עֹוד נגע אחד א ִביא‬This approach might suggest that the first ten miracles are distinct
in purpose from the Plague of the Firstborn. Only the Plague of the Firstborn is referred to as a "‫ " ֶנגַע‬and thus
stands alone.
Literary patterns and the narrative flow – The narrative from the sign of the ‫ תַ נִ ין‬through the Plague of
Darkness is recounted in a similar literary style, with a recurring cycle of features present in these ten miracles.
Frame – These ten wonders are framed by an introduction where HaShem mentions the upcoming "‫"אֹותֹ ת ּומֹ פְ ִתים‬
and a summary in which we are told that Moshe and Aharon executed them.

Nine Miracles
The set includes only the nine wonders from the Plague of Blood until the Plague of Darkness.
SOURCES:No commentator take this position, and it is basically a variation which combines elements from the different
options above.
 How Long Did the 10 Makkos Last?
“The judgment of the Egyptians [lasted for] 12 months” (Eiduyos 2:10). There is much discussion about what
this “judgment” consisted of, and how it could have lasted for 12 months. All agree that the last Makkah occurred
on the night of the 15th of Nissan
The starting point for much of the discussion is Rashi’s explanation of the “seven days” given for length of the
plague of blood (Shmos 7:25); “the plague was active for a quarter of a month (the seven days mentioned in the
verse) and [for] three [quarters of the month] he (Moshe) warned them (about the plague).” If each plague lasted
for one month, and there were 10 plagues, the “judgment of Egypt” should have only lasted 10 months, not 12.
15th 15-20rh 15-21 15-21 15-21 15-21 15-21 15-21 15-21 15-21
Nissan Adar Shvat Teves Kislev Chesvan Tishrei Elul Av Tamuz
‫מכת‬
‫חשך‬ ‫ארבה‬ ‫ברד‬ ‫שחין‬ ‫דבר‬ ‫ערוב‬ ‫כנים‬ ‫צפרדע‬ ‫דם‬
‫בכורות‬
Why are there two additional months that are considered part of the “judgment of Egypt,” and what was happening
that it qualifies as part of their judgment? Numerous approaches have been suggested to deal with this issue.
Yefeh Toar, commentating on Shmos Rabbah (9:12, the Medrash that Rashi is based on), says explicitly that this
Medrash is not consistent with the Mishna in Eiduyos, as according to the Medrash the “judgment of Egypt” must
have only lasted nine months (one month each for the first nine plagues; the tenth plague followed immediately
after the ninth, so no additional time had passed).
Medrash Seichel Tov is among the commentators who count incomplete months in the number 12. Moshe and
Aharon came to Paroh at the end of Iyar in 2447, and the nation left in the middle of Nisan 2448, so when you
add those two partial months to the ten complete months in between them, you have a “judgment” of “12 months.”
Among the issues this approach has to deal with is that the “12 months” of the “judgment of the Egyptians” is
just one set of “12 months” listed in the Mishna, and the others seem to be complete months without having to
count any partial months.
Rav Yaakov Emden (Lechem Shamayim, his commentary on the Mishna) suggests that Moshe went to see Paroh
in the middle of Nisan (2447) to ask him to send G-d’s people out, at which point G-d started “sitting in judgment
of the Egyptians” and Paroh started to feel G-d’s punishment (as his power was being challenged). A month later
(in the middle of Iyar), Moshe went back to Paroh, which was when he and Aharon did the snake/stick switch
(Shmos 7:10). After another month (in the middle of Tamuz) the process of the first plague began when Paroh
was warned it was coming if he didn’t back down. By adding two months before the first plague and explaining
why they were considered part of the “judgment of Egypt,” our issue has been resolved.
Seder Olam uses Iyar as a reference point in his timeline because that is when the straw Paroh made the Children
of Israel start to collect straw (Shmos 5:7) which is available in the fields. Paroh added this task right after Moshe’s
first trip to see him. Seder Olam says that Moshe spent a week trying to get out of being the person to take the
nation out of Egypt, meaning that he left the “burning bush” with only a week left in Nisan, not halfway through
it. And he went back to Midyan to get his family and take leave of his father-in law (Shmos 4:18-20) before
heading to Egypt, which had to take more than one day. All of this occurred before going to Paroh, meaning that
Moshe didn’t see Paroh the first time until the very end of Nisan (at the earliest), which fits with the “straw
season” being in Iyar. Although this removes the possibility of there being exactly 12 months from Paroh’s first
refusal to send the Children of Israel out until they actually left Egypt, if we include the drowning in the sea as
part of their “judgment” (which is quite reasonable), we are off by only a couple of days.
The Vilna Gaon, in his commentary on Seder Olam, says that “the plagues of Egypt [lasted] 12 months,” per the
Seder Olam does not literally mean “the plagues,” as the 12 months started from the time G-d spoke to Moshe at
the burning bush, which Seder Olam says was during the time of Pesach. (The Ga’on brings a couple of proofs
that Seder Olam could not have meant that the actual plagues lasted 12 months.) Therefore, even though
attributing the discrepancy between the Mishna and the Medrash to a difference of opinion avoids having to
attempt a reconciliation, the attempt to understand what the Mishna meant by “the judgment of Egypt” is much
more inviting than just sweeping the issue aside.
Other issues with this approach that need to be resolved are the Medrashim (e.g. Bamidbar Rabbah 11:2) that say
Moshe disappeared for three months after he saw Paroh the first time before going back to see him the second
time, as well as the fact that a month is not needed for the tenth plague (Rabbi Emden only accounts for two
“missing months,” not three). However, if the plagues started a month later (in Av), and we move the “snake/stick”
scene to shortly before the first plague, we have a three-month interval between Moshe’s first visit to Paroh and
his second.
Medrash HaGadol (7:25) is among the sources who say that even though each plague lasted for a month, there
was a week in between one plague and the warning of the next one. First Moshe would warn Paroh about the
upcoming plague for (approximately) three weeks, then the plague would last a week (to complete the month),
then G-d would wait a week before sending Moshe to warn Paroh about the next one. If we take away the week
between the ninth and tenth plagues (since they came back-to back), and don’t give the tenth plague its own month
(since the nation left the next day), we are still one month short. Nevertheless, if we don’t need a three-week
warning before the third, sixth and ninth plagues either (since the Torah doesn’t mention Moshe going to Paroh
before these plagues), we now have three months plus an additional week that we can assign to Moshe’s
disappearance. Some (e.g. Or Hachayim on Shmos 7:25) say that when Paroh asked Moshe to remove a plague,
that plague didn’t last the full week. If that plague’s “month” was thereby cut short, and the week between plagues
started right away rather than waiting until the previous plague would have ended, the extra week above and
beyond the three months attributed to Moshe’s disappearance could easily be accounted for.
Seder HaDoros has Moshe’s three-month disappearance coming after the first plague. By adding three months to
the nine months of the first nine plagues, the “12-month judgment” started with the first plague and ended after
the tenth plague. However, the first plague couldn’t have started until, at the earliest, the very end of Nisan 2447
(accounting for the week spent by the burning bush, the trip to and from Midyan, the first two trips to Paroh (made
before the third trip when Paroh was warned about the first plague, see Shmos 7:14-17), and all that happened in
between those first two trips (such as adding to the chores of the slaves, the complaints to Paroh about it, the
complaints to Moshe for making things worse, and Moshe’s complaint to G-d for making it worse, see 5:6-23),
while the tenth plague hit in the middle of Nisan 2448, leaving us about a half a month short of 12 months.
Additionally, Moshe’s three-month disappearance can be easily explained if it occurred after his first trip to Paroh
made things worse (the Medrashim that mention his disappearance are discussing this time period). But why
would Moshe disappear for three months after the plagues had already started?
[Some Medrashim (e.g. Shmos Rabbah 5:20) have Moshe disappearing for six months, not three. It is obviously
much more difficult to make this time frame work if each plague lasted a month and we are limited to a 12-month
period of time. (Medrash Seichel Tov says that according to this opinion the plagues started in Shvat — hence its
name, which connotes a stick of retribution — with each plague lasting a week, i.e. ten plagues in ten weeks.)]
The most straightforward timeline is the one put forth by Yefeh Toar. Moshe agreed to go to Paroh after a week-
long discussion at the burning bush, a discussion that started on what would become the first day of Pesach. The
“12 months” of the “judgment of the Egyptians” started after Moshe agreed to go and ended when G-d “threw
the [Egyptian] chariots and horseman into the sea” a week after the nation left Egypt. Moshe disappeared for three
months after his first visit to Paroh because he was so distraught about things having become worse. Although
Yefeh Toar says that each of the first nine plagues last a month (even those where no warning is mentioned in the
Torah), it is more likely (as many commentators say explicitly) that there was no warning before the third, sixth
or ninth plagues (as each set of three plagues taught a specific message, and once a warning was ignored the first
two times for each message, there was no third warning). This gives us an additional nine weeks (or more, if the
warnings were longer than 21 days and/or the week of the actual plague was shortened when Paroh temporarily
gave in), but it allows for a healthy amount of time for Moshe’s return to Midyan, his first trip back to Egypt, and
the time between the “snake/stick” showdown and Moshe being instructed to warn Paroh about the first plague.
As long as we aren’t limited to the “12 months” starting with the first plague (and the Vilna Gaon presents a
strong argument why we are not), and the “judgment of Egypt” can start when everything was set to begin their
punishment (i.e. Moshe agreeing to be G-d’s messenger), there is no contradiction between the formula for each
plague being three weeks of warning plus one week of implementation and the “judgment of Egypt” lasting 12
months.
Rabeinu Bacheya Shmos 10,5, offers another viewpoint:
The plague of locusts occurred in Nissan seeing that during that month the trees start budding and flowers become
visible on earth. The plague of hail which had preceded it occurred in Adar. All the ten plagues occurred within
one calendar year as we know from Ediot 2,10 where the Mishnah states that the judgments executed upon the
Egyptians occurred within twelve months.
The last three of the ten plagues all occurred during the first half of the month of Nissan whereas the previous
seven plagues were scattered over a period of eleven months. It would follow then that each of the previous
plagues lasted for more than the seven days attributed by the Torah to the first plague, i.e. the river turning into
blood. The interval between the plagues then would have been 30 days. [possible misprint and should read “21
days” as the author stated in his commentary on 7,25.] On the other hand, from the words: “seven days were
completed” (7,15), we learned that the interval between the plagues was seven days. This would have applied to
all the plagues so that we could divide the time equally between periods during which there was relief and periods
when one of the plagues was in effect. If we were to assume that Moses began his career as a prophet on the 15th
of Nissan and that G’d spent seven days persuading him to accept His mission, then these seven days corresponded
to the seven days which the Jewish people would celebrate as the Passover holiday after the redemption. [The
author had already alluded to these theories in connection in his commentary on 4,10 and 4,18]. Subsequent to
the 21st of Nissan, Moses first returned to Midian. He should have proceeded to Egypt immediately, but he had
to return to Midian to get permission to be released from his oath to Yitro that he would not leave the country
without his permission. This is the reason the Torah had to write (4,18 that Moses returned to Midian and his
father-in-law, and having done so that G’d told him in 4,19 to proceed to Egypt.) G’d spoke to him “in Midian,”
i.e. He told him “since you swore an oath in Midian you have to be released from that oath in Midian.”
Moses then proceeded to Egypt where both he and Aaron arranged an audience with Paroh when the King told
them that he did not know Hashem, etc. All the subsequent developments, including the new decree for the
Israelites to provide their own straw could have occurred within eight days until the end of the month of Nissan.
According to one Medrash, Moses then went into a retreat for 3 months and was not seen by anyone. This brings
us to the end of the month of Tammuz. The plague of blood would have covered the first seven days in Av. They
were followed by relief until the end of the month. The plague of frogs and subsequent relief occupied the month
of Elul. This pattern continued until the month of Adar when the plague of locusts was decreed. The plague of
darkness occurred during the first seven (six?) days of Nissan followed by only seven days of respite. The plague
of the dying of the firstborn occurred on the night of the 14-15th of Nissan so that the period from Moses’
experiencing the revelation at the bush until the Exodus was exactly 12 months. The wording in the Mishnah in
Ediot that the judgments against the Egyptians extended over a period of 12 months must not be taken at face
value then, but the Mishnah meant that from the time when G’d had decreed for these judgments to occur 12
months elapsed until the redemption.

15th 1-7th 1-7th 1-7th 1-7th 1-7th 1-7th 1-7th 1-7th 1-7th
Nissan Nissan Adar Shvat Teves Kislev Chevan Tishrei Elul Av
‫מכת‬
‫חשך‬ ‫ארבה‬ ‫ברד‬ ‫שחין‬ ‫דבר‬ ‫ערוב‬ ‫כנים‬ ‫צפרדע‬ ‫דם‬
‫בכורות‬
 ‫ דם‬The First Plague
Deity of Egypt
Warning at the (Nile) is
river Water of the afflicted in its
Brought by Nile and all entirety
Aharon other waters Constant
turn to Blood involvement by
Lasted seven
days G-d in
Creation
UNDERSTANDING THE RIVER NILE
The Nile River is the land of Egypt. Its life-giving course running for a distance of one thousand kilometers from
the first waterfall at Aswan to the Mediterranean Sea. On either side of the river there is a narrow ribbon of black,
arable earth that supports a teeming population, while the rocky and barren Saharan plateau stretches interminably
beyond. The black earth is intensively cultivated, with painstakingly dug and meticulously maintained water
works bringing the river's vitality to the crops. Rain is rare in the land of Egypt, and life – of man, beast, bird and
tree – therefore depends exclusively upon the river's bounty.
It is not at all surprising, therefore, that the Nile was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians as a god. Of course,
cultivating the favor of the G-ds was always prudent, and all the more so in a situation that concerned life and
death. The god of the Nile, personified as male and female, was known as Hapi or "Inundation", and was thought
to live in a grotto above the first waterfall of the river at Aswan. Considering the matter of the plagues in general,
and the underlying Divine agenda to demolish idolatrous and polytheistic doctrines, we may safely assume that
the plague of blood was intended to make abundantly clear that there was a G-d even more powerful and more
dependable than the Nile itself, a G-d who fashioned its flow, controlled its annual rise and determined its efficacy
in sustaining the life of all those who tenaciously clung to the black soil astride its shimmering course. As Rashi
remarks: Since rain does not fall in the land of Egypt and the Nile rises and irrigates the land, the Egyptians
worship the Nile. G-d therefore struck down their deity and then He struck down them (Shmos 7:17).
UNDERSTANDING THE BLOOD
While Rashi addresses the fundamental question concerning WHY the river was struck at the outset of the process,
he does not elucidate the particular and grotesque nature of the plague. According to Rashi we do not know why
the Nile was transformed into blood to render its waters undrinkable. It could have easily been stricken with
some other malady or effect to make it unpotable. But who could fail to hear in this opening salvo the echo of an
earlier crime perpetrated at the river's edge, by a zealous and cruel people who worshipped their own tyrannical
king as an all-powerful deity? Recall that an earlier Paroh, the one who had ushered in the age of oppression and
slavery, had attempted to check the ever-increasing population of Israelites in Egypt's midst. First, he had subdued
them with national labor and then he had pressed them into bondage, but still their numbers burgeoned. His
commands to the midwives to slay the male children at birth mercifully went unheeded. Then it was that the
wicked Paroh pronounced his cruelest of decrees: "let all male newborns be cast into the Nile, so that only the
females might live!" (1:22).
Perhaps the blood, then, was meant to serve the Egyptians as a striking reminder that they had brought the disaster
upon themselves by so enthusiastically shedding the blood of the Israelite children whom they had heartlessly
cast into the Nile's murky depths in the Book's first chapter. It was as if those depths now disgorged that innocent
blood and revealed the evil crime for all to see, for elsewhere in the Tanakh we find that the theme of "blood
exposed" indicates the uncovering of a murderous felony that had been intentionally concealed by the perpetrator
(see Bereshis 4:9-10; 9:4-7; BeMidbar 35:3-34; etc.). G-d's power was thus matched by His concern for justice,
for unlike the G-ds of Egypt who went about their business unfazed by moral ambiguities, the G-d of Israel
demanded accountability.
THE TIMING OF THE PLAGUE OF BLOOD
In any case, if the people of Israel left the land of Egypt on the fifteenth day of the "first month" or the fifteenth
of Nissan, then the plague of blood must have struck about nine months earlier during the month of Tammuz. Or,
to put the matter in seasonal terms, if the people were freed during the "month of spring" (13:4), say sometime in
late March or early April, then the Nile must have been stricken during the summer month of June. What is most
remarkable about the results of this calculation is that they are in perfect agreement with the natural cycle of the
Nile's most astonishing feature, the miracle of the Inundation!
The Nile River is fed by great tributaries deep in Africa that annually fill its basin with the copious spring rains
that pour down from the Ethiopian plateau. In May, the river is at its lowest point and the Egyptian soil is dry
and cracked. But soon the rejuvenating effects of the spring rains are felt, and the level of the river begins to rise.
A green wave pours down the river course from the African interior, laden with vegetable detritus, and this is
followed about a month later by a red wave rich in minerals and potash. The water saturates the soil with such
fertility that three or four crops may be cultivated and harvested annually. These life-giving waters continue until
October, when they begin to recede. Then, the water is held in reserve by means of man-made canals and
reservoirs. The ancient Egyptians were so dependent upon the annual miracle of the Inundation that they would
take careful measurements of the Nile's level at critical points along its course. The priests of Memphis calculated,
for instance, that if the river rose above eighteen cubits or else sank below sixteen as it entered the Delta, then
disaster would ensue in the form of either flooding or famine.
If the plague of blood struck during the month of June, then the effects of that plague were all the more manifest
and impressive. After all, here was the proud Paroh and his devoted people eagerly anticipating the annual
Inundation when Hapi the river god would restore the Nile to life and bring blessing upon the land, when suddenly
and unexpectedly the waters turned to blood, so that their life-giving effects were now lethal and deadly. The
fish and other organisms in the river perished, and the stench of the waters ominously hung over the chastened
land! Who indeed was this G-d who had overpowered the cycles of the river and imposed His will upon it?
Thus, it was by this most forceful demonstration of His prowess that the G-d of the Hebrews introduced Himself
to Paroh and to the Egyptians and made the re-acquaintance of His own people Israel. As time progressed, they
would all learn more about His power and His involvement, about His abilities to utterly master the forces of
nature while never neglecting the broken heart of the slave. This Deity was indeed unusual, for He was both
omnipotent as well as omniscient, and His absoluteness was mirrored by His unwillingness to countenance
oppression and injustice. In short, the entry of the G-d of Israel onto the stage of human history would change its
trajectory forever. As the plagues unfolded and time went on, the new realities gradually dawned. Paroh came
to finally accept the limits of his own seemingly absolute powers, the Egyptians began to appreciate the serious
constraints of their stultifying belief in idolatry, and Israel steadily started to realize that freedom from
enslavement means nothing if it is not coupled with a sense of mission and purpose. With the striking of the Nile
with blood, this intricate process of transformation was ushered in, to be ultimately completed only with the
people of Israel's fateful encounter at Sinai.
THIS PLAGUE’S POSITION
There are some that do not count the Plague of Blood as one of the 10 Makkos (Gra and others) but as one of the
prior wonders and signs that established Moshe’s representation.
Most commentators do count this as the first Plague. However, as pointed out by the Maharal this Plague was
different as it did not exist within the natural order previously. The other Plagues already existed and were
conscripted to perform miraculous actions.
The Plague turned all the waters of Egypt into blood, not just the Nile and just its appearance but in actual taste
and texture. However, according to the Daas Zekanim the water’s appearance did change, but the taste remained
the taste of water. The main miracle was that all the fish died and polluted the water.
The water that belonged to the Jews did not turn to blood. The Jews were able to sell the water to the Egyptians
and become rich.
 ‫ צפרדע‬The Second Plague
Warning at Swarmed the Deity of Egypt
the palace entire life of the (Nile) is the
Brought by Egyptians source of havoc
Aharon Lesson of for the Egypt;
Lasted seven Kiddush everything
days haShem created by G-d

Moshe warned Paroh that if he continue to refuse Moshe's request to let the Jewish people leave Egypt, then there
would be a new plague: "And the river will swarm with frogs; they will rise up and go into your homes, your
bedrooms; onto your beds; and in the homes of your servants and your people; and into your ovens and your
kneading bowls." After Paroh's refusal, the frogs did indeed swarm all over Egypt, including into the ovens of
the Egyptians.
When G-d tells Moshe about the second plague (known as tzfardea), He says that He will “smite” (nogef)
Egyptian territory. Rashi (to Shmos 7:27) explains that the noun mageifah does not denote death, but rather
denotes some form of striking or smiting. The root of mageifah are the letters GIMMEL-PEH(-HAY). Verbs that
use this root also denote striking, hitting, or pushing — but not death. Rashi repeats this understanding in multiple
places (see his commentaries to Shmos 21:22, 21:35, and Bava Kama 2b). With this, Rashi answered his unspoken
question about why the plague of tzfardea (commonly translated as “frogs”) is called a “plague” if frogs do not
kill. To answer this question, Rashi explained that the word mageifah does not inherently refer to a plague which
brings death, so the entire quandary is moot.
Abarbanel disagrees with Rashi’s assertion that mageifah does not inherently refer to a lethal plague. To answer
the aforementioned difficulty, Abarbanel is forced to adopt Rabbeinu Chananel’s view that tzfardea are
“crocodiles”, not “frogs”.
Countless frogs covered the entire country, jumping into beds, food, and everywhere else you would not want
frogs to be. They croaked and made life miserable for the Egyptians. When the Torah describes the beginning of
this plague, it mentions that "the frog arose [from the Nile River]" (Shmos 8:2). From the singular form of the
word "frog," Rashi, quoting the Medrash explains that the plague did, in fact, begin with only one frog. However,
when the Egyptians hit the frog, it miraculously split into two frogs. Then, when those frogs were hit, they also
split. Because the Egyptians kept hitting the frogs, they continued to divide until they filled the entire land.
The frogs left the Egyptians after the prayers of Moshe. Paroh tested Moshe and requested that he pray that they
leave the next day and so it happened.
LESSONS TO LEARN
The Steipler Rav asks the obvious question. The Egyptians saw that whenever they would hit a frog, it would
split and create more frogs. Logic would therefore dictate that in order to prevent a national frog epidemic, they
should simply not hit the frogs! Why did the Egyptians continue to hit them?
He answers that we see from here the destructive nature of anger. The Egyptians would hit a frog and it would
split. They would then become angry and frustrated at the annoying amphibians. They would vengefully hit them
again, causing another split. The anger would escalate, and they would hit them again and again, all logic
disregarded because of the burning anger they felt. While this actually sounds quite silly, we often do a very
similar thing. Someone will insult us, and this will create a feeling of anger and annoyance. Logic would argue
that we should just nip any oncoming arguments in the bud and ignore it. Yet, out of anger, we will retaliate,
pushing the dispute along one step further. This will continue, back and forth, over and over again. Anger will
escalate and fury will rise, to no end just as the Egyptians did with the frogs. However, if we learn to control our
anger, we can prevent these negative circumstances from ever coming about in the first place.
The first two plagues represent parallel yet opposite ideas:
Dam- Blood is to warm Egypt from it's natural coldness to holiness, to be warmed by it.
Tzfardea- Frogs were to cool off Egypt's passions to worldliness.
The Gemara (Pesachim 53a) tells us that several hundred years later, the actions of the frogs who entered the
ovens served as a lesson to three great men; Chanania, Mishael and Azariah. They lived in Babylon under the
rule of Nebuchadnezzar. He made a decree that everyone must bow to a statue in his image, and the punishment
for not doing so was to be thrown into a fire. The law states that one must give up his life rather than worship
idols. However, the commentaries explain that bowing to this image did not constitute actual idol worship.
Therefore, technically speaking, it was permissible to bow to the image, and most of the Jewish people did so.
However, Chanania, Mishael and Azariah learnt from the example of the frogs who went into the ovens in Egypt,
that they too should be prepared to be thrown into a fire. They reasoned that the frogs who were not commanded
in the Mitzva of Kiddush HaShem (sanctification of God's name), nonetheless were willing to go into a burning
oven for the sake of sanctifying God's name. All the more so (kal v'chomer), they, who, as human beings, were
commanded in the mitzvah of Kiddush HaShem, should be willing to be thrown into the fire.
Further, while God did command the frogs to go into the ovens, He did not restrict the command to ovens - the
bedrooms, beds, and kneading bowls were included in the list of the places where the frogs could go to. Therefore,
each frog had the choice as to where they would go - he could conceivably decide that he would choose the more
comfortable option of going to the bed or kneading bowl. Nonetheless, many frogs did indeed choose to risk their
lives in order to ensure that God's command was fulfilled. Since each individual frog was not commanded to go
into the fire and yet many of them still did so, Chanania, Mishael and Azariah learnt that all the more so they
should be prepared to be thrown into a fire.
Biblical Occurrences
The word "‫ "צְ פ ְַרדֵ ַע‬appears in only three places in Tanakh: Shmos 7:26 – 8:11, Tehillim 78:45, and Tehillim
105:30. As all three chapters speak of the same plague that was visited upon the Egyptians, the word is a virtual
hapax legomenon (a term of which only one instance of use is recorded) making it difficult to determine its
meaning.
Possible Meanings
Commentators provide two different identifications of the ‫צְ פ ְַרדֵ ַע‬, each one casting the Plague and its purpose in a
very different light:
1. Frogs
Sources: Philo, Shmos Rabbah, R. Yonah ibn Janach, Lekach Tov, Ibn Ezra, Ma'asei Hashem, most other commentators.
Meaning and derivation – The etymology of the word "‫ "צְ פ ְַרדֵ ַע‬is unknown. Some suggest that it may be an
onomatopoeic expression of the frog's croak.
Purpose of the Plagues – Philo asserts that Hashem preferred "to admonish the Egyptians [rather] than to destroy
them" and thus initially sent smaller nuisances rather than larger and more destructive plagues.
Nature of the miracle – Philo emphasizes how HaShem has "need of no assistant," and thus purposefully did not
deploy mighty bears, lions, or snakes (in this instance) to do his bidding, but rather chose small, insignificant
creatures as His instruments.
"‫נּוריָך ּובְ ִמ ְשאֲרֹותֶ יָך‬
ֶ ַ‫ – "ּובְ ת‬R"Y Ibn Janach and R"E Ashkenazi note that the "‫ "צְ פ ְַרדֵ ַע‬was small enough to enter
houses, and even ovens and dough (Shmos 7:28), and thus could not be much larger than a frog.
Effects of the Plague – Shadal explains that the language of devouring ("‫ )"וַתַ ְשחִ יתֵ ם‬found in Tehillim 78:45
regarding the "‫ "צְ פ ְַרדֵ ַע‬is simply a figure of speech.
"‫ – "וַיִצְ עַק מֹ שֶ ה‬This is the only time that this verb appears during the course of the Plagues. Others suggest that
Moshe instinctively shouted in order to hear himself over the croaking of the frogs.
Removal of the Plague – The Tanchuma and Shmos Rabbah note a distinction between the "‫ "צְ פ ְַרדֵ ַע‬which died in
Egypt and the "‫ "עָרֹ ב‬which simply left the country. They explain that Hashem removed the "‫ "עָרֹ ב‬so that the
Egyptians would not derive benefit from their hides but left the carcasses of the frogs in Egypt because they
were worthless.
2. Crocodiles
Sources: R. Saadia, R. Chananel, opinion cited by Ibn Ezra, Abarbanel
Meaning and derivation – Unknown
Relationship to "‫ – "תַ נִ ין‬Commentators who identify "‫ "צְ פ ְַרדֵ ַע‬as a crocodile would likely identify the "‫ "תַ נִ ין‬as a
serpent rather than a crocodile.
Effects of the Plague – The verbs "‫( "נֹ גֵף‬Shmos 7:26) and "‫( "וַתַ ְשחִ יתֵ ם‬Tehillim 78:45) which are applied to the
"‫ "צְ פ ְַר ְדעִ ים‬are understood to mean that there were fatalities.
Purpose of the Plagues – According to this approach, the Plague of "‫ "צְ פ ְַרדֵ ַע‬was designed to inflict severe harm.
See Purpose of the Plagues.
Nature of the miracle – According to Abarbanel, the natural result of the fish in the Nile dying during the Plague
of Blood, was that the crocodiles invaded the land of Egypt to find alternative sources of food.
Origin of the Plague – Abarbanel attempts to prove from the repeated emphasis on "‫"רק בַ יְאֹ ר ִתשָ אַ ְרנָה‬ ַ that the
"‫ "צְ פ ְַרדֵ ַע‬was not previously native to the Nile, and thus the Torah states that hereafter they remained as living
testimony to the miracle. The Ma'asei Hashem, though, dismisses Abarbanel's proof.
"‫נּוריָך ּובְ ִמ ְשאֲרֹותֶ יָך‬
ֶ ַ‫ – "ּובְ ת‬Abarbanel suggests that the crocodiles invaded the houses and ovens in search of food.
"‫"רק בַ יְאֹ ר ִתשָ אַ ְרנָה‬
ַ – Abarbanel attempts to prove from here that the "‫ "צְ פ ְַרדֵ ַע‬could not be frogs, as frogs remained
not only in the Nile, but also in other bodies of water
 ‫ כנים‬The Third Plague

No warning Everywhere
Egypt sorcerers
was afflicted,
Brought by unable to
something
Aharon duplicate and
beyond the
Lasted seven confessed
ability of the
days “finger of G-d”
Egyptians

This plague arrived without warning and was everywhere throughout Egypt.
Two types of lice existed. One type plagues the people and the animals which were all bothered by these small
vermin. A second type infested the ground.
Paroh’s magicians were unable to replicate this plague and declared this was the “finger of G-d.”
Rambam says only this plague also affected the Jews. Ramban disagrees and says the lice did not go into Goshen.
What was unique about the plague of lice and what constructive effect did it have on the Egyptians?
If we look closer, we will notice that this was the first plague that convinced Paroh and his court that Moshe was
not doing the plagues by means of magic. The first two plagues, blood and frogs, might have come about
(according to Paroh's sorcerers) by way of magic, but after the lice came, the sorcerers proclaimed, "It is the finger
of G-d" (Shmos 8:15). Evidently, it was the plague of lice that convinced the Egyptians of the existence of G-d -
but how?
The Talmud, cited by Rashi, explains that the powers of Paroh's magicians only extended to larger forms - so they
were able to turn water into blood and bring frogs into the land themselves and were thus not impressed with the
first two plagues. With regard to smaller matters - things that were smaller than a "barley corn" - they were
impotent. When the sorcerers saw that the Power Moshe represented was able to create something as tiny as lice,
they were convinced that they were dealing with a Being that surpassed their deities.
But is realizing that there is a Power that holds sway over objects smaller than those that the magicians can control
such a convincing and sophisticated proof for the existence of an unlimited, all powerful G-d?
To understand this, we must first understand a bit about how pagans view their deities. Maimonides writes that
the original pagans believed in G-d. They believed, however, that it was beneath His dignity to "personally" deal
with the lowly affairs of our physical world. G-d, they reasoned, must have delegated those responsibilities to
other powers. Thus, for example, G-d let the sun make sure that the crops would grow well, and if one wanted
good produce, he had better worship the sun. After all, would a monarch who has to worry about the needs of an
entire kingdom busy himself with the nitty-gritty details of his lowliest subjects?
Thus, the sorcerers didn't just believe that their deities didn't deal with things smaller than a barley corn - they felt
that no deity would deal with such miniscule things. Clearly, they thought, it must be beyond the realm of
involvement of any form of pagan power.
When they saw that the Power that Moshe represented did in fact relate to the most miniscule and insignificant
of creatures, they realized that their original understanding of deities was mistaken. True, a finite power can be
more partial to a higher level of life and indifferent to lower ones. But if there is a Power that deals with tiny
insignificant lice, it must be because that Power is truly infinite. From the perspective of an Infinite Being, there
is no difference between greater and lower forms of life. G-d is no closer to (what can be viewed as) a more
important creature and no more distant from an inconsequential one. Thus, the plague of lice educated the
Egyptians of the Limitlessness of G-d, and hence His closeness to every part of His world.
Unique reasons G-d chose to strike the Egyptians with this creepy infestation:
1. The Jews had actually acquired the land in Goshen. However, the Egyptians conspired, and their legal
system would not recognize the deeds of the Jews. The lice also burrowed into the ground the depth that
reflected change of ownership, so the land was no longer owned by the Egyptians.
2. The Egyptians robbed the Jews of time to take them away from their faith, Torah and prayer. The lice
covered the Egyptians which they could not destroy, and the lice bothered them constantly so that they
were unable to have any of their own time.
3. The Egyptians provided the Jews with poor building materials, so they would have no lasting product
from their labors. Now, the lice made their materials like dust and became totally unusable.
4. The Egyptians forced the Jews to sweep the streets and roads of dust. As a fitting punishment all the dust
in Egypt became infested with lice (and the Jews could no longer be made to sweep the streets).
5. The Egyptians did not allow the Jews to bathe even after a hard day or work. Thus, they were subject to
attacks by lice and other vermin. Now the tables were turned. The Egyptians were attacked all over their
bodies and could not bathe them away.
6. The Egyptians attempted to deprive the Jews of their humanity by means of deprived clothing, food, etc.
The lice severely afflicted the Egyptians (and did not so afflict the Jews). The Egyptians felt so bad that
they were unable to stop the pain, that they were striking themselves attempting to kill the lice. Further
their food was also affected.
7. The lice suck out the blood and do not give any benefit. This is the paradigm for evil. It takes and does
not give. This reflects the parasitic attitude of the Egyptians that they had no limits for self-glorification.
8. Personal Lesson: To break the limitations of your personal Mitzrayim, one needs to see the finger prints
of G-d in the world.
 ‫ ערוב‬The Fourth Plague

Warning at the The animals killed Egypt thrown

river Egyptians and into
Brought by polutted the land; unprecedented
HaShem Goshen was not havoc, inspiring
affected fear
Lasted seven days
‫הֶ עָ רֹב; ּומָ לְאּו‬-‫ ֶאת‬,‫ ִּה ְננִּי מַׁ ְשלִּיחַׁ בְ ָך ּובַׁ עֲבָ דֶ יָך ּובְ עַׁ ְמָך ּובְ בָ ֶתיָך‬--‫עַׁ ִּמי‬-‫ ְמשַׁ לֵחַׁ ֶאת‬,‫ ֵאינְָך‬-‫יז כִּ י ִּאם‬,‫ח‬
ָ‫הֵ ם עָ לֶיה‬-‫ אֲ שֶ ר‬,‫ וְ גַׁם הָ אֲ דָ מָ ה‬,‫הֶ עָ רֹב‬-‫ ֶאת‬,‫בָ ֵתי ִּמצְ ַׁריִּם‬
What does “Arov” refer to?
Most of us assume that the fourth Plague consisted of an attack by various wild animals (chayos). This is essentially the
approach taken by Rashi. This is the understanding of Rabbi Yehudah in the Medrash (Shmos Rabbsh 11:3).
However, the Medrsash also mentions the opinion of Rabbi Nechemiah that the plague consisted of minei tzirin ve-
yitushin (various species of hornets and mosquitoes/gnats). Both of these Sages are interpreting the word Arov as mixture.
Just that in the view of R. Yehudah, it is a mixture of large animals, and in the view of R. Nechemiah, it is a mixture of
much smaller ones. In the view of both, the precise animals are not identified in the name of the plague.
The reason for the disagreement about the identity of the specific animals involved is that the description of the plague does
not give enough clues. The text does state that the Arov will fill the houses of the Egyptians and be on their land, and va-
tishaches ha-aretz mi-pnei he-Arov. The text also records that after the plague was removed, “not one remained.” But these
statements are vague as to the precise nature of the Arov.
Descriptions of many of the plagues are also found in Chapters 78 and 105 of Tehillim. With regard to the plague of Arov,
there is a reference to it at 105:31, but it is not helpful. However, at 78:45 the reference to the plague does provide some
information. We are told: yeshalach ba-hem Arov va-yochlem. The last word (“and it will eat them”) at first glance seems
to support the view of R. Yehudah that large animals were involved that ate the Egyptians.
Do we have earlier sources for the meaning of Arov prior to the Amoraim? Our earliest source is the translation of the Torah
into Greek, composed in Egypt around 200 B.C.E. Here the translation is kunomuia, literally: “dog-fly,” a particularly
unyielding type of fly. Perhaps this translation was based on an older tradition as to the nature of Arov. Or the authors of
the Greek translation knew that Arov meant mixture and believed or had a tradition that Arov was a very small animal, and
then picked kunomuia because it was viewed as a hybrid type of animal. In this way, they were able to interpret Arov as a
“mixture.”
Another early translation we have is that of Josephus (Antiquities II, 303), writing around 100 C.E. He translates the plague
as “wild beasts of every species and kind.” This translation seems to be based on an understanding of Arov as “mixture.“
There are a few grounds to prefer the very small animal view (S.D. Luzzatto and U. Cassuto and many others.) First, the
verses in Chapter 8 refer to the Arov entering the houses of the Egyptians. If the animals involved were large ones, the
houses could have been secured to prevent them from entering. Also, if the securing would have been to no avail, the text
would have described the animals breaking down the premises upon entering. But no such large-scale destruction upon
entering is described. Rather, it is simply stated that the Arov would be sent out and fill the premises.
A second reason to prefer the very small animals approach is that the root ayin-resh-bet with the meaning of “mixture” is
more naturally applied to small objects. Large objects, each taking up its own space, are inherently less of a mixture.
A third reason to prefer the very small animals approach is based on a widespread view that the plagues came in pairs. (e.g.,
the commentary to Shmos of Cassuto, and the Daas Mikra commentary) For example, the first and second plagues, blood
and frogs, were both primarily addressed to the Nile. The seventh and eighth plagues, hail and locusts, were both primarily
addressed to the crops. If our fourth plague, Arov, was meant as a pair to the third plague, kinim (lice), obviously the very
small animal interpretation fits better. The va-yochlem of Tehillim 78:45 can easily be interpreted metaphorically to include
damage inflicted by very small animals.
An altogether different approach to the plague is adopted by Rav S.R. Hirsch. He suggests that the word Arov derives from
the word aravah (wilderness), and that the plague alludes to “animals from the wilderness.” Although there are verses that
refer to animals in the context of an aravah, animals do not seem to be a primary characteristic of an aravah.
An even more speculative approach is adopted by Rashbam. He notes that the Tanach refers to ze’evei erev at Tzefaniah
3:3, and to ze’ev aravos at Yirmiyahu 5:6. These could mean “wolves of the wilderness.” But Rashbam suggests that both
mean “wolves of the evening” and that the plague Arov is referring to such wolves, who typically go out and attack at night.
There is, however, an alternative approach to identifying the Biblical Arov. It relies on looking at other ancient languages.
For example, in Akkadian there was a word urbatu that meant “worm.” Some theorize that this was the Arov of the Bible.
Perhaps there is a much better suggestion. Let us meet the beetles. A scarab is a type of beetle. It was called karabos in
Greek. It was called kh-p-r in Egyptian. There was probably a variant pronunciation in Egyptian, kh-r-p, which would
explain the way the name was recorded in Greek. Karabos and Kh-r-p would both be very close to the Hebrew ayin-resh-
bet, due to the guttural sound that the ayin made. (The “os” in the Greek is likely just a Greek addition to a foreign word.)
What do we know about the scarab in ancient Egypt? As Isaac Mozeson phrased it, the ancient Egyptians had “beetlemania.”
They worshipped this particular beetle! In ancient Egypt, the scarab was sculptured on monuments, painted on tombs and
worn around the neck as an amulet. Many (or perhaps all) of the plagues were attacks on the various deities of Egypt. This
would be another such example! Here, at the end of this plague, HaShem took away all the Arov (8:27: “not one remained”).
In contrast, a plague of “a mixture of animals” is not a clear judgment on an Egyptian deity.
The “scarab” suggestion (originally made by a 19th-century British scholar) was referred to by Rabbi J.H. Hertz in his note
on this verse, and seems to have been his preferred interpretation. But R. Hertz did not sufficiently explain it. The suggestion
was also referred to without sufficient explanation by R. Aryeh Kaplan in “The Living Torah.” But the suggestion was
explained well by Isaac Mozeson in his book “The Word” and in his edenics.net site, entry “scarab.” The source that best
describes the explanation is a blog entry of March 13, 2012, by Seth Ben-Mordecai, at the site exodushaggadah.com. (He
is the author of a book, “The Exodus Haggadah.”)

What means “HE’AROV?”

He'orove" is written with a definitive Hei, meaning that there was a presence of a mixture of wild animals that Moshe
showed to Paroh. Moshe was in Paroh's palace when he warned him of the impending plague, as Moshe was told to go to
Paroh "hashkeim baboker," while he was still in his palace. Paroh's palace had artwork painted on the walls of a vast variety
of wild animals. Moshe warned him that animals of the sort painted on his walls would invade Egypt. (Haksav V'hakabolah)

What means "V'GAM HO'ADOMOH asher heim o'lehoh?” (and also the land which they were upon)
1) If an Egyptian ran into Goshen to escape the wild animals, they would pursue him into Goshen. (Divrei Shaul)
2) The Sforno says that these words teach us that the ground on which the houses stand will be infested with snakes and the
like, which will come to the surface from below, so that the Egyptians would not be safe even in enclosed fortified
buildings.
3) Since the mixture of animals included every species, a problem arises. The mishneh K'layim 8:5 mentions a creature
called Adnei Haso'deh which looks like a human and receives its nourishment through an umbilical like cord which is
attached to the ground. There are other very unusual features to this unique creature. If its umbilical cord is severed it
perishes. How then would this creature make the trip to Egypt? The GR"A say that these words teach us that a section of
ground which had the cord of this creature attached to it was also transported to Egypt.
4) The Arugas Habosem says that these words teach us that the CLIMATE of the land in which the animals normally reside
was brought along with them. Since a change from hot, warm, or cold to another condition could be fatal, it was necessary
to bring along the climate.
5) Haksav V'hakabolah translates V'GAM as "and it will CUT," from the verb source GOMOM. This means that Paroh was
warned that the wild animals would also "damage the earth." A similar translation is given by the Ari z"l on the verse in
Koheles 11:3, "Ten cheilek l'shivoh v'GAM lishmonoh," which Rashi says in one interpretation refers to the mitzvah of
bris miloh which is done on the eighth day of a male child's life. The Ari z"l says that this is alluded to in the words
"v'GAM lishmonoh," which mean "and CUT on the eighth day."
6) The Gemara Pesachim 52b says that an animal that resides in Galil will not eat from the produce of Yehudah, and vice
versa. HaShem had to send some of the land upon which the animals lived with its produce for them to be sustained
during the plague. (Rogatchover Gaon)
 ‫ דבר‬The Fifth Plague
Warning at
the palace Cattle of
those
Brought by Economic
Egyptians
HaShem Epidemic
that fear G-d
Lasted seven are spared
days
Egypt's Economic Epidemic! The Plague of Pestilence (Dever)

The Plague:

The fifth plague that G-d imposed on the Egyptians was Dever or pestilence. All Egyptian
livestock, including cattle, horses, donkeys, etc. found in their fields were destroyed. The
Torah refers to the “hand of G-d” striking. The Hagadah states that the “outstretched arm of
G-d”, the military sword, refers to this Plague.
Rashi says the Plague only struck the domestic animals that remained in the fields. Ramban
states that even the animals in the houses were struck.
Difference between the Jews and the Egyptians
The Jewish cattle were unharmed. In fact, Paroh investigated the Jewish cattle to ascertain if
any were harmed and found that none were, however, he still persisted on disallowing the
Israelites from leaving Egypt. This was a great miracle since not one Jewish animal died even
ones that were sick or old.
Even though not one animal from the Jews died, however, the cattle owned by the son of
Shulamite (whose father was Egyptian) did die. This provide an “out” to Paroh to not believe
the word of G-d was completely accurate.
Why Pestilence and destruction of wild stock?
The Egyptians worshiped many animals, and many animal-headed deities. Horses and cattle
were not only highly valued in the land of Egypt, but they were also sacred. The god Apis was
represented as a bull, and had been worshipped in Egypt since around 3,000 B.C. Hence, G-d
sent the plague of Dever to display His strength over their G-ds.
Additionally, we see a "Measure for Measure" - The Cattle Plague was a response to the
Egyptians' criminal appropriation of cattle belonging to Jews. By destroying the Egyptian
livestock, G-d, as it were, took back the Egyptian cattle, thus demonstrating that unjust
enrichment would not be tolerated. The price of livestock soared and the Jews had the limited
supply of this commodity.
Paroh relented, promised to let the Israelites leave. And then, once the Dever was removed,
Paroh's hardened his heart and he reneged on his promise.
 ‫ שחין‬The Sixth Plague

No warning Painful skin Combined natural

disease order and miracle
Brought by HaShem affecting resulting in the utter
and Moshe people and humiliation of the
Lasted seven days animals Sorcerers

The Plague:

The sixth plague that G-d inflicted on the Egyptians was shchin or boils. G-d commanded
Moshe and Aaron to take two handfuls of soot from the kiln and had Moshe throwing it
skyward, thus spreading it all over Egypt. Unlike other plagues except the blood, Paroh stood
witness to the initiation of this plague. This painful skin disease affected Paroh and his
magicians as well as all other Egyptians and their animals. This was significant since not only
could the magicians not replicate this Plague, but they were unable to heal even themselves.

Three miracles occurred:

First, Moshe and Aaron each take as much ash as their hand could hold. Aaron then transferred
the ash in his hand into Moshe’s hands and Moshe was able to hold both portions.

Second, the small amount of ash spread throughout Egypt to coat every person and animal.

Third, ash is light and cannot be thrown very far. However, when he threw the ash it carried
out of sight. Some say the ash escaped the atmosphere, picked up radioactivity prior to
returning to Egypt.

Why Boils?

The plagues preceding this one affected the environment. Shchin was the first plague that
caused harm to the bodies of the Egyptians. Though the boils affected all of Egypt its first signs
were seen on Paroh and his sorcerers. This was to prove to Paroh that the might and strength
of G-d. Indeed, the Plague of Boils was yet another declaration of G-d's power. First, it took
but a couple of handfuls soot to cause the spread of boils all over Egypt, a miracle in itself.
Secondly, the use of soot to cause boils was an overruling of ordinary laws of nature, as soot
was actually used to cure boils. The Egyptians looked to their G-d of medicine, Thoth, who
was unable to cure the boils.

Additionally, we see a "Measure for Measure" - as the boils disfigured the Egyptians, a
retribution for hurting the Jews, often disfiguring them with the harsh physical abuse

Then Paroh relented, promised to let the Israelites leave. And then, once the Boils/Schin was
removed, Paroh hardened his heart, and he reneged on his promise.
 ‫ ברד‬The Seventh Plague
Warning at the Fire and Water Demonstration
river existed together of G-d’s
precision in the
Brought by Moshe Pyschological exact time the
Lasted seven days Torture plague begins
Moshe warned Paroh early in the morning by the Nile river. The warning included instructions to shelter the
animals and people, so they would not die during this Plague. The Egyptians that heeded the warning were able
to protect their animals and possessions.
Egyptians had beaten and thrown stones at the Jews while they worked. Now, G-d throw His “stones” at them
and their properties.
Finally, Paroh requested Moshe to end this plague ASAP. As Moshe left the gates of the city, he prayed and
spread out his hands to G-d and the plague stopped. There is a tradition among Egyptian Jews that there is an
ancient synagogue on the spot were Moshe prayed.
This Plague occurred in Ada (early spring). The wheat and spelt had not yet grew and were not affected by this
Plague (but was available for the next Plague of the locust).

The Miracles of this Plague

Fire and hail are opposites and according to nature do not exist together. In this plague there was fire right inside
the hailstones.
The hailstones were huge. Each hailstone was as large as six handfuls of ice and surrounded the fire.
The ice was able to contain the fire without melting. Moreover, the fire was not extinguished by the hail.
This plague was “nes bitcoch nes” “not natural in any manner (Maharal). The plague began abruptly. One second
there was clear sky with bright sunshine. The next second there were heavy hailstones and darkness. For the same
reason the plague ended abruptly, with the miraculous hailstones suspended in midair as the plague ended exactly
24 hours to the second after Moshe told Paroh it would so end.

In the painting by Yoram Raanan, Moshe, stands with his arms stretched up to a sky filled with fire
and brimstone, heralding in the seventh plague of hail. The painting captures the feeling of both fire
and ice. The hail stones, which on the outside with ice, contained a flame of fire that burned within
the ice. In a simple palette of ochre and burnt sienna, the hail stones light up the somber sky as they
begin to rain down to destroy the crops of the Egyptians.
THE SEVERITY OF MAKKAS BARAD (PSYCHOLOGICAL VS. PHYSICAL TORTURE)
The pasuk relates that HaShem told Moshe to inform Paroh that if he does not let Klal Yisroel free, He
will send all of his makkos against him. This would seem to imply that makkas barad was the worst
of the makkos. Rashi tells us that from this pasuk we see that makkas bechoros was the worst makkah.
This seems incomprehensible.
The pasuk is talking about makkas barad; not makkas bechoros. Indeed, many meforshim say that the
true intent of Rashi is as the pasuk implies; that makkos barad was the worst makkah.
And yet, we find that Rashi tells us otherwise. In the end of Parshas Shmos, Moshe warns Paroh that if he
does not send out Klal Yisroel, HaShem will send makkas bechoros. Rashi explains that this Makkah
specifically was chosen to warn Paroh as this was the worst of the makkos. We are now faced with the
following contradiction. Which was worse? Makkas barad or makkas bechoros?
Perhaps we can explain as follows. We first have to understand why makkas barad was considered the
worst of the makkos. At the end of Parshas Vayeira, Moshe gives Paroh mussar for not listening to
HaShem. The pasuk then interrupts this discussion and informs us, that although the flax and barley
were broken during the makkah, the wheat was not destroyed. Rashi explains that the flax and barley
had already ripened and as such they were hard. When the barad struck them, they were destroyed.
The wheat, on the other hand, was still soft and therefore when they were hit, they just bent over and
were not broken.
At first glance, these two ideas seem to have nothing to do with each other. Rav Akiva Eiger, however,
explains that in reality these two ideas are connected, as this was a continuation of the mussar that
Moshe was giving Paroh. Why were the flax and barely destroyed? Because they were rigid and hard.
They could not bend and therefore they were destroyed. The wheat on the other hand was soft and
flexible and therefore it was saved. This was a lesson to Paroh. Paroh was haughty and refused to give
in. He was therefore punished. He suffered only as a result of his gaava. If he would have had humility
and given in, he would not have suffered.
It comes out that it was during this makkah specifically that Paroh realized the cause of his suffering. His
own stubbornness. Perhaps this is why this makkah was considered so severe. Not only did Paroh and
the Mitzrim suffer, but they suffered with that knowledge that it was their own fault. It is one thing to
experience suffering, but that suffering is multiplied greatly when the person has to live with the
knowledge that he caused it to himself. (This was not the only aspect of makkas barad in which the
Mitzrim realized that their suffering was self-inflicted.)
Before the makkah, they were warned to bring in their animals. Many of the Mitzrim did not do so and as
a result they suffered a terrible financial loss. They had an easy way out and they did not take it. Once
again, they had to live with the knowledge that they had caused their own suffering.)
But if makkas barad was the worst makkah, why did Moshe not warn Paroh with this makkah? The answer
is simple. The torture that the Mitzrayim experienced during this makkah was psychological in nature.
The pain of living with the regret of not listening to Moshe. Although psychological torture is
incredibly painful, a person cannot understand its severity until he has experienced it. If you warn a
person that if he does a particular action, he will regret it, the warning will not be effective. The only
to warn him, is to describe the physical pain that he will suffer as a result of his actions. Typically, a
person can only relate to physical pain; a person has a hard time visualizing the extent of psychological
pain.
Therefore, although in one aspect, makkos barad was the worst makkah, it would not have served as an
effective warning to Paroh.
 ‫ ארבה‬The Eighth Plague
Warning at the The locust covered Paroh’s heart is
palace all of Egypt hardened
Brought by darkening the land. despite wish to
Moshe Moshe prayed very concede, making
Lasted seven hard to get rid of a mockery of
days the locust entirely. Egypt.

WARNING FOR PLAGUE #8

When Moshe warns Paroh of Plague #8, he tries a new tactic: "There will be a plague of locust that will consume
the remains of the crop. They will darken the sky and enter all your homes. Such a phenomenon was never
witnessed before by your great-grandparents." (Shmos 10:14)
Moshe then abruptly leaves the presence of Paroh. (Let the message sink in: total agricultural destruction!) Paroh's
servants urge him to call Moshe back: "Can't you see Egypt is lost?"
Moshe returns, and Paroh demands: "Who exactly do you want to go to the desert for 3 days?"
(Years earlier, when Joseph and his brothers went to bury their father Jacob, they left behind their families and
livestock, so Paroh would be sure they returned.) Proclaimed Moshe: "With our youth and with our elders!"
In Judaism, there is no generation gap. We all serve the same G-d. Paroh wanted the youth, the future of the
people. (Like in Soviet Russia where they allowed only old men to attend the synagogues.) "With our sons
and our daughters, with our sheep and our cattle" (Shmos10:9)
Paroh's reaction? He called security and had Moshe escorted to the door.

PLAGUE #8 – Q&A
Moshe spread his staff over Egypt and an easterly wind blew all day and night, delivering a swarm of locusts that
covered every inch of Egypt. Never before or after had such a scene been witnessed.
Question: But the biblical book of Yoel makes the same claim that locusts would swarm over the entire land!?
Answer: The Plague of Yoel used many species of locusts, while the Plague of Moshe used only one. (Rashi)
Question: So why was G-d stingy in providing Moshe with just one species?
Answer: It wasn't necessary to have more than one, because most of the crop was already destroyed by the hail.
As the plague intensified, Paroh hurries to summon Moshe, confesses his guilt, and begs him to quickly remove
"just this death." (Shmos 10:17)
Question: Why the rush? The locusts had already finished their feast!
Answer: Paroh was afraid the locusts might lay eggs and he would have a locust problem every year. The
Egyptians, seeing they had no food, decided to feast on the locusts (a local delicacy). They froze, dried,
pickled, and stored as many locusts as they could catch. They dined on locust pie, stuffed locust, and the best
restaurants served locust delight and on Shabbos (you guessed it!) locust kugel! (Rashi)
But when the westerly wind blew away the locusts, "not one locust remained in the entire land of Egypt" (Shmos
10:19) - including all the locust they had stored up. G-d had meted out a punishment measure-for-measure:
The Egyptians forced the Jews to tend their crops, so they now lost everything.
 Insights into the Plague of Locust
We do not find HaShem telling Moshe that the next plague would be that of locust before Moshe told this
to Paroh. There are numerous explanations for this:
1) It is alluded to in the words "BO el Paroh (Shmos 10,1)." Put the letters BO into the word Paroh. Exchange the
letter Beis for the Pei, as they are both lip-produced sounds, and Alef for Ayin, as they sound the same, and
we have the word "Arbeh." This is further indicated by the words, "l'maan shisi ososai eileh b'kirbo," so that
I can place these LETTERS INTO HIM, i.e., place the letters Alef and Beis in place of Ayin and Pei, into
him. (Ma'yonoh shel Torah)
2) HaShem told this to Moshe, but the Torah does not want to be lengthy. (Rabbi Yoseif B'chor Shor) This requires
an explanation for why specifically here the Torah is succinct.
3) Moshe knew all 10 plagues through prophecy but was not told their order. Since he knew that only locust,
darkness, and smiting of the firstborn were left, he simply deduced that the smiting of the firstborn would be
last, as HaShem told him in Parshas Shmos. Darkness would be the penultimate plague, as it would facilitate
their emptying Egypt of its possessions. Thus, this would leave locust as the 7th plague. (Tosfos Hasho'leim)
4) Moshe derived this from HaShem's words "Ulmaan t'sa'peir b'oznei vincho" (verse 2). He compared this to the
verse in Yoel, "livneichem sa'peiru." Just as there it was the relating of locust, so too, here.
5) There is a hint of this plague, to an extent, being the invention of Moshe. Moshe announced this plague and
HaShem was "meikim d'var avdo" (established his word of his servant). (Chizkuni)

The Repetition of the Arrival

"Va'yaal ho'Arbeh al kol eretz Mitzrayim va'yonach b'chole g'vul Mitzroyim" - And the locust ascended upon all
the land of Egypt and came to rest everywhere inside the borders of Egypt (Shmos 10,14) - This seeming repetition
might be telling us that the ascent of the locust came in a most unusual manner, adding to the terror it brought in
its wake. Normally, swarms of locust come and attack the closest fields and move on and on. Not so here. Rather,
the massive swarm of locust flew into Egyptian air space, directly above all the land, casting severe darkness over
the whole country. Not even the sun by day, nor the stars and moon by night were visible because of the density
of the swarm. Then, and only then, did they descend and begin their destructive work.

The Borders
"Va'yonach b'chole g'vul Mitzroyim" - And they came to rest everywhere inside the borders of Egypt (Shmos
10,14) - The medrash relates that there was a dispute between the Egyptians and their neighbors over the exact
border between their lands. The locust clarified this by covering every bit of space in the land, even places where
there was no produce to consume. This seems quite puzzling, as it is repetitive. The borders were already
determined, as the medrash itself relates that the plague of lice served this purpose.
The Egyptians wanted to avoid a repetition of the border dispute and planted trees along the newly demarcated
line, serving as border markers. (The Gemara relates that there is a type of tree whose roots grow straight down
and do not meander.) However, along came the plague of hail. It shattered and destroyed almost all plants. This
included these trees, and therefore a disagreement arose again. (Pninim Y'korim)
Strong Wind
Oznayim LeTorah - Why was it necessary for a very strong wind to take away the locust (Shmos 10,19)? Whereas
it was only a regular wind that brought the locust to Egypt (10,12)?
The locust were selected just like the frogs. Both displayed a characteristic that showed a lesson to Jews
throughout the ages. The locust were pleased to be selected to avenge the opponents of HaShem and His people.
Thus, they easily and willingly enabled a regular wind to bring them to Egypt. However, to did not desire to leave
their “job” and a strong wind was needed to force them to leave.
The lesson for the Jews is that when one goes to the synagogue or to the Bais haMedrash or to any other mitzvah
one should go willingly and with joy. However, when it is time to leave (for example, after prayers), one should
refrain oneself from appearing as if one is running away from the mitzvah.
The Uniqueness of Makkas Arbeh
When HaShem tells Moshe about makkas Arbeh, He makes the following intriguing statement. “I am bringing
these makkos in order to tell your children all that I did when I brought you out of Mitzrayim.”
Why is this makkah specifically chosen to demonstrate to the children what HaShem did? Rav Yerachmiel Kram
(quoted in the Kuntrus ‘Ohr Hahar’ 7, pg. 301) gives a remarkable answer. When Moshe demands that Paroh let
Klal Yisroel leave, Paroh in principle agrees. The only requirement that Paroh had was that the children would
have to stay behind. Moshe rejected this offer as all of Klal Yisroel had to leave, the children included.
It comes out, that the fight between Paroh and Moshe right before makkas Arbeh was in regards to the children
specifically. Therefore, when we want to tell the children about what HaShem did for us, we choose the makkah
of Arbeh, in order to highlight their importance.

The Mockery of the Mitzrim

The pasuk says that with this makkah you will tell your children how I “mocked” the Mitzrim. What does it mean
that I mocked them?
Perhaps we can explain as follows. The Gemara (Shabbos 90b) tells us a remarkable piece of information; that
the children used to play with grasshoppers as their toys.
Paroh did not want to let them Jewish children go out, so what does HaShem do? He lets the children fight this
battle. The Mitzrim are punished not with sophisticated weaponry; but rather with the “weapons” of the kids.
Indeed, this makkah was terribly embarrassing for the Mitzrim.

The Relationship of This Makkah to Future Generations

The Klei Yakar explain gives a different explanation to explain why this makkah was chosen to relate to future
generations. He quotes the Ramban who brings the following observation from Rabbeinu Chananiah. Makkas
Arbeh was unique in that it was the only makkah that had a lasting effect that could be seen even in our times.
After the makkah is complete, Moshe says that the Arbeh will never return to Mitzrayim (Shmos 10,19). Although
it might happen that the Arbeh would come to neighboring countries, they will never affect Mitzrayim. This is
obviously an incredible neis; that the Arbeh will be able to differentiate between Mitzrim and its neighbors.
But not only is this an incredible neis, it is a neis that can be seen in our times. When we see the Arbeh skipping
over Mitzrayim, we will see the greatness of HaShem. This is why this neis is chosen to relate to the children.
Even those born many years after yetzias Mitzrayim will be able to see the great neis that happened then.
However, Rav Berel Soloveitchik (brought in the Sefer Talolei Oros) asks that this explanation is difficult to
understand. He points out, that while it is most certainly a great neis that the Arbeh will have the ability to
differentiate between countries, this was not the makkah. The makkah was the presence of the Arbeh; not the lack
of them. Therefore, how can it be, that the intent of the posuk when it says, “You will tell your children”, refers
to this neis, if this was not the makkah)?
 ‫ חשך‬The Ninth Plague

No warning The Jews had light

and were able to Demonstrated the
Brought by Moshe extract the treasures ability of G-d to
Lasted six days: of Egypt to fulfil the operate in any place
three of darkness promise to Avrohom without restrictions
and three very dark that the Jews would
go out with wealth

‫הַׁ שָ מָ יִּם; ַׁוי ְִּהי‬-‫ עַׁ ל‬,‫יָדֹו‬-‫ כב ַׁויֵט מֹשֶ ה ֶאת‬10,22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward
‫ ְשֹלשֶ ת‬,‫ ֶא ֶרץ ִּמצְ ַׁריִּם‬-‫אֲ ֵפלָה בְ כָל‬-‫חֹשֶ ְך‬ heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the
.‫י ִָּמים‬ land of Egypt three days;
‫ ָקמּו ִּאיש‬-‫ וְ ל ֹא‬,‫ ָא ִּחיו‬-‫ ָראּו ִּאיש ֶאת‬-‫ כג ל ֹא‬23 they saw not one another, neither rose any from
‫בְ נֵי‬-‫ ְשֹלשֶ ת י ִָּמים; ּו ְלכָל‬--‫ִּמ ַׁת ְח ָתיו‬ his place for three days; but all the children of
.‫מֹושב ָֹתם‬ְ ְ‫ ב‬,‫י ְִּש ָר ֵאל הָ יָה אֹור‬ Israel had light in their dwellings.

Darkness
Egypt was first hit with 3 days absence of light, followed by 3 days of a tangible manifestation of darkness. The
Egyptians were glued to their spot - standing, sitting, or lying down for 3 straight days. They couldn't eat, drink,
sleep, or relieve themselves. (Midrash) Measure for measure: The Egyptians threw the Jews into damp dungeons
and chained them to their spots in the dinky basement for years!
During the plague of darkness, for the Jews there was light - enjoying the original light of creation. (Kabbalists)
During this plague, the Jews searched the homes of the Egyptians to see exactly where they kept their valuables,
but they didn't take anything. When they later asked the Egyptians for back wages - compensation for years of
forced labor - the Egyptians pleaded poverty: "We would love to help you, our dear former slaves. But
unfortunately, our economy is a mess, and times are tough, so we can't pay a thing!"
"Oh Yeah? How about the diamonds we noticed in the back of the closet? Or the money hidden under the bed??"
The Egyptians said: "Take all our money and leave!!"
Tosfos Hasha'leim quotes the Rashbam as saying that those Jews who did not believe that there would be a mass
exodus died. The Medrash Tanchuma says that they died on the 13th of Adar, first day of the darkness, not over
three days. This is the same date that was decreed by Haman to be a day of slaughter ch"v of the Bnei Yisrael.
Because so many of the Bnei Yisrael died on this day it is a most appropriate day for fasting, although the main
reason is because Esther instituted the fast, as indicated by its name, "Taanis Esther."
Rabbeinu Bachyei says that the darkness was actually such an intense light that it blinded the Egyptians. This
might be similar to staring directly into sunlight, which blinds a person. If so, we now understand the need for the
removal of darkness. Standard light is not intense, as there is an element of its being subdued. This can be
considered a bit of darkness in the light itself. HaShem sent a plague of such intense light that the element of
darkness in light was removed, resulting in a powerfully blinding light.
The Torah T'mimah, says that the plague of darkness was that the Egyptians contracted cataracts. He bases this
on the M.R. 14:1 which says that the darkness was as thick as a dinar.
 Two Sets of Three Days
Rashi states that the six days of darkness were of two intensities. The first three days there was a regular darkness
and the second three had a thick palpable darkness that kept the Egyptians from moving. Rashi then asks why did
Hashem bring darkness, and he answers that the first three days allowed them to bury their own dead who were
wicked and did not want to leave Egypt who died during this plague. The darkness allowed the Bnei Yisrael to
bury them unbeknownst to the Egyptians and the second group of three days was a more intense punishment.
Why here does Rashi ask why this particular plague was brought upon the Egyptians? As well, why does he first
detail the intensities of the darkness and only then ask why darkness was brought upon them?
The Tur O.Ch. #430 explains that the Shabbos before Pesach is called Shabbos HaGadol because of the great
miracle that took place. The Bnei Yisrael were commanded to take lambs and goats for the Paschal offering on
the 10th of Nisan, which was a Shabbos, and the Egyptians, notwithstanding that the sheep were their gods,
miraculously stood by and did nothing to the Bnei Yisrael. This BIG miracle is recounted by the appellation
Shabbos HaGadol.
Now if the Egyptians were in the dark what was the great miracle? The darkness ended on the night of the 14th
of Nisan (Berachos 4a) and counting back six days of darkness included the 10th, the day of taking the Paschal
offerings. Since the first three days of darkness included Shabbos, and Rashi explains that during this time
(assuming they buried them the day of their death, i.e. during the first set of three days) the Bnei Yisrael buried
their dead, obviously on Shabbos they did not do so, so there was no darkness on that day. This is why it was a
miracle.
This explains Rashi's offering the two levels of darkness and then the reason for the plague of darkness, so that
we understand how the taking of the Paschal offering was a miracle. (Pnei Yehoshua ksav yad)
There remains an issue. The verses each say "shloshes yamim," meaning a SET of three days. If so, the first three
days must also be a continuum without a Shabbos gap. Yet the Gemara cited earlier says that plague ended on the
night of the 14th of Nisan. If we were to say that since before Matan Torah the days were a day and the following
night and the Gemara expresses itself with today's terms, a night and then the following day, the night of the 14th
was actually the end of the 13th and the Shabbos fell out between the two sets of three days.
Compassion and the Plague of Darkness
The Chid"a offers a new insight into the plague of darkness. The Egyptians turned their eyes away from the
colossal benefits they received through Yosef and his father Yaakov. Retribution was in kind, that they could not
see anything during this plague. He adds that the letters of "CHoSHeCH" (darkness) are the same as "SHoKaCH"
(forgetting) indicative due forgetting the kindness they received the plague of darkness.
The Netziv adds something astonishing. If during this time only the Jewish people were not affected by the
darkness, it must be that they went out and gave food and water to the Egyptians while they were unable to move.
How else would the Egyptians have survived?
This life-saving act shows the unbelievable compassion of the Jewish people, coming to the aid of a people who
had caused them nothing but pain.
Upon leaving Egypt the Jews are told to ask the Egyptians for compensation in return for the years of slavery
without payment. "Let them ask every man of his friend, and every woman of her friend silver vessels and golden
vessels…" (Shmos 11,2).
The Egyptians, their tormentors, are described as "friends"?
The Netziv explains that a change has occurred. Previously there was no way they could find a friend amongst
the Egyptians to go and ask valuables from, but now things are different.
The Egyptians who are earlier described as ‘neighbors’ now recognize that their lives were saved by the Jews
during the Plague of Darkness, and are now are described as ‘friends’.
From here we learn the beauty and importance of compassion especially during the time of great turmoil. To
strive to overcome our natural instincts, and to help even when we feel that the recipient does not deserve it. To
move past grudges, and give unconditionally.
And the transformative nature of giving. That giving can be used as an antidote to animosity. As a tool to break
down barriers, and change ‘neighbors’ to ‘friends.’
Under the Darkness
By Aharon Loschak
What exactly does it mean that “no one rose from their place?” Were the Egyptians literally frozen in place, the
first and last time a whole nation was actually “glued to their seats?”
For many commentators, the answer is a definite yes! This was not any ordinary darkness. This was pandemic-
level darkness, a miraculous feat G-d pulled off to shroud Egypt in such a thick blanket of gloom, it froze them
in their places.
Others understand it a bit more loosely, explaining that the darkness was so frightening and disorienting, people
ended up quarantining at home, not “rising from their place” to venture outside while the terrifying darkness
shrouded the world.
The Chassidic interpretation sheds light (pun intended!) on how to be a better person.
The first nuance to look at is the Hebrew word mitachtav, which we previously translated as “from his place.”
While that is a fine translation, a more literal reading would be, “from underneath it.” Understood simply, this is
a reference to the physical space a person occupies, hence the conventional translation. But what’s the deeper
significance of this anomalous phraseology?
The Chassidic masters interpreted the entire verse as a reference to how we ought to relate to others and, in turn,
what that does to us.
“They did not see each other.” This is a person who does not “see” his or her fellow—not that he or she is blind,
obviously, but that he or she is oblivious, or worse yet, too wrapped up in him or herself to be able to see, let
alone hear, another person’s point of view. It happens to the best of us.
You’re in the store minding your own business, and down the aisle a parent is struggling. His eight-year-old is
bickering with the toddler about which type of candy they should strong-arm dad into buying, and dad is
quickly losing his patience. He loses his cool at the kids, and all of a sudden there’s a full-blown tantrum going
on in the produce section. “Tsk, tsk,” you think to yourself, wondering why he can’t keep it together and
respond calmly.
You’re in synagogue, trying to collect your thoughts and devote some attention to G-d. Sitting next to you is the
Kiddush King, enthusiastically expressing his thoughts about the elections. You roll your eyes and try not to
lash out, frustrated that your Herculean efforts to bring a little spirituality into your life are being thwarted by
silly chatter.
You’re not “seeing each other.” At that point, you’re seeing yourself, and yourself only. And you know what
happens when you lose that sight? Well, it’s right there in the next words of the verse (as per our literal
reading)—“No one rose from underneath.” You get quashed under your own deficiencies. If you’re throwing
shade at people around you (even in your own head), you won’t spot their positive qualities, and the one who
ultimately suffers will be you. If you can’t see the redeeming quality of the Kiddush King talking in shul, your
prayer efforts will continue to be frustrating, and the discord and negativity you’ve introduced into the world
will eat away at what you’re trying to accomplish. If you figure that he’s an excellent person, his efforts to set
the lox so deftly on the platter are his way to connect with G-d, and his gossip is just part of his overall likeable
chatter, well, that will make you more likeable, and it will make you more prone to connect with G-d. If you’re
empathetic to the harried dad in the supermarket and understand he’s doing his best, he’s overall a great father,
and he’s simply overwhelmed, that will make you more kind. It will make you a better parent when you arrive
home that night. When you’re able to “see” another person and revel in the positivity and unity it brings, it will
automatically make you better, as well.
 ‫ מכת בכורות‬Death of the First-born The Tenth Plague
Included were the
Warning at the first- born: Jewish people sent
palace From the mother; out of Egypt
Brought by HaShem or from the father; Demonstrated G-d’s
Lasted one moment or if no first-born involvement in the
(Midnight) in the house, then affairs of man
the oldest

Based on shiur by Rabbi Joshua Flug

I. Pesukim relevant to this discussion:

a. When Moshe Rabbeinu is about to confront Paroh for the first time, HaShem tells him that the Jewish
people are His bechor. If Paroh refuses to let the Jewish people go, I will kill his first-born. (Shmos
4:21-23)
b. After Paroh tells Moshe that he never wants to see him again, Moshe receives a nevuah that Makkas
Bechoros is coming and that it will lead to yetzias Mitzrayim. (Shmos 11:4-5) It is unclear from the
pesukim as to whether this message was communicated to Paroh.
c. During the instructions for the korban Pesach, Hashem states that He will pass through Egypt and kill
all first-born and bring judgment on the idols. (Shmos 12:12)
d. HaShem tells the Jewish people to place blood on the doorposts so that He could pass over them and
that the mashchis (the destroyer) won't come to their houses to destroy. (Shmos 12:23)
e. The Torah describes that every Egyptians house had a fatality. (Shmos 12:29-30)
f. The Torah states that the Jewish bechoros were sanctified through Makkas Bechoros. (BeMidbar 8:13)

II. Questions:
a. Rashi (1040-1105), quoting the Midrash, teaches us that every Egyptian household had a fatality
because Makkas Bechoros included both bechor from the mother and from the father as well as the
oldest member of the house. (Shmos 12:31) If all these types of Egyptian bechor were killed, why is
the sanctity of bechor limited to firstborn from the mother?
b. In the Haggadah, we read that Makkas Bechoros wasn't performed by a malach or a shaliach, but rather
by HaShem himself. How does this statement explain the role of the mashchis mentioned explicitly in
the Torah?
c. In Dayeinu, we say ‫הם ולא הרג את בכריהם דיינו‬-‫אילו עשה באלי‬. Why do we specifically care what happened
to the bechoros of Egypt after we already praised HaShem for taking us out of Egypt and passing
judgment on the Egyptians and their idolatrous practices? A similar question could be asked regarding
the verse in Tehillim which is part of Hallel HaGadol at the seder ‫למכה מצרים בבכריהם כי לעולם חסדו‬.
Why do we specifically praise HaShem for Makkas Bechoros?
d. The Tosefta quotes Acherim that one must mention Makkas Bechoros in Birchos Kerias Sh'ma.
(Berachos 2a) The Midrash also mentions this requirement and presents it as the normative opinion.
(Shmos Rabbah 22:3) R. Akiva Eger (1761-1837) suggests that this requirement is me'akev. (O.C.
67) While Mishna Berurah questions whether it is really me'akev (67:23), everyone seems to agree
that at least l'chatchilah, there is a requirement to mention Makkas Bechoros daily. Why is it so
important to mention on a daily basis?
III. What was the role of the mashchis (the destroyer)?
i. Rabbeinu Bachya (1255-1340) explains that the mashchis operates under HaShem's authority.
While HaShem directly intervened for Makkas Bechoros, He still used certain forces to carry it
out and the mashchis was one of those forces. While the mashchis had to wait for HaShem's
direct order for each Egyptian bechor, he had no specific restrictions against killing the Jews.
Therefore, specific measures had to be taken to ensure that the mashchis didn't kill any Jews.
(Shmos 12:23)
ii. R. Chaim ibn Atar (1696-1743) explains along similar lines that HaShem did employ specific
forces to carry out Makkas Bechoros. However, because it is difficult to determine who really is
a bechor and who is not, HaShem had to guide these forces and instruct on an individual basis
who the mashchis can destroy. (Shmos 11:5)
iii. R. Akiva Eger is quoted as saying the following: the firstborn of the mother is well-known.
However, the other types of firstborn are not well-known. HaShem allowed the mashchis to kill
the firstborn of the mother, but not the other types of firstborn, which require much more
scrutiny. Therefore, only Jewish firstborn from the mother are sanctified. They were the ones
who were saved from the mashchis who doesn't normally distinguish between Jews and
Egyptians. (Chut haMeshulash page 182)
iv. R. Yosef D. Soloveitchik (Beis HaLevi, 1820-1892) suggests that after Makkas Bechoros, there
was major plague caused by the mass exposure to dead bodies. During this plague, many
Egyptian non-bechoros died. This is why the verse states that every household had a death in it.
This plague was carried out by the mashchis and the Jews were spared from it. Makkas Bechoros
was limited to bechoros. (A chapter from Festival of Freedom)
v. R. Aharon Kotler (1891-1962) suggests that perhaps the role of the mashchis can be explained
based on the comment found in the Haggadah that each makkah really contained five sub-
makkos. R. Kotler suggests that the first four sub-makkos were carried out by the mashchis. The
fifth, which was death itself, was carried out by HaShem. The Jews were spared from the first
four sub-makkos carried out by the mashchis. (Hagadah Shel Pesach page 60)
vi. R. Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik (1886-1959) suggests that when we say dayeinu for Makkas
Bechoros, it is qualitatively different than the praise we say for judging the Egyptians. The ten
makkos as a whole was a form of justice. It was a fulfillment of the Bris Bein HaBesarim when
HaShem said ‫וגם את הגוי אשר יעבדון דן אנכי‬. However, Makkas Bechoros served as the means that
caused yetzias Mitzrayim. Without Makkas Bechoros, we would have never been freed. This is
why we specifically mention Makkas Bechoros in Hallel HaGadol. Hallel HaGadol only
discusses the actual exit from Egypt, not the miracles that led up to the Exodus. Therefore, only
Makkas Bechoros, which was part of yetzias Mitzrayim, is mentioned. (Hagadah Shel Pesach
page 178)
IV. Makkas Bechoros as a Form of Redemption
a. Rabbeinu Bachya writes that each of the makkos were middah k'neged middah. Makkas Bechoros is
k'neged the killing of the Jews. (Shmos 12:29)
b. Maharal asks: In all of the other makkos, the Jews were spared. The Midrash even states that during
Makkas Dam, a Jew and an Egyptian would be drinking from the same cup and the Jew would drink
water while the Egyptian drank blood. Why then, was there a need for special protection during
Makkas Bechoros? He answers that the other makkos were calibrated such that they only took effect
on people at a certain level. Those who were on a higher level, were not affected (perhaps this explains
the midrash that many Jews died during Makkas Choshech). However, Makkas Bechoros was
performed personally by HaShem and there was no calibration. The only reason why the Jewish
firstborn were spared was because they were a kinyan of HaShem. The korban Pesach was their way
of becoming the nation of HaShem. (Gevuras HaShem Chapter 60)
 c. R. Yitzchak Hutner (1906-1980) notes the different language that we use for Makkas Bechoros at
Shacharis ‫ את בכוריהם הרגת ובכורך גאלת‬and at Maariv '‫המכה בעברתו כל בכורי מצרים ויוצא את עמו וכו‬. He
explains that there were two aspects to Makkas Bechoros. The first is the exacting of justice. The
second is the redemption of the Jewish people, the bechor of HaShem. Maariv, which represents the
middas hadin, mentions the justice that was exacted on the Egyptians ‫המכה בעברתו‬. Shacharis, which
represents middas hachesed, mentions the redemption brought about through Makkas Bechoros ‫את‬
‫בכוריהם הרגת ובכרך גאלת‬. (Pachad Yitzchak Pesach 64)
d. The Vilna Gaon (1720-1797) notes that the Torah uses the word ‫ פדך‬to describe our redemption. He
explains that there was an actual pidyon that took place the night of yetzias Mitzrayim. The Jewish
bechoros were redeemed in place of the Egyptian bechoros. (Aderes Eliyahu Devarim 13:6)
e. Based on the comment of Maharal R. Hutner, and the Vilna Gaon, one can take R. Yitzchak Zev
Soloveitchik's comments one step further. We specifically mention Makkas Bechoros in Dayeinu and
in Hallel HaGadol because Makkas Bechoros was an integral part of the redemption. It was what made
us a kinyan of HaShem and established us as bni bechori Yisrael.
f. While Makkas Bechoros affected the Egyptians, who were not bechor other than from the mother,
there was something unique about the way it affected bechoros from the mother.
i. This is true whether one follows R. Akiva Eger that the mashchis only attacked the bechor from
the mother, or whether one follows Beis HaLevi that the main makkah was on the bechoros from
the mother. As such, Makkas Bechoros served as a collective redemption for bni bechori Yisrael
and a unique redemption of the bechoros from the mother.
ii. R. David Cohen notes (article) that perhaps we could explain the unique kedusha of the bechoros
based on the comments of R. Avraham Borenstein (1838-1910). R. Borenstein notes the midrash
that while we were in Egypt, we were like a fetus in a womb and HaShem took us out. The halacha
is that if a pregnant animal becomes a treifah, its fetus is also considered a treifah even though the
fetus has no physical signs of disease. This is because the fetus' life-force is dependent on the
mother. When the mother becomes a treifah, its life-force is taken away and so too, the fetus' life-
force is affected. If the Jewish people were not redeemed and taken out of the womb of Egypt,
when Makkas Bechoros took place, the life-force of the Jewish bechoros would have been affected.

If only the firstborn were slain, why did every home have a dead person?
1) This should not be taken literally. Most homes had a dead person. (Ibn Ezra)
2) If there was no firstborn present, then the head of the household was considered as a firstborn, and was slain.
(Rashi)
3) There was an abundance of adultery among the Egyptians, and there were many children who were firstborn
to the men who sired them, even though the mother had given birth previously. (Rashi in the name of the
Mechilta, ch. 33)
4) The Egyptians had a custom that when a firstborn died, they made a form (icon) similar to the appearance of
the firstborn and displayed it in their homes. At the time of "makas b'choros" these forms melted. This greatly
distressed the Egyptians and they felt as if their firstborn had just died. (Mechilta Pis'cha, ch. 13)
5) All Egyptian firstborn who had previously died were dragged out of their graves by mice and brought to the
homes of their families. (Mechilta Pis'cha, ch. 13)
6) The firstborn insisted that the bnei Yisroel be sent out before the plague would come. Those who were not
firstborn, and Paroh in spite of being a firstborn, did not agree. The firstborn then slayed 600,000 Egyptians,
including their own parents. (Medrash Shochar Tov 136:6)
7) Since so many first-borns were slain, their dead bodies brought on an epidemic, similar to the bubonic plague,
which caused the death of many Egyptians. (Beis Halevi)
 Sod Etzba Elokim
A Deeper Look at the Makkos

The following letter is taken from a pamphlet written by the Tzaddik, Rebbe Shimshon from Ostropoli. He writes
at the end of the pamphlet that anyone who studies the wondrous and awesome secrets written here, even one
time in a year, and especially Erev Pesach, is guaranteed that he will be saved from any kind of accident or disaster
or strange death for the whole of that year, and that everything that he turns his hand to will be successful! (As
mentioned in the Shai L'Mora Haggadah, the names of the angels mentioned in the letter should be scanned only,
but not read out loud!)

Shalom Rabbi…as briefly as possible I will answer Your Honor’s question regarding that which I wrote about
the symbols DaTSaCH ADaSH BeaChaB )‫ )דצ"ךַעד"שַבאח"ב‬etc. and how the Redemption is hinted at by these
symbols.

The holy Ari z”l wrote in his pamphlet “Many Wonders” (‫)פלאות רבות‬, Part 15 entitled The Departure from Egypt,
Chapter 3, Page 42, as follows:-I have already made known to you that Pharo was afflicted by these ten plagues
at the hands of 3,280 (‫ )ג' אלפים ור"פ‬Angels of Punishment that are appointed to and dwell in the three Heavens of
Impurity. The first [Heaven] is named ShaRA (‫)שר"ע‬, the second TaMOCH (‫)תמו"ך‬, and the third BISHeHA
(‫)בישה"א‬. The Minister appointed over them is named DaLPaKT ‫( דלפק"ט‬an alternative version: DaLPaKTA,
‫)דלפקט"א‬. And over (‫ )ועל‬an alternative version: and over them, ‫ועליהם‬all, the Minister known as TaKA,
BeRAISHIS (‫ בראשית‬,‫)תק"א‬.

(And behold,) the third is lacking ten, the fourth is lacking six, and the ninth is lacking six, as they are written in
the Torah. And furthermore, that which we find, that the Egyptians were afflicted by ten plagues in Egypt and
fifty at the Sea, is all according to the name SHaPO (‫)שפ"ו‬, which is the aspect of David ben Yishai, “And G-d
said ‘Strike,’ and they struck them,” (an alternative version: “And G-d spoke and they struck”). According to the
name TaKaL (‫)תק"ל‬, the Egyptians were afflicted by forty plagues in Egypt and two hundred at the Sea, “And G-
d said ‘Strike,’ and they struck them,” (an alternative version: “And G-d spoke and they struck”). According to
the name SHaTZAH (‫( )שצ"ה‬an alternative version: ASHaTZAH, ‫)אשצ"ה‬, the Egyptians were afflicted by fifty
plagues in Egypt and two hundred and fifty at the Sea, “And G-d spoke and they struck.”

And G-d rectified the Exile in exactly the same way that He had afflicted [the Egyptians]. And what was their
transgression and their sin, what trespass did our forefathers commit [against Hashem], that made it necessary for
them to suffer in the Iron Furnace of Exile [i.e. Egypt], until they were finally redeemed (an alternative version:
until He redeemed them), using the following names, DeAV (‫) דע"ב‬, TZeDAH (‫)צד"א‬, KaSHCHaV (‫ ?)כשח"ב‬This
is all as written by the Ari z”l.

And Your Honor wrote to me that all these words of the Ari z”l are obviously the most wondrous and awesome
secrets, sealed , closed and locked away from the slightest understanding, for who is there that could explain
them? And, in fact, I have been asked many times by some of the greatest Rabbis to explain these words to them,
and I refused. However, because of my great love for Your Honor, I will explain them to you as they were revealed
and explained to me in a dream. And He who is merciful, forgiving of sin, etc.

That which the Ari z”l started off by writing : I have already made known to you that Pharo was afflicted by the
ten plagues at the hands of 3,280 ( ‫ )ג' אלפים ור"פ‬Angels of Punishment etc. he was saying, as the Kabbalistic
Masters teach, that there are 3,280 Angels of Punishment appointed to punish the wicked in Gehinnom, and to
purify them from their sins. The proof for this coming from the quote, “to smite with the fist ( ‫ ) באגרף‬of
wickedness,” (Isaiah 58:4,) the word “fist” being the initial letters of the number 3,280 written out, thus '‫=א'ג'ר'ף‬
‫ ג' א'לפים ר"פ‬Angels of Punishment who punish the wicked, and it is them who also punished the wicked Pharo
and the Egyptians.
 ‫דם‬ 44
‫צפרדע‬ 444
And this is a wondrous secret, for if you work out the numerical value of ‫כנם‬ 110
the Ten Plagues exactly according to the way they are written as follows, ‫ערב‬ 272
‫ד"ם צפרד"ע כנ"ם ער"ב דב"ר שחי"ן בר"ד ארב"ה חש"ך מכ"ת בכור"ת‬they add up ‫דבר‬ 206
to exactly the same amount as ‫ג' א'לפים ר"פ‬, hinting at the ‫ג' אלפים ור"פ‬ ‫שחין‬ 368
camps of Angels of Punishment mentioned previously, appointed to ‫ברד‬ 206
punish and purify the sinners. This is an incredible explanation, according ‫ארבה‬ 208
to the simple meaning of the words, which has never before been ‫חשך‬ 328
revealed! ‫מכת בכורות‬ 1094
Total 3280

And that which he wrote: the third is lacking ten, this is referring to the third plague, ‫כנים‬, which is written without
the letter Yud [gematria: 10]. “The fourth is lacking six,” i.e. the fourth plague, ‫ערוב‬, is missing the letter Vav
[gematria: 6]. “The ninth is lacking six,” refers to the ninth plague, ‫חושך‬, also lacking a Vav. (An alternative
version: A Yud is missing from the third plague, ‫כנם‬, which needs to have the Yud missing. The fourth plague,
‫ערב‬, is missing six, because it needs to have the Vav missing. The ninth plague, ‫חשך‬, is lacking six, because it
also needs to be written without the Vav.)

And that which he wrote: as they are written in the Torah, his intention was to say that this is actually how they
are written in the Torah, with these missing letters. For they are written in Parshas Vaera, ‫ כנם‬without the Yud,
‫ ערב‬without the Vav, and ‫ חשך‬without the Vav, and not as they are written in the Haggadah, all written out in full.
He is referring to the way they are written in the Torah, which adds up exactly to the ‫ ג' אלפים ור"פ‬Angels of
Punishment that punish the wicked, which punished the Egyptians and afflicted Pharo and the Egyptians in Egypt,
from the three Heavens of Impurity.

And that which he wrote: that these ‫ג' אלפים ור"פ‬Angels of Punishment dwell in the three Heavens of Impurity.
The first [Heaven] is named ShaRA (‫)שר"ע‬, the second TaMOCH (‫) תמו"ך‬, and the third BISHeHA ( ‫) בישה"א‬,
there is in this also a wondrous and awesome secret in what he wrote (an alternative version: hinted at in what he
said), “these ten plagues that (Hashem) brought (‫)אלו עשר מכות שהביא‬,” “ten ( ‫ ”) עשר‬is the same letters as ShaRA
( ‫) שר"ע‬, “plagues ( ‫ ”)מכות‬is the same letters as TaMOCH ( ‫)תמו"ך‬, and “that brought (‫ ”)שהביא‬is the same letters
as BISHeHA (‫)בישה"א‬, these words are hinting at the three Heavens of Impurity containing the ‫ג' אלפים‬
‫ ור"פ‬Angels of Punishment which inflicted the ten plagues upon Pharo and Egypt, and this is truly a great wonder.

And that which he wrote: the Minister appointed over them is named DaLPaKT ( ‫)דלפק"ט‬, he is revealing that this
name comes from the name “the Egyptians (‫ ”)המצרים‬where each letter of the angel’s name is the one previous to
it’s equivalent letter in the words “the Egyptians,” in the aleph beis, thus, the '‫ד‬precedes the '‫ה‬, the '‫ל‬the '‫מ‬, the
'‫פ‬the '‫צ‬, the '‫ק‬the '‫ר‬, the '‫ט‬the '‫י‬, and the final '‫ם‬of the word ‫המצרים‬is just the plural and not part of the root of
the word. This is what he was hinting at when he said: ten plagues did Hashem bring upon the Egyptians (i.e. the
letters that preceded the letters of the word Egyptians ‫)המצרים‬, try to understand all this, and the good G-d will
atone etc.

And that which he wrote: and over (‫( ) ועל‬an alternative version: and
over them, ‫ )ועליהם‬all, the Minister known as TaKA, BeRAISHIS 114 ‫דצ"ך‬
( ‫ בראשית‬,‫)תק"א‬, he was referring to the initial letters of each of the ten 374 ‫עד"ש‬
plagues ‫ דצ"ך עד"ש באח"ב‬which add up to the same number as the name 13 ‫באח"ב‬
of the Angel, ‫תק"א‬, [gematria: 501] (and the reason that he added the 501 Total
word ‫[בראשית‬first ], was to point out that he was referring to ‘the first,’
i.e. the initial letters of each of the plagues).
This is also the gematria of the word ‫[אש"ר‬gematria: 501], which is the secret hidden in the verse ‫את אש"ר התעללתי‬
‫במצרים‬, “these things which I have wrought in Egypt,” (Shemos 9:2), where in fact there are many many verses
that hint to this secret of ‫אש"ר‬being the gematria of the initial letters of the ten plagues, and concerning this matter
there are wondrous secrets and many hints, and the greater glory of Hashem is in what is hidden…

And that which he wrote: and furthermore, that which we find, and Hashem spoke
and afflicted the Egyptians with ten plagues in Egypt and fifty at the Sea, is all
according to the name SHaPO (‫)שפ"ו‬, he is referring to the wondrous and awesome 212 ‫רבי‬
secret which is the source of the argument between ‫ריה"ג ור"א ור"ע‬as brought in the 86 ‫יוסי‬
Haggadah, “Rabbi Yosi HaGalili said: from where do we know…etc Rabbi Eliezer 88 ‫הגלילי‬
said: from where do we know…etc. Rabbi Akiva said: from where do we know…etc, 386 Total
this is the secret of the name ‫רב"י יוס"י הגליל"י‬which has the same gematria as the
word ‫(שפ"ו‬gematria : 386), which is that which is written: Rabbi Yosi HaGalili
said…i.e. that the name ‫שפ"ו‬spoke and afflicted them etc.

And that which he wrote: which is the aspect of David ben Yishai, the explanation 14 ‫דוד‬
is that ‫דו"ד ב"ן יש"י‬is also gematria ‫שפ"ו‬, and it was, in particular, with this name 52 ‫בן‬
that He afflicted them, but said it in a very hidden way. For Rabbi Yosi HaGalili 320 ‫ישי‬
was a reincarnation of David ben Yishai, and ben Yishai [the Messiah] will use 386 Total
precisely this name when he comes. There are also many other hidden secrets in
this matter, but the main intention is as recorded above.

And that which he wrote: according to the name TaKaL (‫)תק"ל‬, the Egyptians were
afflicted by forty plagues in Egypt and two hundred at the Sea, this is a clue that 212 ‫רבי‬
Rabbi Eliezer is gematria TaKaL (gematria: 530). That is to say, Rabbi Eliezer in 318 ‫אליעזר‬
particular, who is the gematria of the name TaKaL spoke and afflicted them etc. (An 530 Total
alternative version: “Rabbi Eliezer said…meaning that he holds the opinion that it
was the name TaKaL that afflicted the Egyptians).

And that which he wrote: according to the name SHaTZAH (‫( ) שצ"ה‬an alternative
version: ASHaTZAH, ‫)אשצ"ה‬, the Egyptians were afflicted by fifty plagues in Egypt
and two hundred and fifty at the Sea, Rabbi Akiva is the gematria of the word
SHaTZAH (gematria : 395), (an alternative version: ASHaTZAH including the kollel 212 ‫רבי‬
[i.e. adding an extra one for the word itself]). That is to say, that Rabbi Akiva, who is 183 ‫עקיבא‬
the gematria of the word SHaTZAH (or ASHaTZAH), was the one who said that it 395 Total
was the name SHaTZAH (or ASHaTZAH) that spoke and afflicted etc. And each of
the three Rabbis explained it according to his understanding, which is why the three
names ShaPO, TaKaL and ASHaTZAH equal the gematrias of the three Tannaim,
Rabbi Yosi HaGalili (ShaPO), Rabbi Eliezer (TaKaL) and Rabbi Akiva
(ASHaTZAH). And this is all an awesome and wondrous secret, as I said previously.
And may the Merciful One atone [for our sins] etc.

And that which he wrote: and G-d rectified the Exile in exactly the same way that He had afflicted [the Egyptians],
this is as I explained above, that the initial letters of the plagues hint to the original cause of the descent to Egypt,
and in exactly the same way as Hashem struck the Egyptians, that in itself was the method by which He redeemed
Israel, that the actual letters of the plagues are a hint to our redemption.

(An alternative version: and that which he wrote: and how many sins etc. he intended to teach that our forefathers'
sins, which were the cause of them having to go down to Egypt, are hinted at in the actual letters of the plagues.
And similarly, the letters of the plagues are also a hint to our redemption by Hashem.)
And that which he wrote: until they were finally redeemed (an alternative version: until He redeemed them), using
the following names, DeAV (‫)דע"ב‬, TZeDAH (‫)צד"א‬, KaSHCHaV (‫) כשח"ב‬, he was hinting that the letters of the
word DeAV (‫ ) דע"ב‬are the initial letters of each of the three symbols DaTSaCH ADaSH BeaChaB ‫ד'צ"ך ע'ד"ש‬
)‫)ב'אח"ב‬. The second name, TZeDAH (‫)צד"א‬, is the second letter in each group, and the third name KaSHCHaV
(‫)כשח"ב‬, is the third letter, through which Hashem redeemed us. The actual plagues that Hashem inflicted on
Egypt hint to Israel’s redemption. (An alternative version: the actual letters of DaTSaCH ADaSH BeaChaB ‫ד'צ"ך‬
)‫ )ע'ד"ש ב'אח"ב‬are a hint to the Minister appointed over all the Angels of Punishment which afflicted the plagues
upon the Egyptians, and those same letters hint to the reason for the exile to Egypt, and also to Israel’s redemption
from there. The selfsame letters are both the secret of the affliction and of the redemption.)

And may we be found worthy in Hashem’s eyes to quickly see the coming of the Messiah, with all the Angels
appointed to accompany the Final Redemption, may it come speedily and in our time. And may we be worthy of
seeing the fulfillment of the verse, “As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt I will show him
marvelous things (Micah 7:15), for ever and ever amen.

And finally, I hereby declare that anyone who studies these wondrous and awesome secrets, even one time in a
year, and especially on Erev Pesach, I promise him that he will be saved from any kind of accident or strange
death for that whole year. His enemies will have no power over him and will fall before him, and that he will be
successful in everything that he turns his hand to. Amen.
 Based on Rabbi Abba Levin

BLOOD
This plague is named after what you can see and not after what you can smell - although what you can
smell is worse than what you can see!
In truth water turning into blood did not bother the Egyptian people very much, as it was common among
ancient nations to drink blood. Imagine if turning on the water tap would cause Coca Cola to come out ...
What made this a plague was the fact that the fish died, and as a result and the river became foul (7:21). That
is why the Egyptians could no longer drink the water from the river. Therefore, the word ‫(ויבאש‬the plague
of the foul smelling waters) would have been a better word to describe the plague than Makkos Dam. The
reason why the plague is not named ‫בייאוש‬is due to the fact that the foul-smelling river was not visible to the
eye. Thus, it is called DAM after the water’s turning into blood (Da'as Zekeinim).
Wine is the answer to my problem!
The reason why Pharaoh did not pay any attention to this plague (7:23) was due to the fact that
he said that he was happy to be able to just drink wine from now on. It was only the general Egyptian
populace that were suffering from the lack of proper drinking water (Sechel Tov).
FROGS
I would rather suffer than being embarrassed ....
Pharaoh asked Moshe to daven for the frogs to be removed from Mitzrayim. Moshe inquired when Pharaoh
would like him to daven for them to be removed, and Pharaoh said 'tomorrow'. Moshe agreed and the next
day he davened to HaShem to remove the frogs (8:4-6).
The question is, if Pharaoh is suffering from the plague of frogs, why did he not ask Moshe to daven
to have them removed today? Why wait for tomorrow?
The answer is that Pharaoh was embarrassed to show that he was in critical distress due to the plague, and
he therefore asked for Moshe to daven for their removal 'tomorrow' (Mosh av Zekeinim).
Others say that Pharaoh had hopes that his sorcerers would find a way to remove the frogs today, so he told
Moshe to only daven tomorrow (Tosfos Hashaem).
LICE
The wealthy don't have them and the poor anyways have them....
We don't find that Pharaoh asked Moshe to daven for the removal of the plague of Lice, as he had done by
the previous plague of Frogs. The reason was that the lice only affected areas covered with dirt. Pharaoh and
his ministers lived in houses covered with marble, and the floor was swept on a daily basis to prevent any
dirt that would spread the lice. On the other hand, the poor people who lived in areas covered with dirt were
anyways accustomed to dealing with lice on a regular basis (although, the plague of Lice was undoubtedly
more severe than the usual bout of lice). Therefore, there was no compelling reason for Pharaoh to ask
Moshe to daven for him to have the lice removed (Chizkuni).
WILD ANIMALS
How many times does the Torah mention Wild Animals?
None.
The Torah only uses the word ‫ערוב‬- multitude when describing this plague. There is no mention in the text that
this plague was comprised of animals. This is why there is a machlokes In the Medrash (11:3) whether this plague
was comprised of a crowd of wild animals (Rabbi Yehudah's opinion), or if It consisted of a swarm of wasps and
mosquitoes (Rabbi Nechemyiah's opinion). [The Medrash brings a proof to Rabbi Yehudah's opinion from
looking at how the plague ended. By the plague of the frogs died in the streets (8:9-10), and the earth reeked from
the dead frogs. When it came to this plague, it says that they were completely removed from Mitzrayim (8:27).
Why did they not die in the streets as the frogs did? According to Rabbi Yehudah's opinion it makes sense that
the wild animals did not die in the streets, since otherwise the Egyptians could derive benefit from the skins.
Whereas according to Rabbi Nechemiyah's opinion, the swarm of flying creatures should also have died in the
streets like the frogs, as there is no use for their dead bodies. Therefore, the pesukim seem to indicate that we are
dealing with wild animals.
What could save an Egyptian from the plague of the Wild Animals?
If the Egyptians would be in fortresses or towers, they would be saved {Bechor Shor). Likewise, if they would
escape to Eretz Goshen (where the Jewish people resided) they would also be saved (Ramban, but see Ralbag that
disagrees). Also, the shepherds managed to defend [themselves and] their animals in the fields from the Wild
Animals, presumably using their sticks as their defense. This is why the Torah stresses that in the plague of
Pestilence, even the animals in the field would suffer, as the shepherds would be powerless to come to their
protection (Chizkuni to 9:3).
PESTILENCE
Can you prove that there were Egyptians who feared HaShem by the plague of Pestilence and did not fear
HaShem by the plague of Hall?
By the plague of Hail, the Torah specified that only the people and animals that were outside would be destroyed
by the Hail (9:19). The people that feared HaShem brought their slaves and animals into their houses to avoid
them killed by the hail, whereas the people who did not fear HaShem left them outside (9:20-21). The question is,
where did the Egyptians have animals from, if all their animals died in the plague of Pestilence? Rashi (9:10}
explains that the plague of Pestilence also only applied to the animals who were outside but not to those inside
the houses. Therefore, there were Egyptians who feared HaShem by the plague of Pestilence and brought their
animals inside. They feared HaShem by this plague since it is a rather common occurrence, and so they took the
warning seriously and brought their animals inside. But when it came to the plague of Hail, there were those who
did not fear HaShem sufficiently, since it was a supernatural phenomenon, so they left their animals outside and
they died (Riva).
According to the Ramban (9:3) the plague of Pestilence took effect on the animals inside the houses as well. The
reason why there were still animals left in Mitzrayim after the plague of Pestilence is either because Pestilence
did not kill all the animals but only the majority (Ibn Ezra) or around half (Bechor Shor). According to the Netziv,
only the herds of animals died by Pestilence, but individual animals were not affected by this plague.
BOILS
Which three makkos were not life-threatening?
The Ramban says that the makkos of Lice, Boils, and Darkness did not come with a prior warning to Pharaoh about
the impending plague about to transpire. The reason was that these three makkos were not life-threatening, and
therefore they did not warrant a warning.
According to the Ralbag, it is entirely likely that Pharaoh was warned, even though no warning is recorded in the
pesukim (see 8:12 and 9:8).
HAIL
Who thought that the makkah of Hail )11,1) counted as 4 makkos?
At the end of the plague of Hail, the Torah states that not only did Pharaoh harden his heart, but even his
servants hardened their hearts (9:34). The reason that even the servants hardened their heart now was that
they had been told that HaShem was going to bring10 plagues upon Egypt. The mistakenly thought that the
7th plague counted as number 7-10 since it consisted of four elements: hail, fire, ear-splitting sounds (brought
on from the storm-winds bringing the hail - Hakesav Vehakabalah, or from the smashing of the hail -stones
on the ground - Netziv), and torrents of rain (9:33). Therefore, since in their minds the 10 plagues had already
happened, they thought that they had nothing else to fear, and they therefore hardened their hearts (Tur).
GRASSHOPPERS
By which makkah did Pharaoh have flashbacks of little Moshe growing up in his palace?
At the height of the plague of Grasshoppers, Pharaoh calls Moshe and Aharon to come to him (10:16). Then he
says "'please forgive me (singular, talking to only person) – “and please daven to HaShem for me” (plural,
referring to both Moshe and Aharon) (10:17). The Keli Yakar explains that the individual who was asked for
forgiveness here is referring to Aharon and not Moshe. Pharaoh remembered Moshe growing up in his
palace, and was well aware of his sterling character and humility. Pharaoh knew that Moshe immediately
would forgive anyone causing him pain, so he did not even bother to ask him for forgiveness. Since Pharaoh
did not know Aharon that well, he therefore had to ask him straight out if he would forgive him.
Which element from the plague of Grasshoppers was used in the plague of Darkness?
The plague of Darkness came about through a heavy cloud that descended upon the Egyptians. This mist was
formed from the Western wind that carried the Grasshoppers away (10:19} (Abarbanel).
Others learn that the plague of Darkness was a plague that affected the eyes of the Egyptians, and thus
temporarily blinded their eyesight (producing a feeling of Darkness) (Hakesav Vehakabbalah).
DARKNESS
Where do we find the practice of a chain-call?
Right after describing the plague of darkness, the Torah describes how Pharaoh calls for Moshe and tells him
that he can leave with the entire Jewish people except for their animals (10:24). When did he call Moshe?
Some say that this took place after the plague of Darkness, since during the plague of Darkness the Egyptians
were not able to move (Bechor Shor).
Others say that Pharaoh summoned Moshe during the plague of Darkness as follows: Although the
Egyptians were unable to move, they were able to talk. As such, Pharaoh called his servants who were
stationed closest to him and asked them to pass on a message to call for Moshe. The servants spread that
message to other Egyptians that were within their hearing range, and eventually this chain-call reached
Moshe, and he appeared before Pharaoh (R' Chaim Potiel).
Pharaoh only called Moshe and not Aharon (10:24) as he was too embarrassed to humble himself and allow
all the Jews to leave in front of both Moshe and Aharon.
When were Revenge and Curiosity two massive tests for the Jewish people?
The Chasam Sofer says that during the plague of Darkness and Makkas Bechoros the Jewish people faced
two immense nisyonos (challenges) to see if they would comply with Moshe's instructions or not.
Overcoming these two tests was the merit they needed in order to were told to go look and see where the
Egyptians hen the word spread that HaShem had warned kept their money, so that they could ask them
that He would strike the firstborn from the for it when they left Mitzrayim. It was, however, firstborn
of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to tempting to take their possessions, kill their the firstborn of the
maidservant, some reasoned oppressors who were kept in Darkness, and that the captives in the dungeon
are on a immediately leave Mitzrayim. The fact that they lower level than that of the maidservant. They
listened to instructions and did not take revenge therefore mistakenly concluded that prisoners are and
escape was a tremendous source of merit for excluded from Makkas bechoros, and they placed them.
Likewise, by Makkas Bechoros, the Jewish people were instructed not to leave their houses for the duration
of the night. Imagine what it was like in a Jewish house when loud shrieks could be heard throughout the
night. They felt extremely curious to see what was happening. Perhaps it was their fellow Jews who were
suffering? Perhaps there was some kind of attack or war happening? Perhaps there was a massive fire or a
flood? The restraint that they practiced by not going to find out what happened all around them, served as the
second main merit with which they were able to leave Egypt.
MAKKAS BECHOROS
Who volunteered going into prison?
When Moshe warned Pharaoh about the impending Makkas Bechoros it says that all firstborn will die from
the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the maidservant who is behind the millstone
(11:5). However, later on when describing the unfolding of the plague we find from the firstborn of Pharaoh
sitting on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon (12:29). Why the change from the
maidservant who is behind the millstone to the captive who was in the dungeon?
The Chizkuni offers two other approaches to reconcile the pesukim:
When the word spread that HaShem had warned that He would strike the firstborn from the firstborn of Paroh
who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the maidservant, some reasoned that the captives in the dungeon are on
a lower level than that of the maidservant. They mistakenly concluded that prisoners are excluded from Makkas
Bechoros, and they placed themselves in the dungeon in order to be spared from the plague. However, the Torah
testifies that even the firstborn who placed themselves in prison out of their own free will, also were subject to
Makkas Bechoros.
Alternatively, when the non-Jewish slave s heard that the fate of their masters was equal to their fate, they
had a level of satisfaction, knowing that they were not discriminated against due to their low status in Egypt.
As a result of expressing this feeling, their masters were furious with them and placed them in the dungeon.
Thus, the pasuk is describing where the non-Jewish slaves were at the time of Makkas Bechoros, namely in
the dungeon.
Which Jewish people were allowed to leave their house at the night of Makkas Bechoros?
Although it clearly states “and as for you, you should not leave the entrance of the house until morning”
(12:22), that only applied to Jewish men. Jewish ladies and children were allowed to leave the house (and for
this reason the pasuk uses the word - a man- to exclude ladies and children [Panim Yafos, see there that the
ladies went and requested gold, silver, and clothing from the Egyptians during this night].
Additionally, the simple meaning of the text states that after Makkas Bechoras Pharaoh summoned Moshe
and Aharon to appear in front of him in his palace, which they did. This must mean that Moshe and Aharon
went out of their houses on that night on HaShem's instructions (Ibn Ezra).
•