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From:          "Yeshivat Har Etzion's Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash"
Subject:       INTPARSHA -14: Parashat Va'era


                     YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
        ISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH (VBM)
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              INTRODUCTION TO PARASHAT HASHAVUA
                             
                    by Rav Michael Hattin
                             
              Parashat Va'era - The Ten Plagues
                      By Michael Hattin



Introduction

Last week's Parasha concluded with the disheartening failure of Moshe and Aharon's first mission to Pharaoh.  Unimpressed by  their  impassioned  demand  for  the  peoples'  release, unmoved by their invocation of God's name, Pharaoh dismisses their words with disdain and escalates the harshness of  the servitude.    "That  day,  Pharaoh  gave   orders   to   the taskmasters  and  to the foremen: 'Do not  give  the  people straw  for  bricks as before.  Let them go and gather  their own  straw.   The  quota  of bricks  that  they  must  make, however, shall remain the same as it was, and will  not  be lessened.  They are indolent and therefore cry out that they want  to go sacrifice to their God.  Let the work be heavier upon them to occupy them, so that they are not distracted by lies!'"

Encountering the people after their unceremonious exit  from Pharaoh's  palace, Moshe and Aharon can only bear the  brunt of  their understandable anger and disappointment. "Let  God see  your deed and judge you both accordingly, for you  have made  us  repugnant in the eyes of Pharaoh and his advisors; you  have  placed  in  their hands  a  sword  to  kill  us!" Disgruntled, Moshe returns to God and cries out:  "Oh  Lord, why have You dealt harshly with this people, and why did You send  me?  From the time that I have come before Pharaoh  to speak  in Your name, he has made conditions worse for  them, and  You have done nothing to save your people!"  Though not denying  the  thrust of Moshe's harsh words,  God  responds: "Now  you  will see what I shall do to Pharaoh, for  with  a strong hand he will send them forth, and with a strong  hand he will drive them out of his land!"


Understanding Moshe's Disappointment

The commentaries are in fact puzzled by Moshe's reaction  to Pharaoh's intransigence.  After all, God had informed  Moshe on  the dawn of his appointment that his initial demands for the  peoples'  release  would be met with  Pharaoh's  fierce resistance.   Pharaoh will not relent,  God  had  explained, until  "I send forth My hand and smite Egypt with all of  My wonders that I shall do in its midst, and then he will  send you  forth." The portent had been repeated a second time  to Moshe  as  he took leave of his father-in-law and began  the trek from Midian back to Egypt (see Shemot 3:18-20, and 4:21-23).    Why  then  is  Moshe  now surprised,  indignant  and disillusioned?

Rabbi  Avraham Ibn Ezra (12th century, Spain) explains  that Moshe  had expected that the severity of the servitude would decrease  in  the aftermath of his first confrontation  with Pharaoh.   "God would begin to save them.  Instead,  Pharaoh acted  more  sternly  with them.  This  is  the  reason  for Moshe's query 'Oh Lord, why have You dealt harshly with this people, and why did You send me?  From the time that I  have come  before  Pharaoh to speak in Your  name,  he  has  made conditions worse for them, and You have done nothing to save your people!  Did You not claim that 'I have surely seen the oppression  of  My  people...and I have come  down  to  save them'?!"

Ramban  (Moshe ben Nachman, 13th century, Spain)  disagrees, claiming on textual grounds that Moshe not only expected the gradual  reduction  of  servitude  as  the  journey  towards Redemption  began,  but  rather the complete  and  immediate cessation  of  the  oppression and the restoration  of  Bnei Yisrael  to  their  ancestral land without  delay.   "In  my opinion,"  writes  the  Ramban, "Moshe correctly  understood God's  caveat that Pharaoh would be obstinate, and unwilling to  instantly accede to the demand of freedom.   A  sign  or wonder  would  have  little effect,  and  the  stasis  would continue  until  the  God  would  perform  His  many  mighty miracles.   Moshe,  however, mistakenly  believed  that  God would  unleash  those grievous wonders in  quick  succession over  the  course of a few days.  When Pharaoh  would  claim ignorance  of  Hashem's name and display no regard  for  His demand, Moshe thought that he would immediately be commanded to perform the sign of the 'tanin' (crocodile). Encountering Pharaoh's  refusal, he would immediately turn  the  Nile  to blood  and  similarly perform the remainder of  the  Plagues forthwith...Instead, much time elapsed, and  Moshe  came  to the  realization  that  the process would  be  a  protracted one..."


The Purpose of the Plagues

Why  is  it  that the so-called Ten Plagues are not  visited upon  Pharaoh and the Egyptians in staccato-like  blows,  as Moshe  and Bnei Yisrael had surely anticipated?  Why instead is  the sequence of events drawn-out and lengthy?  According to  an  ancient  tradition (Midrash Shemot Rabba  9:12)  the period of the Plagues lasts for approximately eight to  nine months!   According  to other views an entire  year  elapses between  the episode of Moshe and Aharon's first  appearance at  Pharaoh's court and the triumphant march from slavery to freedom  (Mishna  Eiduyot  2:10).   Surely  if  the   Divine objective  had  been  to simply compel  the  god  king  into compliance  or, alternatively, to punish decades  of  state-sponsored  brutality  and oppression, a  much  shorter  time frame  would have been more than sufficient!  Clearly,  what this  indicates  is that the PRIMARY aim of the  Plagues  is neither  coercive nor punitive, but something else entirely. We shall devote the remainder of the lesson to ascertain the plausible purpose of the plagues.  We shall be aided in  our endeavor  if  we  can first determine the  existence  of  an ordering  principle  or pattern to the plagues,  which  will assist us in delineating their underlying intent.

It  may  be  recalled  from an earlier discussion  (Parashat Vayeira) that in the Biblical frame of reference, the number ten carries significance.  The Mishna in Avot 1: 1-6 lists a lengthy series of 'tens' beginning with the 'Ten Utterances' by  which  the  cosmos were brought into being.   The  Torah enumerates  ten  generations from Adam  to  Noach,  and  ten additional  generations from Noach to Avraham. According  to tradition, Avraham undergoes ten trials of faith.  We  speak of  the  'Ten Plagues' as well as of the 'Ten Commandments.' As  we  pointed out at the time, the groupings  of  ten  are indicative  of  complete  units.  Here  as  well,  the  'Ten Plagues' clearly constitute an integral unit, but a unit  of what?


Patterns in the Plagues

Let us begin by carefully examining the text to ascertain if indeed  any  patterns  can  be established.   In  the  past, natural  scientists have attempted to explain the sequential unfolding  of the plagues as reflecting a causal and  almost mechanistic progression, but we are more interested  in  the literary  aspects of the matter.  Let us carefully list  the pertinent details that relate to each plague so that we  are able to detect the ordering principles:

1.    "DAM":  BLOOD  is introduced with a  WARNING  that  is administered by Moshe to Pharaoh as he goes out to the Nile   at DAYBREAK - "Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is coming out to the water.say to him: 'Hashem, Lord of the Hebrews, has sent me to demand of you the release His people, so that they may serve Him in the wilderness, but you have refused to listen."  Moshe is then to relate a PURPOSE to the plague -   "Hashem  now says: 'by this you shall know that  I  am Hashem,' I will strike the water of the Nile with my staff and  it  shall  turn  to blood...'"  Pharaoh  summons  his SORCERERS who are able to duplicate the affliction, and he remains obstinate.

2.   "TZEPHARDEA":  FROGS is preceded by a WARNING  - "Go to Pharaoh  and say to him 'thus says Hashem: send  forth  my people so that they may serve Me.  If you refuse to do so, I will strike all of your territory with frogs.'"   Pharaoh's SORCERERS are again able to duplicate the feat, and although momentarily he considers allowing the people  to  go,  his heart remains stubborn.

3.    "CHINIM":   LICE  arrives WITHOUT WARNING.   At  God's behest, Aharon strikes the earth with his staff and the lice appear, attacking man and beast.  The SORCERERS attempt to also produce lice but are unsuccessful, conceding that "it is the finger of God."  Pharaoh remains obdurate.

4.    "A'ROV":  WILD  BEASTS iintroduced by a  WARNING  that Moshe administers early in the MORNING, as Pharaoh goes out to the Nile.  A PURPOSE to the plague is also communicated to Pharaoh: "...that you might know that I am Hashem in the midst of the land."  This time, there is no mention of the sorcerers,  but  for  the  first  time  a  DISTINCTION  is explicitly drawn between the Hebrews and the Egyptians: "On that  day  I will set apart the region of Goshen where  My people  Israel dwell, so that there will be no wild beasts there."  Also, a TIME is designated for the onset  of  the plague: "Tomorrow this wonder will come to pass."   Almost ready   to  relent,  Pharaoh  refuses  after  the   plague dissipates.

5.    "DEVER": PESTILENCE is preceded by a WARNING - "Go  to Pharaoh and say to him: 'Thus says Hashem the God  of  the Hebrews: send forth My people to serve Me.  If you  refuse and continue to hold them, then God's hand will be directed against the livestock in the field..."  Again, a DISTINCTION is introduced between the Egyptian animals and those of the Hebrews: "God will differentiate between the livestock  of Israel and that of the Egyptians, for not a single animal of Bnei  Yisrael will perish."  As above, a specific TIME  is spelled  out:  "Hashem set a fixed time saying:  'tomorrow Hashem will execute this wonder in the land.'"  Pharaoh is unmoved, and his heart remains stubborn.

6.    "SHECHIN": BOILS arrives WITHOUT WARNING.  Moshe casts  a  handful  of  ash heavenwards, and the plague  of  boils ensues.  This time, the Torah indicates that the SORCERERS were  not able to stand before Moshe because the boils as  well  afflicted  them.  For the first  time,  God  hardens Pharaoh's heart so that he will not surrender.

7.    "BARAD":  HAIL is introduced by a WARNING  that  Moshe communicates to Pharaoh early in the MORNING.  "This time" says Hashem, "if you will not release My people to serve me, I  will  send  a  most grievous plague against  you,  your ministers and your people."  The PURPOSE of this display is "that you will know that there is none like Me in all  the land."  Again, a highly precise TIME is delineated: "at this time tomorrow I will cause a very heavy hail to fall..." The land  of  Goshen where the Hebrews dwell,  is  spared  the effects of the hail, as a DISTINCTION is drawn once again. As above, God hardens Pharaoh's heart so that he refuses to let the people go.

8.   "ARBE": LOCUSTS is preceded by a WARNING, as Pharaoh is told that his refusal to free the people will be countered by their arrival at a specific TIME on the morrow.  For the first  time  Pharaoh's own SORCERERS advise  him  to  heed Moshe's demand, but God hardens his heart so that he refuses to do so.

9.    "CHOSHECH": DARKNESS arrives without warning, as thick gloom  envelopes the Egyptians for three days, while  Bnei Yisrael,  in  DISTINCTION to them, enjoy  light  in  their dwelling places.  At the brink of surrender, Pharaoh remains adamant as God hardens his heart.

10.   "BECHOROT": STRIKING OF THE FIRSTBORN is introduced by a  WARNING in which God designates the exact TIME  of  its arrival:  "Thus says Hashem: 'at the stroke of midnight  I will go forth in the midst of Egypt.  All of the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from Pharaoh's firstborn who sits on his throne to the first born of the slave girl who grinds  at the millstone, as well as the firstborn of  all animals.'"   It goes without saying that a DISTINCTION  is again made between the firstborn of Egypt, and the firstborn of Bnei Yisrael who are spared.


Analyzing the Data

Studying  the  above breakdown carefully, we notice  that  a basic  structure  underlies the plagues, which  can  now  be broken down into three distinct groups:

1.   BLOOD - FROGS - LICE

2.   WILD ANIMALS - PESTILENCE - BOILS

3.   HAIL - LOCUSTS - DARKNESS

The  first plague of the series (blood, wild animals,  hail) is  always  introduced with a WARNING  administered  in  the MORNING,  the second (frogs, pestilence, locusts) is  simply preceded by a WARNING, and the third (lice, boils, darkness) arrives WITHOUT WARNING.

A  statement of PURPOSE always accompanies the first  plague of  each  series  (blood, wild animals, hail),  but  as  the series  progress, the profundity and scope of the respective purposes expands:

Blood - "by this you shall know that I am Hashem"
Wild  animals - "...that you might know that I am Hashem  in the midst of the land."
Hail - "that you will know that there is none like Me in all the land."

Thus, as blood strikes the Nile, Pharaoh is to realize  that there  is  a God at least equal to the other myriad  deities that  populate his pantheon.  With the onset of wild beasts, Pharaoh  will  come to appreciate that this God's  authority extends over the land.  By the time that the final series is unleashed with hail, it will be apparent that the God of the Hebrews  is,  unlike  any other god of  Egypt,  an  absolute being.

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