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From:          "Yeshivat Har Etzion's Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash"
To:            yhe-parsha@vbm-torah.org
Subject:       PARSHA61 -14: Parashat Vaera


                   YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
      YISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH (VBM)
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                     PARASHAT VAERA
                           
                           
             The Purpose of the Ten Plagues
                           
                   By Rav Amnon Bazak

1. INTRODUCTION

In  God's revelation to Moshe in the burning   bush, the  Torah gives its first description of the Divine plan to  deliver  Bnei  Yisrael from  Egypt.  Armed  with   the foreknowledge that "the king of Egypt will  not  let  you go"  (3:19), God's reaction to this situation is  already predicted:

"And  I  shall  set forth My hand and I  shall   strike Egypt  with  all My wonders which I shall  perform  in their  midst,  and thereafter he will send  you   out." (3:20)

From  these  verses it would appear that   the  sole purpose  of the plagues was to force Pharaoh to send  out Bnei  Yisrael, and that God played no role  in  Pharaoh's stubbornness. But in God's revelation to Moshe in Midyan, we detect a different tone: "And I shall harden his heart and he will not send out the nation" (4:21). From here we already  understand that the very hardening of  Pharaoh's heart was part of the Divine plan, and the explanation is presented without delay:

"And you shall say to Pharaoh, So says God: Israel  is My  firstborn son. And I said to you, Send out My  son that  he  may serve Me. And you refused to  send  him; behold, I will kill your firstborn son." (4:22-23)

In  the  second account, the hardening of Pharaoh's heart is part of the process of punishment, setting up  a "measure for measure" situation: since Pharaoh wished  to enslave  Am  Yisrael  -  God's  "firstborn"  -   for   all eternity, it is fitting that the Holy One punish  him  by killing his own firstborn son. Here, then, the plague  of the  firstborn  assumes  a significance  beyond  applying pressure  to Pharaoh; it becomes an educational  tool  in punishing him measure for measure.

A third dimension appears in our parasha:

"And  I  shall  harden Pharaoh's  heart  and   I  shall multiply  My  signs  and My wonders  in  the   land  of Egypt. And Pharaoh will not listen to you, that I  may set My hand upon Egypt." (7:3-4)

Here,  too, we find that it is God who will   harden Pharaoh's  heart,  but here the hardening  of  the  heart leads  not only to the plague of the firstborn, but  also to  a  long  list  of signs and wonders. Here,  too,  the reason  for all the plagues is made explicit: "And  Egypt will  know that I am God when I stretch out My hand  upon Egypt  and when I take Bnei Yisrael out from among  them" (7:6).  The purpose of the plagues is therefore to  teach Egypt  Who it is that afflicts them, and for this purpose the  killing of the firstborn is not sufficient.  Only  a succession  of  plagues will truly reveal God's  hand  to Egypt,  teaching the Egyptians something of  the  way  in which He operates.

How,  then, do the first nine plagues achieve this aim?

2. THE FIRST NINE PLAGUES

We  are all familiar with the line from the Pesach Haggada:

"Rabbi Yehuda used to abbreviate them: 'Detzakh  Adash Be'achav' (a mnemonic made up of the first letters of each of the ten plagues)."

It  is  reasonable to assume that R. Yehuda's original intention was to categorize the plagues in three  groups, with  the  final plague - the killing of the firstborn  - representing an independent entity. Indeed,  the  Torah's description  clearly demonstrates that  there  are  three groups  of three plagues each. The first plague  in  each group  opens with a description of WHEN Moshe is supposed to APPEAR before Pharaoh, warning him of what is about to happen:

Blood (7:15): "Go to Pharaoh IN THE MORNING, WHEN HE GOES OUT  TO THE WATER, AND YOU SHALL STAND to meet him on the river bank."
Gnats  (8:16):  "Get up early IN THE MORNING,  and  STAND before Pharaoh when he comes out to the water."
Hail  (9:13):  "Get  up early IN THE  MORNING  and   STAND before Pharaoh."

In  contrast,  the  second  plague   in  each  group contains  no  mention of the timing ("in  the  morning"), which  also  involves the place ("on  the  river   bank"). Instead,  we  find here a different common  element:  the expressions,   "Come  to  Pharaoh"  and    "For   if   you refuse...":

Frogs (7:26): "AND GOD SAID TO MOSHE, COME TO PHARAOH and you  shall say to him... AND IF YOU REFUSE TO SEND  THEM, behold I will afflict all of your borders with frogs." Cattle  plague (9:1-3): "AND GOD SAID TO MOSHE,  COME  TO PHARAOH  and tell him... AND IF YOU REFUSE TO  SEND  THEM and still hold them, behold, the hand of God will be upon your cattle..."
Locusts  (10:1-4):  "AND  GOD  SAID  TO  MOSHE,   COME  TO PHARAOH...  AND  IF  YOU REFUSE TO SEND  OUT  My  nation, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts in your borders."

The third plague in each group arrives, as we know, without  any  prior warning. The plague simply  overtakes Egypt without Moshe notifying Pharaoh of what is going to happen.

The well-organized literary structure of these nine plagues  in  their three groups demands some explanation: what is the significance of the categorization into these groups?  Is  each  group of plagues meant  to  fulfill  a different function?

3. "BY THIS SHALL YOU KNOW THAT I AM GOD"

It  seems that each group does indeed bring about  a different aspect of the Egyptians' recognition of God. At the  beginning of the first plague in each group, we find the  definition of the aim of that group, and the  nature of the plagues is determined by that definition.

The  first group is defined as being meant to prove to  Pharaoh  -  "By this shall you know that  I  am   God" (7:17).  Indeed, the central drama in the first group  of plagues involves the battle against the sorcerers, and in this respect we see a development from one plague to  the next.  In  the plague of blood we see that the  river  is stricken,  but  it appears that the sorcerers,  too,  are capable  of turning water into blood: "And the  sorcerers of  Egypt  did  the same with their arts,  and  Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he did not listen to them" (7:22). We are told nothing of how the plague is removed; despite the  severity  of the disaster, the Egyptians  manage  to overcome  the problem - "And all of Egypt dug around  the river  to  find  water to drink" (7:24),  and  hence   the plague of blood has failed, in effect, to prove anything. All  that has been demonstrated is that Moshe's power  is equal to that of the sorcerers.

We detect some progress when it comes to the plague of  frogs. Here, too, the sorcerers succeed in performing the  same  wonders as those shown by Moshe and  Aharon  - "And the sorcerers did the same with their arts, and they brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt" (8:3), but there is  now  a  recognizable  degree of  distress  in   Egypt, causing  Pharaoh to request of Moshe and Aharon: "Ask  of God  that He remove the frogs from me and from my nation" (8:4).  Here we already see the superiority of Moshe  and Aharon,  representing  God, over the  sorcerers.  Indeed, Moshe  hastens  to  make the most  of  this  opportunity, suggesting to Pharaoh: "Challenge me - when should I  ask for  you and for your servants and for your nation,  that
the frogs be destroyed from you and from your houses...?" (8:5).  And  when  Pharaoh  answers,  "Tomorrow,"    Moshe replies,  "As  you have spoken, that you  may  know  that THERE IS NONE LIKE OUR GOD" (8:6). Here a certain victory has  been achieved - God's power has been proven superior to that of the sorcerers.

In  the plague of lice, the aim is achieved in   its entirety.  Here  there  is no mention  of  the  sorcerers succeeding  in  producing a similar  phenomenon;  on  the other  hand, we are told that they try in vain to  remove the  plague: "And the sorcerers did the same  with  their arts  to  remove  the lice, but they could  not"  (8:14). Immediately   thereafter  we  read  of   the sorcerers'
conclusion: "It is the finger of God!" (8:15). The aim of the first group of plagues - "in order that you will know thI am God" - has been achieved.

It  should  be  added that it was specifically  the Egyptians  who  first  needed  to  be  taught  about   the existence  of  a transcendental Divine Cause,  for  -  as opposed  to  other  ancient Middle  Eastern  religions  - Egyptian culture regarded the king himself as a god. This is  highlighted  in  the haftara  of  parashat  Va'era   - Yechezkel's prophecy of punishment for Egypt, in which we read,

"Behold,  I am against you, Pharaoh - king  of  Egypt, the  great crocodile that crouches in the midst of his river,  who  said, 'The river is mine; I made  it  for myself." (29:3)

Pharaoh  presumes to be the creator of Egypt's source  of water;  he pretends that he has the creative power  of  a god.  For  this reason it is emphasized in this prophecy, too:

"The  land  of Egypt will be desolate and  waste,   AND THEY  SHALL KNOW THAT I AM GOD, for he said 'The river is mine and I made it.'" (29:9)

It is therefore no wonder that the first two plagues are  the only ones that involve the river, the source  of Pharaoh's  pride:  the  first plague  strikes  the  river itself - the same river over which Pharaoh claims to have complete control - while the second plague emanates  from within the river: "the river shall bring forth swarms  of frogs,  and they will go up and come into your  house..." (7:28).  The third plague, which spreads "throughout  the land  of  Egypt" (8:12), demonstrates that God's dominion is  not limited only to the river, but rather His actions are felt throughout the land.

4.  "IN  ORDER THAT YOU WILL KNOW THAT I AM  GOD  IN  THE MIDST OF THE LAND"

Following  the demonstration of the actual existence of a transcendental God through the first set of plagues, the  second  set  has as its aim - as emphasized  at  the outset  - "in order that you will know that I am  God  IN THE  MIDST  OF THE LAND" (8:18). This group is  meant  to prove that not only does God exist, but He is involved in "the  land"  -  in worldly, human affairs,  and  that   He watches  over  those who fear Him. The  perception  which this  second  group of plagues is meant to counteract  is the philosophical approach presented at the beginning  of Sefer  Ha-Kuzari  by the philosopher (first  speech,  1): "Thus the Deity does not know you; how much less does  He know your thoughts and deeds."

How  can  God's involvement in "the midst  of  the land," in worldly affairs, be proven? This set of plagues highlights the distinction - as yet unmentioned - between the  Egyptians  and Bnei Yisrael. Thus  we  find  in  the introduction to the plague of gnats:

"And  I  will separate on that day the land of Goshen, in  which  My nation dwells, that no swarms  of  gnats will  be there, in order that you will know that I  am God in the midst of the land."

Once  again there is a recognizable progression   in the internalization of the message when we reach the next plague,  which  afflicts  the cattle.  Here,  too,  Moshe emphasizes  in  his warning, "And God will  separate  the cattle  of  Israel from the cattle of Egypt, and  nothing will  die  of anything belonging to Bnei Yisrael"  (9:4). But  now  the emphasis is carried through to the action: "And all the cattle of Egypt died, while of the cattle of Bnei Yisrael not one died." And Pharaoh is indeed curious to  know the outcome: "And Pharaoh sent (sought out) and, behold,  not one of the cattle of Bnei Yisrael had  died" (9:7).

The  plague of boils, representing the third plague of this group, comes without warning, and therefore there is  no mention of a division between Bnei Yisrael and the Egyptians.  We  might  still  have  expected  Pharaoh   to conduct  an investigation, as he did in the case  of  the previous  plague,  to find out whether  once  again  Bnei Yisrael  had  survived  the  plague  unscathed.  No   such investigation is explicitly mentioned, but it would  seem that  this is precisely the intention of the text in  its description of how "the sorcerers could not stand  before Moshe  because of the boils, for the boils were upon  the sorcerers  AND  UPON ALL OF EGYPT" (9:11).  This  is  the first   plague  where  Pharaoh  and  the  sorcerers are completely  passive,  and  for  this  reason   they are physically  prevented from assessing the situation  among Bnei Yisrael.

5. "IN ORDER THAT YOU MAY KNOW THAT THERE IS NONE LIKE ME IN ALL THE LAND"

Two  messages  have  been conveyed  so   far  to  the Egyptians  - the existence of God, and His guidance  over the  world.  Now  the  time has come to  express  another message:  the  uniqueness  of God.  The  third  group   of plagues gives special expression to the idea that God  is the  only  God, for His actions are without precedent  in anything that has ever happened in the world.

Once again, we see a progression from one plague to the  next.  In the first plague of this group,  hail,  we read:

"For  this time I shall send all My plagues upon  your heart...  in  order that you will know that  there  is none  like Me in all the land... Behold, at this  time tomorrow I will rain down a very heavy hail,  SUCH  AS HAS  NEVER  OCCURRED  IN EGYPT  SINCE  ITS   FOUNDATION UNTIL NOW." (9:14-18)

Again  in  the  description of how this   threat  is realized, we read:

"And  there  was  hail, and fire  flaring   within  the hail,  very heavy - SUCH AS HAD NEVER OCCURRED IN  ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT SINCE IT BECAME A NATION." (9:24)

In the second plague - that of locusts - it is once again emphasized in the warning that the punishment  will be unprecedented:

"Behold,  tomorrow  I  will  bring  locusts   in   your borders...  and  they will fill your  houses  and   the houses  of all your servants and the houses of all  of Egypt,  SUCH AS YOUR FATHERS AND YOUR FATHERS' FATHERS NEVER  SAW, FROM WHEN THEY WERE FIRST UPON  THE  EARTH UNTIL THIS DAY." (10:6)

But  in  the description of the plague itself we  see  an escalation:

"And  the  locusts  went up over  the  whole   land  of Egypt,  and they rested in all the borders  of  Egypt, VERY  HEAVY, THERE HAD NEVER BEEN SUCH LOCUSTS  BEFORE    NOR WOULD THERE BE SUCH THEREAFTER." (10:14)

We  sense  here  that not only was this an  unprecedented phenomenon,  but that it was a unique, one-time  event  - like the great flood - that would never be repeated.

From  this  perspective, the  third   plague  is  an exception to its predecessors. It describes not a natural phenomenon, whose principal message turns on  its  timing and scope, but rather a completely unnatural phenomenon - "a  thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days."  This  plague  demonstrated  God's  absolute    and exclusive control over the entire world.

6. CONCLUSION

As  noted at the outset, the plagues that befell the Egyptians  had  a dual purpose: they were meant  both  to persuade  the stubborn Pharaoh to send out Bnei  Yisrael, as  well as to teach him something of the nature  of  the God whom he presumed to challenge. The final plague - the killing  of  the  firstborn  -  had  a  special   purpose, illustrating the nature of the conflict between  God  and Pharaoh - "Israel is My firstborn... Behold, I shall kill your   firstborn."  The  other  plagues  conveyed    three messages,  expressed in the three groups of plagues:  the existence of God, His providence and His uniqueness.

The plague of the firstborn contained in itself all of   these  elements,  since  it  demonstrated  both   the separation  between Bnei Yisrael and the Egyptians  ("But against  Bnei  Yisrael not a dog shall move  its  tongue, against either man or animal, in order that you will know that God separates between Egypt and Israel" - 11:7),  as well  as  a  one-time exception to the  regular  laws  of nature ("such as had never been, and such as would  never be again" - 11:6). Clearly, all of this also gave further proof of God's existence.

Hence we find that before God struck Egypt with the final,  decisive blow and took Bnei Yisrael from  slavery to  freedom,  he  taught  Pharaoh  and  the  Egyptians   a fundamental  lesson in religious thought, concerning  the three  fundamental elements of belief in God. Ultimately, Bnei Yisrael themselves would hear the same messages,  in concise form: "Hear O Israel, (1) THE LORD (2) OUR GOD  - the Lord (3) IS ONE."

(Translated by Kaeren Fish)

YESHIVAT HAR ETZION
ISRAEL KOSCHITZKY VIRTUAL BEIT MIDRASH
ALON SHEVUT, GUSH ETZION 90433

Copyright (c) 1999 Yeshivat Har Etzion
All Rights Reserved

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