The Ten Plagues

Found 18 Search results

  1. "And They Shall Know That I Am The Lord" - The Seven Plagues in Parashat Va'era

    Haftarot: Va'era

    Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

    The parasha and haftara both point to a dual purpose for the plagues. One purpose is Pharaoh's recognition of God, and the second is Pharaoh's recognition that God intervenes in the natural world.

  2. The Destruction of the Egyptian Kingdom: The Difference Between Va'era and Bo

    Haftarot: Bo

    Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

    The haftara describes the heavy price Egypt stands to pay for its sins and for the enslavement, in parallel to the plagues in Parashat Bo, which cause real damage to the Egyptian kingdom.

  3. Liberating the Spirit of the Israelites

    Rabbi Ezra Bick

    The first two chapters of Parashat Va'era are disruptive to the narrative sequence. Several times, God tells Moshe (and Aharon) that they are to go to Pharaoh and take the Children of Israel out of Egypt. While Moshe seems reluctant, the triple repetition of descriptions that seem identical is unclear.

  4. How to Save Israel

    Rabbi Ezra Bick

    Why is Moshe so reluctant to speak to the Jewish people while they were enslaved in Egypt, and begin the process of the exodus? Moshe understands that his task entails more than merely informing the Jewish people that they are about to leave Egypt, but rather he must free the Jewish people from the psychological state of enslavement and dependency that they have sunk to. By closely examining the text as a whole, we can understand how every part of the exodus is meant to encourage that inner process of spiritual liberation within the Jewish nation.  

  5. Representing God or Representing Israel

    Rabbi Ezra Bick

    The ten plagues are divided into two parshiot - the first seven in parshat Va'era and the last three in parshat Bo. Is this merely a division of convenience, or is there an important distinction between these two groups of plagues? By closely examining the text surrounding each of the final three plagues, one can gain an understanding of the shift in Moshe's mission. God wants Moshe's personal involvement, and he switches Moshe's role from the representative of the Jewish people, speaking in God's name, to the representative of God Himself.

  6. Two Groups of Plagues: The Difference Between Va'era and Bo

    Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

    The division of the plagues between Parshat Va'era and Parshat Bo is very significant, representing the different goals of each set of plagues.  In Parshat Va'era, the struggle between Moshe and Pharaoh relates to the recognition of God, and it is toward this objective that the plagues are directed.  In Parshat Bo, on the other hand, the goal of the plagues is to take Israel out of Egypt. By examining these two goals alongside the haftarot of the two parshiot, we can understand these distinctions in a much deeper way, and appreciate the destiny of Israel as a nation that it will not be utterly destroyed, but rather that it will survive as God's people.

  7. The Number of Plagues in Egypt

    Rabbi Dr. Tamir Granot

    There is a Tannaitic dispute in the Pesach Haggada regarding the number of plagues that were inflicted on the Egyptians. Is this merely an informative question, or is it a fundamental question regarding the number of plagues and its significance? Where does the "ten" come from regarding the ten plagues? How does the book of Psalms count and describe the plagues? Why are the plagues divided into groups of three? Is there a natural connection between the second and third plagues? 

  8. Moshe: National Leader and Divine Representative

    Rabbi Yair Kahn

    The story of the beginning of Moshe's leadership in the beginning of sefer Shemot seems to be interrupted by the list of the family lineage of Moshe and Aharon, which seems entirely out of place. However, a close examination of the verses in question will reveal a sharp difference regarding the role of Moshe Rabbeinu, as described at the beginning and the end of the chapter, and Moshe's lineage is critical specifically for the role described at the end. By noticing these differences we can gain a new understanding about Moshe's leadership and his unique role as the representative of God. 

  9. God's Staff

    Rabbi Dr. Tamir Granot

    What does Moshe's staff symbolize? What is its role in every instance it is mentioned? What is the internal division of the plagues that God brought upon Egypt, and what is the role of the staff in each of these sections? What is the role of the staff during the splitting of the sea? By examining the role of the staff in these instances, one can learn that it expresses the recognition that Moshe's leadership and his actions are all driven by God.

  10. Who is Targeted by the Theological Display of the Plagues in Egypt?

    Dr. Brachi Elitzur

    Moshe must lead the nation in a process of building faith in God, and the means that was chosen in order to fulfill this theological mission is Pharaoh. Pharaoh's starting point, his stubbornness, and his refusal to view the wonders that are occurring before his very eyes as proof of the existence of a God who rules over creation, are what make him a perfect model for the building of the nation's faith, layer by layer. Pharaoh's gradual acknowledgment of God leads to a parallel process of the building of faith amongst his spectators - Am Yisrael.

  11. The Three Signs and the Ten Plagues

    Rabbi Meir Spiegelman

    During the plagues of blood and boils there is a collaboration between Moshe and Aharon, and there is some repetition in the command and fulfillment. It seems like these two plagues are two of the signs that God gave to Moshe - the blood and the leprosy. Indeed, these two plagues introduce new groupings of plagues, allowing for the possibility that there were twelve plagues rather than ten.

  12. Were the First Nine Makkot Deadly?

    Rabbi Yitzchak Blau

    תאריך פרסום: תשע"ד | |

    The tenth plague is known as being the harshest and most deadly. What about the first nine plagues- were they deadly, too? Patterns are apparent in the structure of the plagues narratives as presented in the book of Shemot. Some plagues include warnings, and some include explicit an explicit separation between the Egyptians and the Israelites, but these elements are not present in all of the plagues. Why are there discrepancies? What is the purpose of the presence or lack of a warning or separation? We compare and contrast the different opinions of the classic commentators as we approach these questions. 

  13. R. Yosef Bekhor Shor

    Dr. Avigail Rock

    R. Yosef of Orléans, (northern France) was a 12th-century exegete who has become known through the generation as Ri Bekhor Shor. He was a Tosafist, a student of Rabbeinu Tam, and he was influenced mainly by Rashi’s commentary and the commentaries of Mahari Kara and the Rashbam. Like his predecessors Mahari Kara and Rashbam, he was a member of the peshat school.  It appears that Ri Bekhor Shor forges a path that is a middle way between Rashi and the pursuers of the peshat. These are his major exegetical principles:

    • Ri Bekhor Shor aims to explain the verses without non-biblical information; however, when the derash is appropriate for explaining the peshat and for the general context of verses, or when one may explain it as being in keeping with biblical reality, he will not hesitate to bring a midrash.
    • The Torah does not provide superfluous information. All information provided is in fact essential.
    • Verses should be explained within their specific context, a reverse method to the foreshadowing principle of Rashbam.
    • Verses should be explained based on understanding the state of mind of the human actors.
    • Verses should be explained according to the reality of the biblical era.
    • God directs the world in a natural way as much as possible, and the use made of miracles is the absolute minimum.
    • An expansive and consistent approach to the question of the reasons of mitzvot.
    • In the Peshat vs. Halakha discussion, Ri Bekhor Shor is closer to Rashi’s approach with exception in which he explains the verses according to a Peshat that differs from Halakha.
    • A tendency to counteract Christian interpretations of the Torah.

  14. R. Avraham ibn Ezra

    Part 2

    Dr. Avigail Rock

    Ibn Ezra describes his commentary as “the book of the straight,” - a reference to following the way of peshat. Ibn Ezra explains the work as a commentary based on the fundamentals of grammar, language, and stylistic sensitivity and conforming to the requirements of logic and reason.

    Ibn Ezra declares that he is not obligated to previous commentaries, referring both to Midrashic sources and the commentaries of his predecessors.  However, in his commentaries to the halakhic part of the Torah, Ibn Ezra sees himself as bound to the Sages’ exegesis.

    Similarly, Ibn Ezra distinguishes between two types of Midrashic sources: tradition and speculation.  The Ibn Ezra feels compelled to accept a tradition but not an interpretation that they concocted of their own accord.

     

    Ibn Ezra formulates a consistent set of linguistic and grammatical rules in his commentary:

    • The formulation of rules which are adequate for all circumstances. For example he explains the word "Na" as always meaning "now".
    • The meaninglessness of trivial changes; the verse uses synonyms frequently, and there need be no justification for interchanging them. Similarly, there is no reason necessary for variations in spelling. This is applied to differences between the Ten Commandments in Shemot vs. Devarim.
    • The verse will often use a word to refer to multiple items, even though it appears in the text only once.
    • The Torah is written generally according to chronological sequence. Despite this, sometimes there are some divergences from chronological sequence.
    • The juxtaposition of the passages in the halakhic sections of the Torah is significant, not a capricious sequence of laws.

  15. Did God Really Need Ten Plagues?

    Rabbi David Fohrman |

    Ten colorful and unique plagues...is that really so necessary? In this week's video, Rabbi Fohrman explores the 7th plague, the transitional plague, and argues that God played off of Pharaoh's ego to show the Pharaoh, the people of Egypt and the people of Israel, that only God is all-powerful.

     

     

    If you enjoyed this video, please visit AlephBeta.org to watch more.

  16. A Miracle Within a Miracle

    Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky

  17. Parshat Vaera Part 4: The Plague of Blood

    Dr. Yael Ziegler | 35 minutes

    This podcast introduces the plague narrative, and discusses the nature of the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart and its results. It then describes the first plague, blood, and its symbolism and significance. 

    Courtesy of www.tanachstudy.com

  18. Parshat Vaera Part 5: The Plagues of Frogs, Lice and the Mixed Multitude

    Dr. Yael Ziegler | 37 minutes

    These verses discuss the plagues of frogs, lice and mixed multitude. What exactly were these plagues and what were their effects on Egypt and Pharaoh? This podcast closely examines the text and classical commentaries to provide answers to these questions. 

    Courtesy of www.tanachstudy.com