Parshat Bo Rabbi Chaim Brovender

After nine plagues, Hashem clarifies the program to Moshe. The suffering has been calculated: " …to increase my wonders (mofteii) in the land of Egypt” (11: 10). Similarly, “Moshe and Aharon performed these wonders (mofteii) before Pharaoh, but Hashem hardened the heart of Pharaoh and he did not send the people of Yisrael from his land” (11: 9-10).

Rashi related to the the plural form "wonders" (Hebrew: mofteii). After all, there was only one plague left, the killing of the firstborns. Rashi claims that the words "increase" and "wonders" actually refers to three upcoming plagues. Rashi lists them: first, the "killing of the firstborns"; second, the splitting of Yam Suf; and third, the "stirring about of the Egyptians as they drowned in the sea."

Rashi makes a grammatical comment that the form or the use of the words indicates that there must be more plagues remaining. The plural "wonders" indicates at least two (smallest plural possible), and the word "increase" means one more than the minimum; three that is.

Rashi then has to discover the three plagues that are left. The first two are kind of easy; however, that the "stirring the Egyptians" provides a third plague is less obvious.

This idea is based on the verse in Beshalach: "Hashem stirred Egypt in the midst of the sea…" (14: 27).

Rashi explains (quite graphically): "Like a man who stirs a pot of food, and turns the top layer of food downward, and the bottom of the post upward. In this manner the Egyptians would bob up and down, and be smashed in the sea. Hashem kept them alive in order to endure this torture."

For Rashi this is a miracle within a miracle. They were to drown in the sea when the walls collapsed. But the Egyptians deserved an even greater punishment. They were sentenced by heaven to a slow death, a tortured death.

This matter is discussed in the Gemara (Sanhedrin, 94a) which teaches: “Pharaoh who desecrated G-d's name on his own was punished by Hashem personally. Pharaoh said, ‘who is this G-d that I should listen to His voice…’ (Shemot 5:2).” Rashi explains (in Sanhedrin) that G-d punished him directly.

Let us return to the three remaining plagues. The first, the death of the firstborn in Egypt was done by an emissary, the angel of death. The second the splitting of the sea was effected by the wind, " a strong east wind" (14: 21). But the verse about the stirring declares: "and Hashem stirred Egypt" (14: 27). Hashem dealt with the particular transgressions that were performed by Pharaoh and the Egyptians after they learned that the exodus was a necessary part of the Divine plan for the people of Yisrael.

There is a further lesson in the words of Rashi. After all, only Pharaoh blasphemed, only he claimed that G-d had no power and that there was no need to listen or accept directives. The Gemara says that Pharaoh (alone?) was punished, but the verse indicates that all the Egyptians suffered in order that Pharaoh should be punished in this severe manner. This indicates that Pharaoh spoke for his people. That is the nature of leadership. Often leaders express what their people feel and think. When pharaoh refused to let the people go, he brought catastrophe upon his people, but was not daunted. He knew that the people saw this struggle against the truth brought by Moshe and Aharon, as necessary and momentous. They refused to admit that there was a power who might demand of them to release their slaves and be able to compel them to do so with the threat of plagues. Pharaoh spoke for his nation.

Pharaoh said the words and deserved to be punished by G-d's own hand (so to speak). It is also true that those words were uttered with the full agreement of the people, all of whom suffered the unpleasant death in the Sea of Suf.

Gut shabbos,

Chaim Brovender

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