CHOCHMAS NASHIM: BO: WHO KNOWS TEN,
I KNOW TEN
By: Suri Davis
I analyzed the ten plagues and felt they could be compared with the ten commandments thusly:
- The first plague was that the Nile turned into blood. The Nile was a G-d to the Egyptians. The first commandment is that I am G-d who took you out of Egypt. Clearly the Nile was not G-d because it was turned into blood. Our G-d took us out of Egypt.
- The second plague was frogs. In perek shira, the frogs say: Baruch shem kvod malchuto l’olam vaed, blessed is G-d’s name forever and ever. The second commandment is that there shall be no other G-d but me.
- The third plague was lice. The lice plague was commenced by throwing dirt in the air. As something as inanimate and “inconsequential” as dirt could be used to start the is plague, do not treat G-d’s name as dirt, as inconsequential, for as dirt is the source of vegetation, G-d’s names represent His attributes.
- The fourth plague was the attack of wild animals. This corresponds to Obey the laws of the Sabbath. Seven days a week wild animals toil for their food and protection. Do we want to be beasts of the field? Shabbos reveals to us clearly that we are sustained by G-d, six days a week we toil and show our efforts, but ultimately, as is revealed on the seventh day, even when we rest G-d reveals that He is the provider.
- Animals died corresponds to Honor thy mother and father. “Yadah shor konayhu, v’chamor avus b’alav.” G-d complains through Isaiah that even wild animals know their parents and are grateful to them and show them respect, but My nation… The first two plagues Moses couldn’t start because it meant hitting the Nile. The Nile protected Moses when he was a child, and Moses could not be ungrateful to it by hitting it even on G-d’s command. The third commandment Moses could not commence because the earth had to be hit, and the earth opened up to swallow the Egyptian that Moses slew to hide the evidence for Moses. Here too, Moses could not be ungrateful to the land and hit it for it had helped Moses. If G-d teaches us to show gratitude to inanimate objects, how much more so to parents.
- The Egyptians were inflicted by boils, corresponds to Thou should not kill.
Boils produce blood but don’t necessarily kill. What ailment occurs that is related to boils? Leprosy, which is boil like. One who speaks gossip is as though he had killed the person about whom he spoke, and is punished with leprosy.
- Hail containing fire corresponds with do not commit adultery. Just as ice and hail do not live together in nature, it is not the natural course of a Jew’s life that he commits adultery. When there is no G-d between man and woman, it is a consuming fire, like that which was contained within the hail. When man and woman live as Torah Jews, even water and fire can coexist, but when G-d is not part of a marriage, then each one consumes the other.
- Locusts correspond with Do not steal.
The essence of locusts is that they consume all vegetation in its path and steal sustenance from the residents.
- Darkness corresponds with Do not testify falsely.
The judicial system is fundamental to any society. True testimony is at its core. Without truth and justice, the society is in darkness and stops functioning.
- Killing of the firstborn. Do not covet your friend’s wife.
If one covets his neighbor’s wife, they can have a child with an unknown father. Primogeniture is an important concept in Judaism. The firstborn generally inherits a double portion. When one covets what is not his, he is basically is saying what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is mine, and I want a double portion in life instead of the portion that G-d gave me.
These comparisons are important lessons of derech eretz/being a mentsch. Being a mentsch is a prerequisite to learning Torah as core to learning Torah is learning with a Torah partner, and if you don’t respect the other person’s input, you cannot build upon Torah learning for common progress in Torah study.
Shabbat shalom.
Suri