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When discussing Yetziat Mitzrayim during our Sedarim, we place great importance on the Makkot, the Ten Plagues. It is commonly understood that Hashem sent the Makkot as a route to avenge the mistreatment of the Jewish slaves. Furthermore, Hashem tells Avraham Avinu during the Brit Bein HaBetarim that Bnei Yisrael will exit after Mitzrayim has been afflicted: “V’Gam Et HaGoy Asher Ya’avdu, Dan Anochi, V’Acharei Chein Yetzu” (Bereishit 15:14). Clearly, this shared comprehension seems to have direct proof for it. Nevertheless, three other contrasting approaches seem compelling:
Firstly, the Kli Yakar (Shemot 7:17) examines the Makkot per the famous principle of “Middah K’Negged Middah”, measure-for-measure. He argues that the Makkah of Dam was brought by Hashem to avenge the babies drowned in the Nile. Since these children were being stripped of their parents, their source of sustenance, the Egyptians would be deprived of their source of sustenance. In a similar vein, the Midrash Rabbah (Shemot Rabbah 9:10) notes: Because the Bnot Yisrael were forbidden by Paroh from immersing themselves in ‘his’ Nile, the Bnot Yisrael wouldn’t be permitted to their husbands. Accordingly, Hashem also “forbade” the Egyptians from using His river.
Alike, Hashem allowed the Kinim to pervade as a repayment for the mistreatment of the Avadim. Ramban points out that the Israelites were forced to remove the Egyptian dust. Now, that same dust has come to cover the Egyptians.
Regarding Arov, the Ohr HaChaim comments that the Mitzrim saw themselves as rulers of nature. Thus, Hashem showed His dominance over the animal kingdom and unleashed the Arov.
Secondly, Seforno (Shemot 7:3) believes that Hashem commanded the Makkot due to His desire for Teshuvah from the Resha’im. He examines the Makkot as a ‘Call for Repentance”. Hashem stiffens Paroa’s heart so that he would turn to Him, not due to fear of the physical danger of the Makkot, but rather to incite a “Teshuvah Amitit, sincere repentance”. Additionally, Hashem has no desire to gaze upon the wicked in their demise. Likewise, the Gemara (Megillah 10b) records a tale of the Malachei HaShareit rejoicing at the Kriyat Yam Suf. Hashem calls them out: “Ma’aseh Yaday Tov’in BaYam, V’Atem Omrim Shirah?!”, ‘My creations are drowning, and you delight in song?!’. It is evident from this story that Hashem sees the wicked in a positive light, and there is still a chance for repentance, just as Seforno points out.
Lastly, and the most persuasive (at least to me) is the opinion of Rav Meir Soloveitchik, the Rav’s great-nephew. He contends that the Makkot may be Hashem’s way of disproving the Egyptian gods for both Paroh and the rest of Mitzrayim. He quotes the Pasuk, “Uv’Chol Elokei Mitzrayim E’eseh Shfatim, Ani Hashem,” and in all of their deities I will rain down punishments (Shemot 12:12). Moreover, the Ramban states that “the gods of wood will rot and those of metal will melt”. There are three Makkot that perfectly lay this out.
Let’s start with Kinim, lice:
Here, Hashem was targeting Geb, the god of the earth. Egypt’s priests emphasized cleanliness when worshiping it. After the dust was turned into lice, it was humiliating for Geb’s priests to look at themselves covered from head to toe, after praying for cleaning. Consequently, the Chartumei Mitzrayim, the highest religious leaders of the land, screamed out to Paroh, “Etzbah Elokim He!”, ‘It is the finger of G-d! (KivYachol)’ (ibid. 18:14). In a modern sense, this would be parallel to all of the Pope congregating his Cardinals in the Vatican and they unitedly labeled Yashka’s divine status to be a sham. Kinim was the first Makkah where the presence of the Jewish G-d was acknowledged.
Next up, Choshech:
The Mechilta D’Rabbi Yishmael poses a question: Why did Hashem bring darkness to Egypt? Hashem did so because Egypt revered the sun as a deity.
To this point, not only did Egypt serve the sun, but they also served it as the most prominent power, Ra. Ramses II, often considered the Pharaoh of the Exodus, was believed to be “crowned by Ra”.
For this Makkah, Hashem went all out. The darkness was so thick that no man could move for three days (ibid. 10:23). Rav Yosef Albo writes that it was almost as if Hashem was teasing Egypt: “Even their greatest god was powerless before Me and even I can rule in the darkness”. Therefore, the utter helplessness of Ra disproved his Kochot to Mitzrayim.
Lastly, Makkat Bechorot:
This was a personal attack on Paroh, who made himself a god. There is a famous story within the Midrash which illustrates this very point. Hashem had commanded Moshe to wake up early in the morning and to go out to the Nile (ibid. 7:15). Moshe then found Paroh relieving himself in the early morning. Paroh did so as a precaution that no man would see this act, because Paroh, being a ‘god’, would have his illusion shattered.
Similarly, Hashem declares that the Jews are his firstborn child, “Bni Bechori Yisrael”, and if they weren’t sent out, “Hinei Anochi Horeg et Bincha B’Chorecha”, behold, I [Hashem] will kill your firstborn (ibid. 4:22-23). Ramban thinks this is a theological attack; Paroh does not have divine status.
Alternatively, the Zohar (Bo 39b) identifies Makkat Bechorot as the final blow in the coffin for the Egyptian pantheon: “When the Bechorot were slain, the gods of Egypt trembled and were subsequently sent to Gehinnom”.
In the aftermath of Makkat Bechorot, Paroh is running frantically searching for Moshe and Aharon. When he finds them, he screams in terror: “Kumu! Tzi’u Metoch Ami”, get away from inside my people. Mitzrayim couldn’t deny what they had seen. Paroh, ‘god of Egypt’, was now on his knees begging mercy from two ‘mere’ prophets. Hashem was now “inside these people”, in their minds, and He had revealed to them the fraud and pure deception that was Paroh’s divinity, Ra’s control over the light, Geb’s authority over the land, and the rest of the gods with their associated powers.
Ultimately, the Ten Makkot weren’t simply divine slaps on the wrist; they were Hashem’s masterclass in justice, mercy, and truth. They exposed Egypt’s spiritual frauds, gave the wicked a chance to turn back, and turned nature itself against its supposed rulers. Each plague struck not only Egypt’s bodies, but its gods, its pride, and its lies. Hashem wasn’t just punishing; He was teaching. And by the end, even Paroh couldn’t deny it: There is only one true G-d.