Questions tagged [plagues-makkos]

The plagues in Egypt preceding the exodus therefrom, as recounted in Exodus and elsewhere

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Connection of the 10 plagues to the 10 sayings used to create the world

I have read in the name of the Vilna Gaon that the 10 plagues were corresponding to the 10 sayings God used to create the world (dont know the exact source). Thus the slaying of the first born ...
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How did they breathe during the plague of darkness?

Despite some great answers to The Plague of Darkness and Plague of darkness: if he was standing, he was unable to sit? I still have a question. If the darkness was so thick that they couldn't move, ...
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Why is there a number switch in the names of the plagues?

In the makkot, there seems to be inconsistency in terms of the number-title of the plagues. One of the words is in the singular (tz'farde'a, frog) while the one after it is in the plural, kinim, lice. ...
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Paroh Doesn't Listen in Different Words

(All Pesukim cited are in Shemos.) 7:4: "Paroh will not listen to you." 7:13 (after the staffs turning into snakes): "He did not listen to them." 7:22 (Dam): "He did not listen to them." 8:11 (...
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Paroh Refuses in Different Words

(All Pesukim cited are in Shemos.) 7:3: "I will 'kasheh' Paroh's heart." 7:13 (after the staffs turning into snakes): "Paroh's heart was 'yechazeik'." 7:22 (Dam): "Paroh's heart was 'yechazeik'." 8:...
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The Jews Dying in the Plague of Darkness

Rashi writes that one of the reasons for the plague of darkness was so that all of the wicked Jews who did not want to leave Mitzrayim could be killed and the Mitzrim would not say the Jews are also ...
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Makkas Dam; monetary exchange

Midrash Rabbah describes how the Jews in Egypt became wealthy through the plague of blood by selling their water to the Egyptians who were desperate. This may be a thought experiment as I haven't seen ...
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How did the Egyptians who didn't fear Hashem have animals?

To address the question of how the Egyptians had any animals after Dever, Rashi (9:10) quotes the Mechilta ואם תאמר מאין היו להם הבהמות והלא כבר נאמר (פסוק ו) וימת כל מקנה מצרים, אלא לא נגזרה גזרה ...
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Why wasn't Pharoah allowed a chance to "repent" before the last plague (death of 1st born)?

Follow up to Why is every 3rd plague unannounced We see that in the warning, Moses uses the phrase, "Send my people and they shall worship me." There is a warning about the 10th plague. But, here, ...
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hail and fire in Egypt

The posuk says, ''There was hail and fire flaming amid the hail'' [Shemos 9:24]. Does anyone know what day the hail and fire fell in Egypt? (i.e. Sunday, Monday or Tuesday etc.)
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Why the change in language when warning about the plagues?

I noticed an interesting change in the language Moses uses when warning Pharoah about plagues: Dam - Shemot 7:17 "Thus said G-d" Tzefarde'ah - Shemot 7:26 "Thus said G-d" Arov - Shemot 8:16 "Thus ...
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Why would Pharaoh's heart be made כבד by G-D?

I've always loved the account of the 10 plagues (who doesn't?), but I always felt a little odd about the several times (7, in fact) Pharoah's heart was made "hard/heavy" by G-d because I'm a strong ...
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If God is all powerful, why does he need the angel of death to carry out the tenth plague?

If God is all powerful, why does he need the Angel of Death? Why did God need the angel of death to carry out the 10th plague to the Egyptians? Couldn't God himself just do it?
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plague of the Firstborn [duplicate]

Are there any additional sources as to why the tenth plague (maakas bechoros) in Egypt was specifically directed at the first born? Were they more guilty than the rest of the Egyptians for enslaving ...
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Were firstborn children born to a mother who miscarried killed during Makat Bechorot? [duplicate]

The last of the ten plagues was Makat Bechorot, where all firstborn Egyptians were killed overnight. We know from Pidyon Haben that a firstborn son, born after a mother had miscarried (after more ...
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Timeline of the 10 plagues in exodus?

Do we have a chronological timeline (with years) of the 10 plagues? I'm trying to recreate a full timeline of the הגדה של פסח for the upcoming holiday, going from the arrival of Jacob and his family ...
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Why there were exactly 10 plagues?

Why did G-d punish the Egyptians with exactly 10 plagues, not less, not more? What is the significance of 10?
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Why were the Bechorim punished?

Avraham Avinu says in Bereishit 18:25: חָלִ֨לָה לְּךָ֜ מֵעֲשֹׂ֣ת ׀ כַּדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֗ה לְהָמִ֤ית צַדִּיק֙ עִם־רָשָׁ֔ע וְהָיָ֥ה כַצַּדִּ֖יק כָּרָשָׁ֑ע חָלִ֣לָה לָּ֔ךְ הֲשֹׁפֵט֙ כָּל־הָאָ֔רֶץ לֹ֥א ...
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Exodus 11:5 Why the firstborn?

Moses said, "Thus says the LORD, 'About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, ...
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What was wrong with Pharoah?

How מכה after מכה,‎ פרעה could just go and still deny בנ"י the right to leave is preposterous. And maybe you’ll say ה'‏ hardened his heart- but this is only after the last five מכות; the first ...
Jay Greenie's user avatar
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Was the fire within each hailstone or within the hailstorm?

Vaera 9:23–24: וַיֵּט משֶׁה אֶת מַטֵּהוּ עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם וַה׳ נָתַן קֹלֹת וּבָרָד וַתִּהֲלַךְ אֵשׁ אָרְצָה וַיַּמְטֵר ה׳ בָּרָד עַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃ וַיְהִי בָרָד וְאֵשׁ מִתְלַקַּחַת בְּתוֹךְ ...
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What was the Plague of the Sword?

In the Haggadah you will find the following exegesis of part of Deuteronomy 26:8: וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה. זוֹ הַחֶרֶב, כְּמָה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְחַרְבּוֹ שְׁלוּפָה בְּיָדוֹ, נְטוּיָה עַל-יְרוּשָלָיִם..&...
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How should one respond after each plague is named during the seder?

In the Haggadah, the Ten Plagues are recited, and a drop of wine is spilled for each one. However, in the Tunisian tradition (and maybe others), after the reader chants each plague, the others ...
Mauro Braunstein's user avatar
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Jews and makkas choshech

I heard someone say that the Jews who didn't want to leave Egypt died during makkos choshech. 1) Does anyone know where the source for this can be found? 2) Did four-fifths our people die during ...
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Why do all of them say that there were 5 times more plagues at the sea, instead of 1.5 times?

In the Haggadah it says: (text from WikiSource) רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר: מִנַּיִן אַתָּה אוֹמֵר שֶׁלָּקוּ הַמִּצְרִים בְּמִצְרַיִם עֶשֶׂר מַכּוֹת וְעַל הַיָּם לָקוּ חֲמִשִּׁים מַכּוֹת? ...
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Were there specific locusts in reserve for the 8th plague?

Hashem's instructions to Moshe to bring the locusts reads as follows: וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל משֶׁה נְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בָּאַרְבֶּה וכו And Hashem said to Moses, "stretch out your ...
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"bechor hashifcha" and "bechor hashvi" -- why the change? (Shemos 11:5, 12:29)

During leining today, I noticed that the Torah changes its wording, when describing the breadth of Makkas Bechoros -- when Pharaoh is warned, in Shemot 11:5, we have: וּמֵת כָּל בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ ...
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Why should God punish the firstborn of another nation that was in Egypt?

The Pasuk describes the victims of the plague of the firstborn as follows: It came to pass at midnight, and the Lord smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who ...
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Why is Moshe concerned what the Pharaoh's astrologers will think of him in Shemot 11:4?

In Shemot 11:4, Moshe tells Pharaoh that the plague of the 1st born will begin at approximately midnight. Rashi explains that the reason Moshe said "approximately" is that if Moshe said exactly at ...
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9 plagues in response to Pharaoh's denial of G-d?

I once heard a Shiur where the Rabbi said that originally there were not going to be 10 plagues, Just the threat of death of Egyptian firstborns should Pharaoh not listen. It was only once Pharaoh ...
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Did Pharaoh attempt to kill Moses during the plagues

Given that Moses was a wanted fugitive (Ex.2:15) and that he was destroying the land of egypt with the plagues, and a general nuisance to Pharaoh were there attempts to kill him by Pharaoh. (by for ...
ray's user avatar
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Why did Pharaoh not think Moshe and Aaron were magicians?

BSD In this week's Parsha - Shemot Chapter 8 (וָאֵרָא), Pharaoh stands by as Moshe and Aaron perform all of the rites and 'signs' to Pharaoh. After each miracle, the Torah speaks of how Pharaoh's ...
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Why are crocodiles more deadly than all wild beasts?

Concerning Tzphardea, Rabbi Hirsch 7 27 writes צפרדע can not mean crocodiles, otherwise there would have been no Egyptians left in the land. It is clear that they were only annoying creatures, not ...
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Why is every 3rd plague (of the 10 brought on Pharoah) unannounced?

It seems like Moshe warned Pharoah of every plague except the 3rd (lice), 6th (boils) and 9th (darkness). Why is that? Is there something special about these plagues?
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What is considered to be "firstborn"?

This is probably a bit pedantic and beside-the-point, but here goes: in Exodus 12 (I am reading the Jewish Publication Society translation), we have: 12 For I will go through the land of Egypt in ...
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Was there lightning during the plague of hail?

Shmot 9:23 uses the word "Kolot", which means "noises" or "voices". I'm assuming, therefore, that this means thunder as this is a "noise". Scientifically, there is no thunder without lightning, first....
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If water can be turned into blood, do Jews believe in modern science? [closed]

Exodus 7:20 states that in a few seconds the water in the Nile was turned into blood. Modern science says that this is almost impossible based on how it was described in the torah. No chemicals were ...
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After the first plague, where did Paro's magicians get water to turn to blood?

Sh'mot chapter 7 describes the first plague, with the Nile and all other water turning to blood (except the Israelites' water). Paro's magicians then turn water into blood, which convinces Paro that ...
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How did the plagues symbolize God's rule?

I once heard that the ten plagues were supposed to reveal how God rules over everything. Does anyone have a source that explains this in detail: how each plagues revealed one aspect of this?
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Mnemonic of Rebbi Yehuda

The Haggadah tells us that Rebbi Yehuda came up with a mnemonic for remembering the Ten Plagues: Dtzach Adash B'Achav Why was the mnemonic necessary? It doesn't seem to me to be that difficult to ...
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Why does the Haggadah interpret ביד חזקה as referring to דבר?

Why does the Haggadah interpret ביד חזקה (strong hand) as referring to the plague of דבר (pestilence)? Why don’t the other plagues demonstrate a strong hand?
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How did the plague of blood work?

Here's what I know, based on my education in day school, about the plague of blood in Egypt. All water was turned to blood The only way for the Egyptians to get clean water was to purchase it from a ...
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1 answer
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Did Moshe know beforehand that there would be 10 plagues?

I was wondering whether, before the first time Moshe went to Pharaoh, he knew that there would be 10 plagues, and what they would be.
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When did the plague of vermin stop?

The plague of vermin or lice is not said to have stopped in the verses, (Ex 8:12-15). When, if at all, did it stop?
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Why does God need Moshe to deliver the 10 plagues?

Why does Hashem command Moshe to perform each macah (plague)? Hashem can perform the Macot himself (by sending malachim).
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Why is every commandment and action in regards to the 10 plagues repeated?

When we read about the 10 plagues everything is repeated twice: once when Hashem commands Moshe and a second time when Moshe executes the plague. The Torah could simply write "and he did so" after ...
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Spilling wine for Detzach, Adash, Be'Achav

I understand that we spill wine for the plagues. People died, they went through hardship, and it was not their fault. But.... immediately after spilling wine for the plagues, we say that R' ...
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If Hashem brought about Macos Bechoros by himself, with out any angel, then what is the משחית?

If Hashem brought about Macos Bechoros by himself, with out any angel, then what is the משחית that would not harm the Bnei Yisroel mentioned in Shemot Chapter 12, Verse 23? Premises based on the ...
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Is the wine spilled at the Seder "cursed"?

As I recall, my mother usually discards the wine that is spilled at the Seder during the listing of the plagues. But I think she does this because, well, just because it's spilled wine and it is not ...
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Could the destroyer in Egypt discriminate?

In Rashi's comment to Shemos 12:22 we read ואתם לא תצאו וגו': מגיד שמאחר שנתנה רשות למשחית לחבל אינו מבחין בין צדיק לרשע …once permission has been given to the משחית (destroyer) to damage, ...
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