The plagues in Egypt preceding the exodus therefrom, as recounted in Exodus and elsewhere
15
votes
1answer
532 views
Critical Jewish analysis of the Ipuwer papyrus
I just stumbled across information about the Ipuwer papyrus, and I was wondering how many Jewish Egyptologists have had an opportunity to review and study it at length. Other than this very brief ...
11
votes
4answers
212 views
Did hardening Paro's heart mean he wasn't really responsible?
As a child I often wondered how, if God kept hardening Paro's heart after each plague, it could really be Paro's fault. It sounds like God was setting him up to fail, and while that's God's ...
11
votes
2answers
215 views
What was the Arov?
The fourth plague is Arov commonly translated as wild beasts.
The word I think most literally translates to "a collection" or in this case, maybe along the lines of "a swarm" (consider the word ...
9
votes
3answers
233 views
What were the 300 plagues of the Exodus?
The הגדה says:
במצרים לקו חמשים מכות, ועל הים לקו חמשים ומאתים מכות
In Egypt, they were struck with 50 plagues, and by the Sea [of Reeds], they were struck with 250 plagues
What were ...
9
votes
2answers
93 views
Why did Moshe and Aaron need to use a staff in initiating the plagues?
Why did Moshe and Aaron need to use a staff in initiating the plagues?
Such as in שמות פרק ז פסוק יט:
יט. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל משֶׁה אֱמֹר אֶל אַהֲרֹן קַח מַטְּךָ וּנְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל מֵימֵי ...
7
votes
2answers
438 views
Ten plagues of Egypt: hail and pestilence
According to Moses, the fifth plague of Egypt killed all livestock except that of Israel. If all were killed, then why did Moses warn the Pharaoh to bring his cattle to shelter before the hail? The ...
7
votes
3answers
141 views
Why did the Mitzryim turn water into blood rather than vice versa?
Why didn't the Mitzryim magic makers just take away the blood from the first makkah to prove to Moshe that he was just doing magic and Hashem had nothing to do with it: why did they add blood (Exodus ...
7
votes
1answer
104 views
Origin of Spilling Wine by 10 Plagues
The custom among all Jews (as far as I know) is to spill a drip of wine for each of the plagues as they are mentioned in a list in the haggadah. This custom is not mentioned anywhere in the Talmud (as ...
6
votes
4answers
120 views
Splitting the Makot
The splitting of the Parshiot usually make, at least, some sense. However, in the next two Parshiot the plagues are split up (7 in the first, 3 in the second). Are there sources on why this may be? ...
6
votes
2answers
172 views
Why only beginning with the fourth plague is the exemption of the Jews mentioned?
In Moshe's warning to Pharaoh (in Hashem's name) of the fourth plague, arov, he adds (Ex. 8:18-19):
וְהִפְלֵיתִי בַיּוֹם הַהוּא אֶת-אֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן אֲשֶׁר עַמִּי עֹמֵד עָלֶיהָ לְבִלְתִּי הֱיוֹת-שָׁם ...
4
votes
1answer
71 views
Did the Jews in Egypt gain monetary benefit from the miracle of the first plague?
There is a well known Medrash Rabbah that the Jews during the Plague of Blood sold water to the Egyptians for exorbitant amounts of money. The question is how was this allowed as we have a rule that ...
4
votes
2answers
78 views
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 ...
4
votes
1answer
137 views
The Frogs Plague [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“Moshe cried out” - really?
For this plague, the posuk says Moshe left and "cried out" (tzoak) to God that the plague should stop.
Why did this plague affect ...
3
votes
2answers
126 views
Is the wine spilled at the Seder “cursed”?
If I'm not mistaken, 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 ...
3
votes
3answers
83 views
Why does Pharaoh refer to the Plague of Locusts as death?
Why does Pharaoh refer to the Plague of Locusts as death?
וְעַתָּה שָׂא נָא חַטָּאתִי אַךְ הַפַּעַם וְהַעְתִּירוּ לַי־הֹוָ־ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וְיָסֵר מֵעָלַי רַק אֶת הַמָּוֶת הַזֶּה
3
votes
5answers
110 views
The Plague of Darkness
This is a two fold question
1)The plaque of darkness has considerable commentary, however I have yet to find a rabbi who speaks about what created the darkness. Therefore, What created the darkness ...
3
votes
2answers
82 views
Why does Rashi question only the Darkness
Why from amongst all the other plagues Rashi does not question why this in perticular was brought upon them, but in darkness he does ask, Why is this?
Text of Rashi Posuk Chof Beis
ולמה הביא עליהם ...
3
votes
1answer
78 views
Why doesn't the hagadah discuss miracles? [closed]
The hagadah (based on the discussion of Rav and Shmuel in pesachim) dedicates the bulk of maggid to expounded the verses of arami oved avi. But why is there very little discussion of the actual ...
2
votes
1answer
56 views
Did Paro have an older brother?
The final plague struck down all the first-born males in Egypt. Paro was not struck down this way, so does that mean he had an older brother? If so, what happened to him that Paro, not the older ...
2
votes
0answers
65 views
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 ...
1
vote
2answers
120 views
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה הָיָה נוֹתֵן בָּהֶם סִמָּנִים: דְּצַ“ךְ עַדַ”שׁ בְּאַחַ"ב
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה הָיָה נוֹתֵן בָּהֶם סִמָּנִים: דְּצַ"ךְ עַדַ"שׁ בְּאַחַ"ב. We call the last Makah "Makas Bechoros" - why didn't Rabbi Yehuda say בְּאַחַ"ם
0
votes
1answer
66 views
Plague of darkness: if he was standing, he was unable to sit?
Rashi on Shemot 10:22 states:
ויהי חשך אפלה שלשת ימים וגו': חשך של אופל שלא ראו איש את אחיו אותן
שלשת ימים. ועוד שלשת ימים אחרים חשך מוכפל על זה, שלא קמו איש מתחתיו.
יושב אין יכול לעמוד, ועומד ...
