Parshah

R Pesach Siegel

Blinded by the Light

Parshas Bo - 5772

Hashem commanded Moshe Rabeinu to extend his hand over the heavens. Darkness descended upon Mitzrayim. Three days man was unable to see his fellow man. Three additional days the darkness was so palpable that man was incapable of movement.

The Medrash queries, “Why did G-d see fit to bring upon them a plague of darkness? There were members of the generation who were wicked. They did not wish to leave Mitzrayim. They died during the first three day of darkness. The darkness covered over their demise in order that the Egyptians would not be witness to their downfall. In addition, the darkness enabled the Bnei Yisroel to search amongst the vessels of the Egyptians. When, subsequently, they asked of the Egyptians to lend them their precious vessels, the Egyptians answered their request with denial, claiming that they possessed no such vessels. The Bnei Yisroel were then able to point out to the Egyptians the exact locations of the vessels”.

Questions

The Medrash asks why G-d brought choshech on the Egyptians. This query is not made by any of the other makos. What is special about this makah that prompted this question?

According to the response of the Medrash, the makah of choshech seems to be just a convenient way of masking the death of the wicked ones, or a subterfuge for the Bnei Yisroel to unearth the treasures of the Egyptians. The other makos served to punish the Egyptians. They had no other additional purpose “bundled” with them. Why should the makah of choshech differ?

Is it just a coincidence that the makah of choshech, death of the wicked, and uncovering of the Egyptian’s treasure come together as one in one makah?

Why was Moshe Rabeinu instructed to extend his hand over the heavens? Is this what is necessary in order to bring darkness?

Moshe Rabeinu extended his actual hand. Why wasn’t he instructed to extend his staff, as with the other makos?

Background/Deeper Understanding

It seems clear that Moshe Rabeinu drew the darkness upon Mitzrayim from somewhere else. The Medrash reveals that it was from shamayim that the darkness emanated.

This is a difficult concept to comprehend.  Is there darkness in shamayim? One would have thought that darkness is present only in this world. This world is one where truth is hidden and it is up to Bnei Adam to uncover it. It is a place where the choices that face us are far from clear and we stumble about in the darkness endeavoring to view our surroundings with the light of understanding, which often eludes us.

In shamayim all is brightly lit up and clear. There are no doubts and therefore, no darkness.

But there is more than one type of darkness.

In the words of the Talmud, a blind man is called “Sagi Nahor” – which means “an abundance of light”. One can only see through the illumination of a limited source of light. For example, if one were to gaze directly into the sun, he would see nothing and eventually be robbed of his sight.

Moshe Rabeinu was commanded to stretch his hand over the heavens. Hashem required him to raise himself up to the level of a heavenly being where the light is a blinding one and be the conduit to cast this light over Eretz Mitzrayim (Sefer Nesivos Shalom).

Answers

The exodus from Egypt was much more than the freeing of a captive people. The world was created for a purpose. Hashem created a dark world, a world that hides. The very term “Olam” means “hidden”. He created man and invested him with a choice. The choice revolves around whether he would live a life dedicated to revealing the light of Hashem within creation or, chas veshalom, living in the darkness.

The Egyptians sought to be masters of the world, to take everything in creation for their own glory. All the riches of the world flowed into Mitzrayim and were used for their own nefarious purposes. Their deity was self-worship. They sought to be self sufficient, not depending on the waters of the heavens to supply their fields with water. They used the power of kishuf (loosely translated as “magic”) to sustain themselves from the waters down on Earth found in the Nile river.

To be successful, they had to enslave the representatives of G-d’s purpose in the world, dimming their light, not allowing them to shine. They had to prevent the Jewish nation from emerging and receiving the illuminating Torah from shamayim at the foot of Har Sinai.

The bright light that emanates from heaven enables some with the gift of sight. Whom? To those whose primary existence is in the heavens, those who dedicate themselves to revealing G-d’s light in this world.

To creatures that dwell in the darkness, heavenly light is blinding. It is paralyzing.

During the makah of choshech, the Egyptians were blinded. They couldn’t move. The Bnei Yisroel moved freely about. The Bnei Yisroel were able to see by the light of holiness that filled MItzrayim at the time. The very same light robbed the Egyptians of their sight.

The wicked ones among the Bnei Yisroel were the victims of the Egyptians plot to extinguish the light of G-dliness from the image of man. They were traitors to their own purpose. They had no wish or desire to leave the “earthiness” of Mitzrayim and conduct themselves in a manner which would join heaven and Earth. They and the light of heaven ran at “cross-purposes”. The light “opposed” them … and they perished from the exposure.

The makah of choshech was unlike any other makah. The other makos were meant to strike a blow at the Egyptians. They were brought about through the staff of Moshe Rabeinu. The makah of choshech  was the final one in a series of makos.  It succeeded in drawing a line between those who the world was created for and those who wish to frustrate G-d’s purpose in creation. It was only after the ninth makah that the false world of Mitzrayim was ready for the crushing blow of makos bechoros. The shining identity of the Bnei Yisroel emerged. It is they who are worthy of inheriting all the good of the world. It was therefore performed with the hand of Moshe Rabeinu, which represented the actual essence of the Bnei Yisroel.

Thus, all the purposes of the makah blend into one cohesive purpose. The Egyptians blindness, the sight of the Bnei Yisroel, death of the wicked, and finally, the rescuing of the Egyptian treasures for the sake of their true owners.

At first glance it would appear as if the Egyptians surrendered their precious vessels purely out of embarrassment, the embarrassment of getting caught trying to hide the existence of their valuables. Perhaps and alternate explanation may be tendered. The posuk states that they gave willingly of their gold and silver vessels due to the cheyn (grace) of the Bnei Yisroel that Hashem had placed in the eyes of the Egyptians. From whence did this cheyn originate from?

When the Egyptians became aware that the Bnei Yisroel discovered their treasures, this made them aware of a greater truth. To their eyes it was revealed that the Bnei Yisroel were able to see where the Egyptians couldn’t. The Bnei Yisroel possess the gift of true sight. They are at the center of the purpose of creation. All the good that comes to the world is channeled through the Bnei Yisroel. Thus, their eyes were filled with cheyn at the sight of the Bnei Yisroel and to them they willingly gave of all their valuables.

May we all merit the gift of seeing the world through heavenly eyes!!!