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Parasha: Bo · Aliyah: Second (Gevurah)

Exodus 10:12–10:23
י׳:י"ב וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה נְטֵ֨ה יָדְךָ֜ עַל־אֶ֤רֶץ מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ בָּֽאַרְבֶּ֔ה וְיַ֖עַל עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְיֹאכַל֙ אֶת־כָּל־עֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָ֔רֶץ אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִשְׁאִ֖יר הַבָּרָֽד׃
10:12 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Hold out your arm over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt and eat up all the grasses in the land, whatever the hail has left.”
10:12 And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Stretch out thy hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.’
י׳:י"ב וַאֲמַר יְיָ לְמשֶׁה אֲרֵים יְדָךְ עַל אַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם וְיֵתֵי גוֹבָא וְיִסַק עַל אַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם וְיֵכוּל יָת כָּל עִסְבָּא דְאַרְעָא יָת כָּל דִי אַשְׁאַר בַּרְדָא:
י׳:י"ב אור החיים
1בָּאַרְבֶּה. אוּלַי שֶׁיִּקְשֹׁר אַרְבֶּה אֶחָד בְּמַטֵּהוּ, אוֹ אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיַּזְכִּיר שֵׁם הָאַרְבֶּה בִּנְטוֹתוֹ אֶת יָדוֹ לְסִימָן, כִּי נְטִיַּת יָדוֹ הוּא בִּשְׁבִיל אַרְבֶּה.
בארבה, with locusts. The word may either refer to a single locust which stuck to Moses' staff, or he may have articulated the word ארבה as he inclined his staff as a sign that the reason he inclined his staff was in order to initiate the plague of locusts.
י׳:י"ג וַיֵּ֨ט מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶת־מַטֵּהוּ֮ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַיִם֒ וַֽיהוָ֗ה נִהַ֤ג ר֥וּחַ קָדִים֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ כָּל־הַיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא וְכָל־הַלָּ֑יְלָה הַבֹּ֣קֶר הָיָ֔ה וְר֙וּחַ֙ הַקָּדִ֔ים נָשָׂ֖א אֶת־הָאַרְבֶּֽה׃
10:13 So Moses held out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD drove an east wind over the land all that day and all night; and when morning came, the east wind had brought the locusts.
10:13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all the night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
י׳:י"ג וַאֲרֵים משֶׁה יָת חֻטְרֵהּ עַל אַרְעָא דְמִצְרַיִם וַיְיָ דַבַּר רוּחַ קִדוּמָא בְּאַרְעָא כָּל יוֹמָא הַהוּא וְכָל לֵילְיָא צַפְרָא הֲוָה וְרוּחַ קִדוּמָא נְטַל יָת גוֹבָא:
י׳:י"ד וַיַּ֣עַל הָֽאַרְבֶּ֗ה עַ֚ל כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיָּ֕נַח בְּכֹ֖ל גְּב֣וּל מִצְרָ֑יִם כָּבֵ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד לְ֠פָנָיו לֹא־הָ֨יָה כֵ֤ן אַרְבֶּה֙ כָּמֹ֔הוּ וְאַחֲרָ֖יו לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־כֵּֽן׃
10:14 Locusts invaded all the land of Egypt and settled within all the territory of Egypt in a thick mass; never before had there been so many, nor will there ever be so many again.
10:14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt; very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
י׳:י"ד וּסְלֵיק גוֹבָא עַל כָּל אַרְעָא דְמִצְרַיִם וּשְׁרָא בְּכָל תְּחוּם מִצְרָיִם תַּקִיף לַחֲדָא קֳדָמוֹהִי לָא הֲוָה כֵן גוֹבָא דִכְוָתֵהּ וּבַתְרוֹהִי לָא יְהֵי כֵן:
י׳:ט"ו וַיְכַ֞ס אֶת־עֵ֣ין כָּל־הָאָרֶץ֮ וַתֶּחְשַׁ֣ךְ הָאָרֶץ֒ וַיֹּ֜אכַל אֶת־כָּל־עֵ֣שֶׂב הָאָ֗רֶץ וְאֵת֙ כָּל־פְּרִ֣י הָעֵ֔ץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹתִ֖יר הַבָּרָ֑ד וְלֹא־נוֹתַ֨ר כָּל־יֶ֧רֶק בָּעֵ֛ץ וּבְעֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
10:15 They hid all the land from view, and the land was darkened; and they ate up all the grasses of the field and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left, so that nothing green was left, of tree or grass of the field, in all the land of Egypt.
10:15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left; and there remained not any green thing, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
י׳:ט"ו וַחֲפָא יָת עֵין שִׁמְשָׁא דְכָל אַרְעָא וַחֲשׁוֹכַת אַרְעָא וַאֲכַל יָת כָּל עֶסְבָּא דְאַרְעָא וְיָת כָּל פֵּירֵי אִילָנָא דִי אַשְׁאַר בַּרְדָא וְלָא אִשְׁתָּאַר כָּל יָרוֹקָא בְּאִילָנָא וּבְעֶסְבָּא דְחַקְלָא בְּכָל אַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם:
י׳:ט"ז וַיְמַהֵ֣ר פַּרְעֹ֔ה לִקְרֹ֖א לְמֹשֶׁ֣ה וּֽלְאַהֲרֹ֑ן וַיֹּ֗אמֶר חָטָ֛אתִי לַיהוָ֥ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֖ם וְלָכֶֽם׃
10:16 Pharaoh hurriedly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I stand guilty before the LORD your God and before you.
10:16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said: ‘I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.
י׳:ט"ז וְאוֹחִי פַרְעֹה לְמִקְרֵי לְמשֶׁה וּלְאַהֲרֹן וַאֲמַר חָבִית קֳדָם יְיָ אֱלָהֲכוֹן וּלְכוֹן:
י׳:י"ז וְעַתָּ֗ה שָׂ֣א נָ֤א חַטָּאתִי֙ אַ֣ךְ הַפַּ֔עַם וְהַעְתִּ֖ירוּ לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם וְיָסֵר֙ מֵֽעָלַ֔י רַ֖ק אֶת־הַמָּ֥וֶת הַזֶּֽה׃
10:17 Forgive my offense just this once, and plead with the LORD your God that He but remove this death from me.”
10:17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and entreat the LORD your God, that He may take away from me this death only.’
י׳:י"ז וּכְעַן שְׁבוֹק כְּעַן לְחוֹבִי בְּרַם זִמְנָא הָדָא וְצַלוֹ קָדָם יְיָ אֱלָהֲכוֹן וְיַעְדֵי מִנִי לְחוֹד יָת מוֹתָא הָדֵין:
י׳:י"ח וַיֵּצֵ֖א מֵעִ֣ם פַּרְעֹ֑ה וַיֶּעְתַּ֖ר אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃
10:18 So he left Pharaoh’s presence and pleaded with the LORD.
10:18 And he went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the LORD.
י׳:י"ח וּנְפַק מִלְוָת פַּרְעֹה וְצַלִי קֳדָם יְיָ:
י׳:י"ט וַיַּהֲפֹ֨ךְ יְהוָ֤ה רֽוּחַ־יָם֙ חָזָ֣ק מְאֹ֔ד וַיִּשָּׂא֙ אֶת־הָ֣אַרְבֶּ֔ה וַיִּתְקָעֵ֖הוּ יָ֣מָּה סּ֑וּף לֹ֤א נִשְׁאַר֙ אַרְבֶּ֣ה אֶחָ֔ד בְּכֹ֖ל גְּב֥וּל מִצְרָֽיִם׃
10:19 The LORD caused a shift to a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and hurled them into the Sea of Reeds;aTraditionally, but incorrectly, “Red Sea.” not a single locust remained in all the territory of Egypt.
10:19 And the LORD turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea; there remained not one locust in all the border of Egypt.
י׳:י"ט וַהֲפַךְ יְיָ רוּחָא מַעַרְבָא תַּקִיף לַחֲדָא וּנְטַל יָת גוֹבָא וּרְמָהִי לְיַמָא דְסוּף לָא אִשְׁתָּאַר גוֹבָא חַד בְּכֹל תְּחוּם מִצְרָיִם:
י׳:כ׳ וַיְחַזֵּ֥ק יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֑ה וְלֹ֥א שִׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (פ)
10:20 But the LORD stiffened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.
10:20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.
י׳:כ׳ וְאַתְקֵף יְיָ יָת לִבָּא דְפַרְעֹה וְלָא שַׁלַח יָת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:
י׳:כ"א וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה נְטֵ֤ה יָֽדְךָ֙ עַל־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וִ֥יהִי חֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְיָמֵ֖שׁ חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃
10:21 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Hold out your arm toward the sky that there may be darkness upon the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be touched.”
10:21 And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Stretch out thy hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.’
י׳:כ"א וַאֲמַר יְיָ לְמשֶׁה אֲרֵים יְדָךְ עַל צֵית שְׁמַיָא וִיהֵי חֲשׁוֹכָא עַל אַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם בָּתַר דְיַעְדֵי קְבֵל לֵילְיָא:
י׳:כ"ב וַיֵּ֥ט מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־יָד֖וֹ עַל־הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וַיְהִ֧י חֹֽשֶׁךְ־אֲפֵלָ֛ה בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת יָמִֽים׃
10:22 Moses held out his arm toward the sky and thick darkness descended upon all the land of Egypt for three days.
10:22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days;
י׳:כ"ב וַאֲרֵים משֶׁה יָת יְדֵהּ עַל צֵית שְׁמַיָא וַהֲוָה חֲשׁוֹךְ קְבֵל בְּכָל אַרְעָא דְמִצְרַיִם תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין:
י׳:כ"ב אור החיים
1וַיֵּט מֹשֶׁה אֶת יָדוֹ – צָרִיךְ לְדַקְדֵּק, לָמָּה בְּמַכַּת הָאַרְבֶּה הַסְּמוּכָה לָהּ, הֲגַם שֶׁאָמַר אֵלָיו ה׳ נְטֵה יָדְךָ, אָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״וַיֵּט מֹשֶׁה אֶת מַטֵּהוּ״ וְגוֹ׳ (שמות י:יג), וְגַם בְּכָל הַמַּכּוֹת לֹא הָיְתָה מַכָּה שֶׁהִזְכִּיר בָּהּ נְטִיַּת יָד אֶלָּא מַטֶּה, וּבְמַכָּה זוֹ אָמַר אֶת יָדוֹ.
ויט משה את ידו, "Moses inclined his hand, etc.," We need to understand why Moses had used his staff to bring about the plague of locusts (verse 13) when G'd had told him to incline only his hand (verse 12). There had not been a single plague so far which was introduced by Moses being told to use "his hand" rather than his staff.
2וְאוּלַי שֶׁיִּתְכַּוֵּן עַל פִּי דִּבְרֵיהֶם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שמות רבה יד,ב), כִּי חֹשֶׁךְ שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם הָיָה מֵאוֹתוֹ חֹשֶׁךְ דִּכְתִיב (תהלים יח:יב): ״יָשֶׁת חֹשֶׁךְ סִתְרוֹ״, אֲשֶׁר עַל כֵּן לֹא נָהַג מִנְהַג מִעוּט דֶּרֶךְ כָּבוֹד לִנְטוֹת מַטֵּהוּ כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה.
Perhaps the reason why this plague was different is best explained in Shemot Rabbah 14, according to which the darkness in Egypt belonged to the category of darkness described in Psalms 18,12: "He made darkness His screen, dark thunderheads, dense clouds of the sky were His pavilion around Him." Inasmuch as the darkness was of a supernatural kind, Moses did not consider it appropriate to raise his staff against supernatural phenomena.
3גַּם לְיֵשׁ מֵרַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (שמות רבה יד,ב) שֶׁחֹשֶׁךְ זֶה הָיָה מִגֵּיהִנֹּם, אוּלַי כִּי שְׁנֵיהֶם נִתְכַּוְּנוּ אֶל הָאֱמֶת, כִּי שְׁנֵי מִינֵי חֹשֶׁךְ הָיוּ: אֶחָד שֶׁשִּׁמֵּשׁ בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים שֶׁלֹּא רָאוּ וְגוֹ׳, וְאֶחָד שֶׁשִּׁמֵּשׁ בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים אֲחֵרִים שֶׁלֹּא קָמוּ וְגוֹ׳.
Other rabbis, commenting in the same section of that Midrash, considered this darkness as belonging to purgatory. Both groups of rabbis may have been correct; there were two categories of darkness. One prevailed during the three days no Egyptian could move, the other during the days they merely could not see one another.
י׳:כ"ג לֹֽא־רָא֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־אָחִ֗יו וְלֹא־קָ֛מוּ אִ֥ישׁ מִתַּחְתָּ֖יו שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֑ים וּֽלְכָל־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָ֥יָה א֖וֹר בְּמוֹשְׁבֹתָֽם׃
10:23 People could not see one another, and for three days no one could get up from where he was; but all the Israelites enjoyed light in their dwellings.
10:23 they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
י׳:כ"ג לָא חֲזוֹ אֱנָשׁ יָת אֲחוֹהִי וְלָא קָמוּ אֱנָשׁ מִתְּחוֹתוֹהִי תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין וּלְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲוָה נְהוֹרָא בְּמוֹתְבָנְהוֹן:
י׳:כ"ג אור החיים
1וּלְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה אוֹר וְגוֹ׳. דִּקְדֵּק לוֹמַר וּלְכָל, לוֹמַר שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהָיָה הוֹלֵךְ לְבֵית הַמִּצְרִי הָיָה לוֹ אוֹר בְּמוֹשְׁבוֹתָם שֶׁל הַמִּצְרִיִּים.
ולכל בני ישראל היה אור, all the Israelites had light, etc. The Torah makes a point of writing ולכל, "and for every Israelite," to tell us that whenever a Jew went to the house of an Egyptian he had light even within the dwellings of the Egyptians.
2אוֹ יְכַוֵּן לוֹמַר: אוֹר זֶה מִנַּיִן מוֹצָאוֹ? וְאָמַר שֶׁהוּא אוֹר בְּמוֹשְׁבוֹתָם, וְחָסֵר תֵּיבַת ״אֲשֶׁר״, וְהַרְבֵּה מִקְרָאוֹת יְקַצְּרוּ כֵן. וְהַכַּוָּנָה עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שמות רבה יד,ב) כִּי הָרְשָׁעִים מִתְכַּסִּים בַּחֹשֶׁךְ, וְהוּא אֲשֶׁר כִּסָּה הַמִּצְרִים הָרְשָׁעִים, וּכְנֶגֶד הַצַּדִּיקִים עֲלֵיהֶם יִזְרַח הַשֵּׁם בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְאוֹהֲבָיו כְּצֵאת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בִּגְבוּרָתוֹ, וּמֵאוֹר מוֹשְׁבוֹתָם לִוָּה לָהֶם הַשֵּׁם בָּרוּךְ הוּא חֵלֶק אֶחָד, וְהוּא אָמְרוֹ אוֹר בְּמוֹשְׁבוֹתָם:
Another possible meaning of that line could be in answer to the question "where did this light emanate from?" The answer is that it was light originating in the Egyptians' homes. The absence of the word אשר is not especially significant as we have many examples when the Torah omits the word אשר. The meaning of the verse is analogous to our sages telling us that the wicked envelop themselves in darkness. Accordingly, we may understand the darkness as being something subjective; the Egyptians who were evil experienced darkness whereas the Jews who were good experienced light in the very places the Egyptians experienced darkness. The Torah alludes to this idea by writing: במושבותם, within their dwellings.

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