The Function of the Ten Makkot

Rashi, in Parashat Bo, explains the passuk where Hashem says "asher hit'allalti b'Mitzrayim" literally "that I maltreated, in Mitzrayim" to mean that Hashem "played" with the Mitzriyim, i.e., made fun of them.

Rashi can be understood to mean that Hashem set up the eser makkot (ten plagues) as a "game" through which the Mitzriyim would be forced to do different and strange things. This was the "playing" that is referred to here. 

This needs some thought. The eser makkot were major events and severely affected the lives of an entire nation. What was the deeper meaning behind this "playing" and why did this have to take place specifically now, prior to yetziat Mitzrayim?

Eradication of the Egyptian Ideology

Hashem was able to orchestrate events that yetziat Mitzrayim could have taken place instantaneously, and without the prior events of the eser makot. Why in fact did Hashem deem it necessary to make yetziat Mitzrayim a long and drawn-out process?

We would like to suggest that the reason that Hashem chose to precede the eser makkot to yetziat Mitzrayim was to "cure" bnei yisrael from all the Egyptian ideology they had absorbed during the years of exile in Mitzrayim. This was the function of the eser makkot, not only to punish but to degrade and ridicule the Egyptian people and thus eradicate the Egyptian mentality from the Jewish nation.

Mitzrayim Nowadays

Even today, the non-Jewish culture surrounds us from all directions, and what is even worse is that we, consciously or subconsciously, are influenced by this. As an example, Paris controls and influences clothing fashion around the world. Instead of us resisting this and continuing to dress in the same modest way that our ancestors dressed, we as a nation have embraced the non-Jewish mode of dress, as well as the fashion and the culture of our non-Jewish neighbours.

The USA as well has a major influence over many aspects of our lives, including food and drink, the way we speak and even our priorities in life. This is deplorable. 

The Significance of the Ten Plagues

In Mitzrayim, the Egyptian culture and mentality greatly affected klal yisrael, who lived in Mitzrayim for over two hundred years. The challenge prior to yetziat Mitzrayim was, how to eradicate this Egyptian mentality and culture from within klal yisrael. As the Jewish nation lived longer and longer in Mitzrayim, they absorbed the Egyptian culture and imitated their Egyptian neighbours. 

For this purpose, Hashem chose to send the ten makkot to the Egyptians, to bring klal yisrael to a new perspective, where they would come to realise that their "role models" were worthless and that there was nothing for them to imitate. 

The first of the eser makot was the plague of dam, where all water in Egypt was turned into blood. Even the River Nile, which was the water source of Egypt and was worshipped by the Egyptians was turned into blood. This was the first step in showing the Egyptians and bnei yisrael the fallacy of worshipping the Nile. In front of their eyes, they saw the source of life in Egypt disappear. Now they realised that the Nile had no intrinsic worth.

The next makkah, of frogs was designed to ridicule the Egyptian nation in the eyes of klal yisrael. The same cultured, educated people who had once been the hero's and role models of klal yisrael were shown to be absurd, when they had their lives overrun with frogs. 

And this theme repeated itself with the makkah of lice, which tormented the Egyptians and made them unable to function normally. With the progression of each makkah, the Egyptians were becoming more and more ridiculed and degraded in the eyes of the Jewish nation. The makkah of arov (wild animals) as well was designed to demonstrate that the Egyptians were not as "in control" as they thought they were. 

At the end of the eser makkot klal yisrael realised that there was nothing in the Egyptian culture and mentality to imitate. This was one of the functions of the eser makkot – to demonstrate to klal yisrael that they would be better off without the "enlightened" Egyptian ideology.

This was the message that Hashem was sending to klal yisrael, and this is what we must remind ourselves every year, as we retell, explain and discuss the events of yetziat Mitzrayim: Klal yisrael cannot and should not absorb the non-Jewish ideology, not only because this ideology is incorrect but also because it is hollow, empty and meaningless. We have a long and rich heritage, and we must remain loyal to this.  

Chag Samei'ach!

Rabbi Gad Bouskila