10 Steps to Dismantle an Evil Society

 

For the past two weeks, the weekly Torah portion has been a story that I’ve read a thousand times, but for some reason I only understood what it means this year.  The story of the Exodus from Egypt. 

Moses asks the Pharaoh to “Let me people go!” When the Pharaoh declines, Moses brings ten plagues upon Egypt. 

I always, wondered what the purpose of the ten plagues was.  If the point was just to get us out, surely G-d has simpler and faster ways of redeeming the Jews from Egypt.

Was it to “punish a wicked man or people”? Are we really that vindictive that we need “revenge” on the evildoers?

What I realized this year is that G-d used these ten plagues as tools to dismantle the evil Egyptian society and reprogram them to reject their gods, priests and king.  To find the true

G-d, develop a liking for the Jews and develop respect for Moses. 

Over the past 5784 years, plenty of “evil societies” have come and gone, risen and fallen.  The ten plagues of Egypt are the prototype to dismantle such societies.

Rashi in his commentary likens the first two plagues of blood and frogs to an army waging war.  “The first step of war is laying siege and cutting off the water supply of the enemy.  Then to startle and scare the enemy with loud noises and stir chaos.  The plague of blood cut off the water supply and the plague of frogs created chaos and noise with their croaking.”

The purpose of these plagues was not just to “get the Jews out.”  It was to “conquer” Egypt.  And these ten steps can serve as a model for ridding the world of every subsequent evil society that needs to be sent to the dustbin of history.

Every evil society has it’s own flavor.  Egypt was full of idolatry. They worshipped the Nile River (their source of water and sustenance).  The leaders of their society were magicians engaged in all kinds of witchcraft.  When Moses told Pharaoh, “G-d has sent me to you and wants the Jewish people to leave”, Pharaoh replied, “I don’t know who G-d is and I will not send the Jews out.”

The plagues systematically destroyed the Egyptian belief systems and hierarchies.  It reprogrammed the population to see that “G-d runs the world”. By the end the Egyptian firstborns themselves were begging the Pharaoh to listen to G-d and let the Jews go. Even the society was starting to believe in G-ds dominion, but the Pharaoh would not let go.  He was too entrenched in his ways.  But the society started seeing the truth as G-d’s “ten plagues campaign” progressed.

If you read the text of the ten plagues, you’ll notice the routine of Moses demanding the release of the Jews and warning Pharaoh of the next plague.

But in each plague there is a line or two of extra “trivia” that if paid attention to will lend itself to seeing a each detail in context, and how each plague was another step in dismantling the entire Egyptian society and belief system in a progressive manner.

As an introduction to the first plague, Aharon had a magic contest with the Pharaoh’s magicians.  He threw his staff on the ground and it turned into a snake.  The magicians were able to replicate this trick but Aharon’s staff swallowed their snakes.  This was showing them who is boss, and was the beginning of dismantling their society.

Then came the actual plagues.

1. Blood- Hit the Nile, which was their god, showing them that their rock is weak.

2. Frogs- Not only was the Nile plagued, but in this plague the Nile became a source of plague.  The Torah clearly points out that the frog infestation came from the Nile.

3. Lice- The first two plagues were replicated by Egyptian magicians, but they couldn’t make lice.  They were forced to admit that “this is the finger of G-d” (first inkling that they are acknowledging G-d’s dominion).  

4. Wild animals- This is the first plague that specifies the Jews were not hit by the plague.  Indeed, the Rebbe explained that according to the simple reading of the Torah and Rashi, blood, frogs and lice did affect the Jews also.  The first three plagues were “indiscriminate” and sometimes that’s what needed to start a war, but with wild animals, the “strikes” became more targeted at the Egyptians alone.  The Egyptians are starting to see the very foundation of their belief system falling apart in front of their eyes, while the Jews are being protected.

5. Pestilence- In addition to the Jews cattle not being harmed, any Egyptian who feared G-d and brought their cattle inside was spared (Rashi mentions this in answer to an obvious question during hail).  This is starting to “reprogram” Egyptians that their only hope is to fear the real G-d.

6. Boils- The magicians also became incapacitated and “could not stand before Pharaoh” i.e. the very magicians and “priests” of Egypt were taken out of commission during G-d’s campaign.

7. Hail- All of these points are starting to accumulate.  The Torah tells us that the “Egyptians who feared G-d went inside” i.e. some of the population is starting to get the point.  It also mentions that the Jewish neighborhood was left untouched by the hail.  Finally, Moses tells Pharaoh exactly when the plague will start, showing unprecedented precision and control over all the forces of nature and beyond.  Magic can do cool things, but it doesn’t have precise control.  

8. Locust- The servants of Pharaoh beg him to let the Jews go.  He agrees, but can’t help himself from backtracking and making unacceptable demands.  His inability to stop himself from bringing destruction to Egypt is showing how poor of a leader and human Pharaoh is, and driving a wedge between him and his nation.

9. Darkness- Not only did the Jews have light, but they were able to identify treasures from their Egyptians (which they later requested as gifts on their way out).  Egyptians lose their freedom of movement and privacy.

10. Death of the First born- In the leadup to this plague, Egyptian firstborns, knowing what’s about to happen to them, wage a civil war against the Pharaoh.  Egyptians give gifts to the Jews. The Torah also points out that even the the Egyptians started looking at Jews favorably (despite having being devastated by these ten plagues) and that “Moses became a great man in Egypt” i.e. whatever respect the Egyptians had for Pharaoh, his magicians and their gods has now been replaced with a respect for Moses.  During the plaque, all firstborns were killed, from the Pharaoh’s son, to the firsborns in prison and slavery.  Rashi explains it’s because they were still antisemites. After the plague the Jews are finally ready to leave.

I hope you can see how each detail the Torah tells us is important.  The Torah isn’t just telling us a story that happened 3,300 years ago.  G-d wasn’t just punishing an evil nation or flexing His muscles in an unnecessary show.  

G-d didn’t want the Jews to leave until the Egyptian people learned that their god, magicians and leaders were losers, that G-d is the real boss, developed a liking for Jews and a respect for Moses, and then and only then the Jews were ready to leave.  The value is not only in dismantling and reprogramming Egypt.  The Jews, having witnessed all of this developed a greater appreciation for our G-d and as the Rambam says, “This deep faith in G-d was branded into our souls in a permanent way with this process.”

This dismantling and reprogramming of an evil society is an interesting story, but also must have lessons for us in the world we live in, and personally in our lives.