This week we read about the first seven of ten plagues that decimated Egypt before the Exodus-birth of the Jewish nation.
But at first glance it is not clear why there had to be so many plagues. Why couldn't G-d just make one big plague or just make the Egyptians let the Jews leave quietly?
Even more... we see that the plagues didn't work! They left the Egyptian army intact and didn’t make enough of an impression on the Jews to prevent them from serving the Golden Calf.
So why did G-d make Ten Plagues?
To understand this, here is a story (Tzfat Meron weekly #3)
Rebbe Avraham Yhoshua of Apta (a.k.a the Apta Rebbe) was known for his all-encompassing knowledge of the Torah, his ability to do miracles and his unlimited kindness.
Strangely, he personally was penniless and when he received large donations, which he often did, he immediately gave the all money to the poor or the needy.
He did have followers that were wealthy but they were few, most of his Chassidim also lived very simple spiritual lives and desired only knowledge and inspiration from him, but one of them, Reb Chaikel, needed money.
Reb Chaikel had a daughter that couldn't get married because of it, or rather the lack of it. He had even found a good potential groom to whom he promised to provide a dowry and pay for at least half of the wedding expenses but in fact he had... nothing. So his wife pestered him to travel to the Rebbe of Apta for help.
Reb Chaikel was ashamed to the bone to ask the Rebbe for money. He said he would rather die! But his wife didn't agree. “Die? Why should you die? Just go ask the Rebbe! Where else will we get the money to marry off our daughter?”
So he traveled to the Rebbe and made his request. "No problem" Answered the Rebbe. "How much do you need?"
"How much?" He repeated the Rebbe's question and stammered. "Ehhhh... about .. well... that is... around five hundred gulden (some 50,000 dollars)".
The Rebbe took out a sheet of paper, wrote something on it, took out an envelope, addressed it, put the letter in, and said, "Take this to this address. It’s in the next city. He’s a wealthy Chassid of mine. He’s done very well in business. Just show him this. It’s a request for the entire sum you need. Then come and report back to me and I’ll tell you what to do."
Chaikel almost burst out crying from gratitude and he thanked the Rebbe over and over again as he backed out of the room firmly clutching the envelope.
The next morning, he was on his way and a few hours later was sitting in the rich Chassid's plush dining room watching him read the Rebbe's letter.
"Just wait right here" he said to Chaikel as he handed him back the letter and left the room.
Chaikel sat there nervously alone for several minutes until finally his host returned and said, "This is all I can afford right now. Perhaps in a few months I can give some more." Then he mumbled something about debts and investments and being tied up in new deals, put fifty gulden on the table and shook Chaikel's hand.
"But the Rebbe said five hundred?" Protested Chaikel. "I need.... "
But his host cut him off in the middle of his sentence. "I'm sure this is more than others will give. Why should I get the entire mitzvah? You should ask the Rebbe for other names, more names, so they get some merits too! In any case I don’t have that much now." This he said as he patted him on the back and escorted him to the front door. "And, oh yes! Mazal Tov on your daughter's wedding! Mazal Tov! Please send me an invitation!"
Chaikel returned broken hearted to the Rebbe, could it be that he wasn't worthy for the blessing? Or maybe there was some mistake. He was confused.
But when the Rebbe heard what happened he didn't seem surprised at all. He just took the same letter, put it in another envelope upon which he wrote another name and address, blessed Chaikel with success and told him to go to this new address; it was also a Chassid of his and report back.
Early the next morning Chaikel set off on his second journey but hours later when he arrived at the address, he had serious doubts that he was in the right place. Perhaps the Rebbe made a mistake in the address.
It was a small house, a bit run down, certainly nothing like the Mansion of the first Chassid. He checked the address ten times before he knocked on the door and a simple Jew answered. Chaikel introduced himself and when the Jew saw his name on the envelope and heard it was a letter from the Rebbe he almost fainted.
He invited Chaikel in, asked him to sit down, brought him something to eat, went into the next room and came out dressed in his best Shabbat garments. He washed his hands and then with awe and trepidation opened the letter and read it.
“Hmmm.” He mumbled to himself, "Five hundred guilder, Hmmm! It will take a few days."
He looked up at Chaikel and repeated. "With G-d's help I can get you the money but it will take a few days, maybe only one or two. You can stay here with me till I get it if it's all right with you."
Sure enough, in two days’ time he gave Chaikel the money and Chaikel was back on the road to the Apta Rebbe, his daughter could get married! It was like a hundred-pound weight had been suddenly removed from around his neck.
Meanwhile back in the Mansion, the rich Chassid he first visited wasn’t doing so well. He was losing money. At first, he thought nothing of it; in business there are always ups and downs but when he tried to change his luck and nothing worked, he suspected it had something to do with the Rebbe's letter. Before long, in just two months, he became a debtor, had to sell his house and furniture, moved into an abandoned shack and was left begging on the streets.
It didn't take much for him to realize that he had to get to the Rebbe fast. So he gave his last money to his wife to hold her over while he was gone and traveled to Apta to ask the Rebbe if there was a way to get his money back.
It was a long walk; most of his journey was by foot. Almost a week later he dragged into the town and then had to wait another week to get an audience with the Rebbe. Not like the good old days when he was treated like a VIP.
Finally, he entered the Rebbe's room and spread his complaint before him. Why did he lose all his money? It wasn't fair! If he deserved a punishment it should be to lose the remainder of the 500 he didn't give... 450? Even 4,500? Why everything?”
The Rebbe replied. "The fact is, you were supposed to be born and remain a pauper. You were never meant to be rich. The riches you had were mine.
“You see, before I was born it was decreed from heaven that I should be rich, fantastically rich. But my soul protested that it wouldn't be able to stand the test. It was sure that money would distract me from serving G-d and once riches touched my hands, I wouldn't want to part with it so easily.
"But my complaints didn't help; the heavenly decree had already been made. However, I did manage to get my riches entrusted into the hands of others; in other words, the money would still be mine but others would hold it till I asked for it. And you were one of those 'others'.
"So," The Rebbe concluded "Your money was really mine, you were just holding for me. And when you refused to do with it what I wanted, it was simply taken from you and will be entrusted to the most worthy; the Chassid that managed to get together the 500 guilder to give Chaikel. The best I can do is bless you that you earn the money back on your own."
And so it was.
This answers our question about why so many (TEN) plagues.
According to Kabala (Jewish Mysticism) the ten plagues corresponded to the 'Ten Sfirot' and ten facets of the human soul, as well as the ten utterances used to create the world.
So when G-d brought these plagues they were intended to subjugate affect everyone and everything involved. But that wasn’t enough.
Although the plagues refined the Jews in every detail of their being, because it was all done by G-d it didn’t really change them. As soon as it was up to them and they had to make their own choices, they all sinned with Golden Calf.
Just as, in our story, the rich Chassid had everything as a gift but lost it because he refused to change his nature and give from himself.
This teaches us that even if G-d miraculously purifies and blesses us and the entire world around us, it means nothing if we don't work on ourselves! As the rich Chassid discovered.
But conversely it also teaches that even if we have nothing, as the second Chassid did, if we choose to act properly and give to others, then G-d can make us rich in every way.
And as the Lubavitcher Rebbe said repeatedly; this should happen at any moment. We are standing on the merits of thousands of years of Jewish service, hopes, prayers and suffering. Now just one more good deed, word of even thought, if done with selfless JOY can bring .... MOSHIACH NOW!!!
Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim
Kfar Chabad, Israel
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