The Plague of Darkness (choshech) is difficult to comprehend. After the first three days, the darkness was so thick that the Egyptians could not move and were locked into whatever physical position they were in. The Torah teaches us that they were able to touch the darkness.
This is all hard to comprehend because, in our experience of darkness, we can always move a little and slowly feel our way from one room to another. Of course, this was a miracle, yet how can we better understand a blackness so deep?
Hashem created a special light prior to the sun’s creation. It is called the Ohr Haganuz, and with it, it is possible to see from one end of the world to the other as well as all the hidden secrets of the world. It gives a person a crystal clarity that will bring them to levels of bliss and utmost joy. Hashem hid this light for the righteous people in later generations. Conversely, darkness brings one to confusion and lack of understanding. This brings intense sadness and debilitating hopelessness.
The Egyptians saw their world turning upside down with no light at the end. They understood that they were spiraling towards total destruction and had no way to stop it. Their anxiety and despair were so overwhelming that they simply could not move in their gripping darkness.
The Torah provides the solution. Immediately following the Plague of Darkness, Hashem instructs Moshe to “let each man request of his fellow ...silver and gold vessels.” Rashi explains that the Jews were instructed to ask the Egyptians for silver and gold that was due to them. The Torah continues and says that although the Egyptians gave up their silver and gold, they viewed the Jews favorably!
The act of giving fortifies a person with self-worth and, therefore, will take a person out of a depression.
The Egyptians found favor in us because we helped them out of their despair. We were the answer to their great depression. The Malbim states that this message was actually for the Jewish people to borrow vessels from each other, as the word “rei’ai’hu” refers to a fellow Jew, not an Egyptian. Hashem wanted the Jewish people to lend and share with one another, and this is what the Egyptians saw and “found favor in their eyes.” They were strengthened to learn of the quality of giving and began to comprehend its lifesaving ability to pull one out of depression.
Dear friends, this is the amazing cure we have to pull one out from any plague of darkness they may be experiencing. When our communities become stations of kindness and giving, when we reach out to others, no matter how low we may feel, when we offer various applications of chesed, it will fortify us with self-worth that will vanquish the darkness. It is part of the master plan of “olam chesed yi’ba’neh.” Acting with chesed will continuously build our lives and our world. Additionally, it will give us, Am Yisroel, tremendous chein (charm) in the eyes of the other nations.
