“ולמען תספר באזני בנך ובן בנך את אשר התעללתי במצרים ואת אתתי 10:2אשר שמתי בם, וידעתם כי אני ד'”
“So that you may relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son that I performed in Mitzrayim, and My signs that I placed among them – so that you may know that I am Hashem.” Rashi explains that the word “התעללתי” does not mean, “doing” or “action”, for the Torah would have written it differently, “עו־ללתי.” Rather the word here means, “amused” – mocked – Hashem amused Himself with the Mitzriyim. Targum Onkelos translates the word, “התעללתי” as “נסים” – miracles. The posuk could have just said - “And My signs that I placed among them” – referring to the makkos that Hakodosh Boruch Hu afflicted the Mitzriyim with. What is the Torah telling us with the word, “התעללתי?”
“ועצם לא תשברו בו” – “And you shall not break a bone in it.” There was great degradation and embarrassment to the avodah zarah in Mitzrayim. The bones of the avodah zarah in Mitzrayim were strewn in the streets and in the marketplace. The dogs came along and kicked the bones from place to place. This was more difficult for the Mitzriyim than all of the makkos – to see their avodah zarah being treated with such disgrace. It was apparent to all that the bones were from their avodah zarah, and the Mitzriyim were mortified. Klal Yisroel threw the bones around without care, but they did not break the bones, rather it was the dogs that broke them. This in their eyes was even more disrespectful to their avodah zarah. When the Mitzriyim saw the dogs pushing, and breaking the bones of their avodah zarah, they hid the bones in the dirt so that they dogs should not find them, and continue to disrespect their avodah zara. By the Mitzriyim themselves burying the avodah zarah, they nullified the avodah zarah, so that it was not called avodah zarah anymore, and this brought more kovod shomayim into the world. This helps reign in the Koach of the Sitra Achara. Klal Yisroel were not able to be nullify their avodah zara, and that is why the dogs needed to be involved, so that the Mitzriyim themselves would end up nullifying their avodah zarah. (זוהר)
Based upon the Zohar Hakodosh, we can explain the words, “אשר התעללתי” – the mockery that Hakodosh Boruch Hu performed in Mitzrayim. Hakodosh Boruch Hu made it that the dogs dragged and broke the bones of their avodah zarah, and this caused the Mitzriyim more anguish than all of the other Makkos. The mockery was that this caused the Mitzriyim, “בם” in themselves, to nullify their own avodah zarah by burying it so that the dogs would stop degrading it. (בן יהוידע)
Klal Yisroel were to see the makkos that occurred in Mitzrayim, and more importantly, to see, “אשר התעללתי” – that Hakodosh Boruch Hu mocked the Mitzriyim. It was not just so Klal Yisroel should be freed from Mitzrayim, but so that, “וידעתם את ד'” – Klal Yisroel should know Hashem. May we be zoche to follow in the ways of Hakodosh Boruch Hu, and - what is to be passed on from generation to generation – to know Hashem.
RABBI BEN ZION SNEH
