This illuminates for us the deeper implication of the text cited above: “A new king arose over Mitzrayim, who did not know Yosef.” In other words, he opposed the kedushah of Yosef, who was the “merkavah” of Torah she’b’al peh. “He said to his people, ‘Behold! Bnei Yisrael are more numerous and stronger than us’”—on account of the covenant they entered into with HKB”H involving Torah she’b’al peh. Therefore: "הבה נתחכמה לו" –let us act wisely, by preventing them from receiving and studying Torah she’b’al peh; "פן ירבה"—for by increasing their study of Torah she’b’al peh, they will set themselves apart and distinguish themselves from all the other nations, including the Egyptians. If that happens, and “should a war occur, he, too, may join our enemies, and wage war against us and leave the land.”
Therefore, Pharaoh strategically enslaved and oppressed Yisrael, as it says: “The Egyptians enslaved Bnei Yisrael with back-breaking labor. They embittered their lives with hard work, with mortar and with bricks, and with every labor of the field; all their labors that they performed with them was back-breaking labor.” They figured that bitter enslavement and back-breaking labor with mortar and bricks would discourage them from accepting the Torah, as it is written (Shemos 6, 9): "ולא שמעו אל משה מקוצר רוח ומעבודה קשה"—and they did not listen to Moshe because of shortness of breath and hard labor.
We can now begin to make sense of the elucidation in the Zohar hakadosh: “They embittered their lives with hard work,” namely the various aspects of Torah- study—such as difficult questions (“kushya”), “kal- vachomer,” clarification (“libun”) of halachos, Baraisa and Mishnah. The Zohar is teaching us that Pharaoh’s intent was to prevent Yisrael from engaging in the study of Torah she’b’al peh, which involves resolving difficult issues, applying the principle of “kal-vachomer,” and clarification of halachos in Mishnayos and Baraitot.
Nevertheless, the Torah attests to the fact that Pharaoh’s plan backfired and had the opposite effect (ibid. 1, 12): "וכאשר יענו אותו כן ירבה וכן יפרוץ"—but the more they oppressed them, the more they increased and burst forth. In fact, the difficult servitude actually cleansed Yisrael of the contamination and perversion of the nachash, enabling them to receive the Torah. As it is written (Devarim 4, 20): "ואתכם לקח ה' ויוציא אתכם מכור הברזל ממצרים להיות לו לעם נחלה כיום הזה"—but Hashem has taken you and withdrawn you from the “iron crucible,” from Mitzrayim, to be a nation of heritage for Him, as this very day. Rashi explains that an “iron crucible” (״כור הברזל״) is a vessel in which they refine gold.
This then is the message conveyed by Rashi (Shemos 1, 12): According to the Midrashic interpretation, the Holy Spirit is saying, “You say "פן ירבה", but I say, "כן ירבה".” In other words, Pharaoh said, “Lest it will increase”—because his aim was to prevent Yisrael from receiving and accepting Torah she’b’al peh by burdening them with strenuous labor. HKB”H, however, said, “It shall indeed increase”—because Yisrael received the Torah specifically in the merit of and on account of the strenuous labor they endured in Mitzrayim.
The Ten Makkos in Mitzrayim Correspond to the Ten Utterances with which the World Was Created
Following this intriguing line of reasoning, we will proceed to explain why HKB”H gave Moshe Rabeinu the power to pick this plague himself—namely, the plague of “arbeh.” The Chiddushei HaRim, zy”a, teaches us a fascinating concept. The “ten makkos” HKB”H visited upon the Egyptians align with the “ten utterances” with which the word was created—in reverse order. In other words, “blood”—the first makkah—aligns with the tenth utterance; “frogs”—the second makkah—aligns with the ninth utterance; and so on and so forth until “Makkas Bechoros”—the tenth makkah, “the Plague of the Firstborn”—which aligns with the first utterance (Bereishis 1,1): "בראשית ברא אלקים את השמים ואת הארץ".
According to this scheme, the plague of “arbeh”—the eighth makkah—aligns with the third utterance (ibid. 6): "ויאמר אלקים יהי רקיע בתוך המים ויהי מבדיל בין מים למים"—G-d said, “Let there be a firmament between the waters, and let it separate between water and water.”
To better understand the relationship between the eighth makkah and the third utterance, we will begin by focusing on the third utterance: “G-d said, ‘Let there be a firmament between the waters, and let it separate between water and water.’ G-d made the firmament, and He separated between the waters which were beneath the firmament and the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so.” According to the Tikunei Zohar (Tikun 19), the upper waters above the firmament refer to Torah she’b’chsav, while the lower waters beneath the firmament refer to Torah she’b’al peh.
This concurs with the notion that the waters allude to the Torah, as stated explicitly in the Gemara (B.K. 17a): "אין מים אלא תורה, שנאמר הוי כל צמא לכו למים"—and there is no water other than Torah, as it says (Yeshayah 55, 1): “Ho, everyone who is thirsty, go to the water.”
However, they are split into two parts: The waters above allude to Torah she’b’chsav, which was given by HKB”H in the heavens; whereas the waters below allude to Torah she’b’al peh, which HKB”H gave to the Torah- sages down below on earth with the exclusive authority to determine all halachic issues.
With this understanding, we can postulate why HKB”H separated the upper waters from the lower waters. On the one hand, the Torah sages on earth cannot alter even a single letter of Torah she’b’chsav, not one iota. On the other hand, HKB”H established Torah she’b’al peh as the exclusive domain of Torah scholars below on earth to the point that the Heavenly Court is not permitted to intervene or decide any halachic issues. This is evident from a famous incident described in the Gemara (B.M. 59b) concerning a heated debate between the sages and Rabbi Eliezer.
Rabbi Eliezer declared: If the halachah accords with me, it will be proved from the heavens. A heavenly voice went out and proclaimed, “What argument do you have with Rabbi Eliezer, whom the halachah follows in all places?” Rabbi Yehoshua stood up on his feet and replied (Devarim 30, 12): “It is not in heaven.” What is meant by: “It is not in heaven”? Rabbi Yirmiyah said: For, the Torah was already given on Har Sinai. (The Gemara returns to Rabbi Yehoshua’s response.) We do not heed a heavenly voice; for, You already wrote in the Torah at Har Sinai (Shemos 23, 2): “Matters shall be decided according to the majority opinion.” Rabbi Nasan once met Eliyahu. He said to him, “What did HKB”H do at that moment?” He answered him, “He laughed and said: ‘My children have prevailed over Me, My children have prevailed over Me.’”
This explains the third utterance fabulously: “G-d said, ‘Let there be a firmament between the waters, and let it separate between water and water.’” HKB”H established a separation between the “upper waters”—Torah she’b’chsav—and the “lower waters”—Torah she’b’al peh—so that Torah scholars on earth cannot add one iota to Torah she’b’chsav and conversely HKB”H and the malachim in the Heavenly Yeshivah cannot decide any halachah in Torah she’b’al peh. For, as we learn from the Gemara, “It is not in heaven!”; it is the exclusive domain of Torah scholars below on earth. Hence: “G-d made the firmament, and He separated between the waters which were beneath the firmament”—Torah she’b’al peh—“and the waters which were above the firmament”— Torah she’b’chsav.
This explains superbly why HKB”H revealed the power of scholars of Torah she’b’al peh specifically in relation to the plague of “arbeh” by instructing Moshe: “Go to Pharaoh.” HKB”H was telling Moshe to choose for himself which makkah to visit upon Pharaoh, since it was the eighth plague, the plague aligning with the third utterance: "יהי רקיע בתוך המים ויהי מבדיל בין מים למים". As explained, the Almighty created a separation and distinction between the “upper waters”—Torah she’b’chsav—and the “lower waters”—Torah she’b’al peh.
Therefore, HKB”H demonstrated this distinction between Torah she’b’chsav and Torah she’b’al peh specifically in relation to the plague of “arbeh.” The command: "בא אל פרעה" was a form of Torah she’b’chsav— it was a direct command from Hahem; while Moshe’s independent choice of “arbeh” was a form of Torah she’b’al peh. By agreeing with Moshe’s choice, HKB”H revealed the incredible power He had bestowed upon Torah scholars down on earth. This power was absolute in the sense that no halachah can be decided in the heavens. As stated in the Gemara, it is no longer in the heavens; hence, all halachic decisions are determined by human courts down below.
