After this introduction, we can now return to our donkeys! In our Parsha, there are three makkot: locusts (אַ רְ בֶּ ה), darkness (ח ֹ שׁ ֶ ך), and killing of the firstborn (מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת). Someone once asked me, why are there specifically three plagues in this Parsha. Why not the entire final series among the simanim given by Rabbi Yehuda, for example, באח"ב – hail, locusts, darkness, and the firstborn? So, everyone knows that the Parsha’s name, בּ ֹא, is numerically equivalent to three, hinting that there are three more plagues. But the one who asks this question – besides the Jew who approached me – is the Abarbanel, who says all three plagues brought darkness upon Egypt and therefore they appear as a single unit.
I saw a beautiful idea. מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת took place on the night of the 15th of Nissan. The interval between each plague was thirty days – three weeks of warning and one week of the plague. If מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת was on the night of the 15th of Nissan, when was the plague of darkness?! On Purim! And one month earlier, on the 15th of Shevat, was the makka of locusts. According to this formula, pay attention to a wonderful idea. On the 15th of Shevat, the locusts ate all the trees. And what do we now do on this day of Tu B’Shvat?! We eat fruits! On Purim, there was the plague of darkness, and what do we now have in its place? לַיְהוּדִ ים הָיְתָה אוֹרָה – The Jews enjoyed light and gladness, happiness and honor. Lastly, Makkat Bechorot was on Pesach; and what do we now have on that night? A לֵיל שִׁימּוּרִ ים – a night of protection from harm. It turns out that for these three plagues, we received bonuses!
Summary of Donkey Symbolism
Before we close out the topic of donkeys, let's review four or five points to understand what we’re going to discuss. We started by pointing to Moshe Rabbeinu’s return to Egypt and his means of transportation: ַרְ כִּבֵם עַל הַחֲמֹר – [Moshe] saddled them on the donkey. This is the donkey of Avraham Avinu at Akeidat Yitzchak, the donkey of Moshe Rabbeinu, and the donkey Melech HaMashiach will ride upon, as it says: עָנִי וְרֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר – Humble and riding on a donkey.
Then we mentioned that the tribes went down to Egypt and were brought to Yosef's house, and they feared that their donkeys would be taken: וְלָקַחַת אֹתָנוּ לַעֲבָדִ ים וְאֶת חֲמֹרֵינוּ. We asked why the donkeys were even a consideration at this point when they themselves were set to become slaves!
Another point touched on is that Yosef sent his father ten male donkeys carrying the goodness of Egypt – טּ וּב מִ צְ רָ יִ ם, along with ten female donkeys carrying food. We referenced the Gemara (Megillah 16b) which says the goodness of Egypt refers to old wine (חַ מְ רָ א in Aramaic), and in this, Yosef hinted to his father that it was חֲמוֹר עַל חֲמוֹר – a donkey on a donkey.
We also learned, from the words of the Gemara (Berachot 58a), that Egyptians are referred to as donkeys. It tells of a Jew who married an Egyptian woman and Rabbi Sheila flogged him. That man went and informed on Rabbi Sheila, who testified that the man had married a donkey.
We also discussed another Gemara (Shabbat 112b) that says: "If the earlier ones are like angels, we are like men; and if the earlier ones are like men, we are like donkeys, and not like the donkey of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa and Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair, but like other donkeys." We discussed these special donkeys and asked, why is the level below man a donkey and not another animal; we brought the words of the Arizal that below man is a monkey.
We brought the Mishnah in Arachin that says we weigh the weight of a man's hand by way of an exercise leveraging the meat of a donkey. Why? Because the gravity of human flesh is the same as that of a donkey.
Lastly, we mentioned that the offering brought on the night of the 16th of Nissan is the Minchat HaOmer, which is comprised of barley – donkey food! The offering we then bring 49 days later, at the time of Matan Torah, is the Shtei HaLechem, comprised of wheat – food for human beings! We left a nation of donkeys to become human beings at Matan Torah.
