Everything in life has a time and place. Every event, every happening; every occurrence is precise — nothing is haphazard. Sometimes we are privy to see revelations of that preciseness, and very often we are not — but when we do see it, the inspiration of such is awe inspiring.
For example: Mishpachas Kalish, due to Rav Yehoshua Kalish’s love for Be’er Yosef, Rav Yosef Tzvi Salant’s chiddushim on the Torah, all became big chassidim of that incredible sefer as well (spilling over to many talmidim like myself, who have also developed that love and admiration for it too). Amazingly, one of the children decided to then name his son “Yosef Tzvi” after this Gaon of Yerushalayim.
Sometime after the simchah it became known to the family that the birthday of their new Yosef Tzvi was the yahrzeit of Rav Yosef Tzvi Salant (11 Shevat)!
Who could have planned it that the Rosh Yeshivah of Lakewood, Rav Aharon Kotler zt’l, and the Mashgiach, Rav Nosson Wachtfogel zt’l, would both be niftar on the second of Kislev (many years apart), or countless other such examples, except the Master Designer?
In line with that theme, we find an incredible idea in our parashah that I heard from Rav Uri Orlian shlita a few years back: The Makkos were brought to Mitzrayim on very specific days — days that held within them so much depth and greatness; as we said above, nothing is haphazard, for everything has its time.
Three examples that Rav Orlian shared: The makkah of Arov began on 15 Tishrei, a day that would one day become the Yom Tov of Succos for our nation. It was the makkah of Arov revealed to us most clearly the separation between the Jewish people and the nations of the world; as the Torah says so clearly regarding this makkah, וְשַׂמְתִּי פְדֻת בֵּין עַׂמִּי וּבֵּין עַׂמֶּךָ — And I will place a separation between My nation and your nation (Shemos 8:19).
The Clouds of Glory, too, did not serve only to protect Klal Yisrael from its enemies, but rather it also served as a separation from them as well; these unique clouds segregated Klal Yisrael in one area, surrounded by its boundaries and enveloped by its holy confines.
