KLM: Mitzvot of Parsha Bo - How the 10 Plagues were Doubly Spectacular with Rabbi Wegbreit

[Music] why should you delve into the Torah again and again and again we that's what we do we're reading the same book of Torah again and again the weekly Torah portion every week every year why should you do that Ben Ben bbog gives us a great reason you know why CU everything is in the Torah that's why he says turn it over again and again delve into it because you'll find everything there and this week's Torah portion is no exception not at all what are we going to learn about well there's an enormous amount to learn but we're going to learn how to forge deep ideas into the memories of young and old forging deep ideas into the memories of young and old for thousands of years so let me just tell you the format that we're going to take now um from this point you're going to end up with the famous thing everyone wants for shabis a word for the table but we're also going to have a mitzvah for the table that's what we're going to do and how we're going to go about this first we'll take a look at the source in the Torah the Mitzvah of the week for in our eyes the Mitzvah of the week we'll start with that you'll see the source and then I'll try to give you a word for the table meaning a very deep insight into that piece of Torah and then we'll go to the mitzvah for the table we'll take that same uh PK that same Torah verse and then we'll show you we'll unravel the mitzvah there that you can fulfill actually you can fulfill tonight and you can fulfill for the rest of your life but you'll also have a mitzvah for the table okay without further Ado let's get started with that and I'm going to show you the source in the Torah that we're going to discuss in parous B the weekly Torah portion we're going to see the last three of The Ten Commandments and here we are this is the very beginning of the paraa which discusses that Hashem instructs Moshe should go see parro but why because Hashem is Harden his heart and the Heart of his upper echelon and Hashem explains why he's Harding a parro's heart he says because Hashem wants to display his signs amongst the the Egyptians the the mitz the Jewish slaves he wants everyone to see some signs that's the first pk and now here comes the PK with the m Mitzvah of the paraa it says here and I'll F I'll read it first in Hebrew the second [Music] verse okay to to Hashem is saying why do I want to harden his heart and why do I want to bring out these signs in front of him because I want you to be able to tell this story The sapare to relate now remember the word seore which means story sometimes people think of a story as something that's not real okay this is nonfiction the stories and the Torah are nonfiction they're real so Hashem wants us to be able to to relate this story Into the ears of your children and your grandchildren you hear that there's a mitvah to relate things to your grandchildren everybody who uh first you should have a wife and then you should have children and you should be blessed to have grandchildren okay but we're see we're seeing that these Miracles that are about to happen are for you your ability to relate that okay okay now I'm going to jump to the end of the pusk um why are you relating about these signs okay first of all to make a mockery of evil that's one of the things but the end is what we're going to focus on the that you will know and the word know means you will be deeply connected you'll get deep awareness and knowledge that Hashem is God we'll explain that in a minute okay so that's the that's the pusk so now let's uh let me stop sharing for a sec now let's um get a word for the table and this word comes from the orad and here's also how you see everything's in the Torah because the or lays down a principle he says that if you want to forge a deep idea into another person or also into yourself he says it needs to be um spectacular in two ways it's not enough to be spectacular in one way it has to be doubly spectacular he brings a proof uh from the gamar I'm not going to go into that but this is what we're going to discover this is really the truth about all 10 plagues and the plague we're going to focus on is the plague of the locusts for a certain reason oh right yeah I'll get to that in a minute but listen to this here's what here's how Hashem forged uh into Judaism Jewish people um Christians Muslims Humanity everyone's heard of the 10 plagues correct but how did Hashem do it so let's discuss the two spectacular aspects of of the of each of the 10 plagues and part of it is 10 first one is the following how let's say you know the superficial look at the Exodus from Egypt let's say you believe um that God took took us out and as we said the Torah is nonfiction so even if you believe that so how do you how would you think uh it would be done there's a war and the enemy is defeated destroyed defeated what happens right uh the one side kills shoots you know shoots um with arrow with a gun whatever it is you have a weapon and boom you give them a blow and if you give a blow to enough of them they give up they surrender they bring out the White Flag okay that's how if the if the Exodus was merely a military defeat it would have the following thing you would kill or you would you would have the the battle the battle occurs the the battle's finished or how many skirmishes it takes and then they leave here's the two aspects the two spectacular aspects first of all and and and again let we're talking about um a Divine being who does inde indeed U make judgments and decisions and dishes out uh retribution if there at times so here the first thing is that Hashem did not just deliver one blow it's already spectacular you know obviously hasem could have delivered one below and they and then we go there we go one below we go but instead he delivered 10 blows before we goes 10 blows but not just that if you study deeply the the plagues according to the T ha you realize every blow every plague first of all it wasn't just bang one day it was an entire week there was an entire week of no water just blood right Locust Etc there was there was a weat full of it so in quantity there wasn't just one blow there's 10 blows and you each one uh lasted a week of that same blow and we learn that there are four or five um attached blows to each plague each plague had subsections that counted to five four or five it's a debate how many but you hear this there was at least 40 or 50 it wasn't really 10 blows if you subdivide it it was 40 or 50 blows for an entire year span and for an entire week that's spectacular that's not if if if the Egyptians are observing what happened to their neighboring countries no country experienced that right maybe there was some sort of Calamity and then they died and something happen not like that so the first thing was quantitively it was spectacular and then the nature of the blow was spectacular in itself it was qualitatively spectacular meaning to say that all of these each and every one of these plagues was a Defiance of nature absolute Defiance of nature now why did Hashem do this in such a spectacular way again he here's here's something we have to inculcate you know sometimes you think why are we always talking about there's a very good reason why you know because Hashem never never again revealed such a series of defiance of nature such a display that nature is just completely tenuous the composition it wasn't red water the water turned chemically to blood every one of them was a spectacular Defiance of nature why because this is only going to happen one one slash two times this never going to happen again until the Final Redemption okay Final Redemption that's coming but Hashem says I I'm only I'm only displaying this one time one set of time one year and from now on you will have to delve into it again and again and derive your belief and amuna from this act you might say why the answer is believing in the unity of Hashem believing in the Divine province is a Mitzvah so Mitzvah mean involve work Hashem says I'm going to explay at one time and now it's for you and your children and your grandchildren to internalize this this is it okay so that's the Deep Insight the Deep insight to review is that the plagues were a onetime um display of an absolute Defiance of nature a revelation that would never came so Hashem designed them to be doubly spectacular in quantity and quality to give us the ability to the to do the Mitzvah we're about to hear about okay let's go back to the screen okay so we said you have relating to your children your grandchildren or just anybody is a big Mitzvah now let's understand the Mitzvah more deeply okay the Mitzvah is relating these wonders and signs so uh to your grandchildren Etc to knowm I was just reading the top here the Mitzvah includes relating it to your children and grandchildren so that's already an aspect um if you have children and grandchildren you can do this right by the way we're wait wa minute it says students are children so you got um you you all are my uh my children for this for this class and so I'm going to fulfill this mits right in front of your eyes you relate it to your children but there's a mitzah children and grandchildren that's one thing contained in this mitvah of the week second Hashem signs the the the particular Mitzvah according to many commentators is the plague of locust because Hashem didn't introduce this Mitzvah at the beginning of the 10 plagues he he introduced this Mitzvah right before or the plague of arba the Mak of arba the plague of locust so the Mitzvah beit in its ideal form is you share miracles about the Locust however rev Hamer the EV mil learned every Miracle of the every one of the 10 plagues you can fulfill this Mitzvah daa now this I this is one of those Mitzvah that knowing what the purpose of the Mitzvah is very important and that is we're supposed to be able to instill in our children our grandchildren and ourselves the absolute Singularity uniqueness of Hashem there's no comparison and that's why the the the plagues is a great great opportunity to fulfill the Mitzvah of recognizing the Oneness of Shem there's no other Force that has any Independence there's a one and only God okay so we're about so right now we're going to learn this um so this is the main part of the Mitzvah is this so when you do this Mitzvah and again uh you don't have to wait for the shabas table for this Mitzvah you don't have to you can do it as soon as the class is over go tell some this share this by the way if anyone would like the details that I'm displaying here so you can fulfill this Mitzvah in its ideal way just please email me at rabi webite gmail.com all right so again to review the Mitzvah includes relate it's to tell this story right to forge this story deep into our minds so that we'll uh attain the uh a perception of the unity of hasem and in particular do it with the plague of locust so let's uh let's get ready to learn some a few examples of Miracles connected to the plague of locust arbe Al righty so I highlight in this verse it says um basically hasem says or Moses speaks to um to parro Bish him says if you don't let my people go that's the famous Anthem I um tomorrow I'm going to bring a locust on your border or through your borders let's translate as through your borders now I just want to bring out something else what is so unique have there been Miracle makers and Miracle claims throughout history of course there had but you know what's unique about the Miracles performed by Hashem he calls them ahead of time right ex the exact time it will start the exact time it will start never nothing ever has happened like that and predictions again and again prophecies coming true all the time to to let us know the Torah is not nonfiction okay but let's look at the let's get some um amazing details about the wondrous nature of the plagues okay it um the reason that it says in the Torah that the locals will be through your borders is it was so precise that it was an exact demarcation of the borders of Egypt so if you were to witness as they did the plague of locust it um there wasn't even like an antenna of a locust if they have antennas that went past the border of Egypt when Hashem says it's going to be within your borders that was exactly it and you could actually draw a perfect map from the Locust amazing right picture that a little bit wondrous okay so that's the thing can anyone else do that no Hashem is one number two there's another verse that you'll see in the Torah portion that says um theak it said it re um the this plague or the Locust rested on the seventh day it said they rest it doesn't say on the seventh day but the midis connects it exactly and the borm explains this was the only plague where no it just stopped on chabus the the the uh the locusts rested from work if you will from ravaging the country now all the other plagues lasted a week that's seven days all seven but this was 2 246 not 247 that's another thing there was it was miraculous because Hashem declared that they rest they rested and then the last one I mean the last one you there's so many that's the beauty of our oral Torah you know we're so fortunate to have the uh have received the Torah from Sinai and get the oral explanation because it's endless right here's what here's one more the Hashem just completely removed the locusts after they had wre their Havoc to try to get the Egyptians to and part to let them go and to do chuva after that but the Egyptians were were the bright side was is Locust were a delicacy they would eat Locust and because they would eat Locust and this was a time finally after being warned so much they it was time for punishment so every Locust disappeared now most of the Locust disappeared what you might say is a natural way meaning a wind blew them away but they had pickled locusts and Locust in jars and C baskets they all disappeared there wasn't a single Locust they in quotes magically disappeared all right that's an example uh you know Torah is anytime and anywhere so you can do this work too you can do it on on any of the 10 plagues just delve into the details of the Miracles and you're fulfilling this and you're making an impression right how how do you imprint ideas you have to do things that are spectacular that grabs the attention of your children and your grandchildren and yourselves okay now here's a bonus so really all let me go back to this previous page all you have to do to fulfill this Mitzvah is to say I have in mind to fulfill Mitzvah of relating hashem's wonders as or signs as Hashem commands me there you go tell anything about any miracle and you fulfilled it but I know uh people who who follow km K misses you want as many misses as you can in an acronym right that's a rhetorical question which is really statement so for those who want to go the extra level this is the D plague here's an acronym to um to capture some more Mitzvah five Mitzvah there's five more Mitzvah okay five mitzah in one acronym real one hasem is the real one not Coca-Cola okay R is for remembering aem's wonders which is the source for that is in the end of the first paragraph of ALU Etc in other words um th this is a recollection of a wonder and and that's part of that mitzva is to remember you have anytime you speak about a miracle and there's plenty going on right now in this war um but anytime you do that you fulfill that mitah second e for amuna that's probably not a a surprise Hashem wanted because it was going to be a one-time Revelation um he wanted to enable people to imprint this and strengthen their belief when when you hear that and when you know that the tar is non-fiction and it says that the the Locust um demarcated perfectly the borders right that has to increase your uh amuna in Hashem your belief in and knowledge of Hashem here's a beautiful thing that applies in so many places we're going to a so R is for remembering Hashem W hashem's wonders e is for imuna and Hashem A is for a hasem loving Hashem this is great news that the um High Autumn the the highum brings down that anytime you praise you're fulfilling of loving hasem because think about it when you when you um agulate and praise someone that's a sign you really love them okay it's certainly with hem so that's remembering amuna and AEM loving hem L when you um give this over when you see poor when you tell tell the story you're both learning Torah and teaching Torah okay so that it's really six Mitzvah okay and then one stands for recognizing that hasem is the one and only Yem a profoundly important Mitzvah okay so to wrap up let me just you now have a word for the table which is to see how everything you I mean there's such a lesson here about forging things in one's memory you know they talk about memory palaces and using Vivid uh imagery to help you remember something so the author of reality asem also scripted a reality called the 10 plagues to make it that this will live on in the memory of humanity not everyone's heard about the 10 plages okay that's number one that was the word for the table and the mitvah for the table is and it's not just for the table you can tell your wife your husband your friend anybody pass on relate these Miracles and you're fulfilling a Miss which means you'll be ins sconed in kadus you'll be helping uh um the Jewish people uh in these very difficult times and you will also be passing on or be ready to pass it on to other Generations okay so you know I recommend do it every day of the week okay keep on doing this keep on integrating it um you'll thank me later at least I may a stream okay everybody good shabas thank you very much welcome welcome I was thinking that the um the loc observing the T shabas because I came from outside of T oh that's very good the Border yeah don't know that's you're saying that's why they they rested on suggesting perhaps I don't know I love that that's a great idea beautiful what about uh Alias Steve Aron there he is yes I I just wondered about you know one thing that you were speaking is a shantan where does that fit in well so the Mitzvah um was um that Hashem said I'm going to put these signs um bring these signs out in order that you um relate them into the ears of your children and your children's children your grandchildren so it explicitly says this is something this is in other words this is addition to Le s there's a Mitzvah that night to get into it but it doesn't stop there really anytime so and hashem's explaining I'm in particular doing these plagues in order um that you'll have an incredible seore a a vivid um thing to to insert into the ears and the hearts of your children and your grandchildren so you hear that's the midst of teaching you're teaching Torah so so it's a but is are you fulfilling to two Torah Commandments with by you know the one and par B right lman T and V yes that's what I'm doing in my Hashem is the real one these are additional Mitzvah so in addition to that specific thing is remembering the Wonders you know so you should add that intention and then there's amuna AEM because you're praising Hashem in the same act and you're you're singing the Praises of the one you love and then finally well not finally the L is learning and teaching because you're when you give over Torah you're learning it too even when you're teaching it you hear yeah yes just one other thing just one you said you know we could do this with every plague right where should we look meaning Beyond just the the text and Rashi where else would we look right so the the if you have access to the midrashim right the mid are amazing but you know nowadays no one has to be um limited if they don't have a midr they don't have Hebrew they can go online and just Google you know one uh I suggest um so you get a authentic Torah explation you should say eser makos not 10 plagues and you say the N seam that took place with the Locust the you hear like that and right yeah the the T is had her fingertips in that sense yeah I think I think art scroll treats it very you know does a lot on that um Paris are I think he's about to right the thing's about to shut down now God bless our how how AR's gonna put out a km book please God in the right time W okay yeah okay thank you so much ishka thank you parrot and thank you Rabbi Michael yes very good yes your coak everybody is thank you [Music] okay there some hold n