You brought ten plagues upon Egypt, and You did not decree

Mekhilta Tractate Shirah 5:11

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·March 24, 2026

You brought ten plagues upon Egypt, and You did not decree destruction upon them until they had consummated their evil.

Themes

Exile Moses Plagues Egypt Miracles

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Book of JasherJudah Threatens Joseph and the Truth Comes OutRemember Joseph, the favored son sold into slavery in Egypt? He's now a powerful figure, and his brothers, unknowingly standing before him, are begging for the Legends of the JewsAmram Divorced His Wife Rather Than Bring Children Into SlaveryThe familiar version gives us the big picture: slavery, plagues, the parting of the Red Sea. But what about the individual choices, the moral dilemmas, the mome Legends of the JewsPharaoh's Magicians Replicated the Blood but Not the FrogsPharaoh, hardened of heart, remained unimpressed by the first plague, water turning to blood. Why? Because his magicians, aided by "Angels of Destruction," coul Legends of the JewsThe Frogs Caused Pharaoh Physical Suffering Unlike the BloodA reader can think of them as just escalating horrors, but sometimes the sequence itself holds a clue. the story turns to the plague of the frogs, the second of Legends of the JewsMoses Strikes the Rock and Water Pours ForthOur ancestors did the very same thing, as we learn from the story of Moses and the water from the rock. The scene: The Israelites are wandering in the desert, t Legends of the JewsAmalek's OfferingWhy "My Miracle?" Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) tells us it’s because the miracle God wrought against Amalek wasn't just for Israel, but, in a way,