We all know the story: Moses and Aaron plead with Pharaoh, Pharaoh refuses, plagues ensue. But what about the details? The little human moments tucked away in the grand narrative?
Pharaoh, stubborn as ever, wasn't just saying "no" to Moses and Aaron. Oh no. He had them thrown out of the palace! Can you imagine the audacity? And then, just as Moses had warned, came the locusts. They devoured everything. Every. Single. Green. Thing. The Bible tells us, "there remained not any green thing" (Exodus 10:15). Think about the sheer scale of that destruction.
Finally, even Pharaoh, thick-headed as he was, had to admit defeat. He summoned Moses and Aaron, eating humble pie for the first time, maybe ever. He asked for their forgiveness, not just for defying God, but also for his nasty treatment of them personally. He even confessed to wanting to curse them, according to some accounts!
Moses, ever the mensch, the righteous person, once again interceded with God on Pharaoh's behalf. And God, in His infinite mercy, heard Moses' prayer and removed the plague. But here's where it gets really interesting.
The removal of the locusts wasn't just a simple "poof, they're gone" kind of miracle. As we learn from various traditions, the Egyptians, in their… resourcefulness, decided to capitalize on the disaster. They caught the locusts and preserved them in brine! A delicacy, apparently! Think of it – trying to turn a plague into profit.
But God had the last laugh. "The Lord turned an exceeding strong west wind," the text tells us (Exodus 10:19). This wind didn't just blow the locusts away; it swept them into the Red Sea. And here's the kicker: even the locusts the Egyptians had so carefully brined and stored? They flew right out of the pots! Imagine the scene: jars popping open, locusts escaping en masse, a collective groan of disappointment rising from the Egyptian kitchens. As Ginzberg retells it in Legends of the Jews, they had none of the profit they expected.
It's a reminder, isn't it? A reminder that even in the midst of divine intervention, human nature persists. The Egyptians, even while witnessing the power of God, were still trying to find a way to benefit from the situation. And it’s also a reminder that sometimes, the most ingenious human schemes are no match for the divine plan. What do we learn from this? Perhaps that true repentance requires more than just words – it requires a change of heart, a willingness to let go of self-interest. And maybe, just maybe, a healthy dose of humility.