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Ten Plagues – תוכמה רשע





         Dipping Your Pinky in the Wine Before Each Plague ‐ Nava Teller (6th Grade)


         It is a custom to dip your pinky in the wine and put it on our plate or napkin before each plague. Why do we do
         this? Why do we associate dipping our fingers in wine with the ten plagues?

         The Midrash tells us a story: When the Egyptians were being tortured with the ten plagues, the angels were
         singing and praising to Hashem. Hashem yelled at them saying,  “my creations are being tortured, and you wish
         to sing praise?”

         You might ask, what does that have to do with dipping out pinky in the wine? Abrabanel explains that wine is a
         sign of happiness, so we’re taking some happiness out of ourselves by taking some wine out of our cup while
         reciting the plagues.

         We can learn from this that even if there’s someone that is mean to us, and we don't like them, we still have to
         be sad for them if they are being hurt.




                                                                                                 .ן ָשָׁﬠ תוֹר ְמי ִת ְו שׁ ֵאָו ם ָדּ

         “Blood, and fire and pillars of smoke…”

                          .םִי ַתּשׁ  -   ְ   םי ִת ְפֹמ ְבוּ  ,םִי ַתּשׁ  -   ְ   תוֹתֹא ְבוּ ,םִי ַתּשׁ  -   ְ   לֹדָגּ א ָרֹמ ְבוּ ,םִי ַתּשׁ  -   ְ   הָיוּטְנ ַﬠֹרְז ִבוּ ,םִי ַתּשׁ  -   ְ   הָקָזֲח דָי ְבּ :רֵח ַא רָב ָד

         Another interpretation of Devarim 26:8 is: “strong hand” indicates two plagues; “out-stretched arm” indicates
         two more plagues; “great awe” indicates two plagues; “signs” indicates two more plagues because it is plural;
         and “wonders” two more plagues because it is in the plural. This then is a total of Ten Plagues.

                                                       :ןֵה וּל ֵאְו , םי ַר ְצ ִמ ְבּ םי ִר ְצ ִמַּה לַﬠ אוּה  וּרָבּ שׁוֹדָקַּה אי ִבֵה ֶשׁ תוֹכּ ַמ ר ֶשֶׂﬠ וּלּ ֵא

         These are the Plagues that the Holy one, blessed be He, brought upon Egypt:

                                                        Blood -  ם ָדּ
                                                      Frogs -  ע ֵדּ ְרֵפ ְצ
                                                        Lice - םיִנ ִכּ
                                                       Beasts - בוֹרָﬠ
                                                   Cattle Plague -  רֶב ֶדּ
                                                        Boils - ןי ִח ְשׁ
                                                        Hail -  דרָבּ
                                                     Locusts -  הֶבּ ְר ַא
                                                     Darkness - ך ֶשׁח
                                           Slaying of First Born - תוֹרוֹכ ְבּ תַכּ ַמ

                                       ב״ַח ַא ְבּ שׁ״ ַדַﬠ  ״ַצ ְדּ :םיִנ ָמּ ִס םֶהָבּ ן ֵתוֹנ הָיָה ה ָדוּהְי י ִבּ ַ ר

            Rabbi Yehuda would assign the plagues three mnemonic signs: Detzach, Adash, BeAchav
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