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This week’s Torah portion (Bo) brings to a climax the ten-month period during which G-d brought plagues upon the Egyptians in order to induce Pharoah to free the Jews from slavery. Seven of the plagues occurred in the previous parsha (Va’era), and the final three occur in our parsha. However, the verses in our parsha indicate that there was a qualitative change in the plagues from one parsha to the next. For example, it is here in our parsha that Pharoah’s advisors finally say to him, “How long will you let this one be an obstacle, send the people so that they can serve their G-d, do you not already realize the Egypt is destroyed?” (Ex. 10:7). From this, it is evident that power of deterrence was already attained by the previous seven plagues. The three plagues of this parsha were necessary to defeat the enemy once and for all. But, in the meantime, Pharoah was not yet deterred – he persisted in his refusal to free the Jews.

In the previous parsha (Ex. 7:25), Rashi explained that each plague afflicted the Egyptians only one week out of the month. The remainder of the month, Moshe would “testify and warn the Egyptians.” But, in our parsha, before the eighth plague of locusts, Moshe is commanded, “Come to PharoahŔ, and Rashi only says that Moshe “warned” Pharoah. The question is, why did Rashi say that here, Moshe only “warned” and didn’t “testify”? The commentaries (the Mizrahi and Gur Aryeh) explain that because the verse says nothing about what Moshe is supposed to say to Pharoah (unlike in the previous times that Moshe was commanded to go Pharoah), therefore it was necessary for Rashi to clarify that Moshe was commanded to “warn” Pharoah. However, since Rashi in general bases his explanation on the verses of the Torah, and in our case on the words, “And say to him, so G-d saysŔ it would have been appropriate for Rashi to explain (as he did in previous instances) that Moshe “said to PharoahŔ Why does Rashi change this time, and say that Moshe “warned Pharoah”? From this we understand that Rashi wishes to emphasize that whatever Moshe said to Pharoah constituted a “warning.”

In general, “testimony” and “warning” differ in their time frame; “testimony” is about something that already occurred, while a “warning” is about something that may occur in the future. In addition, “testimony” is regarding something that was certain; the one who gives testimony about a situation is certain that it occurred, while a “warning” is about something that is uncertain – in fact, one gives a warning because he hopes that a given situation will not occur. And that brings us back to why Rashi says (in the previous parsha) that during three quarters of the month, Moshe would “testify and warn.” That was because there were two kind of plagues. Some plagues came as punishment over the past, such as over Pharoah’s refusal to let the Jews go. About such plagues (for example, “blood,” about which the verse says, “Because you didn’t listen until now”), it was necessary to “testify” and tell Pharoah that he was receiving punishment. About other plagues, it was necessary to “warn” about the future. For example, before the plague of frogs, Moshe said to Pharoah, “Because if you refuse to send my people.” That is, Moshe “warned” Pharoah when the plague had to do with the present and the future, not the past. And that is why in our parsha, Rashi explains that Moshe came to “warn” – he wished to inform us that Moshe warned Pharoah about the future – “if you refuse to send my people,” the locusts would destroy Egypt.

However, it is not clear why Moshe had to “warn” Pharoah precisely at this time. The verse only commands Moshe to “come to Pharoah,” and Rashi could have explained simply that in addition to “coming to Pharoah,” Moshe also “spoke” to him, and told him about the plague of locusts. Why was it necessary to add, at this juncture, that Moshe also used to opportunity to “warn” Pharoah? In other words, it should have been sufficient to “inform” Pharoah. Why was it important for Moshe to “warn” him, as well?

In order to answer the above questions, it is necessary to look at our verse and our parsha in context, and to take note of something unique that occurs here by the plague of locusts. Here, for the first time, the Torah offers a reason for the plague; “Because I hardened Pharoah’s heart.” No reason was given for the previous seven plagues (although before going to Pharoah for the first time, Moshe was told that G-d would “harden his heart”). Moshe either warned or testified before Pharoah, but no reason was given for doing so, so why was a reason necessary before our plague?

Furthermore, the reason given, “Because I hardened Pharoah’s heart,” would seem to be a reason not to go to Pharoah, rather than to go to Pharoah. If G-d “hardened his heart,” then in any case Moshe’s going to Pharoah would have no effect. Since Pharoah’s mind was already made up, there was nothing that Moshe could say to him that would influence him to let the Jews go. That being the case, why does G-d command him, “Come to Pharoah”?

We have to say that the real reason for Moshe to go to Pharoah was not because “I hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants,” but from the following verse, “in order to multiply my miracles among them.” That is, even though G-d hardened Pharoah’s heart, and Moshe was unable to change his mind, nevertheless, he was commanded to come before Pharoah, “in order to multiply His miracles among them.” But, if this is true, we have another set of problems. Usually, the purpose of warning someone is to help him avoid the action he is about to undertake, and to thereby avoid the punishment he would receive. Additionally, it is in order to give him a choice, and let him know that he may heed the warning in order to avoid punishment. In our case, however, the purpose of going to Pharoah was precisely in order to “multiply My miracles,” meaning that Moshe went to Pharoah precisely for the purpose of applying the punishment. Moreover, since G-d “hardened Pharoah’s heart,” there was no opportunity for Pharoah to avoid the punishment – he had no choice but to accept the punishment.

Therefore, it seems necessary to say that Moshe went before Pharoah not to “warn” him regarding the future, but to “testify” regarding the past, as the verse says, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me?” And the previous verse that said, “Behold I will bring locusts tomorrow,” is not a warning about the future. Rather, it was intended to make it clear to Pharoah that if he would free the Jews, he would avoid the punishment. But, if not, he would certainly undergo the punishment for refusing to free the Jews.

However, Rashi does not accept that Moshe went to “testify” regarding the past and tell Pharoah that the next plague will be a punishment for refusing to free the Jews. And in order to negate this explanation, Rashi says (on the verse “Come to Pharoah,”) that Moshe went to Pharoah not to “testify,” but to “warn,” just as implied by the words of the verse, “Behold I bring locusts tomorrow” implies. And yet, this does not stand in contradiction to the following verse, “I have hardened Pharoah’s heart…in order to multiply my miracles,” as will be explained…

Rashi was unable to accept that Moshe came to Pharoah to “testify” for the following reasons:

1) If Moshe came to testify, then the only possible reason is, as the verse says later, “in order to multiply My miracles.” (It couldn’t be “in order to harden Pharoah’s heart,” because that would be a reason not to come, as mentioned above). Yet, it is difficult to explain the reason to go to Pharoah was “in order to multiply my miracles,” when in fact the verse itself says, it was “because I will harden Pharoah’s heart.”
2) From before the very first plague, as Moshe first went to Pharoah, he was already informed that G-d intended to harden Pharoah’s heart. So, Moshe already knew that G-d would harden Pharoah’s heart regarding the plagues in general. And yet, we don’t find that Moshe was given a reason to go to Pharoah and testify in front of him, except in our case. What is different about the plague of locusts that Moshe should go and testify, and that a reason need be stated?

3) If the real reason is “in order to multiply my miracles,” then this also was already mentioned. When Moshe was originally told, before the first plague, that G-d would harden Pharoah’s heart, he was also told that this was in order to “multiply His miracles.” So, what is new here, in our verse regarding the plague of locusts, that the Torah has to repeat this explanation?

Rashi answers all of the above by saying that Moshe went to Pharoah in order to “give him warning.” This is the only one of the plagues in which a reason is given, and that is because otherwise it is completely not understood: Why should Moshe go and warn Pharoah that he is about to receive a plague, when there’s nothing Pharoah can do about it, since G-d “hardened his heart” (preventing him from letting the Jews go)?

Therefore, the verse goes on and explains, “and in order to multiply my miracles…that you should tell…about how I ‘played’ with Egypt.” This means that with this plague, G-d wanted Moshe to publicize how He made Pharoah look completely ridiculous by taking away his free will. At the same time that G-d warned Pharoah (through Moshe), telling him that a plague was about to come, he also took away Pharoah’s free choice to do anything about it. That is why it was important to give a reason precisely at this juncture, “because I hardened his heart.” If not, left to his own devices, Pharoah would have let the Jews go, seeing that the plagues had destroyed his kingdom and that perhaps his own life was in danger. But, since G-d wanted to “play” with him and make him look ridiculous, he sent Moshe to warn Pharoah, and simultaneously took away Pharoah’s free choice by “hardening his heart.”

Still, once could ask, how is it “fair” to punish Pharoah, when in essence he had no choice but to do what he did? If G-d “hardened his heart,” and made him incapable of freeing the Jews, then how was it possible to punish him afterward? But this is answered earlier, in parshat Va’era, when G-d first tells Moshe that He will harden Pharoah’s heart (Ex. 7:3). There, Rashi explains, “Since Pharoah campaigned and acted wicked against me, to Me it is clear that none of the nations of the earth intend to return to Me with a complete heart. Therefore, it is appropriate to harden his heart in order to multiply my miraclesŔ That is, at first Pharoah had free choice. It was only when he openly rebelled and rejected G-d’s influence that he was punished by having his free choice removed. This was an appropriate punishment; corresponding to his statement that “Who is G-d that I should listen to His voice,” he was made to understand that he had no choice, and no matter what he wanted, he would have to do what G-d intended.

Now, it is also understood why precisely regarding this plague, Pharoah’s servants said to him, “How long will he be a problem for us…do you fail to realize that Egypt is destroyed?” Pharoah readily agreed with them, and called Moshe and Aharon back. Still, in reality, he was unable to bring himself to free the Jews. Why by no other plague do we find that even before the plague occurred, Pharoah was ready (but unable) to back down? But in reality, this is the reason; it was at this point in the process that G-d wished to make it clear that He was simply playing with Pharoah. Therefore, already by Moshe’s warning, G-d made it clear that Pharoah was a joke and had no control over his own decisions. Even Pharoah, like his servants and advisors, knew that Egypt was lost. And he wanted to respond appropriately to his servants’ claim and yet, he was unable to bring himself to let the Jews go, because “I hardened his heart.”

It emerges, then that the ridiculing of Pharoah took place in two ways: Number one, at the time of the plague itself, it became clear that Pharoah wanted to free the Jews but was unable to do so, because G-d was “playing” with him by taking away his free will. And two, even earlier at the time of warning, it was also clear that G-d was playing with him, because he hardened his heart at the same time that he warned Pharoah that he was about to receive a plague.

The Shem miShmuel, a twentieth century Chassidic rebbe in Poland, pointed out that the first seven plagues all occurred in last week’s parsha, Va’era, and the final three occur in our parsha. He divides the two sets of plagues as corresponding to the seven midot (emotional attributes of the soul) and the three mochin (intellectual attributes). If so, the plague of locusts is the first of the three that correspond to the intellect, and it makes sense that the Torah should give a reason for the plague. Since this is the first of the plagues that corresponds to intellect, it is necessary for it to have a logical reason. Even if the reason is “in order to ridicule Pharoah,” it is enough to let us know that all of the plagues occurred for that reason, in order to “play with Egypt” and demonstrate that Pharoah had no free choice.

And in our own personal lives, we need to know that a similar loss of free choice may occur if we rebel (G-d forbid) against the will of G-d. It is reasonable to ask questions, and it is reasonable to have doubts, but ultimately we are obligated to follow G-d’s will as expressed in the six hundred and thirteen commandments of the Torah. If we don’t, G-d still gives us opportunities to do tshuva and return to Him. However, if we persist in ignoring those opportunities, denying His presence in our lives even as He tries to intervene in the best possible way, He may “close the door on us.” In Torah, this is called tuma, meaning “spiritually impure” and therefore sealed off. This is the condition of inability to connect with the One above. It occurs when we “seal our own fate” by rejecting the spiritual “lifeline” that He sends us, so that ultimately He cuts off the connection. Even so, it is always possible (if more difficult) to do tshuva and bring Him back into our lives. He makes it appear as if we have no choice, and we are unable to connect with Him. But, in reality, we always have free choice, and just as Pharoah, if he would have struggled mightily, could have done tshuva and conformed with the ways of G-d, so we always have the opportunity. The only question is the level of difficulty; when we rebel, He makes it harder, whereas if we humbly put aside our own hubris and make room for His presence, we can begin to feel it in our lives as well. When enough of us do so, and there is a “critical mass” of Jews who fulfill the six hudred and thirteen mitzvot of the Torah, that is what will bring the meshiach (Jewish messiah) and the building of the third Temple.

From Likutei Sichot of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, ztz’l, vol. 6, pp. 57-68 Rabbi David Sterne, Jerusalem Connection in the old city of Jerusalem