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Why did Pharaoh refuse to release the Jews for just three days when it cost him so dearly? The struggle between God and Pharaoh was never about losing the Jewish workforce—it was a battle over who was in control. The shiur develops the principle that control issues, not rational concerns, drive human conflict, and applies this insight to marriage, parenting, and self-discipline.
Rabbi Zweig opens with a fundamental question that challenges childhood assumptions: Why did Pharaoh continue to resist God despite witnessing the plagues, and why did Moshe remove each plague before ensuring the Jews' release? The conventional reading—that this was about freeing slaves—misses the deeper dynamic at play. The core insight is that the entire narrative of the Exodus plagues centers on control, not practical outcomes. Pharaoh wasn't actually concerned about losing the Jewish workforce for three days (which is all Moshe requested). The economic cost of the plagues far exceeded any loss from a brief absence. Rather, Pharaoh was fighting against submitting to an external will. When God commands through Moshe, Pharaoh experiences this as a total takeover of his autonomy—regardless of the reasonableness of the request itself.
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Parshas Bo - Exodus plagues narrative
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