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Why did Moshe change Hashem (ה׳)'s precise timing for Makas Bechoros from 'at midnight' to 'around midnight,' yet wasn't concerned when more Egyptians died than expected? The shiur reveals that chatzos represents a metaphysical 'non-time' beyond temporal measurement, necessary because this plague constituted the actual creation of Klal Yisrael. Precision about timing mattered because it distinguished divine transcendence from human action, while the number of deaths was merely a question of scope.
The shiur begins with a fundamental question from the Gemara (גמרא) Berachos regarding Makas Bechoros. When Hashem (ה׳) told Moshe that the plague would occur 'bah chatzos' (at midnight), Moshe changed it to 'kah chatzos' (approximately midnight) to prevent Pharaoh's astrologers from potentially miscalculating the exact time and declaring 'Moshe badai hu' (Moshe is a liar). Rabbeinu Bechaye asks how Moshe could change Hashem's precise words. The answer involves understanding that the Kiddush Hashem established through the earlier plagues - when the Egyptian magicians declared 'etzba Elokim hi' after being unable to replicate the plague of lice - would be retroactively cancelled if they thought Moshe was inaccurate about the timing.
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Parshas Bo - Makas Bechoros
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