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Did the Nile actually turn to blood during Makas Dam, or did it remain water that tasted like blood only to Egyptians? The death of the fish reveals that the water truly became blood—yet every time a Jew drank, a miracle occurred converting it back to water. Rashi (רש"י)'s language about "curing the Ye'or" proves the transformation was real, not perceptual.
The shiur analyzes a fundamental question about Makas Dam: when Hashem (ה׳) transformed the Nile to blood, was this a real physical transformation or a perceptual change affecting only Egyptians? The Torah (תורה) states that the water would become blood, the fish would die, and the Ye'or would stink. Rabbi Zweig notes this seems redundant—if water becomes blood, obviously fish will die. Why does the Torah need to state this explicitly? The answer depends on understanding what actually happened to the water. There are two possibilities: either the water didn't really become blood but only appeared/tasted like blood to Egyptians (while remaining water for Jews), or it truly became blood, requiring a miracle for Jews to drink it. If the water remained water and only affected Egyptians perceptually, there would be no reason for the fish to die—they would continue living in actual water. Therefore, the Torah's explicit statement that fish would die becomes necessary as a separate punishment, not merely a consequence.
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Shemos 7:18, Parshas Vaeira
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