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Why did Jews need blood on their doorposts to be saved during Makas Bechoros when foreign captives in Egypt were spared without any merit? Rashi (רש"י)'s distinction reveals that Jews had descended to the forty-ninth level of tumah by identifying primarily as Egyptians. Only those who maintained Jewish identity—through bris milah and seeing themselves as Jews first—merited salvation.
This shiur explores a fundamental question arising from Rashi (רש"י)'s commentary on Makas Bechoros (the plague of the firstborn). Rashi explains that foreign captives (shevuyim) who were imprisoned in Egypt also had their firstborn killed, even though they played no role in enslaving the Jewish people. The reason given is that otherwise these foreigners would attribute the plague to their own gods rather than recognizing Hashem (ה׳)'s hand. Rabbi Zweig identifies a striking contradiction: If the Egyptian captors could differentiate between foreigners who deserved to live and those who should be killed, why would any Jew have been killed at all? The Jews themselves did not participate in enslaving their fellow Jews. Just as foreigners needed a specific reason to be included in the decree (lest they attribute it to their gods), Jews should have been automatically excluded. Yet we know Jews required the merit of placing blood on their doorposts to be saved. Without this protective sign, they would have been killed. Why should Jews need merit when foreigners apparently didn't?
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Parshas Bo - Makas Bechoros
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Why didn't Noach daven for his generation while Avrohom advocated for Sedom? Noach viewed each person as an independent island responsible only for their own teshuvah. Avrohom understood that all humanity is interconnected through shared perspective and values, making prayer for others both possible and necessary.
