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Why were there two distinct three-day periods in the plague of darkness? The shiur develops the thesis that the first three days represented the removal of sunlight, while the second three days introduced the primordial darkness—total separation from God's presence. This explains Pharaoh's audacious post-plague declaration that Moshe would die if he saw his face again: having survived total disconnection from God, Pharaoh experienced a delusion of deity-level invincibility.
The shiur opens by examining the unusual language in Parshas Bo describing Makas Choshech. The Torah (תורה) first warns there will be darkness (choshech) and then describes it as "choshech afeila"—thick darkness. The pasuk states there were three days of darkness, yet Rashi (רש"י) explains there were actually six days: three days where Egyptians couldn't see each other, followed by three days where they couldn't move from their places. This raises fundamental questions about the structure of the plague. Rabbi Zweig explores the textual difficulty: why does the pasuk say "sheloshes yamim" (three days) twice? The text should logically describe the darkness first, then state its duration, rather than mentioning three days and then defining the nature of the darkness afterward. Additionally, the instruction "neteh yadcha al hashamayim" (stretch your hand over the heavens) is puzzling—the phrase "al hashamayim" suggests elevation above the heavens, which Rashi interprets as Moshe being lifted above the clouds.
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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.
Shemos, Parshas Bo
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