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Why did Pharaoh chase the Jews after witnessing the ten plagues, risking total destruction just to reclaim loaned property? The shiur argues that Pharaoh's entire strategy—from the initial soft-sell enslavement to the post-Exodus pursuit—was driven by manipulating the Egyptians' anger at themselves for their own foolish decisions. This reveals a fundamental principle: how people feel about themselves shapes their relationships and choices far more than external circumstances.
Rabbi Zweig addresses three interconnected questions from Parshas Beshalach and the earlier narrative of Egyptian slavery. First, Rashi (רש"י) explains that Pharaoh motivated the Egyptians to pursue the Jews by reminding them of the money they had lent Israel. But why would the Egyptians risk their lives over money when they had just witnessed the devastating plague of the firstborn and had lost the far more valuable asset of three million slaves? The money itself seems trivial compared to these losses. Second, in Parshas Vaera, the Torah (תורה) describes the plague of frogs using both singular and plural forms. Rabbi Akiva explains that one frog emerged, and when the Egyptians struck it, swarms of frogs emerged from it—essentially millions of virgin births. Rabbi Eliezer ben Azarya challenged this interpretation, suggesting instead that Hashem (ה׳) gathered frogs from around the world. The question is fundamental: why would Hashem create such an elaborate miracle of continuous virgin births when simply gathering existing frogs would accomplish the same goal? The Rambam (רמב"ם) teaches that miracles must have purpose, not merely demonstrate divine power.
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Parshas Beshalach 14:5, Parshas Vaera (plague of frogs), Parshas Shemos (enslavement)
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