And you will know that I am the Lord your God – Yonatan Lavi

When reading about the Ten Plagues in Egypt, we are all amazed at the miracles that Hashem made for His people. But none of us are amazed at the dramatic event that happened this morning – the sun rising in the sky! Habit has made us unappreciative of nature around us, but we must know that even what seems the most trivial to us should not be taken for granted. The sun rises and sets every day only because this is the will of Hashem. And if He decides that things should be different – so they will be.

Chazal say (Avot, 5:1) that the world was created with ten statements – but the truth is that those statements that formed global reality, continue to uphold the world at every given moment. Creation in not a one time event that occurred many years ago, but the Divine existence that occurs every second of the day – המחדש בטובו בכל יום תמיד מעשה בראשית. The Act of Creation is renewed every day and when Hashem decides to take it back – creation will cease to exist.

Human beings do not feel this truth and believe that life continues naturally. Habit makes us blind to the Ten Statements that are the foundation of the world. The word עולם – the world – is from the same root as העלם – unseen, covered. Hashem seems to be hidden from us, making us wonder who created the world. Reality might, therefore, confuse man and make him think that he is the master of this world, without a God who is controlling our existence, without the Ten Statements that renew reality every day.

For human beings to recognize the Creator of the Universe, Hashem acted with kindness towards us and appeared to man at special times.
Those Divine revelations throughout history prove to us that Hashem exists and help us understand that even though we cannot see Him, He is the one is gives us life and rules over the entire world.

The Ten Plagues in Egypt are the Divine revelation that teach us about Hashem’s existence and His control over the world. Thus the Ten Plagues connect us with the Ten Statements – with the Creator of the Universe.
This way we learn about Hashem’s commandment to Moshe (Shemot, 10:1-2):”בֹּא אֶל פַּרְעֹה, כִּי אֲנִי הִכְבַּדְתִּי אֶת לִבּוֹ וְאֶת לֵב עֲבָדָיו – לְמַעַן שִׁתִי אֹתֹתַי אֵלֶּה בְּקִרְבּוֹ. וּלְמַעַן תְּסַפֵּר בְּאָזְנֵי בִנְךָ, וּבֶן בִּנְךָ, אֵת אֲשֶׁר הִתְעַלַּלְתִּי בְּמִצְרַיִם, וְאֶת אֹתֹתַי אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי בָם – וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי ה'”.
Hashem does not need the Ten Plagues in order to bring Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt, because if he wanted, he could have done so without any preparations. There is a clear purpose for the Ten Plagues: to show humanity that the world is not independent of any other force, but Hashem created it in the past and keeps it in the present.

The Plagues show us that if Hashem decides to change reality, everything that has seemed natural until now will change without being recognized. Water changes to blood, frogs, wild beasts and locusts are spread throughout Egypt, strange diseases attack man, unnatural hail falls from the sky, day changes to night, etc.
Already on the first time that Moshe goes to Pharaoh, he informs him that the Children of Israel would leave Egypt only after the death of the first born – וָאֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ: שַׁלַּח אֶת בְּנִי – וְיַעַבְדֵנִי, וַתְּמָאֵן לְשַׁלְּחוֹ – הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הֹרֵג אֶת בִּנְךָ בְּכֹרֶךָ (ibid, 4:22-23). If Pharaoh knew from the beginning that Bnei Yisrael would leave only after the killing of the first born, it is clear that the message of the plagues were not meant to convince Pharoah to release Bnei Yisrael but rather to prove to the world who is the Master of the Universe, that nature must not be taken for granted.

The Ten Statements are Hashem’s first revelation to man, proving the existence of the world and the Ten Plagues are Hashem’s second revelation, proving the first to man. The Ten Plagues teach us who made the Ten Statements. The fact that we have a creator of the universe proves that there is purpose to this world, otherwise there would have been no reason for the creation or for keeping this world going. If there is a purpose, what it is and who can a person reach it.

Here we bring the third revelation of Hashem – Giving the Torah and the Ten Commandments, which include all the mitzvot. The Ten Statements show us the purpose of creation, forcing all human beings to recognize Hashem and strive to becoming closer to him. This purpose can be realized only through Bnei Yisrael, when they live in their country – being independent in all areas of life – while keeping Torah and mitzvot.

Hashem brought Benei Yisrael out of Egypt in order to receive the Torah and keep its commandments in order to help everyone reach the purpose of creation.
Taken from Rav Druckman’s talk, in honor of Asaf Lavie’s Bar Mitzvah
Shabbat Shalom!