Turning the Plagues into Blessings
The ten plagues brought horrendous destruction to the people of Egypt. While we celebrate the role that they played in helping us achieve freedom, we must also acknowledge the devastation that they caused. While it is difficult to comprehend this juxtaposition at our seder table, it is important to acknowledge both the good and the bad. In order to do so, let's find more ways to turn the negativity of the plagues into positives for our world:
Dam, blood. Give a pint of blood before or right after Pesach. There are few, if any, greater acts of tzedakah.
Tzfardea, frog. Singular not plural. The Rabbis say that one frog came up and called the others to join him in destroying the land of Egypt. Let each of us be an influence for constructive rather than destructive acts and get others to join us.
Kinim, lice. The word kinim is spelled like the word ken, “yes”. Let us say “yes” when asked for help from someone, rather than a knee jerk “no”.
Arov, wild animals. Let us spend a little extra time with the animals living under our roofs and show concern for endangered species throughout the world.
Dever, cattle disease. A little less meat maybe at the Seder, a little more healthful eating in the year to come.
Shchin, boils. Boils should remind us of heat. Let us seriously recognize the dangers of global warming and do what we can to reduce our energy use.
Barad, hail. The Rabbis claimed that the hail stones which hit Egypt contained fire within them … nes bitoch nes they claimed, a miracle inside a miracle. Let us treat life like the miracle it is and see to elevate the holiness of our lives through an appreciation for the world we live in.
Arbeh, locusts. Let us reach out our hands beyond our own walls and join in a community which can be a swarm of people acting for the good of all.
Hosech, darkness. The Torah is called Or, light. Let us commit ourselves to Torah study to bring light to the darkened corners of our lives and our world.
And finally makat bichorot, the 10th plague. Let us take steps to see that all of our children in this nation and throughout the world are cared for, protected and loved. Let no child go without health care, no child go to bed hungry, no child, anywhere be denied the opportunity to grow in health and in freedom.
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