Our Strength Is Standing Tall

And G-d said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, Take your rod, and stretch out your hand on the waters of Egypt, on their streams, on their rivers, and on their ponds, and on all their gatherings of water, and they will become blood; and there will be blood in the entire land of Egypt, in both utensils of wood and stone. (Shemoth 7:19)

The question is, why was the first plague blood?

Rabbenu the Hida writes (Geullath Olam Haggadah) that one of the gods of the Egyptians, as we are aware, was the sheep (טלה). They were relying on their god to smite the Children of Israel. The Gematria of the word טלה, is 44. The Gematria of the word דם, is also 44. This explains why the first plaque was that of blood.

The Ohr Hahayim Haqqadosh comments that the Nile, which as we know was the god of Egypt, even more so than the sheep, was struck by Aharon Hakkohen, ’a”h, and in connection with this plague it says: בְּזֹ֣את תֵּדַ֔ע כִּ֖י אֲנִ֣י ה', through this you will know that I am G-d
(ibid 17).

The reason is that when Aharon Hakkohen, the servant of G-d, struck the Nile, he proved to everyone that G-d, who was the Creator of the river, can change its entity based on His will. If He decides that it should become blood, it will become blood. That is why the ineffable Name of G-d, the Tetragramaton or Shem Hawaya is used, because it implies that G-d was, is and always will be. Everything that exists in the world came into being through His utterance.

So one thing that becomes clear, in the fact that G-d first punished the gods of the Egyptians, is that it was done to show that there was absolutely no substance to them at all.

In Od Yosef Hai, Hakham Yosef Hayyim speaks about why the first plague was specifically with water. The reason is to teach Moshe Rabbenu not to be afraid of Pharaoh, who was the source of the Sitra Ahara (the impure side), but rather to come and speak to him firmly and smite him with force. That is how he would put Pharaoh firmly underfoot. If he did not do this, Pharaoh would prevail, Heaven forbid.

This can be easily understood if we draw a comparison to water and air. Water has substance, but air has none. You cannot hold air in your hand. You cannot even see it. Water, on the other hand, you can feel, you can touch, you can fill bottles with it and take it with you. Nevertheless, when air is on top, it can push away the water. If we would take a bowl or container and invert it over water, even if we would push it down in that manner, to the depths of the sea, the water would not enter the bowl and the bowl would contain all the air that was in it to begin with. If, on the other hand, we would keep the bowl upright, as soon as we submerge it, the water would rush inside, pushing away the air.

This is what our Rabbis of blessed memory, in their great wisdom, understood in the matter of immersing utensils. If one immerses a bowl upside down, the immersion is invalid, because the water does not push away the air and the inside of the bowl remains bone dry.

If, therefore, the Jewish people keep themselves on top and do not bow down to the nations of the world, the nations of the world will never be able to overcome them. Just like the air pushes away the water when the air is on top, so too the Jewish people would rebuff any nation that comes against us.

When G-d instructed Moshe Rabbenu to do the first plague with water, he taught him this important and precious principle: that the water is symbolic of the enemies of the enemies of the Jewish people. If the Jewish people remain above them and do not bend before them, they will have no dominion over us. If, G-d forbid, we would bend, then we would lose.

This is an important lesson, not just to Moshe Rabbenu but also for all of us. There are those who feel that submission before the nations of the world is the best recipe for survival. History has shown us that it is a recipe for disaster.

There is a story about the Rambam (Maimonides), at the time when he lived in Fez, Morocco. The Jews were forbidden to perform the commandment of Lulav and Etrog in public. As a result, all the stalls in the marketplace, which in the past would display and sell all the four species, could not be put erected, and they had to sell them in private.

The exception to the rule was the Rambam. In view of the fact that he was highly respected and revered, he was permitted to do so in public. One day during Sukkoth, the Rambam left his synagogue holding the Lulav and Etrog and he came across the King of Morocco, who was passing by. The King asked him why he was carrying a branch in his hand “like a fool,” to which the Rambam responded that this was a commandment from G-d and it is important to us to fulfill His commandments.

We must be firm in our beliefs and our religion. We must, as I have mentioned many times before, be respectful and grateful to the nations among whom we live- this is not what we are speaking about. But when it comes to our religion and our ways, we must not bow down to anybody, because G-d showed Moshe Rabbenu that our strength is standing tall.

Rabbi Ya’aqob Menashe is a renowned author and lecturer, whose Shiurim continue to inspire thousands around the world. Many can be seen at www.NonstopTorah.com. His daily Torah Minutes are eagerly anticipated by thousands every morning. They can be seen at www.ATorahMinute.com. Rabbi Menashe is the spiritual leader of Midrash BEN ISH HAI. More information is available at the Midrash website,
www. Midrash.org.