This sheet on Exodus 11 was written by Ilana Kurshan for 929 and can also be found here
Said God to Moses: “I’ll send one more plague
First tell the people: Borrow silver, gold—
By ‘borrow’ I mean ‘steal’ but keep it vague
I’ll make sure the Egyptians won’t withhold.”
Said God: “At about midnight I’ll go out
And kill every Egyptian who’s first-born
From all the land you’ll hear a cry, a shout
As mothers weep for children dead, forlorn.”
“But not a dog shall whet its doggy tongue”
Said Moses. “You will all fear for your life
Egyptians servants, with their faces hung
Will bow to me,” he said and left with strife.
God knew the slaves at some point would depart
But first He chose to harden Pharaoh’s heart.
First tell the people: Borrow silver, gold—
By ‘borrow’ I mean ‘steal’ but keep it vague
I’ll make sure the Egyptians won’t withhold.”
Said God: “At about midnight I’ll go out
And kill every Egyptian who’s first-born
From all the land you’ll hear a cry, a shout
As mothers weep for children dead, forlorn.”
“But not a dog shall whet its doggy tongue”
Said Moses. “You will all fear for your life
Egyptians servants, with their faces hung
Will bow to me,” he said and left with strife.
God knew the slaves at some point would depart
But first He chose to harden Pharaoh’s heart.
(א) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה ע֣וֹד נֶ֤גַע אֶחָד֙ אָבִ֤יא עַל־פַּרְעֹה֙ וְעַל־מִצְרַ֔יִם אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֕ן יְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִזֶּ֑ה כְּשַׁ֨לְּח֔וֹ כָּלָ֕ה גָּרֵ֛שׁ יְגָרֵ֥שׁ אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִזֶּֽה׃
(1) And the LORD said to Moses, “I will bring but one more plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; after that he shall let you go from here; indeed, when he lets you go, he will drive you out of here one and all.
Ilana Kurshan is the author of If All the Seas Were Ink, winner of the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature.
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