Our parsha, parshat Bo contains the last three plagues: Locusts, Darkness, and the dying of the First Born. In what ways do they represent a turning point in the Exodus story?
Some of Pharaoh's Earlier Reactions:
When Moshe and Aharon first approach Pharaoh:
(ב) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֔ה מִ֤י ה' אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶשְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹל֔וֹ לְשַׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לֹ֤א יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶת־ה' וְגַ֥ם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֹ֥א אֲשַׁלֵּֽחַ׃
(2) But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD that I should heed Him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.”
(ד) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לָ֚מָּה מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאַהֲרֹ֔ן תַּפְרִ֥יעוּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם מִמַּֽעֲשָׂ֑יו לְכ֖וּ לְסִבְלֹתֵיכֶֽם׃
(4) But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you distract the people from their tasks? Get to your labors!”
After the plague of frogs:
(יא) וַיַּ֣רְא פַּרְעֹ֗ה כִּ֤י הָֽיְתָה֙ הָֽרְוָחָ֔ה וְהַכְבֵּד֙ אֶת־לִבּ֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א שָׁמַ֖ע אֲלֵהֶ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר ה'׃ {ס}
(11) But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he became stubborn and would not heed them, as the LORD had spoken.
After the plague of lice:
וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ הַֽחַרְטֻמִּם֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה אֶצְבַּ֥ע אֱלֹקִ֖ים הִ֑וא וַיֶּחֱזַ֤ק לֵב־פַּרְעֹה֙ וְלֹֽא־שָׁמַ֣ע אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר ה'׃ {ס}
and the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God!” But Pharaoh’s heart stiffened and he would not heed them, as the LORD had spoken.
Dr. Shani Tzoref, Professor of Hebrew Bible:
"The Abarbanel, a 15th century commentator notes that Pharaoh's reaction to Arbeh is different than before. It marks the first time that Pharoah begins to talk about releasing the Israelites. Up to the devastating and lethal plague of Barad, there was no consideration of acceding to Moshe's demands in the name of Hashem. In Exod 9:28, to get relief from the hail, Pharoah said he will do it, but then immediately retracted upon relief. When he is warned about the locusts in our parshat Bo, Pharoah begins to bargain (10:10)-- who will go. There is no longer a non-negotiable defiant No, or silence, on the question of "whether" but a discourse about the "how", however sincere or otherwise that discourse might be."
"The Abarbanel, a 15th century commentator notes that Pharaoh's reaction to Arbeh is different than before. It marks the first time that Pharoah begins to talk about releasing the Israelites. Up to the devastating and lethal plague of Barad, there was no consideration of acceding to Moshe's demands in the name of Hashem. In Exod 9:28, to get relief from the hail, Pharoah said he will do it, but then immediately retracted upon relief. When he is warned about the locusts in our parshat Bo, Pharoah begins to bargain (10:10)-- who will go. There is no longer a non-negotiable defiant No, or silence, on the question of "whether" but a discourse about the "how", however sincere or otherwise that discourse might be."
After locusrs:
וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ עַבְדֵ֨י פַרְעֹ֜ה אֵלָ֗יו עַד־מָתַי֙ יִהְיֶ֨ה זֶ֥ה לָ֙נוּ֙ לְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ שַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים וְיַֽעַבְד֖וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם הֲטֶ֣רֶם תֵּדַ֔ע כִּ֥י אָבְדָ֖ה מִצְרָֽיִם׃
Pharaoh’s courtiers said to him, “How long shall this one be a snare to us? Let the men go to worship the LORD their God! Are you not yet aware that Egypt is lost?”
וַיּוּשַׁ֞ב אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאֶֽת־אַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לְכ֥וּ עִבְד֖וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם מִ֥י וָמִ֖י הַהֹלְכִֽים׃
So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh and he said to them, “Go, worship the LORD your God! Who are the ones to go?”
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה בִּנְעָרֵ֥ינוּ וּבִזְקֵנֵ֖ינוּ נֵלֵ֑ךְ בְּבָנֵ֨ינוּ וּבִבְנוֹתֵ֜נוּ בְּצֹאנֵ֤נוּ וּבִבְקָרֵ֙נוּ֙ נֵלֵ֔ךְ כִּ֥י חַג־יְהֹוָ֖ה לָֽנוּ׃
Moses replied, “We will all go, young and old: we will go with our sons and daughters, our flocks and herds; for we must observe the LORD’s festival.”
After darkness:
וַיִּקְרָ֨א פַרְעֹ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לְכוּ֙ עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֔ה רַ֛ק צֹאנְכֶ֥ם וּבְקַרְכֶ֖ם יֻצָּ֑ג גַּֽם־טַפְּכֶ֖ם יֵלֵ֥ךְ עִמָּכֶֽם׃
Pharaoh then summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the LORD! Only your flocks and your herds shall be left behind; even your chil
dren may go with you.”
dren may go with you.”
Pharaoh's inability to open up to change, before now:
Dr. Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, in The Particulars of Rapture. “To hear is to open oneself up to vulnerability, change, contingency.” Pharoah the hard-hearted cannot consider even the idea of change, so he refuses to hear out Moses. Pharoah afflicts his Israelite slaves with the same deafness, by making their lives so hard that they cannot stop and listen to any revolutionary ideas. Thus Egypt, which in Hebrew is called Mitzrayim, “Narrow Places”, is the place of constriction for both master and slave. It is the place where people are stunted, cut short—“kotzer”—from the freedom of thought that make us human.
Dr. Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, in The Particulars of Rapture. “To hear is to open oneself up to vulnerability, change, contingency.” Pharoah the hard-hearted cannot consider even the idea of change, so he refuses to hear out Moses. Pharoah afflicts his Israelite slaves with the same deafness, by making their lives so hard that they cannot stop and listen to any revolutionary ideas. Thus Egypt, which in Hebrew is called Mitzrayim, “Narrow Places”, is the place of constriction for both master and slave. It is the place where people are stunted, cut short—“kotzer”—from the freedom of thought that make us human.