דע שיכולין לצעוק בקול דממה דקה
צעקה כל כך גדולה ואיש לא ישמע
דע שיכולין לצעוק בקול דממה דקה
צעקה כל כך גדולה ואיש לא ישמע
דע שיכולין לצעוק בקול דממה דקה
צעקה כל כך גדולה ואיש לא ישמע
דע שיכולין לצעוק בקול דממה דקה
צעקה כל כך גדולה ואיש לא ישמע
דע…
צעקה…
בקול דממה דקה
דע…
צעקה…
ואיש לא ישמע
Tzaakah by Mordechai Ben David Lyrics
Know that scream can be extracted in sheer silence
A scream so loud - and no one would hear.
Know that scream can be extracted in sheer silence
A scream so loud - and no one would hear.
Know that scream can be extracted in sheer silence
A scream so loud - and no one would hear.
Know that scream can be extracted in sheer silence
A scream so loud - and no one would hear.
Know...
Scream...
In sheer silence
Know...
Scream...
And no one would hear.
(ד) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֑ה כַּחֲצֹ֣ת הַלַּ֔יְלָה אֲנִ֥י יוֹצֵ֖א בְּת֥וֹךְ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (ה) וּמֵ֣ת כׇּל־בְּכוֹר֮ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֒יִם֒ מִבְּכ֤וֹר פַּרְעֹה֙ הַיֹּשֵׁ֣ב עַל־כִּסְא֔וֹ עַ֚ד בְּכ֣וֹר הַשִּׁפְחָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר אַחַ֣ר הָרֵחָ֑יִם וְכֹ֖ל בְּכ֥וֹר בְּהֵמָֽה׃ (ו) וְהָ֥יְתָ֛ה צְעָקָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה בְּכׇל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֤ר כָּמֹ֙הוּ֙ לֹ֣א נִהְיָ֔תָה וְכָמֹ֖הוּ לֹ֥א תֹסִֽף׃ (ז) וּלְכֹ֣ל ׀ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹ֤א יֶֽחֱרַץ־כֶּ֙לֶב֙ לְשֹׁנ֔וֹ לְמֵאִ֖ישׁ וְעַד־בְּהֵמָ֑ה לְמַ֙עַן֙ תֵּֽדְע֔וּן אֲשֶׁר֙ יַפְלֶ֣ה יְהֹוָ֔ה בֵּ֥ין מִצְרַ֖יִם וּבֵ֥ין יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(4) Moses said, “Thus says יהוה: Toward midnight I will go forth among the Egyptians, (5) and every [male] first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the first-born of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; and all the first-born of the cattle. (6) And there shall be a loud cry in all the land of Egypt, such as has never been or will ever be again; (7) but not a dog shall snarl at any of the Israelites, at human or beast—in order that you may know that יהוה makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.
(ל) וַיָּ֨קׇם פַּרְעֹ֜ה לַ֗יְלָה ה֤וּא וְכׇל־עֲבָדָיו֙ וְכׇל־מִצְרַ֔יִם וַתְּהִ֛י צְעָקָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־אֵ֣ין בַּ֔יִת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־שָׁ֖ם מֵֽת׃
(30) And Pharaoh arose in the night, with all his courtiers and all the Egyptians—because there was a loud cry in Egypt; for there was no house where there was not someone dead.
(ז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהֹוָ֔ה רָאֹ֥ה רָאִ֛יתִי אֶת־עֳנִ֥י עַמִּ֖י אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וְאֶת־צַעֲקָתָ֤ם שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י נֹֽגְשָׂ֔יו כִּ֥י יָדַ֖עְתִּי אֶת־מַכְאֹבָֽיו׃
(7) And יהוה continued, “I have marked well the plight of My people in Egypt and have heeded their cry because of their taskmasters; yes, I am mindful of their sufferings.
Questions:
1. Who is impacted by the 10th plague? Who suffers? Who is included and excluded?
2. According to Ex. 11:7, what is the purpose of this plague? Why do you think that is?
3. Ex. 3:7 describes the suffering of the Israelite slaves with similar language. What is God's attitude toward them?
4. According to the text, how does the suffering of the Egyptians viewed in comparison to that of the Israelites?
בִּקְּשׁוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת לוֹמַר שִׁירָה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי טוֹבְעִין בַּיָּם, וְאַתֶּם אוֹמְרִים שִׁירָה?
(Exodus 14:20)The ministering angels wanted to sing their song, but the Holy One, Blessed be God, said: The work of My hands, the Egyptians, are drowning at sea, and you wish to say songs?
1. How might we build on biblical and rabbinic interpretations to understand suffering in our world today?
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said:
"In a free society, not all are guilty, but all are responsible."
1. Who is responsible? Who is guilty? Should all Egyptians have suffered? What about the slaves and the beasts?
According to the biblical text, the suffering of Egyptians is justified in order to set apart the Israelites and demonstrate God's glory. But like the Talmudic rabbis, we have the power and responsibility in our own day and age to reinterpret and feel empathy for ALL suffering.
(if time) -- write a poem on tza'akah gedolah