Learning from Locusts: A Dvar Torah Comic and Pesach Zine

ByEstee Ellis

Dvar Torah Comics

Discussion Questions:

What kinds of stories or collective memories endure?
- Are some stories easier to tell than others?
- Is the neatness of a narrative reflective of its truth and/or significance?
- How do we tell the stories of our own fallibility?
How do we come to terms with being given the same punishment as our oppressors?
Who is being afflicted on pp. 3-4? Does your understanding of the image change based on whom you consider the subject?
Why are the locusts in Shemot and Yoel framed as singularly catastrophic events when the two stories share such striking similarities?
- What is the effect of invoking another exceptional disaster?
- What does it mean for a horrific event to be unrepeatable?
What else are we instructed to remember? How are different texts or traditions in conversation?

Thank you to Alona Bach, Jennifer Greenberg, Sofia Freudenstein, Morey Ellis, Reed Richards, Tadhg Cleary, Jasmine Peled-Schwartz, and the South Philadelphia Shtiebel 929 learning group for the opportunity to develop and refine these ideas.

Special thanks to Morey Ellis, Sofia Freudenstein, and Jennifer Greenberg for contributions to the discussion questions.

View the Dvar Torah Comic below or on instagram.

To print a copy for an 8-page zine, use this file for A3 paper: https://tinyurl.com/Locusts-A3-C

Then follow these folding instructions: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Zine

You can also read and print each page from this PDF: https://tinyurl.com/Locusts-Pages-C

To access the script for easier reading and image descriptions, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/Learning-from-Locusts-Script

שמות י׳:י״ד

(יד) וַיַּ֣עַל הָֽאַרְבֶּ֗ה עַ֚ל כׇּל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיָּ֕נַח בְּכֹ֖ל גְּב֣וּל מִצְרָ֑יִם כָּבֵ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד לְ֠פָנָ֠יו לֹא־הָ֨יָה כֵ֤ן אַרְבֶּה֙ כָּמֹ֔הוּ וְאַחֲרָ֖יו לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־כֵּֽן׃

Exodus 10:14

(14) Locusts invaded all the land of Egypt and settled within all the territory of Egypt in a thick mass; never before had there been so many, nor will there ever be so many again.

יואל ב׳:ב׳

(ב) י֧וֹם חֹ֣שֶׁךְ וַאֲפֵלָ֗ה י֤וֹם עָנָן֙ וַעֲרָפֶ֔ל כְּשַׁ֖חַר פָּרֻ֣שׂ עַל־הֶֽהָרִ֑ים עַ֚ם רַ֣ב וְעָצ֔וּם כָּמֹ֗הוּ לֹ֤א נִֽהְיָה֙ מִן־הָ֣עוֹלָ֔ם וְאַֽחֲרָיו֙ לֹ֣א יוֹסֵ֔ף עַד־שְׁנֵ֖י דּ֥וֹר וָדֽוֹר׃

Joel 2:2

(2) A day of darkness and gloom,
A day of densest cloud
Spread like soot over the hills.
A vast, enormous horde—
Nothing like it has ever happened,
And it shall never happen again
Through the years and ages.

רש"י על שמות י׳:י״ד

(א) ואחריו לא יהיה כן. וְאוֹתוֹ שֶׁהָיָה בִימֵי יוֹאֵל שֶׁנֶּ' "כָּמוֹהוּ לֹא נִהְיָה מִן הָעוֹלָם" (יואל ב'), לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁהָיָה כָּבֵד מִשֶּׁל מֹשֶׁה. (אוֹתוֹ שֶׁל יוֹאֵל הָיָה) עַ"יְ מִינִין הַרְבֵּה, שֶׁהָיוּ יַחַד אַרְבֶּה, יֶלֶק, חָסִיל, גָּזָם, אֲבָל שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה לֹא הָיָה אֶלָּא מִין אֶחָד, וְכָמוֹהוּ לֹא הָיָה וְלֹא יִהְיֶה:

Rashi on Exodus 10:14

(1) ואחריו לא יהיה כן NEITHER AFTER THEM SHALL BE SUCH — That plague of locusts which happened during the days of Joel of which it is said, (Joel 2:2) “there hath not been ever the like” — which statement teaches us that it was more grievous than that in the days of Moses — was, however, caused by many species of locusts, together, those called ארבה and ילק and חסיל and גזם; but that which happened in the days of Moses consisted of only one species (the ארבה) and any ארבה like that there never was and never will be.

שמות י׳:ב׳

(ב) וּלְמַ֡עַן תְּסַפֵּר֩ בְּאׇזְנֵ֨י בִנְךָ֜ וּבֶן־בִּנְךָ֗ אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִתְעַלַּ֙לְתִּי֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם וְאֶת־אֹתֹתַ֖י אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי בָ֑ם וִֽידַעְתֶּ֖ם כִּי־אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃

Exodus 10:2

(2) and that you may recount in the hearing of your child and of your child’s child how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I displayed My signs among them—in order that you may know that I am יהוה.”

יואל א׳:ג׳

(ג) עָלֶ֖יהָ לִבְנֵיכֶ֣ם סַפֵּ֑רוּ וּבְנֵיכֶם֙ לִבְנֵיהֶ֔ם וּבְנֵיהֶ֖ם לְד֥וֹר אַחֵֽר׃

Joel 1:3

(3) Tell your children about it,
And let your children tell theirs,
And their children the next generation!

שמות רבה י״ג:ד׳

(ד) וּלְמַעַן תְּסַפֵּר בְּאָזְנֵי בִנְךָ, גִּלָּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה מַה מַּכָּה יָבִיא עֲלֵיהֶן וְכָתַב משֶׁה בְּרֶמֶז, וּלְמַעַן תְּסַפֵּר בְּאָזְנֵי בִנְךָ, זוֹ מַכַּת אַרְבֶּה, כְּמָה דְתֵימָא (יואל א, ג): עָלֶיהָ לִבְנֵיכֶם סַפֵּרוּ, וַיָּבֹא משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, כִּי אִם מָאֵן אַתָּה לְשַׁלֵּחַ אֶת עַמִּי וגו', מַהוּ הִנְנִי מֵבִיא מָחָר אַרְבֶּה בִּגְבֻלֶךָ, וְלֹא בִּגְבוּל בְּנֵי חָם, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (ישעיה כו, ט): כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ לָאָרֶץ צֶדֶק לָמְדוּ וגו', שֶׁבְּמַכַּת הָאַרְבֶּה הִכִּירוּ עַד הֵיכָן גְּבוּל מִצְרָיִם. וְכִסָּה אֶת עֵין הָאָרֶץ, וּמָלְאוּ בָתֶּיךָ, וַיִּפֶן וַיֵּצֵא מֵעִם פַּרְעֹה, מַהוּ כֵן, שֶׁרָאָה אוֹתָם שֶׁהָיוּ פּוֹנִים זֶה בָּזֶה וְהָיוּ מַאֲמִינִים לִדְבָרָיו, וְיָצָא מִשָּׁם כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּטְלוּ עֵצָה לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה.

Shemot Rabbah 13:4

(4) “And so that you will relate in the ears of your son, and of your son's son, what I have wrought upon Egypt, and My signs that I have performed among them; and you will know that I am the Lord” (Exodus 10:2).
“And so that you will relate in the ears of your son” – the Holy One blessed be He revealed to Moses what plague He would bring upon them, and Moses wrote it in an allusion: “And so that you will relate in the ears of your son” – this is the plague of locusts, as it is stated: “Relate to your children about it” (Joel 1:3).5What is to be related appears in the following verse – locusts.
“Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and said to him: So said the Lord, God of the Hebrews: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, and they will serve Me. For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your border” (Exodus 10:3–4).
“Moses and Aaron came.… For if you refuse to let My people go…” – what is “behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your border”? But not in the borders of the descendants of Ḥam. In this regard it is stated: “For when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants [of the world] learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9). Through the plague of locusts, they recognized until where the border of Egypt is.
“And your houses will be filled, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; that neither your fathers nor your fathers' fathers have seen, from the day that they were on the earth until this day. He turned, and exited from Pharaoh” (Exodus 10:6).
“They will cover the face of the earth.… And your houses will be filled…He turned, and exited from Pharaoh” (Exodus 10:5–6) – what is this?6Why does the Torah state that “he turned, and exited”? That does not appear in the account of any other plague. It is because he saw that they were looking at each other and believing his words, and he left there so they would take counsel and repent.