This is a Passover teaching that you can share at your sedar. It clarifies a portion of the hagada that most mysterious.

1. ‫בס‬"‫ד‬
The Luries would like to welcome their new grandson. Shai Meir, into the world. May he thrive and prosper in “Torah, marriage canopy and good deeds."
Dedicated to the complete and speedy healing of Valerie by her sister, Naama Navon.
Plagues by Land, Plagues by Sea
Pesach 2014
Sarah Yehudit Schneider
Rabbi Yosi the Gallilean said: The Egyptians were struck by ten plagues in Egypt, and
fifty plagues at the sea...
Rabbi Eliezer said: …In Egypt they were struck by forty plagues, and at the sea by two
hundred plagues.
Rabbi Akiva said: …In Egypt they were struck by fifty plagues, and at the sea by two
hundred and fifty plagues.
This is the most obscure passage in the Hagada. The rabbis culled our vast body of
teachings and created a script for families to recite year after year to recall our story,
bolster our faith, bind us as a people, and transmit our precious tradition to the next
generation. But what did they expect us to learn from this esoteric debate that seems
divorced from reality.
There are two issues. The first is figuring out what these plagues actually were that
struck the Egyptians at the sea. The ten plagues in Egypt were so noteworthy that the
Torah spends reams of precious words extolling them. Now the rabbis inform us that
those plagues were trivial compared to the barrage at the sea. Yet the Torah does not
mention this second assault at all. Not a word. The second issue is the numerics. All
three rabbis agree that the plagues at the sea were five times worse than the ones by
land. Their debate concerns how many plagues there were in total—50, 200, or 250.
What is the significance of these numbers?
I’m going to explore the first question at length and address the second more
briefly.
The ten plagues began in the month of Tamuz. Each plague lasted a month—one
week of warning, three weeks of plague (or vice versa, by other opinions).0F
1
After the
third plague (by Rosh HaShana) the Egyptians were so debilitated that their enslavement
of the Israelites terminated.1F
2
Each subsequent plague broke them still more. By the end
they were on the verge of total collapse.2F
3
As the archetype of evil in those days, if Egypt
went, evil would cease, free choice would collapse and the purpose of creation would be
lost. Contrary to popular belief, the critical timing of our exodus (its hasty execution
called chipazon) was actually to salvage evil.3F
4
HaShem backed off at the last minute, so
that a remnant of evil could survive, recover and (seemingly) even prosper. Creation
requires its contribution though it is our job to seek its demise. (That last statement is
paradoxical but not contradictory).4F
5
And the tenth plague, the death of the firstborns, was so devastating to the
Egyptians that their cry that night (reports the Torah) was more agonizing than any other
cry that ever was or will be.5F
6
Conversely, at the sea, Pharoah’s army comprised 600 chariots (carrying, say, two to
three soldiers each).6F
7
The total number of Egyptians that drowned there was (at most)
1,800. Not to minimize the value of a single life, or the heartbreak of those who mourn
them, but that loss does not approach the devastation wrought by the ten plagues

2. Copyright © 2014 · A Still Small Voice · Chabad 90/16 · Jerusalem 97500 Israel · 628-2988 · smlvoice@netvision.net.il ·
www.astillsmallvoice.org
-2-
(especially the death of the firstborns). Besides, they were soldiers and that is the way
(and the risk) of war. It is a natural (if dreaded) loss.
So on what basis do the rabbis claim that the plagues at the sea were five-fold more
severe than the previous (famous) ten. Where is their evidence for this contention?
Some bring midrashim that whatever could go wrong for the pursuing Egyptians did
go wrong. The pillar of cloud that led the Israelites by day, produced darkness for them
and caused the ground under their feet to be soft as clay. The pillar of fire by night
singed them and melted the wheels of their chariots. Their horses got stuck in the mud,
the soldiers fell off, and could not remount so when the waters returned they could not
escape. Some died quickly, some slowly, depending upon their state of demerit. These
adversities hardly compare to the drama and devastation of the previous ten plagues
(neither quantitatively nor qualitatively).
Perhaps the key lies in the difference between physical travail and ego death. The former
is awful, incapacitating and sometimes even tragic. The latter (as used here) is a tsunami of
shame and self-revulsion that drowns out all trace of self-worth. These two ordeals are not
mutually exclusive…in fact they often overlap: Physical travail often produces shame; ego-
death often leaves illness and devastation in its wake. Yet a distinction can be made. Physical
travail, may turn a life upside down, it may ravage quality of life but (in and of itself) it does
not touch core (except indirectly, via the ego death that it sometimes triggers). Conversely ego
death does cut to the core which makes it the greater trauma (at least qualitatively).
People have various susceptibilities to ego death. Some people melt down into rage,
envy, shame and humiliation by the slightest snub. Others endure public insults and
tribulations without losing their dignity or integrity.
There is evidence to associate physical travail with the original plagues and to ascribe ego
death to the events by the sea. The Hagada informs us that the extraction of the Israelites
from the midst of their Egyptian hosts via the Ten Plagues was executed by the Blessed Holy
One and His Shekhina.
HaShem brought us out – not through an angel, not through a seraph and not through
a messenger. It was the Blessed Holy One alone, in His glory…
[He brought us out] with great fear ( ‫ג‬ ‫ובמורא‬‫ד‬‫ול‬ ) – this is the revelation of the
Shekhina.7F
8
The Blessed Holy One and His Shekhina associate with the final two letters of HaShem’s
name (the vav and the hei). They mediate the lower aspects of Divine providence, the
hashgakha of reward and punishment where justice rules and every action always brings
consequences (for good or bad as the case may be). If this were the only providence we would
rise and fall eternally. In one lifetime we’d fix some things but damage others. In the next life
we’d repair those but slip in something else. And so it would go, up and down, round and
round for eternity.
In this lower providence that revolves around cause and effect everything is possible. If at
first you don’t succeed, then practice harder, improve your deeds. If you lose the battle, you
can still win the war. Pharoah had a stiff neck.8F
9
He believed that if he found the right
magicians, bargained hard, or just refused to budge, that he could lick Moshe’s god. He had

3. Copyright © 2014 · A Still Small Voice · Chabad 90/16 · Jerusalem 97500 Israel · 628-2988 · smlvoice@netvision.net.il ·
www.astillsmallvoice.org
-3-
never encountered an adversary that he could not dominate. Pharoah interpreted the plagues
as a physical travail. There were moments when he started to crack but he always recovered
and never let the plagues undermine his abiding sense of personal power. Only at the very end
with the horrendous plague of the firstborns did Pharoah admit defeat. But even then, as soon
as the Israelites doubled back, and there was reason to suspect that their mighty G-d had met
His match, Pharoah pursued, believing that victory was still within his grasp.
Conversely, the level of Divine providence that parted the sea was Atika, associated with
the highest tip of the first letter of HaShem’s name (the yud). This Higher Providence called
(Mazal Elyon) holds a vision of the purpose of creation and ensures that every moment, without
exception, brings us closer to it. Mazal Elyon includes all the things that are fated in our lives
(both individually and collectively). The Zohar tells us that at the water’s edge, Atika shone for
all to see.10
At that point Pharoah’s soul must have realized that all was lost…for eternity.
That these Israelites and their G-d were going to change the universe. That their worldview of
ethical monotheism was going to rule. That he and his people had no choice but to assimilate
into their mission (and on their terms). That he was a humble servant of the Holy One, just like
everyone else. That his whole life—all that he accomplished with his stiff neck and ego
strength—would count as a debit in the Holy One’s chronicles. Now that is a massive ego
death.
And it actually accomplished what the ten plagues could not. The midrash says that
Pharoah was subsequently appointed king of Nineva by the angel Gabriel. When Jonah
preached fire and brimstone upon that metropolis for its grave sins, Pharoah got the whole
community to repent, and managed to reverse the decree.11
Pharoah did his teshuva.
This next section, analyzing the number of plagues, is addressed to those familiar with the vocabulary of the
Ari. The material is not unpacked, for time is short and Pesach draws near. It is possible to skip this discussion
and go to the last two paragraphs—a summary and final blessing.
The question underlying the rabbis’ debate about the number of plagues is how deep did the lessons at the
seashore sink in. A king like Pharoah is a hub-soul with spokes connecting to every one of his subjects. Whatever
happens to a king affects his entire people. And then, on top of that, Pharaoh and Egypt are archetypes. They
represent the ego layer of our universe-encompassing Adam. Whatever changes they go through affect the entire
course of human history. Israel, too, is an archetype and represents this Adam’s neshama layer as it comes of age
and contests the ego’s repressive regime. The neshama’s goal is not to liquidate the ego but to subdue it,
enlighten it, and eventually incorporate its valued perspective into the steering committee.12
The whole point of the plagues was to burn into the ego’s nerve net the experiential knowing that crime
doesn’t pay—that resisting spiritual law always hurts more than it gains. The more deeply the lesson absorbs at
this archetypal level, the easier it becomes for subsequent generations to get that message as it gets transmitted
through the providence of their individual lives.
Just as light is comprised of small packets of energy called quanta, so is this true for consciousness,
teaches the Ari. Its quantum units are called nekudot. And these nekudot evolve into sefirot and eventually into
partzufim. They are kabbbalistic milestones in the evolution of consciousness.
Nekudot = dark knots of unactualized potential that are the debris of shevirat hakaylim. These dense slivers of
dark light gradually rise to the “surface” and incarnate as a creature, object or moment of our
world. At that point they they unfurl into sefirot.
Sefira = the irreducible unit of ten nekudot arranged along three pillars also called the Tree of Life. This is the
basic atom of our holographic world where every piece contains aspects of other piece within
it. Every sefira always contains ten interincluded sefirot (or nekudot), which also each contain ten,
ad infinitum. Each sefira is a single attribute of personality.

4. Copyright © 2014 · A Still Small Voice · Chabad 90/16 · Jerusalem 97500 Israel · 628-2988 · smlvoice@netvision.net.il ·
www.astillsmallvoice.org
-4-
Partzuf = these ten sefirot unpack, elaborate and reorganize into five partzufim (of ten sefirot each). A partzuf is an
archetypal personage that mirrors the psychic complexities of a human being (more than a
sefira is able to do). These five partzufim comprise a family system where each plays a different
role (grandparent, father, mother, son, daughter). They also (often) function as different voices
or sub personalities within a single individual.
An accompanying diagram illustrates this following table.
--------
PLAGUES BY LAND
R. YOSSI
10 plagues in Egypt = a single sefira with its ten-interincluded sefirot. The most rudimentary unit of
consciousness.
R. ELIEZER
40 plagues in Egypt = these ten sefirot unpacking, elaborating and reorganizing into a partzuf (with its
interincluded parzufim, but only the lower four. The crown does not unfurl.
R. AKIVA
50 plagues in Egypt = these ten sefirot unpacking, elaborating and reorganizing into a single partzuf with
its five interincluded parzufim, including the crown. Core is touched on the level of partzuf.
PLAGUES BY SEA
R. YOSSI
50 plagues at the Sea = these ten sefirot unpacking, elaborating and reorganizing into a single partzuf with
its five interincluded parzufim, including the crown.
R. ELIEZER
200 plagues at the Sea = this single partzuf unpacking, elaborating and reorganizing into a full system of
partzufim, except not including the crown. The core (on the level of partzufim) is not touched.
R. AKIVA
250 plagues at the Sea = this partzuf unpacking, elaborating and reorganizing into a full system of partzufim,
including the crown, or highest partzuf call Arikh Anpin. The core is touched on all layers.
SUMMARY
R. YOSSI: The land plagues only affected the outer, malchut attribute, of Pharoah and the people. Their impact was
completely behavioral, there was no inner correction.
The sea plagues went deeper but still only on the level of action. Instead of a simple mechanical effect,
the pleasure buds of the animal soul did start to align more with spiritual law.
R. ELIEZER: The land plagues sunk into the nukba layer but did not produce a real shifting of will.
The sea plagues impacted nearly the totality of Pharoah, but since the higher will was not touched, its
effects were coercive more than transformative.
R. AKIVA: The land plagues produces an effective conditioning on the level of action that also engaged the animal
soul’s pleasure buds.
The sea plagues engaged the entirety of Pharoah’s soul—all five partufim including his crown (and by
extension, his will), suggesting that Pharoah really was brought to teshuva, for real.
How deep did the lessons of the plagues absorb into the nerve net of the Egyptians and bring
tikun there? The higher the number the more deeply the plague penetrated into the body,
mind and soul of Pharoah. Rebbe Akiva believes they touched core, R. Yossi is more cynical
and considers their impact to have been superficial.
Let it be that at our holy sedar, when the lights of Higher Providence stream down, that the
Pharoahs of the world—both inside us and without—should, like their ancient forebear, also
see the light. May they take it in, and take it to heart, that the Almighty is an unstoppable

5. Copyright © 2014 · A Still Small Voice · Chabad 90/16 · Jerusalem 97500 Israel · 628-2988 · smlvoice@netvision.net.il ·
www.astillsmallvoice.org
-5-
force that will free the world from all tyrannies. Then and there, may they admit defeat, lay
down arms and reorient toward truth. May the transformation wrought by this turning remove
all stops and bring Mashiach, NOW.
1
Ex. Rabba 9:12.
2
Mishnat R. Eliezer 89; Leshem HDOH 2:5:2:5.
3
Leshem HDOH 2:5:2:5.
4
Leshem HDOH 2:5:2:5.Before the plagues began, the Israelites were on a very low spiritual level and falling. We were in danger of crossing
the point of no return—of drowning in the 50th
gate of impurity. And so HaShem quickly deputized Moshe at the burning bush, and began the
redemption. The timing was urgent to our survival. But that critical moment was before the plagues began. Once the redemption began we
actually grew stronger with each plague (which was a blight to them and a healing for us), and by the end, the roles reversed, and it was the
Egyptians who were about to self-destruct.
5
One of the purposes of evil is for us to learn from our encounters with it, and to discover that it is a hype, and to choose good freely instead.
6
Ex. 11:6. Apparently even the holocaust and the like. Which is strange. But it is possible that because the Jewish soul is plugged into eternity
at its root, and draws a comfort from that, so even in our tragedies, there is deep inside a tempering of the pain because the soul understands the
purposefulness of things.
7
Ex. 14:7.
8
Passover Hagada.
9
The Hebrew letters that spell Pharoah, ‫,פרעה‬ reararranged spell “back of the neck,” ‫,עורף‬ with the implication of stiff-neck.
10
Zohar 2:18b, 47a.
11
Yalkut Shemoni Ex. 176.
12
Pirkei d’Rebbe Eliezer, chapt. 43 teaches that Pharaoh escaped death at the Red Sea and made his way to Nineveh where he became king and
taught the people about the one G-d. When Yona the prophet conveyed HaShem’s intention to punish his people for their corruption, Pharaoh (as
king of Nineveh) commanded his subjects to don sackcloth and repent.

6. SingleSefirah
(Malchut)
SinglePartzuf
(Nukba/Malchut)
CompleteSystem
ofPartzufim
(minusArikh/Keter)
CompleteSystem
ofPartzufim
(includingArikh/Keter)10Nekudot50Nekudot
(10nekudotx5sefirot)
200Nekudot
(10nekudotx5sefirotx4partzufim)
250Nekudot
(10nekudotx5sefirotx5partzufim)
R.Akiva:50bySeaR.Eliezer:40bySea
R.Yosi
10inEgypt
R.Yosi
50bySea
—
R.Akiva
50inEgypt
PlaguesbyLandandPlaguesbySea
Malchut/Nukba
ZeirAnpin
Binah/Ima
Chakhma/Aba
Keter/ArikhAnpin
Key
Copyright©2012·AStillSmallVoice·Chabad90/16·Jerusalem97500Israel·628-2988·smlvoice@netvision.net.il·www.astillsmallvoice.org