The Ten Plagues — Not Chaos, but a System

Most of us grew up hearing the Ten Plagues as a dramatic story—ten punishments, one after another, until Egypt finally breaks. But when you look closely at the pesukim, a different picture emerges. This was not chaos. It was a system. A deliberate, structured process in which HaShem dismantled Egypt piece by piece—its river, its land, its animals, its bodies, its sky, its light, and finally, life itself. Following the pattern of דצ״ך עד״ש באח״ב, the plagues unfold with precision, each group teaching a deeper truth: that HaShem exists, that He is involved in the world, and that there is none like Him. In this class, we will uncover how the plagues were not only about freeing the Jewish people, but about re-educating the world. Drawing on the Ramban, Rav Hirsch, Rabbeinu Beḥaye, and others, we will see how each plague targeted a different aspect of nature—and a different illusion of human control. This is not just a story about Egypt. It is a framework for understanding reality itself: where we place our trust, what we think is stable, and how easily it can all be overturned. The question is not only what happened then—but what we still haven’t learned.