As each plague is said, some people dip their pinky in the wine (or grape juice.) We do this because we are happy for our freedom, but sad for the Egyptian's pain.

Hebrew

English

What

Why

דם

Blood

All of the Egyptian’s water turned to blood

The Egyptians forced the Jews to carry their water

צפרדע

Frogs

Frogs jumped all over Egypt, croaking loudly

The Egyptians screamed at the Jews non-stop

כינים

Lice

Every bit of dust turned to lice that would bother the Egyptians

The Egyptians made the Jews clean their dirty, dusy places

ערוב

Wild Beasts

Wild animals arrived and killed many of the Egyptians

The Egyptians amused themselves by making the Jews catch wild animals

דבר

Animal Sicknesses

All the animals that were left in the fields died

The Egyptians forced the Jews to care for their cattle

שחין

Boils

The Egyptians got painful boils all over their bodies

The Egyptians beat the Jews until they got boils and blisters

ברד

Hail

Hail made of both fire and ice damaged the Egyptians’ crops

The Jews had to plant the Egyptians crops

ארבה

Locusts

Big starving grasshoppers ate all the plants

The Jews also had to guard the fields, and prevent damage

חושך

Darkness

Egypt turned so dark that you could feel the darkness, and the Egyptians froze in place

The Egyptians threw the Jews into dark dungeons and pits

מכת

בכורות

Death of the First Born

The first borns of all the Egyptians- humans and animals- died

G-d loves the Jews like his first born, and the Egyptians hurt and killed the Jews


 



haggadah Section: -- Ten Plagues
Source: Original