It saddens us that any struggle for freedom involves suffering. Generally, we drink wine to rejoice. Therefore, for each plague we take out a drop of wine from our cup. This way we do not rejoice over the suffering of others. The plagues that, we are told, afflicted the Egyptians were:

 (Take a drop of wine out of your cup for each plague)

 ALL:

1- blood 

2- frogs 

3- vermin 

4-beasts 

5- boils  

6- cattle disease 

7- locusts 

8- hail 

9- darkness

10- slaying of first born

Our world today is still greatly troubled. Let us take a moment to recognize the 11th plague challenging all of humanity and our lives at this time - The viral plague of COVID-19 itself, coupled with international under-preparedness and un-cooperation. 

Many people perished during the plagues and the suffering was great. Pharaoh remained obstinate. However, with the tenth plague, the death of the first born, a great cry went up throughout Egypt. On that night, the Hebrews marked their door posts with the blood of the paschal lamb so the Angel of Death would 'pass over' their homes. Thus, the name Passover for this holiday. Pharaoh finally ordered Moses to take the Jewish people out of Egypt.

After the slaves hurriedly left, the Pharaoh had a change of heart and the Egyptian army pursued them. Legend has it that when Moses and his people came to the Red Sea, the waters parted to allow them to cross. The Egyptians followed and were engulfed when the waters returned. Thus, the Exodus from Egypt was complete.

Whether the waters actually parted overlooks the inner meaning of this event; when the Hebrews reached the edge of the desert and found the courage to continue, the Sea of Obstacles parted and they walked toward freedom.

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As the pain of others diminishes our own joys, let us once more diminish the wine of our festival as we imagine a new list of plagues, 10 Modern Plagues of the Drug War.

One, the criminalization of nature
Two, the suppression of science and information
Three, the prison-industrial complex
Four, the radically undemocratic and unequal
application of laws
Five, the systemic violence against the poor
Six, the denial of medicine to the sick and dying
Seven, the destruction of families
Eight, the isolation of stigma and shame
Nine, the perversion and erosion of a faithful justice
system
Ten, the perpetuation of violence by those sworn to
protect us


haggadah Section: -- Ten Plagues