We’ve finished telling the Exodus story, we’re about to sing “Dayenu” and get to the food. But first, let's discuss the plague count. As the story tells, there were ten plagues. But according to Rabbi's Yossi, Eliezer and Akiva there were more than that.

How Many Plagues?

Rabbi Yossi the Galilean said: "How do you know that the Egyptians were struck by 10 plagues in Egypt and 50 plagues at the sea? Because regarding the plagues of Egypt it says: 'The magicians said to Pharaoh, this is the finger of God' (Exodus 8:15). While at the sea it says: 'And the Jewish people saw the great hand which God had used in Egypt, and the people feared God, and they believed in God and in Moses His servant' (Exodus 14:31).

How many plagues did they receive with the finger? Ten. Therefore if in Egypt they received 10 plagues then at the sea (when smitten by God's hand) they must have had 50 plagues.'"

Rabbi Yossi the Galilean said there were 50 plagues.  

Rabbi Elazar says that the number of plagues was four-fold (40 plagues and at sea 200). This is an allusion to the four-letter Name of God –  Yud, Heh, Vav, Heh  – which represents God's attributes of kindness and mercy. Because in Rabbi Elazar's opinion, the purpose of the plagues was to sensitize the Jewish people to the love and care shown to them by God.

Rabbi Akiva, meanwhile, says that the plagues were primarily for sake of punishing the Egyptians. The number of plagues was therefore five-fold, corresponding to the five letters of  Elokim  – the Name of God which represents strict justice (50 plagues and at sea 250).  

Thus if we were to count the number of plagues and the plagues at sea, there were hundreds of plagues. 


haggadah Section: -- Cup #2 & Dayenu