What is רבי יהודה teaching us?

They were grouped in a specific way. After each one it got closer and closer to them. 

Blood-far from house (far away)

Frogs-in house (closer)

Lice-on them (on them)

Then

Wild animals-in streets (far away)

Dying animals-their own animals (closer)

Boils-in their bodies (on them)

Then

Hail-in the fields (far away)

Locus-in fields (far away)

Darkness-in their home (and everywhere else)

Plague of firstborns-their own bodies (on them)

How many Makot were there?

רבי יוסי=50

רבי אליעזר=200

רבי עקיבא=250

All together they add up to 500. But what does that have to do with the acronym?

The gematria of the acronym is 501 and you can be one off in gematria so they are the “same”. 

Why these specific makot?

It is מידה כנגד מידה

Blood-wouldn’t let them use the mikvah and threw the babies into the water

Frogs-they would feed them insects for meals and just like the loud sound of the mothers getting their babies killed soto they get a loud sound from the frogs

Lice-they would make them clean the dirt from the street therefore the ground was full of lice

Wild Animals-they would ask them to bring them animals to have fun with but the jews would die because of these games

Dying Animals-they stole their cattle and also made them take care of the animals and not go to families

Boils-make them jews prepare the egyptians baths, now they can't bathe

Hail-made them plant therefore their gardens got destroyed. Also they threw stones at them

Locust-made them plant therefore their gardens got destroyed. Also they stole the jews crops

Darkness-they put them in a dark exile

Plague of the firstborn- since they killed jews and Hashem calles us בני בכורי ישראל (Hashem’s first born) He killed their first borns


haggadah Section: -- Exodus Story