We rejoice at the deliverance of the people of Israel, yet we are warned in scripture:

As each plague is named, remove a drop of wine from your cup, symbolically expressing a diminishing of the joy of our victory at the price of the Egyptians’ suffering. These are the ten plagues the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt, namely:

  1. Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; lest Adonai sees it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.

    (Mishlei/Proverbs 24:17-18)

      1. Blood
        Aaron strikes the Nile, the waters turn to blood.

      2. Frogs
        Swarms of frogs overrun the land.

      3. Lice
        Lice infest all men and beasts.

        Still, Pharaoh remains stubborn.

      4. Wild Beasts
        Hordes of wild animals invade the cities.

      5. Pestilence, Cattle Murrain
        A pestilence kills the domestic animals.

      6. Boils
        Painful boils afflict the Egyptians.

      7. Hail
        Fire and ice combined to descend from the skies as a devastating hail.

        Still, "the heart of Pharaoh was hardened and he would not let the children of Israel go; as G-d had said to Moses.”

        The people of Egypt had suffered too much. They begged Pharaoh to let the Jews go. When Moses came to warn Pharaoh of the eighth plague, they had the following dialog:

        Pharaoh said: “You say that you want to go serve your G-d? I'll let the men go, as long as the women and children stay behind.”

        “No,” said Moses. “We must all go, men women and children, cattle and herds.”

        Pharaoh once again refused.

        The next plagues descends upon Egypt.

      8. Locusts
        A swarm of locusts devoured all the crops and greenery;

      9. Darkness
        A thick, palpable darkness enveloped the land, we are told it was the kind of darkness that could not only be seen but also felt

        At this point, the Israelites were instructed to bring a "Passover offering" to G-d: a lamb or kid is to be slaughtered and its blood sprinkled on the doorposts and lintel of every Israelite home, so that G-d should pass over these homes when He came to kill the Egyptian firstborn. The roasted meat of the offering is to be eaten that night together with matzah (unleavened bread) and bitter herbs.

        Then G-d brought the tenth plague upon Egypt,

      10. Death of the Firstborn
        All the firstborn of Egypt were killed at the stroke of midnight of the 15th of the month ofNissan.


haggadah Section: -- Ten Plagues