As we rejoice at the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery, we acknowledge this freedom was hard-earned. We regret that freedom came at the cost of others’ suffering, for we are all made in the image of G-d. Therefore, we take away just a little bit of our joy of wine by placing a drop of it on our plates as we recite each of the Ten Plagues. Dip a finger or a spoon into your wine glass to get a drop for each plague.
דָּם dam  Blood
צְפַרְדֵּֽעַ  tzfardeiya  Frogs
כִּנִּים  kinim  Lice
עָרוֹב  arov  Beasts
דֶּֽבֶר  dever  Cattle disease
שְׁחִין  sh’chin  Boils
בָּרָד  barad  Hail
אַרְבֶּה  arbeh  Locusts
חֹֽשֶׁךְ  choshech  Darkness
מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת  makat b’chorot  Death of the firstborn

The Ten Plagues wreaked havoc on the country of Egypt and all its inhabitants, including the mighty Pharaoh. They ruined livestock and agriculture, water and health, staples in ancient society as well as today. While the plagues in our story have a clear message and purpose, they are still often things that plague our world today. Think about what else might you add to this list? What work can we do to rid our world of them?


haggadah Section: -- Ten Plagues