Q&A: The Firstborn of Egypt
The Firstborn of Egypt
Question
The great and mighty gaon, may he live a good long life, in the blessing “Truth and Faith” we mention: “Who performed for us miracles and vengeance against Pharaoh, signs and wonders in the land of the sons of Ham, who struck in His wrath all the firstborn of Egypt.” This requires clarification: why did they separate the plague of the firstborn from all the other plagues and mention it specifically? After all, the plague of the firstborn is also included among the miracles, acts of vengeance, signs, and wonders. It also requires clarification why it says that the plague of the firstborn was a striking “in His wrath,” when all the plagues were with His wrath, as is explained in the Passover Haggadah, where the verse “He sent upon them His anger, wrath, fury, and trouble, a sending of evil angels” is expounded regarding all the plagues. So what is unique about the plague of the firstborn that it was specifically mentioned as having been done in wrath?
Answer
It is not necessarily referring uniquely to the firstborn. “Who struck in His wrath Egypt, to the point of killing their firstborn.” After all, before that it did not mention only the other plagues, but the plagues as a whole. So it seems that the most prominent expression of the Holy One’s wrath was the plague of the firstborn, but all the plagues were given in His wrath.
And one could further say that the “signs and wonders” are the plagues that were inflicted “in the land of the sons of Ham,” that is, in nature. The plague of the firstborn struck people and not nature, and perhaps that is what is meant by wrath.
Discussion on Answer
Secret.
And one could further say that regarding the firstborn it says, “And I will pass through” — I and no other — and therefore it is an expression of His wrath. And that is aside from the wordplay between wrath and “I will pass through.”