Aliya Summary: Plague Ten: At the stroke of midnight G‑d slew all the
Egyptian firstborn. No Egyptian home was spared, and Egypt erupted in a
great outcry. Pharaoh awoke and raced to Moshe and begged him to take
the Israelites and leave. The Egyptians pressured the Israelites to
leave as soon as possible, and the Israelites complied. Equipped with
all the valuables they had borrowed from the Egyptians, and provisions
for the way – dough that was baked before having time to rise – the
Israelites left Egypt at midday of the fifteenth of Nissan. This Aliya
concludes with some more rules that pertain to the Paschal Offering.
The
period of Egyptian "Slavery" is given as 400 years and as 430 years. An
interesting Drash on the extra 30 years is that it corresponds to 210
years of Egyptian slavery where they were not granted rest on Shabbat. A
reasonable master would allow his slaves one day a week off, but Paroh
was excessively oppressive, not allowing the Jews to rest even one day.
These extra 30 years of Shabbatot are acknowledged by G-d, so to speak,
by being added to the total, and by being featured in the Jews' new code
of law.
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