A SYNTHESIS OF THE PASSOVER RITUAL AND LITURGY
WITH THE TWELVE STEPS OF RECOVERY
16 THE TEN PLAGUES
It is customary when announcing the ten plagues to shed ten drops of wine from the cup, to indicate the absence of joy in the punishment of our enemies. It is never the right time to gloat at the downfall of others and this ritual reminds us of that.The Kabbalists imbue the action with a deeper significance. The wine, as we mentioned earlier, represents the powers of thought, more specifically the "understanding" or deduction we associate with intuition. This is known as BINA and is attributed to the feminine or receptive aspect of life. Prophecy with its receptive role vis-a-vis Hashem is feminine and grounded in "BINA", intuition, until the prophecy is passed onwards by the prophet. Then it becomes positive, masculine and specifically "CHOCHMA", wisdom.
Prophecy requires SIMCHA, joy and gratitude which are associated with wine. They too are feminine aspects of the psyche. Here, however, we acknowledge another aspect of our feminine, negative self. It's roots are in the future, for there are many possible futures. The future like Woman, may give birth to many possibilities. The past is Masculine, there is only one past. It is in the past that our resentments have their source. Resentments more than anything in life, cut us off from the source of Simcha and prophecy. We simply have to let go.
Part of the problem with our feelings is the overwhelmingly, primal nature of their capacity. At first when we regain our feelings and sensations they feel huge. A small hurt, like a drop of wine on the end of our fingertip is associated with the entire cup of wine. We have not learned to differentiate, it feels as though there is a swimming-pool full of pain in the basement which overflows if we add so much as another single drop to it. Instead of feeling appropriate sensation, we experience as it were a lifetime of stored hurts we never felt before.
Fears and hatreds have similar dynamics.
At this point in the seder when we announce the anguish suffered vicariously as it were on our behalf by the Egyptians in the Haggadah, we let go our resentment and rage. We spill it over the edge recognizing for a moment the primal nature of our rage and how it resembles a cup filled to the brim. What remains afterwards is thus our cup of joy and gratitude.
These are the ten plagues that the Holy-one-blessed-be-He brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt.
Each of us has suffered the plagues in all their variety of forms and richness of diversity. The order of manifestation as they occurred to the Egyptians in Egypt was particular to them. Rather than compare our own stories, let us identify.
THE FANTASY OF OMNIPOTENCE
1. BLOOD:To understand the significance of the first plague we must first understand what importance was attached to the River Nile in Ancient Egypt. A great deal has been written on the subject and this is not the place for a detailed review. Suffice it to say that for Hashem to strike all the water of the Nile into blood was to strike directly at the heart of political, cultural, religious and economic life. Much more than merely a classic military tactic. Cut off their water!
The Nile irrigates the whole of Egypt by inundation. It is swollen by rains in the mountains at its source. Heavy with organic sediment, it overflows its banks, irrigating as it fertilizes. It is the source of life, wealth and art. It is a god. Ceremonies associated with the inundation, rituals and sacrifices comprised a large part of Egyptian daily life. The priesthood, centering upon the King and Queen of Egypt, the Pharaoh, was dedicated to the perpetuation of the links between the royal family and the Nile. As Pharaoh walked down to the water, it would rise to meet him. Pharaoh by association became a god. The Nile was not a symbol; it was a reality.
Some of us have had a similar relationships with a substance, mood-altering ritual or obsession.
Suddenly after Millennia of being their most
trustworthy, reliable friend, the river turned into a putrid filthy morass
of blood, an enemy. We too have gone through this state of change when
our "best friend" showed its true ugly face, the other side of dependence
where all is ill health and slavery. No more than we were the Egyptians
able to forsake the Nile. Just because it had turned to blood didn't mean
that their habits changed suddenly. They continued in their denial through
all the stages of substitution and rationalization. As it is written:
- "And all the Egyptians continued to dig beside the river looking
for water to drink,
Because they could not drink the river water"
This plague reduced Pharaoh from the proud vain tyrant to a ridiculous figure, butt of a divine joke. When Hashem warned that He would mock Pharaoh and his institutions, that He would playfully dismember the instruments of government, this plague of frogs surely fulfilled all that promise.
A frog appeared in Pharaoh's palace, in his bed chamber, in his bed. When it was crushed, two live frogs appeared in place of the dead one. They multiplied like insects and croaking, hopped out of Pharaohs bedroom and made their way through the palace. They invaded the ministry buildings surrounding the royal palace. From the government departments they split, multiplied and spread like tendrils of the bureaucracy itself into every corner of Egypt, into people's kitchens, their kneading troughs, even into their ovens. (The Hebrew for frog, "TSFARDEA" also translates into BIRDWITTED - "Nonsense!") Like the croaking reptile which simply announces itself and tries to be louder than the next croaking frog, so are politicians. All this could not fail to be interpreted by the Egyptian civilian as a humorous humiliation of their monarchy and its vested interests by a Higher Power.
We too have seen all our efforts at control come to nought. We have been humiliated disastrously in direct consequence of our actions and decisions, we have seen them bear witness to our stupidity, to our delusions. As we tried to get the cosmos to dance to our tune, and all its creatures to act the parts we assigned to them, we appeared no less ridiculous than frogs.
DENIAL
3. LICE:This plague was an attack on the disease's most powerful weapon, "Denial". Denial is a mechanism whereby the most outrageous manifestations of the addiction can be explained without admitting the necessity of change. An example would be someone with lung cancer blaming automobile emissions for the illness whilst smoking three packets of cigarettes every day. The Egyptians had a similar attitude. When the plagues began to strike, The College of Magicians produced practitioners who could simulate these effects with their thaumaturgical arts. The result of their success was to enable Egypt to prolong its agony, it was "business as usual". This is the function of denial. The mere fact that they could product similar results with magic meant somehow that their lives were not as unmanageable as Moses was attempting to point out. Pharaoh didn't feel quite powerless over events as long as someone close to him was murmuring into his ear, "It's only a strong manipulation of natural forces, your majesty". But as with all illusion there is a natural upper limit to the intricacy of the web.
When first we lie or deny the truth, to ourselves or others, we have to compensate. The ripples spread outward from the event of the denial, each untruth has ripple-like effects, ramifications, each having to be explained. If I deny the effect of the cigarettes on my lungs I have to redefine the meaning of the term carcinogenic. If I maintain that denial, I have to redefine the definitions of phenomena such as melanoma, asbestosis, oncogeny and other things. If I wish to continue in my denial, I have to explain in some new way enzyme activity and amino acids and a thousand other facts.
There reaches a point where lies and evasion
can no longer explain events fast enough to avoid the momentum of the truth.
Magic and illusion have their own "event horizon". In Egyptian magic the
illusion could not be sustained if it required the denial of something
smaller than a grain of barley. There are simply too many details to take
care of to maintain the illusion. This was the wonder of the plague of
lice. They are smaller than a grain of barley. It was at this stage of
events that the Magicians of Egypt began to lose face and ultimately their
power. They tried to duplicate the lice but were unable to. At which point,
they broke through their first level of denial and admitted a Higher Power.
As it is written:
- "And the Magicians said to Pharaoh, "It is a finger of G-D".
Maintaining His attack on Pharaoh's denial, Hashem instructed Moshe to confront Pharaoh in the morning when Pharaoh went down to the water. Pharaoh relieved himself every morning privately by the water in order to maintain the illusion that he was a god and so did not need the toilet. Moses warned Pharaoh but he would not budge.
Suddenly like some monstrous, collective delirium tremens, Egypt was filled with marauding animals, snakes and scorpions. But the land of Goshen where the Children of Israel lived was free and peaceful. At this point Pharaoh's denial began to crumble and he proceeded to the next stage of his defeat. He tried to negotiate.
We have all at one time or another tried negotiating with our disease. If I switch brands, add water, change partners, only on weekends, anything from geographic relocations to surgery, just let me carry on as I was. And all to maintain the fantasy of omnipotence, Pharaoh called Moshe and Aharon and told them to start public worship of their G-D in the land of Goshen, hoping thereby to placate Moshe and maintain control. Moshe demanded the right to travel three days into the wilderness, Pharaoh agreed on condition they went no further. The plague was lifted, Pharaoh changed his mind and once again refused to let them go.
DEFIANCE
5. PESTILENCE:The plague referred to earlier in the Haggadah as "Mighty Hand" was the sudden death of all the livestock in the fields. We too have seen the disappearance of all our valuable possessions, jobs, businesses, houses, and automobiles. We know what it means to be smitten with the pestilence. To look around and survey the desolation of all one's wealth disintegrating. To ask; "Why is this happening to me"? (as though this wasn't somehow a logical progression considering the direction in which we were headed).
The "beast" in Egypt was food, clothing, transportation, status symbol, object of worship and means of waging war. It was commerce and agriculture. It struck the Egyptian suddenly and forcibly that life could not go on as it had been doing. Pharaoh's reaction was not so incomprehensible to those of us who have been in his position. He became defiant. As it is written: "And Pharaoh sent inspectors, and behold not a single one of the animals belonging to Israel had died in the plague. And Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to send out the People".
6. BOILS:
At the point where their very bodies rebelled
and broke into many suppurating boils, the illusion and denial broke down
completely. As it is written:
- "And the Magicians could not stand before Moshe because of the boils.
The boils afflicted the Magicians and the Egyptians".
Because the Egyptians felt the way they did about themselves, because their self esteem like ours, was based so much on their external physiognomy - because they were so proud of their physical culture, smug and self-satisfied, safe in the knowledge that whatever hardships would have to be borne as a result of their obstinacy and defiance could always be deflected upon the slaves and lower orders of society. They were themselves smitten. Their bodies became disgusting, repulsive and painful. The small domestic and household pets of which the Egyptians were worshipfully reverent, the dog and cat, were equally subject to the plague of boils though they had been immune to the pestilence. The message was clear to them as it has been to us. When we use and abuse, we jeopardize our selves and all those around us.
Don't look to place blame for misfortune that befalls those we love, somewhere else. While we were busy chasing our "high", too busy to take care of those who really needed it, they suffered. If children fell ill because their environment was unsafe - because we couldn't afford to provide them with the nutrition, hygiene and care they needed or because our affairs were in such chaos - it's typical for us to go in search of a blame victim. Anywhere.
These plagues, their sequence, their targets and all the details of their execution were purposeful. Our experiences, however painful and humiliating can always benefit others, and that's a promise!
AMBIVALENCE
7. HAIL:Before this plague occurred, Hashem via Moshe
warned Pharaoh very specifically about what was to come adding:
- "And this time I will send all my plagues to your heart".
- "I will pray, the plague will be lifted but you are not ready to
let the people go".
8. LOCUSTS:
The locust was also preceded by negotiation. Pharaoh, urged by his people who were losing heart, tried to bargain with Moshe. But when he was told that Moshe intended leaving with young and old, men and women, he balked. For reasons that are not entirely clear, the destruction wrought by the voracious locusts who devoured everything edible, scared Pharaoh. He panicked, calling Moshe and Aharon, confessing to having sinned against their
G-D and them, begging them to forgive him again and to beg Hashem to remove "this death".
But the truth is that as much as he wanted to let them go, he wanted to hold on to them.
CAPITULATION
9. DARKNESS:The significance of this plague was the isolation
it imposed upon the Egyptians. As it is written:
- "No one could see his brother and no one could get up for three
days".
During the three days of darkness, four-fifths of the Children of Israel died of an overdose and were quietly buried by relatives and friends. Even with all they had seen, most slaves didn't believe in salvation.
10. SLAYING THE FIRSTBORN:
We tend to blame providence and bad luck for the losses we suffer as a consequence of using and abusing. The price is the same whether we learn our lesson or not. There is no way to use safely, and death is always the price. Pharaoh and all his people, every Egyptian regardless of race, caste or rank - all lost a loved one, child or sibling. The anguish was great. The capitulation was total: no more deals or negotiations, no more stipulation or clauses, no more conditions or half measures. They suddenly became aware of their own mortality. Sometimes it requires the death of someone close to us to make us ready to change. It is impossible to scare an addict since all the denial mechanisms forbid it. Sometimes though, a moment spent thinking about the state of life as it is now, especially when a major tragedy has occurred, is sufficient for the seed of doubt to take root and grow. Bringing the edifice of denial and delusion crashing down. For each of us in Recovery, "the slaying of the firstborn" has occurred (at least once).
RABBI YEHUDA GAVE ABBREVIATIONS
As though he had written - BFL WPB HLDF. It has been suggested that Rabbi Yehuda had a problem and would not waste ten drops of wine when three would do. Of course many more significant reasons are given to explain his abbreviation of the plagues.1. The first three plagues were brought about by Moshe's brother Aharon. Moshe had no part in smiting the Nile or the earth and dust of Egypt. When he was a baby and placed in a basket and left to drift in the Nile amongst the reeds and bulrushes, the Nile protected him. It would have been an act of ingratitude for him to have turned it into blood. When Moshe killed an Egyptian whom he saw beating a slave, he hid the corpse in the earth and dust of Egypt. To have turned the dust into lice would also have been an ingratitude. This the Torah teaches us, is a measure of the responsibility on one who owes gratitude. The second three were performed by Moshe and Aharon together. The last plagues were brought on by Moshe himself.
2. The first three plagues were all at the lowest possible level (i.e., sea level and ground level). The second three were above ground level. The final plagues came from successively higher levels.
RABBI YOSI HAGLILI SAID:
What possible difference can it make to know that the Egyptians suffered three times as much at the crossing of the Red Sea?It is written (Ex. 15.26):
- And he said, "If you listen well to the voice of Hashem you G-D
and you do what is right in His eyes, if you hearken to His commandments
and guard His statues, all the illness which I brought upon Egypt I will
never bring upon you, for I am Hashem your Healer".
Egyptians, we are told, had passed through the fiftieth gate of "Tumah". There is no specific translation into any language of the word Tumah. In this context it appears to mean self-centeredness, self-deception, self-abuse, self-destruction, self-obsession. It amounts to Soul Murder. Life in Egypt was soul destroying. Israel, we are told had reached the portals of the Fiftieth Gate. They had already passed through forty-nine. Another moment would have been too late. Hashem rushed them out of Egypt just in time to prevent them stepping through that final Gate. Each Gateway is another lie I tell myself, another excuse I make for another selfish act I rationalize. The experience in Egypt was a journey into sickness and addiction. We went all the way. There was very little difference between our disease and that of our slave drivers. What happened to the Egyptians was meant for us. Hashem could have destroyed them instantaneously. The slaughter of the firstborn could have been extended to everyone.
We Children of Israel had to learn a lesson. We had to see before our eyes fifty kinds of denial stripped away. We had to come out of fifty kinds of excuse. Our attention had to be skewered and riveted for a lasting impression to be made. So the whole panoply of the Exodus unfolded. And Rabbi Yosi Haglili tells us that in fact the Children of Israel saw the "Hand of Hashem" And they Came to Believe in Hashem and His Servant Moshe.
Yet their enthusiasm lasted no more than three
days as it is written:
- "And they went three days into the wilderness and found no water
and complained to Moshe....".
Rabbi Eliezer said:
- "Each plague was in fact four plagues".
- "Each plague was in fact five plagues".
They argue over the nature of anger itself. Rabbi Eliezer believes that "Wrathful breathing" is not an acting out of anger, unlike the other four expressions which imply action. Rabbi Akiva disagrees, saying it is a "plague". Perhaps their argument has to do with their own natures and their perception of the role that healthy anger plays in the life of a normal person.
Or perhaps their argument refers to Hashem and the description of anger when applied to Him. Is there such a thing as divine anger which is not manifest in a physical "plague"?
Rabbi Eliezer maintains that Hashem may be angry in the descriptive sense of "Being".
Reb Akiva says No! Hashem angry is a condition that affects all the Universe and is never just a state of being.