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Parshas Bo 5785

ויהי בחצי הלילה וה' הכה כל בכור בארץ מצרים מבכר פרעה הישב על כסאו עד בכור השבי ... (יב-כט)


    Makas Bechoros affected not only the Egyptian first-born, but as the posuk tells us, even the bechoros of captives and prisoners. Earlier in the parsha when Moshe received the prophecy from Hakadosh Boruch Hu and forwarded its message to Pharaoh, he told him, "מבכור פרעה ... עד בכור השפחה" - which refers to the first-born of the maid-servants. The clear question is: why, here, does it change to "בכור השבי"? (See Chizkuni who presents a number of explanations)

Perhaps we can offer a simple understanding. When Moshe was warning Pharaoh, it was important to stress that every first-born in every respective Egyptian household will be killed, even those of the slaves. On the other hand, Pharaoh didn’t really care about those in captivity and it was therefore unnecessary to warn him about their upcoming demise. However, when the plague actually struck, it was significant that it hit them too. As Rashi explains, even as they languished in jail, those goyim were still happy that the Jews were suffering. Therefore, Hashem paid them back by killing their first-born.

R’ Moshe Sternbuch shlita, in his Sefer Taam Vadaas, writes that during the horrific years of the Holocaust, the world witnessed how so many gentiles, even enemies of the Third Reich, eagerly helped the German cause. In Poland, Ukraine, Russia and Hungary, it was commonplace for the locals to “assist” the Nazis in betraying and killing Jews. It is clear that a gentile, even if he’s not so vocal about it, harbors an innate hatred towards a Yid and will relish the opportunity to act upon it.

As we consider the current public sentiment in the world, this couldn’t be more glaringly true. How many goyim have suddenly turned their backs on us, vehemently espousing anti-semitic rhetoric under the banner of the pro-Gazan refugees?

We must always realize that even the “powers-that-be” cannot and must not be relied upon. As Esther Hamalka so carefully taught us: "שלא יאמרו אחות לנו בבית המלך". We must daven to the only One who can truly help and save us - אבינו שבשמים!

 
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