THE TEN PLAGUES VS. THE TEN TYPES OF SONG

The Torah teaches us that at the beginning of Creation Hashem created the universe through 10 Utterances (e.g. and the Lord said "Let there be light..." etc.). The Kabbalah teaches us that these 10 Utterances parallel the 10 Sefirot, which are levels of Divine energy issued from Hashem to bring down life and sustenance into all of Creation.

And since the purpose of the entire Creation was that the Jewish Nation should receive the Torah on the 6th of Sivan at Mt. Sinai, the Torah itself contains and embodies these 10 levels also. These are the 10 Commandments, which - being the concentration of the entire Torah - are the embodiment of the 10 Sefirot along with the 10 Utterances of Creation.

However, since ultimately the goal of Torah study itself is to come to repentance and good deeds - this being mainly through the faculty of song and prayer - King David encompassed the 10 types of Song into the book of Tehillim. Each of these 10 types of Song corresponds to the 10 Sefirot, 10 Utterances and the 10 Commandments (see Maharsha, Pesachim 117a). Thus, the book of Tehillim contains within it the greatest means towards repentance and good deeds - these being the final destination and goal of Creation.

The Zohar outlines the correlating Song type and matching Sefirah:

1. Berakhah- Binah
2. Ashrei - Keter
3. Maskil - Yesod
4. Shir - Chokhmah
5. Nitzuach - Netzach
6. Niggun - Chessed
7. Tefilah - Malkhut
8. Hoda'ah - Hod
9. Mizmor - Gevurah
10. Halleluyah - Tiferet

The order above is the way Rebbe Nachman presents them as part of his Tikkun HaKlali - the general rectification/remedy for all blemishes, especially those of a sexual nature (listen too: Likutey Moharan lessons 205 and II 92).

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Now, while in slavery and bondage in Egypt, the faculty of prayer and song were also enslaved and in exile. What was needed was to subdue the Egyptian influence upon the Jewish nation, so that they could then express themselves in song and prayer to Hashem. For the key to redemption is speech - holy and proper speech, this being the stepping-stone and prerequisite for receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai.

Thus, the holy ARI (Sha'ar HaPesukim, Va'Era) shows the correlation between the 10 plagues inflicted upon the Egyptians to the 10 Sefirot. With the above insight from the Zohar we can also go a step further and show the representation of the corresponding Song to each Sefirah and see how they relate to the plague as it portrays a fitting punishment to the Egyptians for their unwarranted subjugation of the Jews. We will explore the first 7 plagues accounted for in this week's Parsha:

1- Dam/Blood

Beginning at the bottom of the sefirah chart the ARI states that the first plague of blood corresponds to the lowest sefirah Malkhut. Malkhut corresponds to Tefillah. Rebbe Nachman shows that Tefillah is such a complete level of prayer attainable only by attaching one's prayers to the Tzaddikim. Thus, the Zohar explains the phrase: Tefillah LeMoshe - i.e. a prayer befitting "only" Moshe. With the Jew's inability to truly pray, let alone attach their prayers to the true tzaddikim, i.e. Moshe, the Jews were squeezed of their life-source itself. Prayer being the source of life is expressed in the verse: Tefillah La'El Chayay - Prayer to my God "is" my life source. Thus the Egyptians were punished with their water - the source of their physical life and nourishment - being turned into something so unusable and damaging: blood. However by the Egyptians "paying" the Jews with their "blood-money" they could purchase water, this being the concept of attaching their life-source - water - to the tzaddikim - the Jewish Nation.

2- Tzfardea/Frogs

The ARI explains that the plague of frogs corresponds to the Sefirah of Yesod, which corresponds to Maskil. By the Egyptians enslaving the lives of the Jews, this led to a lot of confusion, stress, uneasiness etc. This in turn led to difficulty in proper marital union, since one of the prerequisites for bringing down a holy soul at conception is to have a relaxed and calm state of mind (this explains the many Jewish children slaughtered by Pharaoh and used as mortar and bricks of whom Hashem explained to Moshe that there would be no benefit in trying to save these children as they were not destined to be worthy. See example with Michah who Moshe saved). Maskil-Intellect, as opposed to Meshakel-bereaved from children, is the mode of prayer-song needed to attain this attitude at the time of marital relations. The Egyptians were thus punished with the major confusion, lack of sanity, and even castration caused by the constant haranguing and destructive acts of the frogs.

3- Kinim/Lice

The ARI associates the plague of lice with the Sefirah of Hod. Hod connotes splendor/glory. The song Hoda'ah is the ability to give thanks to Hashem, thus glorifying Him and making Him "presentable" in this world. The Egyptians did not allow the Jews to properly bathe, which caused their hair to be filled with lice and thus be unpresentable (We see that when Yosef was taken out of prison the Torah emphasises that he was given a haircut to be presentable before Pharaoh). This caused the Jews to feel so disgusting about themselves that they felt a major lack of value in their prayers and thanksgiving to Hashem. Thus, the lice caused the Egyptians major discomfort and uneasiness in being also unpresentable.

4- Arov/MIxed Wild Animals

The ARI associates the mixed wild animals harming and killing the Egyptians with Netzach. This song expression Nitzuach was used by King David when saved from death at the hands of King Saul. It is an expression of salvation. The Jews were singled out and tortured [sometimes to death] by the Egyptians and their bondage. Thus with plague of wild animals the Egyptians were being pursued and killed while the Jews roamed around freely (even petting the wild animals!), experiencing real salvation.

5- Dever/Plague of Domestic Animals

The ARI associates this plague with the Sefirah of Tiferet. Hallel - the corresponding song - is the ability to give praise over Hashem's kindness and goodness. True kindness and goodness is measured from the perspective and the ability to serve Hashem as opposed to serving the corporeality of this world. The slavery towards Egyptian "causes" took away the Jews from their spiritual pursuits of true kindness and goodness - a lack of Hallel. The Egyptians worshipped the animals - i.e. the pursuit of animalistic desires and needs as being the purpose of life. They were fittingly punished with the death of their "gods". 

6- Shkhin/Boils

The ARI associates this plague with the Sefirah of Gevurah. The Zohar associates this Sefirah with Mizmor, which is the ability to sing to Hashem even in the darkest of moments - associated with Gevurah/judgements. The unnecessary work imposed by the Egyptians (i.e. Avodat Parekh) led the Jews to be in constant discomfort and unease so that they couldn't even think about even basic expression before God. The punishment of boils led to constant itching and discomfort of the skin, so that the Egyptians could not even think straight (even the Egyptian sorcerers could not stand before Pharaoh due to the constant itching and discomfort).

7- Barad/Hail

The ARI associates hail with Chesed (also represented as water). Niggun is the song expression of Chesed, as it comes out when a person experiences bounty and blessing from Hashem. Abundance and blessing are always associated in the Torah as rain coming down and watering the crops. The poverty stricken enslaved Jews were meant to feel no bounty and abundance in life. Thus the hail came pouring down in "abundance", but with a destructive force in destroying all crops and unprotected property and livestock, inflicting the Egyptians with financial loss and poverty.

(for further clarification on these concepts please see: THE TEN PLAGUES VS. THE 10 TYPES OF SONG)

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May we see today and in these times the total down-fall of the present exile and the revelation of the 10 types of Song in their full force and beauty, along with the advent of Mashiach's arrival and the return of all Jews to the Holy Land, with the rebuilding of our Holy Temple in Jerusalem, Amen.

Shabbat Shalom

Meir Elkabas

@: breslovtherapy@gmail.com

: +1-732-800-1863

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