Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does the darkness in Exodus 10:21 represent?
A: According to Rashi and Midrashic sources, the darkness in Exodus 10:21 was not just an absence of light, but a thick, tangible darkness that paralyzed Egypt. The Midrash explains it served three purposes: 1) To punish the Egyptians, 2) To conceal the deaths of wicked Israelites who didn't want to leave Egypt, and 3) To allow the Israelites to search Egyptian homes for valuables (which they would later use for building the Mishkan).
Q: Why did Hashem tell Moshe to 'stretch out his hand' for this plague?
A: The Rambam explains that stretching out Moshe's hand demonstrated that the plagues came through divine command, not natural causes. Rashi adds that this gesture showed that just as heaven obeys Hashem's will, so too must Pharaoh obey. The Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 21a) also notes that this plague originated from the heavenly realm, hence the hand being stretched toward heaven.
Q: How could darkness be 'felt' according to this verse?
A: The Ibn Ezra explains this was a supernatural darkness so thick it had physical substance - people couldn't move through it. The Midrash Tanchuma describes it as darkness 'as thick as a dinar coin.' The Sforno adds that this tangible darkness caused psychological terror, making the Egyptians feel trapped and helpless.
Q: What lesson can we learn from the plague of darkness today?
A: The Kli Yakar teaches that this plague symbolizes how spiritual blindness leads to physical paralysis. Just as the Egyptians were frozen in darkness, people who reject moral truth become spiritually immobilized. The Lubavitcher Rebbe noted that the Israelites had light in their dwellings (Exodus 10:23), teaching that even in times of global darkness, the Jewish people maintain spiritual illumination through Torah.
Q: Why was this plague specifically directed at the heavens?
A: The Netziv explains that since the Egyptians worshipped celestial bodies as gods, this plague demonstrated Hashem's control over the heavens. The Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 14:1) states that the darkness came from Gehinnom, showing that Hashem can bring darkness even from the place that normally emits fire and light, proving His complete dominion over all creation.
The Nature of the Plague of Darkness
The plague of darkness (Makas Choshech) was unique among the Ten Plagues in that it was not merely an absence of light, but a tangible, oppressive darkness that could be "felt" (וְיָמֵשׁ חֹשֶׁךְ). Rashi (Shemos 10:22) explains that this darkness was so thick that one could not move, as if trapped in a physical substance. The Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 14:3) adds that this darkness was supernatural—while the Egyptians were immobilized, the Israelites had light in their dwellings.
Why Darkness as a Plague?
Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 3:29) suggests that this plague was a direct response to Egyptian oppression—just as they enslaved the Israelites in darkness (both physically and spiritually), they were punished with darkness. The Maharal (Gevuros Hashem, Ch. 47) elaborates that darkness symbolizes the absence of divine wisdom, reflecting Egypt’s moral and spiritual blindness.
The Symbolism of Stretching the Hand Toward Heaven
The command "נְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל־הַשָּׁמַיִם" (stretch your hand toward heaven) signifies that this plague came from the highest spiritual realms. The Kli Yakar (Shemos 10:21) explains that heaven represents divine justice, and by directing his hand upward, Moshe invoked a judgment that transcended natural darkness.
Lessons from the Plague