It seems there is something strange about the plagues of Egypt. All the plagues appear to point to each Egyptian deity except this one. Adom means red, but it is also the word for blood in Hebrew. Often, the question is asked why this plague has nothing to do with any Egyptian deity.
First, we must understand why. G-d didn’t just pass judgment on Egypt; He showed them the reasons for this punishment through the plagues. The first plague, turning water into blood, revealed what was to come as a consequence of the sins of the people, not only Pharaoh the Egyptian people’s leader, but also those who stood by, allowing the wrongdoing to happen without taking action.
The word genocide is often heard today but not always used in the right context. In ancient times, Pharaoh was like the Hitler of his era, so fearful of the Jewish/Hebrew population growing in numbers that he committed the unthinkable by ordering the killing of all male Jewish/Hebrew babies. To hide this crime, the children were thrown into the Nile River, and by the next day, when the sun shone on the water, there was no visible evidence that such a literal genocide had occurred.
Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, “Every boy that is born you shall throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.” ~Exodus 1:22
Pharaoh’s decree to kill all newborn Hebrew boys was a cruel attempt to suppress the future of the people. The Book of Exodus tells of the Israelites’ enslavement in Egypt and the extreme measures Pharaoh took to halt their growth, including ordering every newborn boy to be thrown into the Nile. It feels like history repeating itself, just in a different era for the Hebrew nation.
It common Knowledge, though few openly will say, that the so-called “Palestinian” people are largely descended from Egyptians, including leader Yasser Arafat, who was born in Cairo, Egypt. He invented the concept of a Palestinian nation in 1967, borrowed the flag from Jordan with modifications, and adopted the kuffeya scarf from Iraq, with nothing being original but instead copied.
When the Nile turned to blood, it was seen as revealing Egypt’s sin and what Pharaoh had done, and the Egyptian people shared in the consequences of that sin when they could have intervened but instead chose to watch events unfold and even take part in the atrocities. So, in fact, G-d was revealing their sins, and then the judgment of the rest of the plagues were enacted upon all of Egyptian people and the leader Pharaoh. G-d does not do anything without explaining why.
Later we see that the Israelite Hebrew also covers their door post with blood of a lamb sacrifice and it is said in the text of the Bible “Speak to the entire nation of Israel, saying, “On the tenth of this month, let each one take a lamb for each parental home, a lamb for each household… And they shall take [some] of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel, on the houses in which they will eat it… I will pass through the land of Egypt on this night, and I will smite every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and upon all the gods of Egypt will I wreak judgments I, the Lord.
And the blood will be for you for a sign upon the houses where you will be, and I will see the blood and skip over you, and there will be no plague to destroy [you] when I smite the [people of the] land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:2-14
In the well-known command to sacrifice a lamb on the eve of the Exodus, there’s also the instruction to use its blood to mark the doorpost. While the text offers some explanation, plenty of questions linger. What was the purpose of this “sign”? Did G‑d need a physical marker to recognize Jewish homes? And why was blood chosen?
Rabbeinu Bachye gives us a clue and cites a verse in Leviticus which states that “blood is the soul.” The blood, therefore, symbolised both death for the Egyptians while referring to the Plague of the Firstborn and life for the Israelites. It served as a sign of protection, a atonement indicating that the “destroyer” had no permission to harm the nation of the chosen Hebrew people.
We read in context “For the soul of the flesh is in the blood, and I have therefore given it to you [to be placed] upon the altar, to atone for your souls. For it is the blood that atones for the soul.” Leviticus 17:11
“And you shall take a bunch of hyssop and immerse [it] in the blood that is in the basin, and you shall extend to the lintel and to the two doorposts the blood that is in the basin, and you shall not go out, any man from the entrance of his house until morning. The Lord will pass to smite the Egyptians, and He will see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, and the Lord will pass over the entrance, and He will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses to smite [you].” Exodus 12:22-23
These events occurred at the time of the birth of the Jewish nation. Rabbis explain that it needed to emphasize the ultimate purpose of the Divine service of the Jewish people: to fulfill the commandment to serve as a Kingdom Nation of Priests and be a holy People “‘And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.” (Exodus 19:6)
And later be Priest for the world, i.e., the nations (goyim) at the holiday at the end of Sukkot. This highlights a broader theological perspective that includes all nations in the worship and recognition of G-d during this joyous festival. The sacrificial offerings during Sukkot thus embody a spirit of gratitude and a hope for peace and prosperity for all humanity.
The holiday of Sukkot is followed by an independent holiday called Shemini Atzeret, a holiday where a sacrifice for all 70 nations takes place. In Israel, this is a one-day holiday; in the Diaspora it is a two-day holiday, and the second day is known as Simchat Torah. Do you know what the Holidays was on October 7, 2023? Answer Shemini Atzeret Simchat Torah Do you really think G-d will allow what happened to the Jewish people that day just slide by without judgment? NO, think again!
The text says in Exodus 25:8 “I will dwell among the people of Israel”, to the extent that their home becomes a place for the Divine Presence to rest. The Blood in the story of Exodus transformed the Home into a miniature Temple. This is why each household was required to slaughter their own lamb within their home and place the blood on the doorframe. By performing the mitzvot associated with offering a sacrifice in their own space, they transformed their homes into a microcosm of the Temple.
In later generations, the Passover Sacrifice could only be offered in the Tabernacle or Temple, where the Divine Presence of G-d was openly revealed. Bringing the sacrifice outside these sacred spaces was forbidden, as the Tabernacle or Temple represented the fulfilment of “I will dwell among them,” and that promise still exists for all generations of G-d’s people.
The interplay between oil and blood is evident in the consecration of Priests and later in the sacrificial part of the Temple service. Blood was not only a revelation of one’s sins as we see in the texts of Exodus, but also to the people of G-d it was a protection, an atonement, a sign that G-d has never forgotten his people and will bring punishment on anyone who harms His people which we see in the plagues of Egypt in the Pesach (Passover story).
Deuteronomy 32:35 says, “Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, in due time their foot will slip.” This is exactly what happened in Egypt. This passage highlights the belief that G-d is the ultimate judge who will address all wrongdoings and no one else!
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