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Boils To appreciate the scope and magnitude of the plague of boils, let us examine the Torah’s description of its effect upon Pharaoh’s sor- cerers: “The sorcerers were unable to stand before Moshe because of the boils, for the boils surfaced on the magicians and on all of Egypt” (Shemot 9:11). At first glance, it seems that since the sor- cerers developed boils like the rest of the country, their powerless- ness was exposed, and they were thus too ashamed to stand before Moshe. The question, however, arises, why did the Torah add in this context that the boils had surfaced “on all of Egypt”? If the sor- cerers experienced shame due to their suffering, of what relevance was the fact that the rest of Egypt also contracted boils? The answer is that the sorcerers felt ashamed for an entirely dif- ferent reason. They had the knowledge and skill to rival Moshe and Aharon by bringing about boils of their own. However, there was not a single square-inch of flesh in the entire country upon which they could perform this experiment. The boils had spread over the entire body of every Egyptian citizen, such that the sorcerers had no opportunity to compete. They were ashamed to stand in Moshe’s presence “for the boils surfaced on the magicians and on all of Egypt,” and they thus could not even attempt to prove their skills. Hail The day before the onset of the seventh plague, the plague of hail, Moshe appeared before Pharaoh and warned him that the hail- storm would begin ka’et mahar – “at this time tomorrow” (Shemot 9:18). Rashi explains that Moshe made a mark on the wall and pre- dicted that when the sun reached that spot on the wall the following day, the hail would immediately begin to fall. Ordinarily, of course, storms are preceded by a covering of clouds in the sky that progressively thicken until the storm begins. The hailstorm in Egypt, however, as Rashi clearly indicates, was preceded by sunshine. It was a clear, sunny and warm day, and the people of Egypt went about their business outdoors as usual, without any inkling of an impending storm. The hailstorm thus not only caused widespread damage and devastation, but also stunned the Egyptians through the abruptness of its outbreak, further dem- onstrating Gd’s unlimited control over the earth. Locusts The Torah tells that after the plague of locusts, “not a single locust remained within the borders of Egypt” (Shemot 10:19). The Sages explain that despite the devastation caused by the swarms of locusts, which consumed all of Egypt’s agricultural produce, the Egyptians took comfort in the fact that they would later be able to eat the locusts, which in many cultures are enjoyed as a delicacy. Gd, however, ensured that not a single locust remained after the plague so that the Egyptians would derive no benefit at all from the insects. In fact, even the locusts that had already been captured and bottled were brought back to life and flew away when the plague ended. Once again, the Egyptians devised a strategy for confronting the plagues, only to see their plans foiled by the Almighty. Darkness The ninth plague was a thick darkness that engulfed Egypt for six days. We read in the Torah that while the Egyptians sat in darkness, “there was light for all Benei Yisrael in their residences” (Shemot 10:23). The Sages explained this to mean that the Jews enjoyed normal sunlight wherever they went, even if they left Goshen to visit the other regions in Egypt where the darkness pre- vailed. In fact, even if a Jew and an Egyptian walked next to each other, shoulder-to-shoulder, the Egyptian was in complete darkness while the Jew walked in sunlight. The Plague of the Firstborn We refer to the tenth plague as “ makat bechorot ” (plague of the firstborn) because the firstborns themselves participated in bringing about this plague. When Moshe issued a warning that Gd would kill the firstborn of Egypt, a civil war erupted. The firstborns, fully aware of the accuracy of Moshe’s earlier predictions, feared for their lives and begged the Egyptian officials to let the Jews free. Pharaoh persisted in his refusal, and the firstborns launched a bloody offensive which resulted in countless casualties. For this reason, a verse in Tehillim (136:10), which we read during the seder , describes the Almighty as “smiting Egypt with its firstborn.” Gd punished Egypt through the firstborns, who initiated a bloody conflict that left a myriad of Egyptians dead. Passover All Nighter The Shulhan Aruch (O.H. 481:2) rules that after completing the seder , one should continue discussing the story of the Exodus “ ad she’tehafto shenah – until sleep overtakes him.” Ironically, we all make a point of remaining awake throughout the night of Shavuot, which is not required according to strict halacha , yet few of us stay awake on the night of Pesah as the Shulhan Aruch explicitly requires. Instead, most people hurry to their rooms immediately after the seder and sleep the rest of the night. According to halacha , however, one must endeavor to continue his discussion and learning well into the night, even after the seder . The night of Pesah should be spent as a time of intensive study focusing on the story of the Jews’ departure from Egypt. As we have seen, traditional sources are filled with volumes’ worth of information about this great event, and, baruch Hashem , many books are available in both Hebrew and English devoted to this topic. May we all prepare ourselves adequately in advance of the seder night, so that we can turn our seder – and the hours after the seder – into a memorable educational experience that will leave a lasting impact upon ourselves and our families. In memory of Mrs. Rae Semah v"g  The night of Pesah should be spent as a time of intensive study focusing on the story of the Jews’ departure fromEgypt. ”