Preconceived Notions and Birthing New Realities: The Final Plague

We are all pregnant. Always. Constantly. Gestating, developing and preparing to birth different ideas, projects, realities. Some grow to be healthy, productive adults. Others struggle through life, never sure which way to go and with seemingly no goal in sight. And still some never make it out of the womb, their lives cut short before the pregnancy was even complete.

When speaking about the Plague of the Death of the Firstborn, it is hard to imagine how there could be a positive way of viewing death. And yet, in a certain sense, that is the only way to truly understand its meaning.

The word ‘Torah’ comes from ‘hora’ah’ which means ‘guidance.’ Everything we learn is intended to be a set of directives for understanding how to live healthy lives. Therefore everything that happened and happens in the physical has parallel meanings and purposes emotionally, intellectually and spiritually as well.

Egypt was the land of our slavery. A slave is someone who is owned, with no rights, no sense of self, no voice. In order to become free, one must regain his personhood. He must learn to speak and express himself and his needs and desires. Our captor was Pharaoh. The letters of his name in Hebrew spell Peh Rah, meaning an evil mouth. His words were harsh. They were abusive. And they killed our spirit even when the body still stood. His negative speech took away our voice. This is why the celebratory holiday of our freedom is called Passover, which in Hebrew, Pesach, is Peh-Sach, a speaking mouth. Speech—positive, constructive speech—is one of the hallmarks of freedom.

The commentaries explain that our slavery was not one solely of hard, physical labor. Rather it was a twisting and manipulation of purpose. When one feels unaccomplished, worthless and unable to use his or her talents, it is a killing of the soul. The body might be able to perform but the mind and heart fall become paralyzed. It is explained that men were forced to do women’s work and women did the work of men. Meaning that we were unable and not allowed to do what came natural but needed to work against our abilities.

The plagues were in response to Pharaoh refusing to grant freedom to his captives, the refusal for an outlet for healthy self-expression and creativity. First came the plagues that attacked his emotions, followed by the final three that were aimed at his mind. And the ultimate one was the death of the firstborn throughout the land of Egypt. This applied not only to the people but to all creatures.

What is the firstborn? The Jewish perspective is that everything begins with a spark of insight–an initial viewpoint, thought, idea that starts the process of creation. This can be understood as our preconceived notions. Our often incorrect judgments and first reactions to that which is different, foreign, new. When we assume we know a person or situation based on externals we limit our ability to be open to getting to know the deeper story or situation.

As we mature and develop, we learn not to say the first thing that comes into our head. We learn that first impressions are often wrong and that it takes time, patience and effort to understand the depth of those we interact with.

Pharaoh wasn’t interested in creating connections. He stereotyped, generalized and predetermined that an entire people didn’t deserve to be free. Time and time again he was given the chance to change and shift his perspective. But he refused. Eventually he ran out of opportunities. If he was not able to rid himself of his initial impression and see things through a new lens, it would be done for him. And so, the firstborn of all died. And it was a painful process. For it was forced. He was not ready. He was not open. But he would not be able to behave differently or change until those firstborns, those preconceived notions, were no longer.

Following this final plague Pharaoh was left with no choice but to release his captives. The slaves were freed and regained their voice and their ability to live as individuals. With time Pharaoh himself recognized his wrongs and not only changed his perspective. The commentaries explain that Pharaoh became the King of the city of Ninveh and transformed all the people there.

When we allow ourselves to shift our thoughts and open our minds, we create new opportunities that we had been blinded to before. Perhaps this is why immediately following the death of the firstborn, the Torah then discusses the commandment of the new month. The blessing of the new moon, which, like pregnancy waxes and wanes from practically non-existent to full and illuminating, is the first rabbinic commandment. And what is the blessing for? For Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the new month. The word ‘rosh’ means ‘head’ and refers not only to the start but also to the physical head where the mind is housed. The word for month, ‘chodesh,’ shares a root with the word ‘chidush’ meaning ‘novel insight.’ So immediately following the Ten Plagues we are given the responsibility to bless the potential with new intellectual insight so that it can develop, fill in and illuminate.

And just in case new insight and perspective isn’t powerful enough, while the first rabbinic commandment is the blessing of the new moon, the first commandment in the Torah itself is to be fruitful and multiply. To procreate. To emulate the Divine in this world. Just as our Creator creates, so too we are to create. To birth new realities. And to ensure healthy offspring we must ensure our preconceived negative perspectives are removed, thus allowing for new, positive insight to shine and be birthed.

So as we say in Jewish tradition to one who is expecting, (and as we began, we are all expecting), b’shaah tova. May we all give birth in the right, auspicious time.

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