The Haggadah reminds us of the 10 plagues that befell the Egyptian people because they refused to emancipate the Jews. Plague after plague was sent upon the Egyptians. In compassion and sorrow over the evil and suffering that exists in the world, we follow the tradition in which we spill wine as we recount the plagues. We do this because it’s incumbent  on us to reduce our pleasure as we remember the suffering of the Egyptians.

The last of the plagues was the death of the Egyptian first-born. The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a slaughtered spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord knew to pass over the first-born in these homes, hence the English name of the holiday.

Do you think COVID-19 is modern day plague brought down by God? What are we supposed to learn from it?


haggadah Section: -- Exodus Story