Parshas Bo: The lessons of the miracles

Rabbi Avigdor Miller

For I have made heavy his heart and the heart of his servants in order that I should put these signs of Mine in his midst. And in order that you should relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son that which I contrived upon Egypt, and you should know that I am Hashem (10:1-2).

This great generation was thus mandated with the mission of serving as eyewitnesses who would testify to all future generations. This is a key statement which explains the reason for all of the wonders which took place in Egypt, at Mount Sinai and in the wilderness: this generation was privileged to be eyewitnesses in order to testify for all future generations.

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The lessons of the miracles are available to all who wish to study them 

Why were they considered such good witnesses? Because they were "a stiff-necked people," which means: a highly intelligent people of independent mind, that had learned from Avraham, from Yitzchak and Yaacov to discount the superstitions of the peoples among whom they had sojourned. This was the reason that Moshe Rabbenu had said to Hashem: "They will not believe me” (4:1).

For these trusted eyewitnesses, Hashem performed miracles that were never again shown to any generation, in order that all subsequent generations forever should benefit from the lessons these miracles teach. Thenceforth the laws of nature which the Creator decreed should no longer be disturbed, for the lessons of the miracles are available to all who wish to study them as they are related in the Torah. 

From these words, In order that you should relate in the ears of your son and your son’s son…, it is apparent that such wonders would not be performed in the future. The time of open miracles would pass, because the Creator desires that His "laws of nature" should prevail. But these "laws of nature” are actually stupendous miracles which men fail to recognize due to their regularity of occurrence which lulls the mind into lethargy. 

During this era, the great open and unusual miracles were performed so that men would remember them forever, and they should learn from them that Hashem performs miracles of equal magnitude every day: "A man’s food is as difficult (i.e. "as miraculous") as the splitting of the Sea of Suf” (Pesachim 118A).

"Remember His wonders that He made," (Tehillim 105:5), is explained as: "That He made in order that you should remember them." The plagues upon Egypt were chiefly intended not as punishment upon Egypt but for the purpose of bestowing upon the sons of Israel the everlasting gift of awareness of Hashem and of His election of the nation of Israel forever: "I am Hashem," and "Israel is My first-born son,” (4:22). 

The plagues upon Egypt bestowed upon the sons of Israel the everlasting gift of awareness of Hashem

When the later generations fail to utilize properly the lessons of these wondrous events, it is considered as a frustration of Hashem’s plan, as if Hashem punished Egypt in vain and abrogated His laws of nature in vain. "That which I performed in Egypt and My signs which I put upon them," were for the purpose of, “You should know that I am Hashem," which refers to Israel.
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This verse foretells that such wonders will not recur, because Hashem does not wish to abrogate His laws of nature. Forever we shall look back to the great Past.

The second verse should have stated "And you shall know that I, Hashem, have performed this wonder.” But to know that He is Hashem means this and much more, for the word “Hashem” signifies, “the Source of all that exists," and therefore He alone is the Doer of wonders and of all that transpires.

“You shall know": did the first seven plagues not cause them to know? But here we learn that to "know Hashem" is an unending effort which should be continued always, because His Greatness is endless. Thus Moshe requested, after Hashem had revealed Himself so abundantly to Moshe, "Let me know You." — A Nation is Born