As I was re-reading Parashat Bo this week, after having already written and reflected on it in the past, one detail stood out to me again and invited further thought. Our weekly portion opens with a very interesting call that God gives to Moses:

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come to Pharaoh, for I have made his heart heavy (hardened), and the heart of his servants, that I may put these two signs (wonders) of Mine in his midst, and that you may tell in the ears of your son and of your son’s son how I made a mockery of the Egyptians, and My signs which I put among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.
Exodus 10:1–3 (translation mine)

This portion speaks of two signs or wonders that God would place in Egypt’s midst. Yet in reality, three events still remain: the locusts, the darkness, and the death of the firstborn. Why does the Lord refer only to two, and not all three? And to which signs is He referring?

It is interesting that in the commentaries I read, some ignore this question altogether, while others identify the two signs as darkness and the death of the firstborn, effectively leaving out the locusts. I believe that the two signs mentioned here are the locusts and the darkness and not the death of the firstborn for several reasons.

First, both the locusts and the darkness point toward what is about to come: death. We already see Pharaoh’s servants showing signs of weariness and defeat when they say to him in verse 7:

How long will this be a snare to us? Send the men so that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is lost?

Later, Pharaoh himself pleads with Moses and Aaron to stop this “wonder” when he says in verses 16–17:

Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron and said, ‘I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. Now forgive my sin just this time, and plead with the LORD your God that He may remove this death from me.’

The second sign is darkness, and darkness also reflects death. It is significant to note the clear separation between Egypt and Israel at this stage. Egypt is in darkness, pointing toward imminent death, while the children of Israel remain in the light, pointing toward life:

So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings.
Exodus 10:22–23

Another reason I believe the Lord is not referring to the death of the firstborn is the language Scripture uses. Here, God does not use the Hebrew words א֔וֹת (ot), meaning “sign,” or מוֹפֵ֑ת (mofet), meaning “wonder.” Instead, He uses the word נֶ֤גַע (nega), which literally means an affliction or plague. Up until this point, everything is described as “signs and wonders”. The final act, however, is an affliction - decisive and final.

Finally, throughout the first nine signs, God instructs Moses and Aaron what to do, and He acts through them. In the final act, the death of the firstborn, God acts Himself, supernaturally. This is the final act before the deliverance of His people from slavery. God does what He does for His own glory and for His Name, so that no one else can claim it.

The Haftarah from Jeremiah reinforces this same theme. Jeremiah 46 is a prophecy against Egypt, spoken generations after the Exodus, yet the pattern remains unchanged. Egypt still trusts in its strength, its armies, and its sense of permanence. Once again, God declares that Egypt’s power is limited and that its confidence is misplaced.

At the same time, the Haftarah draws a clear distinction between Egypt and Israel. While Egypt is warned of judgment, Israel is reminded not to fear:

Do not fear, O Jacob My servant… for I am with you.
Jeremiah 46:27

Just as in this portion, Egypt’s power is exposed, while Israel is preserved. History moves forward, but the message remains the same.

In closing, God tells Moses that He does everything so that both Egypt and Israel will know Him:

That you may know that I am the LORD.
Exodus 10:3

Shabbat Shalom,
Moran