Continued. The Midrash sees all the מכות beginning with the very first as a series of steps to exhaust Egypt, accordingly ערוב wasn’t about killing Egypt but to confuse them, thus the name: ערוב.

The first three plagues punished the Egyptian gods, only from the fourth plague and on were the Egyptians themselves being punished. Therefore only from the fourth plague on was the difference between the Jews and the Egyptians very noticeable.

After Moshe shows up things only get worse. Why and what Hashem expects of Moshe in admonishing him for asking (very good) questions.

Introduction to the Sicha on למה הרעותה. The three ways Moshe met the Pharaoh. כה אמר הוי’… לא ידעתי את הוי’ה. אלוקים מול הוי’ה טבע מול נס. Egypt’s Parnassa is from the earth, Eretz Yisroel is fed from heaven. Pharaoh tries to show that all that Moshe does is from a G-d of nature and…

The first two plagues represent parallel yet opposite ideas: Dam- Blood is to warm Egypt from it’s natural coldness to holiness, to be warmed by it. Tzfardea- Frogs were to cool off Egypt’s passions to worldliness. Here the order (is atypical:) first from the top down and then from the bottom up.

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Loshon HaRa is the only thing that prevents a nation from being formed, even if God is the Creator. Idolatry isn’t as negative as disunity.

Moshe being Moshe forever from the moment he’s born.

Moshe grows up like he was born: at birth he already displayed his future greatness in two aspects: A. He was born circumcised, revealing an incredibly lofty personal level, B. He was born with the Shechina indicating his preparedness to lead the Jewish people. The two ויגדל הילד, ויגדל משה reflect these two aspects: growing…

Class One, Introduction. Class Two, Text. This Sicha discusses the idea that placing Moshe in the River Nile did far more than save his life, it broke the decree of the killing of the children, and it broke the idol of Egypt altogether.