The ninth plague which Hashem brought upon the Egyptians was חושך – the plague of darkness. The Egyptians were plunged into darkness for six days, while Beneh Yisrael had light. The Rabbis teach that for three days, the Egyptians could not see anything, and during the other three days, the air was not just dark, but thick, to the point where the Egyptians could not even move. They were stuck in their places for three days.
I always wondered, how did the Egyptians eat during those three days? If they couldn’t move, how did they obtain food?
The answer is given by the Netziv, in his Ha’amek Davar commentary, where he writes something remarkable. He explains that since Beneh Yisrael were able to move and see, they went into the Egyptians’ homes and fed them. They took care of the Egyptians who were unable to move during those few days.
The Netziv writes that this is why, as the Torah tells later, the Egyptians gladly gave Beneh Yisrael their belongings at the time of Yetziat Mitzrayim. Before Beneh Yisrael left, they approached their Egyptian neighbors and asked for their utensils and clothing, and the Torah says that Beneh Yisrael “found favor” in the eyes of the Egyptians, who gladly gave them their possessions. The Netziv explains that the Egyptians were so grateful to Beneh Yisrael, and so impressed by what they did during the plague of darkness, that they happily gave them their belongings.
As the plagues unfolded, Beneh Yisrael did not look smugly upon the Egyptians, nor did they become insensitive to them. They were kind and caring, even as they began to rise and the Egyptians began to decline.
Sometimes, we forget about how sensitive we need to be around people who do not enjoy the blessings we have.
A person told me that two women from the community were sitting at a beauty parlor and talking with one another. One was talking about the nurse who was taking care of her baby. They spoke about housekeeping help, and the trouble they were having finding good housekeepers. They spoke about the decisions they needed to make about which luxury car to lease. These women were completely oblivious to the fact that the employees working on their hair were probably earning around $15 per hour.
I’m sure these aren’t bad people. They are probably nice and considerate women. But sometimes we simply forget that other people do not necessarily enjoy the blessings that we have, and it could be very hurtful for them to hear us talk about a lifestyle that they cannot possibly afford.
We need to think very carefully before we talk about our children’s successes in the presence of people who don’t have children, or who are having serious problems with their children. We need to think very carefully before we talk about our vacations in the presence of people who cannot afford to go on vacation. And we must be extremely careful before posting pictures of our vacations on social media.
The Torah tells that before Yetziat Mizrayim, Moshe Rabbenu was held in very high esteem בעיני עבדי פרעה ובעיני העם – in the eyes of Pharaoh’s noblemen, and in the eyes of the people. As Moshe rose to prominence, he earned the admiration of all kinds of people – both the rich aristocrats, and the simple, ordinary people. He was able to relate to all of them, because he cared about all of them.
When we achieve success, of any kind, we must not forget about those who are not as successful. We should never be oblivious to the fact that there are others who are struggling, whose jealousy could easily be aroused by our remarks about our housekeepers, our cars, our vacations, our children and our family celebrations.
Let us always remember that although we are blessed with “light,” there are others who sit in “darkness,” who do not enjoy the same blessings and achievements that we do. Like our ancestors in Egypt, let us be considerate and compassionate, and be kind and sensitive towards all people, realizing that they may be struggling and going through things that we know nothing about.