Why did God send the ten plagues against Egypt? In this Torah teaching, Dennis Prager examines the deeper purpose behind the plagues, explaining why the Exodus was about more than freeing the Israelites from slavery. Through the plagues of blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock disease, boils, and hail, Dennis explores how God challenged Egypt’s idols, confronted its belief in multiple gods, and demonstrated His sovereignty over nature.

Dennis also examines Pharaoh’s repeated refusal to keep his promises, the distinction between Pharaoh hardening his own heart and God later hardening it, and the ways the plagues reveal both divine justice and compassion. He highlights Moses’s concern for innocent Egyptians, the protection of the Israelites in Goshen, and the Egyptian magicians’ eventual acknowledgment that the plagues were the work of God.

Ultimately, Dennis argues that the Exodus carries a message for the entire world: the purpose was not simply to liberate the Jewish people, but to teach humanity about God, His power, and His nature. Through these dramatic events, the Torah raises enduring questions about faith, justice, human stubbornness, and our understanding of God.