The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha last evening. [As we are visiting family in California and the shiur was 6 PM PDT, it is being blogged on Friday]. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
In Makas Choshech, the Torah records that Hashem said to Moshe (Shemos 10:21) נְטֵ֤ה יָֽדְךָ֙ עַל־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וִ֥יהִי ח֖שֶׁךְ עַל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְיָמֵ֖שׁ חֽשֶׁךְ. The Sefer Milchemes Yehuda notes that there is an anomaly between Choshech and all the other Makkos. By the other plagues, there is a warning from Moshe, whereas in this Makah, there was no warning - Moshe was just told to put out his staff. The Michemes Yehuda explains that this Makah was a warning, as if to say to Pharaoh - you are just not getting it - you are blind. Don't you see what is happening to your country? If you won't notice it, Hashem says, I will make you blind.
R' Frand quoted a well known expression - there are none as blind as those who will not see. This was emblematic of Pharaoh. He had been beaten to a pulp and his country was falling apart, and he did not get it, because he was blind to it.
The Milchemes Yehuda quotes a Pasuk in Tehillim 105:28 - שָׁ֣לַֽח חֹ֖שֶׁךְ וַיַּֽחֲשִׁ֑ךְ וְלֹֽא־מָ֜ר֗וּ אֶת־דְּבָרֽוֹ - He sent darkness and it darkened, and they did not disobey His word. The Medrash explains - Hashem said to the angels, the Egyptians were worthy of the Makah of Choshech and the angels agreed. During some of the plagues, the angels objected, but when it came to Choshech, they did not object, since this was a warning to Pharaoh.
The Milchemes Yehuda quoted another Medrash which states that the Choshech was a thick as a dinar coin, meaning that the darkness was tangible. The Milchemes Yehuda explains that the use of the image of a dinar was meant to symbolize that people become blinded by money (as well as other Ta'avaos).
R' Frand said a second vort related to the pasuk in Shemos 10:6 which states that after Moshe warned Pharaoh about Makkas Arbeh - "וַיִּ֥פֶן וַיֵּצֵ֖א מֵעִ֥ם פַּרְעֹֽה" - that Moshe turned and left. The Ramban explains that the people were already scared after the prior Makkos and that once Moshe told them that what was left over from the prior plagues would be eaten by the Arbeh, Moshe left to give them time to process this and to give the people time to do Teshuva. The Ramban explains that Moshe was correct, as the Torah states in the next pasuk that the people said to Pharaoh - הֲטֶ֣רֶם תֵּדַ֔ע כִּ֥י אָֽבְדָ֖ה מִצְרָֽיִם?
R' Frand quoted R' Simcha Zissel Brody in the Sefer Sam Derech, who asked why Moshe did not stick around as he could see that the people were having doubts? He answers that there is something innate to humans, where they say to themselves - you can't tell me that I am wrong. People need time for self contemplation and Moshe understood this basic concept of psychology. In fact, had Moshe stayed, they may have just said - we don't need to listen to you.
R' Brody said that by weddings, the second Beracha is Yozer HaAdam. But why is this said at a wedding, as opposed to when a child is born, or at a bris, or even a Bar Mitzva? Because a man cannot function without the aid of a wife, as she will make him whole. Why is this? Because people don't like to advice from outsiders, which puts a person in a difficult position, as a person wont see or admit his faults. So Hashem created the institution of marriage - she is not you and she is not an outsider. R' Frand said that his wife does not appreciate when he says this, but a man needs his wife to tell him when he is being an idiot. A man is complete in this sense as he gains the assistance of someone who can tell him - this is not a good idea (and even occasionally she makes mistakes and you can let her know, but never tell her that she is being an idiot, says R' Frand)
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