According to Jewish tradition, what did god do to bring the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt

Social Studies · Middle School · Thu Feb 04 2021

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According to Jewish tradition, God performed a series of miraculous events and plagues to bring the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. These events are recounted in the Hebrew Bible, particularly in the Book of Exodus. The intentions behind these actions were to demonstrate God’s power and to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites.

The narrative includes the following actions and plagues:

1. Turning the Nile River into blood

2. Sending a plague of frogs that covered the land

3. Summoning lice or gnats against the Egyptians

4. Releasing wild animals or swarms of flies to invade Egyptian homes

5. Killing the Egyptian livestock with a severe pestilence

6. Afflicting Egyptians with boils

7. Sending thunder, hail, and fire from the sky

8. Sending a plague of locusts to consume what was left of the crops after the hail

9. Plunging Egypt into a deep darkness for three days

10. The death of the firstborn sons in Egypt, an event commemorated by the holiday of Passover.

Before the final and most severe plague, God instructed the Israelites to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb so that the plague would "pass over" their homes, sparing their firstborn children. This event signifies the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, leading to their exodus out of Egypt and the subsequent wandering in the desert for 40 years before reaching the Promised Land.