# <![CDATA[Egypt. Iran. The Mystery of the Ten Plagues ]]>

From **Online Torah Classes with Rabbi Mendy Goldberg** by R Mendy Goldberg.

- **Published:** Mon, 12 Jan 2026 20:22:37 GMT
- **Duration:** 00:55:54
- **Audio:** https://anchor.fm/s/10f48890/podcast/play/113889723/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-0-12%2F415981199-44100-2-b6bb89df29334.mp3
- **Page:** https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mendy-goldberg/episodes/Egypt--Iran--The-Mystery-of-the-Ten-Plagues-e3di4vr
- **TorahApp:** https://torahapp.org/share/p/3P_r_mendy_goldberg_online_torah/e/3b25160e-2c6b-4c15-9aaa-8a9d0b92e091

<![CDATA[<p><strong>VAEIRA</strong></p><p><strong>Egypt. Iran. The Mystery of the Ten Plagues </strong></p><p><br></p><p>There are parallels between the biblical plagues of Egypt and Iran's current crises. Just as Egypt suffered from water contamination, darkness, locusts, and hail, Iran now faces a decade-long drought causing water shortages, widespread power outages due to non-functioning power stations, an agricultural catastrophe from dried lakes and rivers, and recurring earthquakes.</p><p>This raises a fundamental question that has puzzled religious commentators for millennia: Why did God take an entire year to free the Israelites from Egypt instead of acting immediately? Why use ten gradual plagues rather than simply deploying the most devastating one—the death of the firstborn—right away to break Pharaoh's will? The same question applies to Iran's prolonged suffering today.</p>
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