דם ואש ותמרות עשן

Blood, Fire and Pillars of Smoke: Literary Analysis

- Steven Hoffman

 

"ובמפתים, זה הדם. כמה שנאמר: ונתתי מפתים בשמים ובארץ. דם ואש ותמרות עשן."

 

Literally, דם ואש ותמרות עשן means “Blood and Fire and Pillars of Smoke”. But why is it mentioned in the Hagadah? What is its significance? What does it add to the Haggadah’s description of the Yetziat Mitzrayim?

            This sentence is brought to explain from where the Hagadah knows that these “wonders” are blood-related miracles that G-d used to deliver B’nei Yisrael out of Egypt. (The word “wonders” is stated in the Haggadah narrative, above as part of the many ways with which G-d delivered B’nei Israel from bondage, such as “by temptation, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by an outstretched arm, and by great terror”) In order to arrive at an understanding of this phrase, the Haggadah quotes from the use of the phrase in the book of Yoel, where it is used it to describe messianic times when G-d will show wonders that include “Blood and Fire and Pillars of Smoke (Yoel II, 30)”. The Haggadah now knows that the “wonders” that the Torah refers to are wonders that have to do with blood.

The truth is that even after the proof-text from Yoel, we are not sure which which “blood” is being specifically referred to. A look at the medieval commentators brings up two opinions. According to Rabbi Shimon Ben Tzemach, the “blood” is the plague where the river turned to blood.  According to Rabbi Aaron of Lunille, the “blood” is the blood spilled by the Egyptians when they were chasing B’nei Israel.

            What we have here is a literary device where the Haggadah is going through a process of examining comments and asking questions on specific things mentioned in the comments. This form of debate is often seen in the Talmud, and in fact some of the Haggadah is structured in this style. In this case, the following didactic occurs:

 ======================================

Statement: The ways with which G-d will deliver B’nei Israel from Egypt are “by temptation, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by an outstretched arm, and by great terror”

             Question on Statement: But which “wonders” did G-d specifically use?

             Answer: Wonders that are affiliated with blood

Question: From where is this reasoned?

Answer: From the messianic verse Yoel II), “And I will show wonders in the heaven and in the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke”,. The Haggadah reasons that if in that context the word “wonders” refers to “blood,” then in our context, as well, “wonders” must also refer to “blood”. This process of comparing the meaning of words in one place to another is referred to in the Talmud by the term גזירה שוה  .