I finally watched Prince of Egypt because the URJ mentioned it was fabulous and every once in a while they're right. So in honor of something I should have done years ago, here's my elusive Passover essay from year's ago.
G-d's Meglomania
Ex. 9:15 I could have stretched forth my hand and stricken you and you would have been effaced from the earth. 16: Nevertheless I have spared you for this purpose in order to show you My power and in order that My fame may resound throughout the world.
Sometimes I feel awful for Pharaoh. He becomes king of THE NATION in its time but there's this giant group of people he doesn't know hanging out and he is afraid the Hebrews are going to pip up and take over the country that he is responsible for. In his then-current logic, he serf-slaves them (though wasn't the entire population a slave as payment for the bread that Joseph-acting for Pharaoh- sold them?).
Ex. 7:3 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and marvels in the land of Egypt.
G-d lets this go for generations, maybe the Impotent One is busy or disinterested. Then G-d taps Moses. For the next monthi-ish? G-d sets about to torture, 1) Pharaoh, 2) the innocent Egyptian people and 3) the Hebrews whom I imagine got quite thirsty when ALL of the water was turned into blood, which they were forbidden to drink ever.
Pharaoh wanted to quit after frogs (and who blames him?), but G-d forced him--taking away his freewill--to stay in the game. G-d puts all of these people through all of these plagues just to flex Divine Biceps. Douche move HaShem.
So at a time of year when we try to hyper-focus our traditions' attention on ending oppression, we have 2 fine examples of oppression:
1) Pharaoh's misguided fear as a world leader
2) G-d's rigged pissing contest where he rapes Pharaoh's free will and tortures millions
I believe in my hippy, libreral, Reform way that sometimes force IS necessary but that liberator's must use special care to not become oppressors themselves. It's not until after Pharaoh is absolutely destroyed--that G-d show's any remorse. Telling the Hosts not to celebrate the death of his creation. A death that G-d created.
That concludes the original, year's old, thought.
I'd also ponder G-d's sort of wicked ways through that gorgeous blending of watercolor and CGI.
Moses marry's a Midianite and her AWESOME father helps the Israelites all the time but Zimri gets with one and Pinchas javelin's him. Hypocrisy.
Speaking of Hypocrisy:
How could G-d, in all of G-d's hypocrisy, condemn the Egyptians for murdering our babies and then go to kill so many babies? Other babies G-d kills include: David's rape-child, Nadav and Abihu. But maybe they died because Aaron did nothing to protect the Egyptian babies? Is it up to us to control G-d? Maybe it is.
