One who reads the above pasuk cursorily may miss its profound message. How was Pharaoh and all of Egypt capable of going to bed, let alone falling asleep, when they were fully cognizant of what might transpire if Moshe’s warning were to be realized? Had not the first nine plagues taken their toll on the Egyptian people? Even if there has been room to doubt the potential for this plague’s fulfillment, sleep would still have been impossible. This was an integral part of Hashem’s divine plan. Had Pharaoh stayed awake, anxiously waiting to see if this latest warning would be potentialized, it would certainly diminish its impact. Hence, Hashem caused Pharaoh to go to sleep, only to awaken to the cries of terror and anguish throughout Egypt. This is but one example of the many miracles which occurred and the numerous lessons which we can derive from them.
