Last week in parshat VaEra we learned about the plague of the frogs. There we read:
This is what the great Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. The frogs will go up on you and your people and all your officials. ( Exodus 8:1–4)
A Midrash taught that the frogs were the most grievous of the ten plagues. The Midrash taught that the frogs destroyed the Egyptians’ bodies, says “frogs . . . destroyed them” (Psalm 78:45) The frogs emasculated the Egyptians, as it says that the frogs would “come into . . . [the Egyptians’] bed-chamber, and upon [their] bed.” (Exodus 7:28)
The image of the emasculation and destruction from the frog has returned with Pepe a symbol of the alt-right.
Now more then ever we have reason to assume that the hatred, violence, and bigotry of the alt-right is going to continue to teem. Trump used the alt-right to get into power and I do not trust that he will be able to control it over his tenure as president, or maybe he does not want to control it. It seems that this time the frogs are not just all over the people and the officials, but that the frog is the official.
Said to Myself 