Rabbi Roodyn

In this week’s sedra we read of the transition of the Bnei Yisrael from slaves to free people even whilst they are still held captive in Egypt.

The mitzvah of korban pesach with all of its halachos and details enable the Bnei Yisrael to free themselves emotionally from their slave masters and to demonstrate their fear of Hashem in public.

One of the unique features of this mitzvah, which was never again repeated was the smearing of the blood of the lamb on the doors and the lintel of their homes. Whilst it is generally assumed that they did so on the outside of their doors to identify the home as a Jewish one in a manner similar to the mezuzos on our homes, this is in fact not the case. The protection afforded by the blood was not so that Hashem would realise which was a Jewish home because Hashem doesn’t need signposts.

The blood was actually smeared on the inside of the home to provide a very important message for those who dwelt within. It was in the merit of internalising that message that the Bnei Yisrael were spared the horrors of the plague of the death of the firstborn. Blood is a sign of commitment and self-sacrifice and makes an impact on all who see it.

On that fateful night in Egypt, the very first seder in history, as they were poised to leave on a journey that would change the world forever, they make a pledge. They pledge that they will be faithful to the truths that they leave learnt and that they will learn. They pledge to be faithful to Hashem and His mission although they do not yet know what that will entail. They pledge that that their newfound liberty will not just be freedom from oppression, rather freedom to live life to its full potential.

Yechezkel  HaNavi tells us in a beautiful and powerful mashal, likening the birth of the Jewish people who a new born baby found abandoned by the wayside, ואומר לך בדמיך חיי ואומר לך בדמיך חיי, that it is through these bloods that we will live. The bloods referred to are the two bloods with which we earnt our exit visa from captivity. The blood of the Korban pesach which is representative of Emunah, faith in Hashem, and the blood of the bris milah that came with it, that is the blood of kedusha, translating that faith into a life of holiness.

The blood on the doorpost served as a reminder to the Bnei Yisrael as to what they were going free for. In the merit of them realising both the incredible destiny that lay ahead of them, and the awesome responsibility that comes with that, they are redeemed.

Their story is our story, and a commitment to those values is what has will ensure a brighter Jewish future.