In about a month, it will be Passover. The Passover offering — the so-called Paschal lamb — caused great upheaval in Egypt 3,336 years ago.
Anyone who recalls the unrest surrounding various forms of modern blasphemy can imagine the emotions provoked by the slaughter of what was considered an Egyptian god. The lamb or ram was an idol in Egypt because the ram corresponded to the constellation of the month in which the Nile overflowed its banks.
The Nile was the engine of the Egyptian economy and was therefore worshipped. The Children of Israel had to bring this lamb into their homes four days in advance — on the 10th of Nisan — in order to slaughter it on the 14th of Nisan. By doing so, they made themselves completely unacceptable to Egyptian society. At that point, their paths diverged irreversibly.
Farewell Meal or Sacrifice?
The meaning of all the prescriptions surrounding the Passover offering goes much deeper. Rabbi J. Grusman explains various aspects of this offering. Was the final meal with the Passover offering in Egypt, on the evening of the 14th of Nisan, merely a farewell meal, or was it a true sacrifice?
Commandment as a Sacrifice
It strongly resembles a sacrifice, as sacrificial terminology is used: “The lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year” (Exodus 12:5). Likewise, the instruction “You shall not leave any of it until morning; what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire” (Exodus 12:10) is standard for sacrifices.
The phrase “roasted in fire, with its head, its legs, and its inner parts” (Exodus 12:9) also appears in the context of the sin offering (Leviticus 4:11). The time limit likewise follows sacrificial rules: “They shall eat the meat that night” (Exodus 12:8). Even the prohibition of chametz (leavened products) is specifically connected to the Passover offering.
There are two prohibitions concerning chametz:
- The first is directly linked to the Passover offering: “roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it” (Exodus 12:8). Chametz was never to be brought on the altar — a general prohibition in sacrificial practice.
- The second is the broader prohibition against possessing leavened products throughout the entire Passover festival.
No Altar in Egypt
There was, however, one obvious problem: there was no altar in Egypt, as the Tabernacle and the Temple had not yet been established.
The Jewish Home as a Sanctuary
Instead of a Temple, the Jewish home itself was transformed into a sanctuary. The two doorposts and the lintel served as the altar: “They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it” (Exodus 12:7).
In effect, the entire house became a sacred space into which no external disturbing forces could enter: “The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are; when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:13).
As in the Tabernacle and later the Temple, a consecrated space was created where evil and impurity had no access. Angels of destruction had to remain outside. Indeed, the entire Jewish home became a great altar — and at the same time a refuge from earthly destruction:
“Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood… and apply the blood to the lintel and the two doorposts. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike Egypt…” (Exodus 12:22–23).
Just as sacrificial meat could not later be taken outside the Temple precincts, here too it was commanded that all the meat remain inside the house: “It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the meat outside the house…” (Exodus 12:46).
From the Passover offering, no fat portions were burned on an altar; instead, the meat was eaten — just as the priests (kohanim) would later eat portions of sacrificial meat to bring about atonement (kapparah).
Sanctification of the Material World
This was the beginning of Judaism: the sanctification of the earthly Jewish home and its inhabitants for a higher purpose. All aspects of daily life were included in this process. It is a characteristic feature of Judaism — and it has remained so throughout history.
