Three thousand years have passed since the time the Jewish people were in Egypt. The prophecy of their experience had been foretold to Avraham at the Covenant Between the Pieces.
They were aliens – בארץ לא להם. In Egypt people were property of the state. The lowest rung of society were those who had no land. Yaakov and his family were called “Ivrim” – those who passed by, homeless. There weren’t entitled to anything. Therefore they had to serve their hosts. – ועבדום. And they were oppressed – וענו אותם.
Avraham is told to take three sets of three animals, each with an ox, a ram, a goat. There were two birds as well, a turtledove and a young pigeon.
- The ox symbolizes productive (human) strength.
- The ram (that leads the flock) symbolizes human leadership founded on possessions and natural gifts.
- The goat represents the energy and determination to resist anything pulling it away from following the shepherd.
- The birds don’t have the strength of these animals but they do have the ability to soar high, above the dangers of the earth.
Each group represents one generation that possessed all the qualities found in these animals. Even so, for three generations they would endure oppression. Just as the bodies of these animals were cut in half, so to the qualities of these generations would be attacked and suppressed (symbolized by the birds of prey that attacked the carcasses of the animals.)
At the time of the redemption, the terror would end. The moment of God’s word would arrive. God will reassemble the parts and the birds will rise above towards Godly heights, greeting the morning of humanity with cries of joy! The birds that symbolize the immortal power of the nation were never divided. It is in the makeup of this people to be the carriers of God’s call to life and liberation.
דַּבְּרוּ אֶל כָּל עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר בֶּעָשֹׂר לַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה וְיִקְחוּ לָהֶם אִישׁ שֶׂה לְבֵית אָבֹת שֶׂה לַבָּיִת . וְאִם יִמְעַט הַבַּיִת מִהְיֹת מִשֶּׂה וְלָקַח הוּא וּשְׁכֵנוֹ הַקָּרֹב אֶל בֵּיתוֹ בְּמִכְסַת נְפָשֹׁת אִישׁ לְפִי אָכְלוֹ תָּכֹסּוּ עַל הַשֶּׂה. שֶׂה תָמִים זָכָר בֶּן שָׁנָה יִהְיֶה לָכֶם מִן הַכְּבָשִׂים וּמִן הָעִזִּים תִּקָּחוּ
At the time of this reawakening and liberation, God commanded the offering of the Korban Pesach as their Magna Carta ie. their mission statement.
At the ברית בין הבתרים God commanded Avraham with the words קחה לי – Take for me. At the Korban Pesach, God uses the words ויקחו להם – Let them take for themselves. Finally, after 3 generations of complete sacrifice, let them take for themselves…
The verse of Korban Pesach continues…
איש .1 – Every one of them. Each individual matters. Every individual is to have a personal relationship with God. This is not just a general independence of a mass of people. Every individual matters.
Each person is granted independence and human dignity. (This korban is both a קרבן ציבור and a קרבן יחיד – a personal and a shared public sacrifice. The meaning behind this is that the nation is a nation by virtue of its individuals.)
2. שה – A lamb. The lamb is an animal that joyfully follows its shepherd. The nation had just endured centuries of suffering. They had learned to endure through resignation of their fate determined by God. Now they were to begin a relationship of joyfully submitting to God’s guidance in life.
3. שה לבית אבות – A sheep for the house of the father.
4. שה לבית – A sheep for the home.
This is the cornerstone of the Jewish people. The past is the bedrock of the future. The father of the home learns his values from his parents and passes them on to his children. Here we are taught of the importance of the Jewish home! (RSRH discusses how the Jewish people merited to be redeemed by retaining their identities through keeping their names, language and dress. He presents a passionate appeal for educating the next generation to live by Jewish teachings to be the primary focus of the Jewish home.)
5. ואם ימעט הבית מהיות משה – If the household is too small for a lamb, then let him and his neighbor join together to partake of this lamb.
The lesson here is another central lesson in the formation of the Jewish nation: It is not need but overabundance, not destitution, but rather the longing for love; not sympathy, but rather duty which unites the homes and families of the People of God into a society, into a Nation. The rich man must seek out the poor in order to apply the surplus blessing granted him by God.
6. איש לפי אכלו תכסו על השה – Our sages explain the meaning of the verse to say that even after agreeing to join the meal, one is permitted to withdraw from the group all the way until the time it is slaughtered. The lesson here is: The poor man who receives retains his dignity. He is considered an equal and does not forfeit his independence by joining another household. Even if has joined someone’s table he can withdraw and go to another table at any time.
7. תמים – Unblemished. Whole. Just as God asked Avraham (at the time he was commanded to circumcise himself) to walk before God “whole”, so remains the need always to be whole in our service to God. Our whole being must be place under God’s guidance, unconditionally. This means dedication all aspects of ourselves – our spirit, body, heart, thoughts, deed, productivity, work, joy, individual life, family life and communal life.
8. זכר – Male. Vigorous and manly with strong feelings and clear thoughts. Led by God’s hand they are to go through their personal life and national history upright and with strength. Free and willingly.
9. בן שנה – Young! Always in the first year of our youth! Always feeling youthful devotion! Always with youthful vigor! The strength of #8 must never be taken for granted. One must always look within to be fresh and new!
All of the above are to be observed each year on Pesach, to teach the foundational lessons that form the immortal People of God!
Collected Writings, Volume 1
pages 103-111
