Pesach Reader 5785
A recap of Torah ideas related to Pesach and the exodus
For those in Israel using A4 paper:
Appointed Times
The holidays play a significant role in our religious consciousness. Across the year, these appointed times draw our attention to different themes and include diverse mitzvot. In Parshat Emor, the Torah outlines and discusses the major holidays.
Sanctifying Time
If you were to ask someone to tell you the first month of the Jewish calendar, they would likely reply Tishrei, when we celebrate Rosh HaShannah, literally translated as the beginning of the year. But if you look in the Torah, you will see that Rosh HaShannah is described as falling in the seventh month. When the Jews are about to leave Egypt, they are …
Appreciating the Miraculous and the Mundane
The final act of the exodus from Egypt is the miraculous splitting of the Red Sea. How do we relate to miracles in a scientific age? What is our approach to the miraculous?
The Impression and True Value of Mitzvot
There are many details and facets of commemorating the exodus from Egypt. Even a casual attendee at a passover seder will note the complexity of the service. HaRav Aharon HaLevi in his Book of [Mitzvah] Education discusses why this mitzvah has so many elements, elucidating a sacred principle underlying our entire system of mitzvot.
Going Beyond the Story
The Rambam outlines the mitzvah of discussing the exodus from Egypt, obligatory on the first night of Pesach:
Torah and Freedom
One of the fundamental themes which we are obligated to discuss at the Pesach Seder is our progression from slavery to freedom. As the Rambam writes:
Intergenerational Commitment
The first Pesach offering was conducted on the eve of the exodus from Egypt. The Jewish people were commanded to perform this service in a specific fashion. Some requirements were unique to that first offering, while others remained in effect throughout the generations.
Restoration and Redemption
When Moshe first approaches Pharaoh, he makes a specific request that the Jewish people be granted 3 days respite to worship in the desert. Pharaoh refuses, and Moshe persists with this request during the debate that takes place throughout the subsequent 10 plagues. When Moshe is first instructed to facilitate the redemption of the Jewish people (3:10),…
Wisdom, Perception, and Knowledge
Betzalel the architect of the Mishkan is described as having a specific set of intellectual qualities.
Consecration
Two of the four sections included in Tefillin make up the last two paragraphs of Parshat Bo. Each of the paragraphs discusses the consecration of the first born, the exodus from Egypt, and the mitzvah of Tefillin. What thematically relates these three items, consecration of the first born, the exodus, and the performance of putting on Tefillin?
Remembering Shabbat and the Exodus
The exodus from Egypt was a foundational event in the history of the Jewish people. It transformed us from a family into a nation, from slaves to a people pursuing their own destiny, into a community that affirms the Oneness of God. We acknowledge this event daily, and celebrate it during the holiday of passover.
