Passover: An Interpretation of The First Night And A Lesson For Today
“At midnight, then the
north wind arouse and
then G‑d wrought His vengeance [on Egypt, killing their firstborn]. Israel (was) instructed to mark their
houses with the blood of the sacrificed paschal lamb with three marks, "upon
the lintel, and on the two sideposts" (Ex.12: 23).
What is the reason [why G‑d commanded
the blood to be marked in these 3 places on the doorway]? It has been
understood that these marks represented the Holy Name. Because it is a Holy mark, and the
Angel of Destruction [which came to sow destruction in Egypt] would have mercy on Israel when it saw this
blood that was marked on their doors. This is what is written: “And the L-rd will pass over the door and
will not let the destroyer come into your houses to strike you”
(Ex.12: 23). This final
Holy act to free His people from bondage was proscribed by G-d.
The
Torah Parashaha (portion), Exodus 12 (רָשָׁה Pārāšâ), is concerned with this Holy act. Conventional wisdom and its
interpretation, is that this Holy act was a
simple act of “faith.” By that I mean, a symbolic gesture of primal
human compliance.
This interpretation, in my view, is naïve. Are we to believe
that Israelites in Egypt on the night of Passover marked their doorposts with blood
as a symbolic demonstration of their faith in G-d? Keyn! That is not the reason why.
The explanation, which is proffered here, can be found in the
principle of Occam's razor. The simplest explanation
is the best.
First, G-d
said to Moses that “I will pass through the
land of Egypt on this night, and I will smite every firstborn in the land of
Egypt, both man and beast, and upon all the gods of Egypt will I wreak
judgments I, the Lord” (Exodus 12:12) … “And the blood will be for you for a
sign upon the houses where you will be, and I will see the blood and skip over
you, and there will be no plague to destroy [you] when I smite the [people of
the] land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:13). G-d did not ask – He said, “I will,” and
therefore you will.
Second, G-d
said to Moses, “Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said
to them (Exodus 12:21) … you shall extend to the lintel and to the two
doorposts the blood that is in the basin, and you shall not go out, any man
from the entrance of his house until morning (Exodus 12:22) … and the Lord will
pass over the entrance, and He will not permit the destroyer to enter your
houses to smite [you]. Moses did not ask Israel, it was an order—“you shall.”
Third, this
was an order given by Moses to Israel. As a Hebrew on the night of Passover, I
put the blood on my doorposts as prescribed, not as a pious act of faith, but rather
as an existential and obedient act to G-d. Other then the plaques G-d brought
to Egypt, what did the Hebrew’s in Goshen truly know about G-d? What they knew
and believed, was He was all mighty, and when He instructed them through His
Chosen One (Moses) to mark their doorposts with blood, those who were not morons
obeyed.
Therefore,
it was not an act of faith – it was an act of salvation. It was not spiritual – it was
corporeal. It was not symbolic – it was explicit.
This
was the reason why Israel put blood on their doorposts.
Today,
in western society the paucity of religious conviction, the absence of belief
in G-d and His Commandments, is leading to the destruction of society. And,
secularization is the axe being wielded to remove morality from society in furtherance of
nefarious ends.
Secularism is not neutral. Secularism is not benign. It is pernicious. And it is G-dless. Thus, secularism, at least as a general trend, is the practice of Progressives / Liberals in society – which more or less convincingly drape their resolutions
in notions of the people’s interests and later the people's will – however, regrettably results in
a far more usurpation of power and morals, than an elaboration of democratic ideals and morality.
To an ever increasing ignorant society, Progressives / Liberals
give a new fictive appearance of democracy by deceitful means.
Hence, the
quintessential question is: will you put blood on your doorposts, or are you a
moron?
