SPEAK TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF ISRAEL, SAYING, "ON THE TENTH OF THIS MONTH, LET EACH ONE TAKE A LAMB FOR EACH PARENTAL HOME, A LAMB FOR EACH HOUSEHOLD... AND YOU SHALL KEEP IT FOR INSPECTION UNTIL THE FOURTEENTH DAY OF THIS MONTH, AND THE ENTIRE CONGREGATION OF THE COMMUNITY OF ISRAEL SHALL SLAUGHTER IT IN THE AFTERNOON... AND ON THIS NIGHT, THEY SHALL EAT THE FLESH, ROASTED OVER THE FIRE, AND UNLEAVENED CAKES; WITH BITTER HERBS THEY SHALL EAT IT... AND YOU SHALL NOT LEAVE OVER ANY OF IT UNTIL MORNING, AND WHATEVER IS LEFT OVER OF IT UNTIL MORNING, YOU SHALL BURN IN FIRE.

(Shemot 12)

 

...it does not seem far fetched to suggest that in roasted over fire we can see the missing third element, the state of being a stranger Without standing, no firm ground under its feet, swinging to and fro, not roasted in a pan, but hanging on a spit, thus, is the paschal sacrifice to cook to a state fit for use. Without standing, driven to and fro, no right to the ground under their feet, is literally the condition of aliens, in which this people, now rising to freedom and independence had to be matured for their ultimate goal. So, centuries later, when, once again, the fate of being a stranger, of exile, hung over the head of Judea, those who thought they could defy the threat used the same metaphor in the opposite way, and said, referring to Jerusalem, it [Jerusalem] is the pot and we are the meat (Ezekiel 11:3), i.e., in Jerusalem we have our natural permanent land which can not be taken away from us, and on which we shall reach the zenith of our greatness. And the Prophet replied, announcing the exile: It will not be as a pot unto you (ibid). According to this roasted over the fire, and unleavened cakes; with bitter herbs would mean: remembering, at the moment of regained freedom, the three preceding stages of Egyptian oppression, alienation, enslavement, and persecution. This is to keep alive in our minds the fact that, right up to the moment of redemption, the pressure still lay heavily on us.

(Rabbi S.R. Hirsch, Shemot 12:7-8, Levi translation)

 

And you shall not leave over any of it until morning

Not to leave any of the meat of the paschal sacrifice into the next day, which is the fifteenth of Nissan. For it is said, And you shall not leave over any of it until morning.

The rationale for this commandment is remembrance of the miracles in Egypt, as is written in connection with its slaughter.

This matter of our being commanded not to leave anything over from it is similar to custom of kings and princes who do not need to save their cooked dishes from one day to the next. That is why it says that if there are any leftovers, they should be burned as if they are unwanted, as is the custom of earthly kings. All of this is meant to commemorate and set in the heart that in that time the blessed Lord redeemed us from slavery, and we became freemen, and we gained sovereignty and greatness.

(Sefer haHinukh, commandment 8)

 

Editor's comment: This issue's main article deals with the special maftir for Parashat HaHodesh, which is about the Passover of Egypt which preceded the Exodus. Apparently, during the period of the Mishnah only Parashat Hahodesh was read on the Shabbat preceding Rosh Hodesh Nissan (Mishnah Meggilah 3:4), since at that time the Torah was read in the Land of Israel according to a three year (or even three and a half year) cycle

 

 

A Night of Shimurim

Nahem Ilan

The word shimurim is unique to a single verse in Scripture, and there it appears twice: It is a night of shimurim for the Lord, to take them out of the land of Egypt; this night is the Lord's, Shimurim for all the children of Israel throughout their generations (Shemot 12:42). This verse posses a lyrical rhythm, and it serves as a festive conclusion to a passage of six verses (37-42) describing the Exodus from Egypt. The verse is heavy with content: its first use of the word shimurim refers to God, and the second to the Israelites, and this ambiguity has invited many different interpretations. The Aramaic targumim [traditional translations], the early and late Midrashim, and the biblical commentaries together offer at least twelve different explanations of the term shimurim, and they reflect different perspectives as to how the word should be seen in its double context (shimurim to God and to the Israelites). These differing perspectives teach us something about the methodologies of the various translators, darshanim, and exegetes. They also help us gain new insights into the verse and its protagonists (God and the Israelites).

 

1) Shimurim = shamur

The earliest Aramaic targum of the Torah is attributed to Onkelos. It uses the word netir ["guarded"] twice. The targum does not help us understand the unique meaning of shimurim and it relays no special significance. The Samaritans' Aramaic and Arabic translation of the Torah also use that term twice. One of the versions of the targum of the Land of Israel expands the range of shimurim's referents. It combines the two occurrences of the word in the verse and connects them to the special significance of that night, which was kept ready for redemption then and in the future. Ever since then, echoes of the two interpretive traditions found in the Aramaic targumim can be found in translations, midrashim, and commentaries on the verse, even if it is not always possible to identify their direct and conscious influence.

The aspect of being kept is reflected in the Greek Septuagint. In the tenth century Rav Saadia Gaon translated the verse into Arabic, rendering it something like "And as that night was a guarded night for God to take them out of the Land of Egypt, so too this is a night of guarding for the Israelites throughout their generations. Rav Saadia Gaon did not preserve the words plural form and saw no special significance in its conjugation. He explicitly expressed this view twice in his commentary on Proverbs and once in his commentary on Psalms.

 

2) Redemption coming from God to remove the Israelites from Egypt.

3) Protection from the destroying angel.

4) Reserved for removing them from exile throughout their generations.

The targum attributed to Yonatan writes at length on this verse, offering three interpretations:

Four nights are mentioned in the Book of Memories before the Lord of the World. The first night - when He was revealed in order to create the world; the second - when He was revealed to Abraham; the third - when he was revealed in Egypt, and His left hand killed the Egyptian firstborn while His right hand saved the firstborn of Israel; the fourth - when He will be revealed to redeem the people of the House of Israel from among the nations. He called them all layla shamur - a reserved night. That is why Moses explained: It is a night reserved [shamur] for redemption by God, to remove the Israelite people from the Land of Egypt; it is the night when all the Israelites in Egypt were protected [shamur] from the destroying angel, and to redeem them from their exiles throughout their generations.

This expanded passage from the targum has two parts. The first lists the four special nights, each a leil shimurim. The second part paraphrases the verse with some minor additions. A different version of the expansion upon the verse appears in a targum called Yerushalmi, which also comes from the Land of Israel. The additions reflect three kinds of shimurim: A) God's redemptive removal of Israel from Egypt; B) protection from the destroying angel; and C) removal of the Israelites from their exiles throughout the generations. A and C relate to God and seem to interpret the first instance of shimurim in the verse. B relates to the Israelites and interprets the second instance of shimurim in the verse. Each of these explanations appears independently in the Talmud and midrashim, and it seems that the targum attributed to Yonatan collected them together. In Pesahim 109b we read: "Rav Nahman said: Scripture says a night of shimurim - a night which continues to protect against the destructive spirits." Rosh Hashana 11b attributes the idea to the Tanna Rabbi Eliezer and brings it in opposition to Rabbi Yehoshua's position that it is "A night of shimurim - a night that has been continuously watched for since the six days of Creation.[1] Are A and C really two different explanations, or is A a particular case of C? The answer depends on one's position regarding the timing of the future redemption. This question was already discussed in an early Tannaitic midrash on Shemot, Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael. According to Rabbi Yehoshua, A is a particular case of C, but R. Eliezer disagrees, since he completely rejects C as an interpretation. Their disagreement is also found, in somewhat different language, in Mekhilta DeRabbi Shimon bar Yohai.

 

5) Shimurim = the rescue of Bitya, daughter of Pharaoh

In Pesikta DeRav Kahana we read: "... R. Avon said in the name of R. Yehuda ben Pazzi: Bitya, the daughter of Pharaoh, was a firstborn, and why was she saved? [She was saved] by Moses' prayer, for it is written: [When] she advises that her merchandise is good her lamp does not go out at night (Proverbs 31:18) - it says leil [night], as it says It is a leil shimurim [night of watching] for the Lord." According to this drasha, the meaning of shimurim also includes the special protection afforded to Bitya and her rescue from death.

 

6) Shimurim = Joy

Shemot Rabbah explains the verse thusly: "...this night is one of joy for all Israel, as it says; It is a leil shimurim for the Lord. He performed a miracle for them on that night in this world - that was a temporary miracle. However, in the future this night will become day, for it is said, and the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, etc. (Isaiah 30:26) - like the light created by the Holy One blessed be He that he stored away in the Garden of Eden." This is a drasha of the form al tikrei ["Do not read"]: Do not read shimurim, but rather semayhim [joyful], meaning that the guarding is not a response to some danger or threat (the destroying angel?) but rather it stems from the desire to sustain and perpetuate the pleasant experience of leaving Egypt. The preservation is two-directional: God was to make it into a "day" while the Israelites keep it as a token of thanks to God for his miraculous redemptive intervention. It is not a far step from this interpretation to the drashot, and more substantially the commentaries, that connect shimurim with the modes of celebration practiced at the Seder and the kinds of praise that are appropriate to God.

 

7) Shimurim = Expectation and Awaiting

The RaShBaM writes on this verse: "Already from their father's days the Holy One blessed be He would look forward to that night to remove the Israelites from Egypt, as He had promised them. It was a night of shimurim for Israel throughout their generations and for all their generations; they look forward to celebrate the Passover Festival on that night [in accordance with all its statutes] and laws. Shimurim is an expression of waiting, as in, his father kept the matter [to himself] (Bereishit 37:11)." RaShBaM understands shimurim as if written in the pa'al grammatical form, and ignores the plural pi'el form, although the Sages use the term shimer in the sense of "waiting".

 

8) Shimurim = Observance of the Passover throughout the Generations

R. Avraham ben HaRaMBaM writes [in Arabic]: "...therefore it is appropriate that this night be kept among the Israelites that they do on it that which they were commanded [to do] on it." That is to say, he emphasizes the yearly celebration of the Passover festival. RaMBaN also relates to the celebration of Passover in every generation, and emphasizes performance: "...that they should keep it to serve Him by eating the Paschal lamb and remembering the miracles, and to offer praise and thanks to His name..." They both read shimurim as meaning observance, realization, and performance. R. Yitzhak Abarbanel followed their lead.

 

9) Preservation of Memory

The RaLBaG (Gersonides) notes the reciprocity between the two instances of the word shimurim and discusses at length a distinct characteristic of the preservation that the Israelites should practice. He claims that memory is the common factor for both God and Israel in this context. God remembered to take Israel out of Egypt on this particular day, and therefore the Israelites must recall the wonders He performed at that time. RaLBaG opposes those who are only interested in internal mental acts of remembrance. He insists that internal remembrance must be accompanied by acts of commemoration - in the present context this takes place via telling stories of the miracles, i.e., by performing the Seder ritual, which is centered on the Haggadah.

 

10) Occupying Oneself with Torah all Day and Night

Another explanation has been preserved in R. Yisrael Alankva's (Sefarad, 14^th) Menorat HaMaor. He cites his source as Midrash Yehi Or, which appears in the Zohar, and which is clearly related to Mekhilta DeRabbi Shimon bar Yohai However, the new formulation differs greatly in both form and content from the version found in the Mekhilta:

It is a night of shimurim - R. Yossi began his exposition, saying: The harsh prophecy of Dumah: To me one calls from Seir, "Watchman, what will be of the night? Watchman, what will be of the night?" (Isaiah 21:11), and the Holy One blessed be He says: for the exile - this is the harsh prophecy of Dumah; To me one calls from Seir - I heard the voices of Israel from Seir, even though they are oppressed and strewn throughout the lands, and lie in the dust, they lend their voices to words of Torah during the night watch. That is what is written: Watchman, what will be of the night? Watchman, what will be of the night - even on festival nights they sit and occupy themselves with Torah, as you say: It is a night of shimurim for the Lord.

11) Three shemirot for Israel and Two for God

Among other ideas, we find the following in Yalkut Midrashei Teman: "... another view: It is a formulation referring to many acts of shemira: Israel observes the [commandment of] eating of matza and recalls the miracle and marks the vernal equinox; God keeps it for redemption and the spring, since they left Egypt in Nissan and they will be redeemed in the future in Nissan..." According to this explanation, the plural form of shimurim marks the three observances required of Israel (to eat matza, and to recall the miracle, and to mark the vernal equinox), and God took two upon Himself ("the redemption and the spring").

 

12) Night of shimurim = Balanced Night

R. Zekhariah HaRofeh's Midrash Hefetz (Yemen, 1427) states: "It is a night of shimurim for the Lord - That it is protected from the destructive spirits, and similarly it says, He takes the prisoners out at koshrot [the most opportune time] (Psalms 68:7). A kasher [opportune] month: not harmfully hot or harmfully cold; not a long day and not a short day, and things are at their best when equal." According to this view Israel was redeemed in Nissan because it is a balanced month and therefore its climactic conditions are comfortable. They were redeemed on the most balanced night of the month, making it the most appropriate time - the most kasher for redemption.

Interpretations 6 and 11 are variations of 4; 9 is a realization of 8, as is the second instance of the word shimurim according to the 11nth interpretation. Most of the darshanim and exegetes think that shimurim refers to God, and only six of them thought that the second instance of the word relates to Israel. Only four (Shemot Rabbah, RaLBaG, R. Israel Akanava [in Menorat HaMeor] and Yalkut Midrashei Teman) distinguish between the two occurrences of the word.

The word shimurim has been understood in several different ways in both of its instances. Some people have distinguished between the first and second instances as relating to the respective roles of God and the Israelites. Some attempted to understand the expression in terms of the plain meaning of Scripture and the events that took place in Egypt on that night. Some related it to the creation of the world or to the end of days. Those who associated shimurim with a concrete event of that night disagreed over whether the word refers to protection [or self-preservation] from something dangerous or negative or whether it refers to preserving or reserving something for a positive and welcome purpose. Some thought the verse alludes to the special power of Moses' prayer or to the value of Torah study in all times and circumstances - with no particular connection to Passover night. Some thought that the plural form of shimurim points to a plurality of obligations taken on by God and Israel at that time; someone even tried to uncover some special quality in the objective facts about that night in respect to its place in the yearly calendar.

The large majority of targumim, midrashim, and commentaries do not base themselves on a philological analysis of the word shimurim. Rather, they interpret it retrospectively, combining theological ideas about the nature of the future redemption and its relationship to the redemption from Egypt with the halakhic expression of the modes of celebration of the Seder night. The linguistic problem is set aside before the desire to anchor traditions and popular notions in the biblical text. Even if the various readings and interpretations add nothing of substance to philological research they help us understand cultural patterns of behavior and how they are legitimated by being linked to Scripture.

Prof. Nahem Ilan teaches in the MA in Jewish Studies program at the Lander institute in Jerusalem (associated with Touro College).

 

Tzara'at ["Leprosy"]: a Physical or a Spiritual Disease?

And if the garment is inflicted with leprosy: This does not occur at all in nature nor does it exist in the world, and so it is with the blemishes of houses as well. However, when Israel is perfectly for God, the Lord's spirit will be constantly be upon them to give their bodies, clothing, and homes a comely appearance, and if one of them commits a sin or crime then their flesh or clothing or home will be made ugly in order to show that the Lord has departed from him. That is why Scripture says, and I place a lesion of tzara'ath upon a house in the land of your possession (14:34), because it is the Lord's strike against that house, and it only occurs in the land which is God's possession, as it says: When you come to the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as a possession (ibid). It does not occur because it is an obligation of the soil, but rather because this matter can only come to pass in the chosen land in which the honored Name resides.

(RaMBaN Vayikra 13:47)

 

 And if the garment is inflicted with leprosy: It is a certainty that this could not possibly be a natural phenomenon, for such changes of appearance can only occur in a garment either by artifice, when one colors it with dyes, either deliberately or accidentally, or as the consequence of some problem with the dyes used to color the garment, or with the work of the dyer, or in the reaction of the dyed garment...

True, Scripture does testify that such a wonder can occasionally occur in garments and houses, and it is in order gain the attention of their owners to their sins, as the Sages said regarding the Sabbatical Year: "Come and see how serious the slightest infringement of the Sabbatical Year is: A man trades in fruits of the Sabbatical Year, eventually he sells all of his moveable property; he does not notice, eventually he sells his field, etc." All of this occurs out of God's pity upon his people.

(Seforno on Vayikra 13:47)

 

And the person with tzara'at, in whom there is the lesion his garments shall be torn, his head shall be unshorn, he shall cover himself down to his mustache and call out, "Unclean! Unclean!" All the days the lesion is upon him, he shall remain unclean. He is unclean; he shall dwell isolated; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.

(Vayikra, 13)

 

Why did the Torah decree that the metzora receive the punishment he shall dwell isolated; his dwelling shall be outside the camp? [With his slander and tale-bearing] he divided between man and wife, between man and his fellow, therefore the Torah said: he shall dwell isolated.

(Arakhin 16b)

 

Rabbi Zekharia, son-in-law of Rabbi Levi, said: The Merciful One does not afflict humans first.

From where do we learn this? From Job. The oxen were plowing... Sabeans attacked them... God's fire fell from heaven... Only later, He took a potsherd to scratch himself.

And so it was with Machlon and Kilion; first their horses and camels died, and then he died - Elimelech, Naomi's husband died, and then they died, as is written, Then those two also died and only afterwards did she die.

And so with afflictions which come upon men; in the beginning it begins with one's home. If he repents, the afflicted stones shall be removed. If he does not repent, the house must be torn down. Afterwards it begins to afflict his clothing. If he repents, the garment must be torn. Should he not repent, the garment must be burned. After it begins to afflict the person's body. If he repents, fine; if not - he shall dwell isolated; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. And so it was with Egypt; first the measure of justice struck at Egyptian property. Only later, And He struck every firstborn in Egypt.

(Yalkut Shimoni, Parashat Bo, 247-186)

 

 

 

If you enjoy Shabbat Shalom, please consider contributing towards its publication and distribution.

• Hebrew edition distributed in Israel $700
• English edition distributed via email $ 100

Issues may be dedicated in honor of an event, person, simcha, etc. Requests must be made 3-4 weeks in advance to appear in the Hebrew, 10 days in advance to appear in the English email.

In Israel, checks made out to Oz VeShalom may be sent to Oz VeShalom-P.O.B. 4433, Jerusalem 91043. Unfortunately there is no Israeli tax-exemption for local donations.

US and British tax-exempt contributions to Oz VeShalom may be made through:

New Israel Fund, POB 91588, Washington, DC 20090-1588, USA

New Israel Fund of Great Britain, 26 Enford Street, London W1H 2DD, Great Britain

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE NEW ISRAEL FUND IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING DONATIONS UNDER $100.

PEF will also channel donations and provide a tax-exemption. Donations should be sent to P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds, Inc., 317 Madison Ave., Suite 607, New York, New York 10017 USA

All contributions should be marked as donor-advised to Oz ve'Shalom, the Shabbat Shalom project.

 

About us

Oz Veshalom-Netivot Shalom is a movement dedicated to the advancement of a civil society in Israel. It is committed to promoting the ideals of tolerance, pluralism, and justice, concepts that have always been central to Jewish tradition and law.

Oz Veshalom-Netivot Shalom shares a deep attachment to the land of Israel and it no less views peace as a central religious value. It believes that Jews have both the religious and the national obligation to support the pursuit of peace. It maintains that Jewish law clearly requires us to create a fair and just society, and that co-existence between Jews and Arabs is not an option but an imperative.

5,000 copies of a 4-page peace oriented commentary on the weekly Torah reading are written and published by Oz VeShalom/Netivot Shalom and they are distributed to over 350 synagogues in Israel and are sent overseas via email. Our web site is www.netivot-shalom.org.il.