The Silence of the Lambs
Introduction
The first two commandments ever given to the jewish people are Rosh Chodesh and the commandment of bringing a lamb as an offering. We need to consider two questions when examining these two Mitzvot. The first is: What is the connection between the two? The commandment for the new month seems to be one given independently of the commandment for the Pascal lamb. The second question that poses itself is of all the animals that can be brought as a sacrifice, why should a lamb be taken? In Leviticus 1:2 we are told that various animals including cows, goats, sheep and even doves can be used. Why is it necessary to bring a lamb?
Before we can begin to consider this, it is first important to understand the nature of Pharaoh, what he stood for and believed. Understanding who he is will unlock the secret of the pascal lamb.
Pharoah as a god:
Before the plague of hail, Pharaoh says that he will not let the Jewish people go, because:
“See, evil רָעָ֖ה (Ra’ah) stands against your faces”
Rashi here notes that this R’AAH doesn’t only mean evil, it could mean a star which is called RA. Rashi says
Pharaoh said to Moses and Aharon: I see through my astrological powers that there is this star which will rise against you in the desert, and it is a sign of blood and murder. When the Jewish people sinned with the golden calf, god wanted to destroy them. Moshe therefore prayed: Why should Egypt say “with RA” god took them out of Egypt, only to have them killed….. “[1]
Pharoah as emissary of Amun Ra
Rashi assumes that the star is “evil” and foretells evil in the desert. If we assume that the word רָעָ֖ה doesn’t relate to evil, it could refer to the Egyptian deity of Ra. Therefore the interpretation would be different. “See” Pharaoh proclaims, “I cannot let you go, because Ra does not permit it!”. This would fit beautifully into Rashi’s interpretation. When the Jewish people sin by serving the golden calf, Moshe says that if G-d destroys them all, the Egyptians will attribute it to their god Ra.
This idea works in tandem with the independent history of Egypt. Historians believe that the Exodus took place in the era of the Middle Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BCE), where the prime deity served was called Amun Ra. The Pharaoh was considered to be an emissary of the most powerful Egyptian god Amun Ra. If that is the case, Rashi’s assertion that Pharaoh saw himself as a god is true.
It is no coincidence that the symbol of Amun Ra is none other than the ram - a male sheep. It is a sign of strength and of fertility.
The New Month and the Lamb
With this in mind, let us go back to the texts of the Torah relating to the pascal lamb. The commandment comes together with the commandment for Kiddush Hachodesh - sanctification of the new month. The Abarbanel says that while the commandment for sanctifying the new month may have come from these verses, there is a deep connection between this specific month, and the pascal lamb.
From an astrological perspective, we know the month of NIssan roughly equates to the sign of Ares (which is represented by a ram). The Abarbanel says that Hashem chose this date with incredible precision:
The astrological sign which rules over Egypt is the sign of the Lamb (Aries). The Egyptians served the lamb and honoured its shape because they believed that blessings and goodness would result under its influence. Astrologists know that Aries is the first-born and the greatest of the 12 astrological signs in all ways. In the month of Nissan, its strength is at its zenith.
He identifies the month of Aries as being the time of beginnings. We know this time of year to relate to spring time[2]. This is the moment in time when the spring lambs are born, a time of regrowth and regeneration. As mentioned previously, Pharaoh connected himself to the ram as being a sign that he is an emissary for Amun Ra. Theoretically, Pharaoh should have been most powerful when the moon of the astrological sign of Aries was at its zenith. It therefore makes sense that Hashem would take that exact time - when the moon is at its strongest point (15th of the month) to decimate the Egyptian gods, which is accomplished by the bringing of the paschal lamb, bringing down Pharaoh and his belief system in one foul swoop. A lamb after all is just a little ram.
Says the Abarbanel:
The sign of the ram was the sign that controlled the fates of the first borns of Egypt, continued directly after the death of the first born. The two are interconnected. Therefore all the firstborns were afflicted, from Pharaoh’s first born to the first born of the captives. Once this astrological sign had been destroyed, all those in the land of Egypt who were represented by this sign were also killed.
Sacrificing the lamb, in a public way by all the Jewish people. This test of faith would also weed out those Jews who still believed in Egyptian gods. They were all required to bring and partake of the pascal lamb.
Ramifications of the Abarbanel’s interpretation
This interpretation is fascinating, because I believe he gives us an understanding of the catalyst for redemption. The first is a public renunciation of the cultural mores which are prevalent in any given society. The Jews negated the core of the Egyptian’s belief in the source of their beliefs- their god Ra was a deity that represented power, fertility, and choseness. It connected Pharaoh to divinity, and it was central to their beliefs and their righteous conviction that as the “first” and most powerful they had the right to subjugate others to their will.The Jewish national response was to publicly disdain and destroy it, and at the same time show their absolute belief in Hashem.
We must note that this act was not inherently violent in any way towards the Egyptian populace. On the contrary - violence and aggression was a real response to their actions, and their faith in G-d was incredible, because without it, they would have quailed in response to the commandment which could potentially have cost their lives. The pascal lamb had to be eaten in families, so that the families could strengthen each other with resolve and faith. It was a seminal moment of unification of the Jewish people.
[1] Rashi on Exodus 10 10
[2] Exodus 13 4