“and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two, upright door-posts, etc.” Shmos 12,23
Seeing that Israel was the vehicle by means of which G-d’s greatness was demonstrated at the time of the Exodus, they were commanded to perform a number of visible acts in connection with this commandment. All the acts in question were designed to discredit the wicked king and the faulty religious orientation of the Egyptians. The public nature of this commandment was to instill in the Egyptians a belief in G-d when they would see how their deity had been debased. The Israelites were ordered to slaughter (publicly) the lamb, (Egyptian deity) and to roast it openly on the fire (not conceal it in a pot). Even passers-by would not only observe the preparation of this meat but if they were too far away to see it they would smell its fragrance. The lamb’s blood was to be displayed openly on the door of every Jewish dwelling. This was a warning that the attribute of Justice had been extended fully against the Egyptians. This is the plain meaning of our verse.
A Kabbalistic approach to our verse: This verse comprises an allusion to the letters in the Holy Name of G-d and it has been mentioned earlier in reverse order (the order in which one builds) i.e. “the two upright doorposts and the lintel” (verse 7). Here the final stage of a building, the roof, or in this instance the lintel, has been mentioned first. This affords you an opportunity to understand the mystical dimension of Proverbs 8,34: “happy is the man who listens to Me; who comes to My gates early daily; waiting at the doorposts of My gates.” It also affords us an opportunity to understand what Rav Chisda said in Berachos 8 that a person should make a point of entering through two doors to the Synagogue. The Talmud finds it difficult to accept this at face value and concludes that what Rav Chisda meant was that one should step sufficiently far inside the Synagogue before commencing one’s prayer so that one could have walked through at least two doors. If one is framed between two doors and the two doors in their appearance resemble the letters in the name of G-d then G-d views Himself as it were and will not harm the individual who by his presence helps make up His name. The word אות, or לאות in verse 23 must be understood as “letter,” or “letters.” The mystical meaning both here and in the statement of Rav Chisda is that if one surrounds oneself with the appropriate symbols portraying G-d’s Holy Name this acts as protection against the attribute of Justice [the lintel is considered as a ו and the two upright posts as two letters ה, respectively].
ופסח ה' על הפתח, “and G-d will skip that entrance” ולא יתן למשחית לבא and will not allow the destroyer to enter through it, seeing he has sealed it with His seal. According to the aforesaid there were four altars corresponding to the four letters in the tetragrammaton. This corresponds to what we have been taught in Mechilta Pisscha section 6 that our forefathers in Egypt had 4 altars. They were: the lintel, the two upright posts and the threshold. The threshold was considered a “small and round vessel.” The four cups of wine we drink at the Seder celebration symbolize these four altars. The first cup, the one drunk during kiddush symbolized the letter י which is holy. The second cup is drunk as a memento of the haggadah, the story of all the miracles, and symbolizes the letter ה from which all the miracles emanated. The third cup is drunk in connection with grace corresponding to the letter ו which is reminiscent of השמים, heaven, in the verse ואתה תשמע השמים, “and You are listening in heaven” (Kings I 8,32). This is the source of all our food. as G-d said in Shmos 16,4: “here I will make bread rain down for you from heaven.” The fourth cup over which we recite the verse שפוך חמתך אל הגויים, “pour out Your wrath against the nations which refuse to acknowledge you, etc.,” symbolizes the last letter ה in the tetragrammaton which is a clear reference to the attribute of Justice.
You shall observe this decree at its designated time from year to year.” Shmos 13,10
A Midrashic approach (Pessikta Zutrata) based on the word למועדה: there are designated periods when a person is to wear phylacteries and there are designated periods when he is not to wear such phylacteries.” The Sabbaths and festivals are exempt from the requirement of phylacteries seeing that the days themselves are an אות, “sign, reminder” of the historical facts the phylacteries are to remind us of. The repetition מימים ימימה refers to the day as opposed to the night. This teaches that we are not to wear phylacteries at night. An alternative meaning: the words מימים ימימה teach that we are to examine the phylacteries once a year (every twelve months) to ensure that they are in good condition. This is based on the use of the word ימים in VaYikra 25,29 ימים תהיה גאולתו, “it (the house) may be redeemed until the end of twelve months.” Just as the word ימים represents a deadline in that instance it also signifies a deadline in our verse.
