A large section of Parshas Bo is dedicated to the korban pesach, the sacrifice which Benei Yisrael offered on the night of Yetzias Mitzrayim, and which is to be brought each year in commemoration of this miracle, on the 14th of Nissan. Significantly, the word “home” – appears fourteen times throughout this section. Indeed, the home and the family play a crucial role in this korban. Bnei Yisrael were commanded to take a sheep for each household (12:3). Moreover, they were commanded to remain home throughout the night (12:22).
When we consider the way the korban pesach was performed on the night of Yetzias Mitzrayim, we will discover that the home was treated like the Beis Ha’mikdash. The blood was placed on the doorposts (12:22), paralleling the sprinkling of the blood of the korban on the altar. And, whereas normally korbanos must be eaten in the Beis Ha’mikdash, or within the walls of Yerushalayim, the meat of the korban pesach was to be eaten at home. The home became the Beis Ha’mikdash, the place where the blood was sprinkled and where the meat was consumed. Significantly, this mitzva – to turn the home into a Beis Ha’mikdash – was given to Benei Yisrael right at the beginning, as they were about to become a free nation, teaching us that from the Torah’s perspective, the center of religious life is the home. The heart of Jewish practice is found not in the shul, not in the yeshiva, not even in the Beis Ha’mikdash – but the Jewish home.
In other faiths, the center of religious life is the house of worship. But for us, it is the home. The most important place where we put our values and ideals into practice is within the family unit. For good reason, then, the korban pesach, the mitzva given to our ancestors as they prepared to become a free, independent nation, revolved around the home and the family, because the home marks the focal point of religious life.
A similar notion is expressed earlier in the parsha, where we read that before the plague of locusts, Pharaoh was prepared to allow Bnei Yisrael to go and serve Hashem, and he asked “Who are the ones who are going?” (10:8). Pharaoh had assumed that since Moshe demanded that the people be allowed to leave to serve God, only members of the clergy needed to go. For a religious service, he figured, only the religious figures were included. Moshe replied, “and with our elderly, with our sons and with our daughters...for we have a festival to God.” Avodas Hashem is a joyous experience, and so it includes everybody.
If serving Hashem were only a burden of responsibility, an arduous task, then indeed, it would be reserved for the spiritual elite. But avodas Hashem is about living with joy, with meaning and purpose, and so it is something in which everybody, not just the clergy, is included. Torah life is for everybody, and thus the primary setting in which the Torah is to be practiced is the home, where we live and interact with one another. We are bidden to transform our homes into a Beis Ha’mikdash, and to live our lives as joyous servants of the Almighty, together with our sons and our daughters, as a strong family unit devoted to avodas Hashem.
A young soldier was injured during the Yom Kippur War, and after a number of operations was still unable to move one of his legs. The condition of that leg so deteriorated, that he feared it would have to be amputated. In the meantime, he was in a wheelchair, and was very depressed over his situation. His friends suggested that he go to Netivot for a blessing from Harav Yisrael Abuchatzira, the Baba Sali. The soldier, who was far from Torah observance, was reluctant to go, but his friends encouraged him and told him many stories about miracles which had occurred on the merit of that tzaddik.
Convinced, the soldier went to the tzaddik’s home and told him about his injury and the problem with his leg. The tzaddik listened to his story and asked him if he laid tefillin every day. “No," the soldier replied. “Do you keep Shabbos?” the tzaddik continued. “No,” the soldier said. “If that is so”, the Rav said in surprise, “you must thank Hashem that one foot is healthy! We derive our strength from Hashem, and if we don't do His will, He can take away what he gave us, and totally paralyze us. Since you don’t observe Torah and mitzvot, your healthy leg is a free gift.”
Hearing this, the soldier burst into bitter tears, stirring all those in the room. Looking the soldier in his eyes, the Rav asked him: “If I bless you with a complete recovery, and you are able to stand on your feet, will you be prepared to accept Torah’s yoke?” “Yes,” the soldier replied. ”If so, give me your hand,” Harav Abuchatzira then said, “and I will bless you with a complete recovery so that you will be able to serve Him.”
After the soldier kissed the Rav’s hand, those in the room told him to stand up. To his surprise, he managed to stand, and even to take a few steps without any help. Still stunned by the huge change in his situation, the soldier tried to walk faster, and soon found himself beside the Rav’s door. Then he jumped outside and looked for a public telephone. “The nearest one,” passersby told him “is in Yeshivat Ha’Negev.”
The soldier ran to the yeshiva, and excitedly told his family what had happened in the Rav’s home. Those of the yeshiva students, who stood near the phone listened to his story in amazement. Joining hands, they broke into dance along with the soldier, who thanked Hashem for the great miracle.
The overjoyed soldier kept his promise and changed his lifestyle from top to bottom. He, though, wasn’t the only one who did teshuva at that time. Many who heard the story or had been present when the miracle had occurred did not forget it, and grew stronger in their faith and yir’at Shamayim.
