Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 12

21Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Draw forth or buy for yourselves sheep for your families and slaughter the Passover sacrifice.   כאוַיִּקְרָ֥א משֶׁ֛ה לְכָל־זִקְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֑ם מִֽשְׁכ֗וּ וּקְח֨וּ לָכֶ֥ם צֹ֛אן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹֽתֵיכֶ֖ם וְשַֽׁחֲט֥וּ הַפָּֽסַח:
Draw forth: Whoever has sheep shall draw from his own.   מִֽשְׁכוּ: מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ צֹאן יִמְשֹׁךְ מִשֶּׁלּוֹ:
or buy: Whoever has none shall buy from the market. — [from Mechilta]   וּקְחוּ: מִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ יִקַּח מִן הַשּׁוּק (שם):
for your families: A lamb for a parental house. — [from Mechilta 3]   לְמִשְׁפְּחֹֽתֵיכֶם: שֶׂה לְבֵית אָבוֹת:
22And you shall take a bunch of hyssop and immerse [it] in the blood that is in the basin, and 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.   כבוּלְקַחְתֶּ֞ם אֲגֻדַּ֣ת אֵז֗וֹב וּטְבַלְתֶּם֘ בַּדָּ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־בַּסַּף֒ וְהִגַּעְתֶּ֤ם אֶל־הַמַּשְׁקוֹף֙ וְאֶל־שְׁתֵּ֣י הַמְּזוּזֹ֔ת מִן־הַדָּ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּסָּ֑ף וְאַתֶּ֗ם לֹ֥א תֵֽצְא֛וּ אִ֥ישׁ מִפֶּֽתַח־בֵּית֖וֹ עַד־בֹּֽקֶר:
hyssop: Heb. אֵזוֹב. A species of herb that has thin stalks.   אֵזוֹב: מִין יָרָק שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ גִּבְעוֹלִין:
a bunch of hyssop: Three stalks are called a bunch. — [Sukkah 13a]   אֲגֻדַּת אֵזוֹב: שְׁלוֹשָׁה קְלָחִין קְרוּיִין אֲגֻדָּה (שבת ק"ט):
that is in the basin: Heb. בַּסַּף, in the vessel, like “silver pitchers (סִפּוֹת)” (II Kings 12:14). [from Mechilta]   אֲשֶׁר־בַּסַּף: בַּכְּלִי, כְּמוֹ סִפּוֹת כֶּסֶף:
the blood that is in the basin: Why does the text repeat this? So that you should not say that [Scripture means] one immersion for [all] the three sprinklings. Therefore, it says again: “that is in the basin,” [to indicate] that every sprinkling shall be from the blood that is in the basin-for each touching an immersion [is necessary]. — [from Mechilta]   מִן־הַדָּם אֲשֶׁר־בַּסַּף: לָמָּה חָזַר וּשְׁנָאוֹ? שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר טְבִילָה אַחַת לִשְׁלוֹשׁ הַמַּתָּנוֹת, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר עוֹד אֲשֶׁר בַּסַּף, וְשֶׁתְּהֵא כָל נְתִינָה וּנְתִינָה מִן הַדָּם אֲשֶׁר בַּסַּף, עַל כָּל הַגָּעָה טְבִילָה (מכילתא):
and you shall not go out, etc.: This tells [us] that once the destroyer is given permission to destroy, he does not discriminate between righteous and wicked. And night is the time that destroyers are given permission, as it is said: “in which every beast of the forest moves about” (Ps. 104:20). — [from Mechilta]   וְאַתֶּם לֹא תֵֽצְאוּ וגו': מַגִּיד, שֶׁמֵּאַחַר שֶׁנִּתְּנָה רְשׁוּת לַמַּשְׁחִית לְחַבֵּל, אֵינוֹ מַבְחִין בֵּין צַדִּיק לְרָשָׁע (שם); וְלַיְלָה רְשׁוּת לַמְחַבְּלִים הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "בּוֹ תִרְמֹשׂ כָּל חַיְתוֹ יָעַר" (תהלים ק"ד):
23The Lord will pass to smite the Egyptians, and He will see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, and the Lord will pass over the entrance, and He will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses to smite [you].   כגוְעָבַ֣ר יְהֹוָה֘ לִנְגֹּ֣ף אֶת־מִצְרַ֒יִם֒ וְרָאָ֤ה אֶת־הַדָּם֙ עַל־הַמַּשְׁק֔וֹף וְעַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֣י הַמְּזוּזֹ֑ת וּפָסַ֤ח יְהֹוָה֙ עַל־הַפֶּ֔תַח וְלֹ֤א יִתֵּן֙ הַמַּשְׁחִ֔ית לָבֹ֥א אֶל־בָּֽתֵּיכֶ֖ם לִנְגֹּֽף:
will pass over: Heb. וּפָסַח, and He will have pity. This may also be rendered: and He will skip over. See Rashi on verses 11 and 13.   וּפָסַח: וְחָמַל, וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר וְדִלֵּג:
and He will not permit the destroyer: Heb. וְלֹא יִתֵּן, lit., and will not give. [I.e.,] He will not grant him the ability to enter, as in “but God did not permit him (נְתָנוֹ) to harm me” (Gen. 31:7).   וְלֹא יִתֵּן הַמַּשְׁחִית: וְלֹא יִתֵּן לוֹ יְכֹלֶת לָבֹא, כְּמוֹ "וְלֹא נְתָנוֹ אֱלֹהִים לְהָרַע עִמָּדִי" (בראשית ל"א):
24And you shall keep this matter as a statute for you and for your children forever.   כדוּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה לְחָק־לְךָ֥ וּלְבָנֶ֖יךָ עַד־עוֹלָֽם:
25And it shall come to pass when you enter the land that the Lord will give you, as He spoke, that you shall observe this service.   כהוְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־תָבֹ֣אוּ אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִתֵּ֧ן יְהֹוָ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֵּ֑ר וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־הָֽעֲבֹדָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת:
And it shall come to pass when you enter: Scripture makes this commandment contingent upon their entry into the land, but in the desert, they were obligated only to bring one Passover sacrifice, the one they performed in the second year, [which they did] by divine mandate. — [from Mechilta]   וְהָיָה כִּֽי־תָבֹאוּ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ: תָּלָה הַכָּתוּב עֲבוֹדָה זוֹ בְּבִיאָתָם לָאָרֶץ, וְלֹא נִתְחַיְּבוּ בַמִּדְבָּר אֶלָּא פֶּסַח אֶחָד שֶׁעָשׂוּ בַשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית עַל פִּי הַדִּבּוּר:
as He spoke: Now where did He speak? “And I will bring you to the land, etc.” (Exod. 6:8). — [from Mechilta]   כַּֽאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר: וְהֵיכָן דִּבֵּר? "וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל הָאָרֶץ וְגוֹ'" (שמות ו'):
26And it will come to pass if your children say to you, What is this service to you?   כווְהָיָ֕ה כִּי־יֹֽאמְר֥וּ אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בְּנֵיכֶ֑ם מָ֛ה הָֽעֲבֹדָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לָכֶֽם:
27you shall say, It is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, and He saved our houses. And the people kneeled and prostrated themselves.   כזוַֽאֲמַרְתֶּ֡ם זֶֽבַח־פֶּ֨סַח ה֜וּא לַֽיהֹוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּ֠סַ֠ח עַל־בָּתֵּ֤י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם בְּנָגְפּ֥וֹ אֶת־מִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֶת־בָּתֵּ֣ינוּ הִצִּ֑יל וַיִּקֹּ֥ד הָעָ֖ם וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲוֽוּ:
And the people kneeled and prostrated themselves: [in thanksgiving] for the tidings of the redemption, the entry into the land [of Israel], and the tidings of the children that they would have. — [from Mechilta]   וַיִּקֹּד הָעָם: עַל בְּשׂוֹרַת הַגְּאֻלָּה וּבִיאַת הָאָרֶץ וּבְשׂוֹרַת הַבָּנִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לָהֶם:
28So the children of Israel went and did; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.   כחוַיֵּֽלְכ֥וּ וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־משֶׁ֥ה וְאַֽהֲרֹ֖ן כֵּ֥ן עָשֽׂוּ:
So the children of Israel went and did: Now did they already do [it]? Wasn’t this said to them on Rosh Chodesh? But since they accepted upon themselves [to do it], Scripture credits them for it as if they had [already] done [it]. — [from Mechilta]   וַיֵּֽלְכוּ וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: וְכִי כְּבָר עָשׂוּ, וַהֲלֹא מֵרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ נֶאֱמַר לָהֶם? אֶלָּא מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם מַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיהֶם הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ עָשׂוּ (מכילתא):
went and did: Scripture counts also the going, to give reward for the going and reward for the deed. — [from Mechilta]   וַיֵּֽלְכוּ וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ: אַף הַהֲלִיכָה מָנָה הַכָּתוּב, לִתֵּן שָׂכָר לַהֲלִיכָה וְשָׂכָר לַעֲשִׂיָּה (שם):
as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron: [This comes] to tell Israel’s praise, that they did not omit anything of all the commandments of Moses and Aaron. And what is the meaning of “so they did?” Moses and Aaron also did so. — [from Mechilta]   כַּֽאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֶת־משֶׁה וְאַֽהֲרֹן: לְהַגִּיד שִׁבְחָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא הִפִּילוּ דָּבָר מִכָּל מִצְווֹת מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן, וּמַהוּ כן עשו? אַף מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן כֵּן עָשׂוּ (שם):