Daily Chumash Friday, Bo: The plague of Makas Bechoros

Shishi

1. The plague of Makas Bechoros:

• At midnight Hashem smote every first born in the land of Egypt to death, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who is the prince until the firstborn of the imprisoned captive, as well as all firstborn animals.
• Pharaoh asks Bnei Yisrael to leave Egypt: Pharaoh and all his servants arose that night, as there was a great cry in Egypt. There was no house without a corpse. Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aaron that night and told them to rise and leave his people. Everyone shall leave and go serve your G-d as you requested. Take your flock and cattle as you asked, and leave, but bless me as well [that I not die].

2. Bnei Yisrael leave Egypt:

• The dough did not have time to rise: The Egyptian nation urged the Jewish people to leave right away, as they said that they were all dying. The nation took its dough prior to it being able to rise and placed it on a sack on their shoulders. They later baked it, after leaving Egypt, into Matzos and not Chametz, as they were driven out of Egypt in a hurry. They did not bring with them other food.
• Egypt is emptied of its wealth: The Jewish people did as Moshe told them, and asked their neighbors for silver and gold vessels, as well as garments. Hashem granted the nation favor in the eyes of the Egyptians and they lent them the above. So it was that the Jewish people emptied Egypt [of money].
• The first journey: The Jewish people traveled from Ramseis to Sukkot.
• Who left: They were 600,000 men, aside for the children. They went with a great multitude [of Egyptian converts]. They left with a very heavy amount of flock and cattle.
• Amount of years in Egypt: The Jewish people dwelled in Egypt [and their previous areas of foreign land] for 430 years, and at the end of 430 years, on the essence of this day all the legions of Hashem left Egypt.
• Leil Shimurim: This night is a night of guarding for all the Jewish people for all generations.

3. Laws of the Karban Pesach:

• The following are the laws of the Pesach sacrifice: No gentile may eat it. A slave must be circumcised prior to eating it. It shall be eaten in one’s home. One may not remove its meat from the home, and one may not break any of its bones. A convert must be circumcised prior to eating from it. Anyone who is not circumcised may not eat from it.