וְהָיָ֕ה כִּֽי־יֹאמְר֥וּ אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם בְּנֵיכֶ֑ם
מָ֛ה הָעֲבֹדָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לָכֶֽם׃
וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֡ם
זֶֽבַח־פֶּ֨סַח ה֜וּא לַֽיי
אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּ֠סַח עַל־בָּתֵּ֤י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם בְּנָגְפּ֥וֹ אֶת־מִצְרַ֖יִם
וְאֶת־בָּתֵּ֣ינוּ הִצִּ֑יל...׃
When your children ask you,
"What do you mean by this rite?"
You will say:
‘It is the passover sacrifice to the LORD, because God passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt
when God smote the Egyptians,
and saved our houses.."
Discuss:
- What does this verse mean to you?
- What is important to you about passing down the story?
- Is Pesach important to you for reasons other than telling an dpassing down this particular story? Explain.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יי אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לֵאמֹֽר׃
הַחֹ֧דֶשׁ הַזֶּ֛ה לָכֶ֖ם רֹ֣אשׁ חֳדָשִׁ֑ים
רִאשׁ֥וֹן הוּא֙ לָכֶ֔ם לְחָדְשֵׁ֖י הַשָּׁנָֽה׃
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt:
This month shall mark for you
the beginning of the months;
it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.
Discuss:
- God makes two statements about a new calendar for our People. What does each statement mean
- Why do you think God gives us a new calendar before we even know where or how we will live as a free nation?
- When, in your life, has it been challenging about having a Jewish calendar as well as a secular calendar?
- What are all the things we should consider when we have a conflict between what our Jewish calendar calls us to do, and what our secular calendar asks of us?