A Passover Reflection

As Jewish communities prepare to celebrate the Passover festival, commencing at sundown on 12 April 2025, Light of Torah shares this reflection from its archives with Christian readers.

Exodus chapters 10-13 tell of dramatic events. Three more plagues exhibit the power of the Lord. The tug-of-war continues between Pharaoh and Moses, God’s agent. The Passover ritual is prescribed and the greatest event takes place: the Israelites are liberated from Egypt!

Amidst all this breathtaking activity our chosen text for reflection is brief: just one verse: 12:42.

“That was for the Lord a night of vigil to bring them out of the land of Egypt; that same night is the Lord’s, one of vigil for all the children of Israel throughout the ages” (12:42).

In his commentary, the 11th century Torah scholar Rashi says:

“It is a night of keepings... For the Holy One, Blessed is He, was keeping it in mind and looking forward to it in order to fulfil His promise to take them out of the land of Egypt.”

Spend some time pondering the detail of the Torah verse (e.g., repetition, time of day, context), as well as Rashi’s comment. Does the sacred text speak to you? How?

The verse is powerfully understated. It immediately follows a statement about the length of time (430 years) that the Israelites had spent in Egypt... until this night. Can’t we all point to a moment when our lives underwent irrevocable change. Think of ‘a night’ (literally or figuratively) when God’s liberating love entered your life, changing you forever. As we enter the Exodus story, can we sense the intimacy between God and the Hebrews as communicated by this single verse?

On this night the Lord watches over his people, thus will the people always remember this night which belongs to the Lord. Because it is precious to the Lord, it remains precious to his people. Continue to ponder this verse, sharing your insights and questions.

God‘s people are safeguarded, and God’s special night is kept holy in return. This ancient text finds perennial ritual expression in the seder meal held in Jewish homes at Passover. From generation to generation the seder ritual commemorates the Exodus event and is central to the Jewish Passover festival.

A Talmudic interpretation describes Passover as “a night ever under protection from malevolent beings.”[1] This text carries tragic irony when we recall that there was a time in the Middle Ages when the commemoration of ‘this night’ of the Lord’s watch was a night when Jewish populations were least protected by the surrounding Christian culture. Christian passion plays were known to stir up hatred towards the so-called ‘Christ-killers’ to the point of violence inflicted upon local Jews. The hysteria was also fuelled by a bizarre accusation that Jews were using the blood of Christian children in their Passover meal (the ‘blood libel’). It is painful for Christians to hear this chapter of their history, yet it is all part of coming to terms with the past (and its subtle, lingering influence in the present), and embracing the new era of reconciliation between Christians and Jews ushered in by the Second Vatican Council.

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1. Pes. 109b, RH 11b quoted in JPS Torah Commentary.

Bibliography: Larsson, Bound for Freedom (Mass., 1999); Sarna, JPS Torah Commentary (Philadelphia, 1991); Scherman, Zlotowitz, eds., Rashi: Commentary on the Torah (New York: Mesorah, 1999). Scripture: JPS.

© Teresa Pirola, 2013. lightoftorah.net. Reproduction for non-commercial use permitted with acknowledgement of website.

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Light of Torah is a Sydney-based grassroots work, encouraging Christians to reflect on Torah with the help of Jewish insights. More...  The reflection above refers to the Exodus 12:42 and relates to the celebration of the Jewish Passover which this year commences at sundown on 12 April 2025. We wish Jewish friends Chag Sameach!