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Parashat Hachodesh: The Purpose of Pesach

At first glance, the Pesach sacrifice and the smearing of blood on doorposts seems to be a protective ritual, designed to ensure that the Israelites were spared during the Plague of First Borns. Why, though, would God need a sign to differentiate Israelite and Egyptian homes? Is it possible that there is more going on here than originally seems? What was the purpose of the Pesach offering?

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Credits
Larry Kluger – Creative Consultant
Arlene Harel – Production Coordinator

Neima Novetsky

Neima Novetsky is a Tanakh educator and co-founder of AlHaTorah.org, an online resource dedicated to Jewish textual study. She holds a BA in Religion from Princeton University and an MA in Bible from Yeshiva University’s Bernard Revel Graduate School. She has taught at numerous Jewish educational institutions in Jerusalem and the United States, including Midreshet Moriah, Nishmat, and Matan, emphasizing critical thinking, textual analysis, and a lifelong love of Torah learning.