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Much anthropologically informed commentary has been made on the smearing of blood at the entrance of th house to ward off evil spirits.... It is equally important, howeveer to keep in mind the deployment of blood as a recureent motif in the literary structure of the larger narrative....the plagues begin with the turning of the water of the Nile into blood. Robert Alter, notes on Ex. 12:13 in The Five Books of Moses.
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Although usually the short parashiyot of Tazria and Metzora are combined, this 'leap' year with its extra 'Adar' the portions are read separately. This means we don't have much material to work with: the diagnosis of various types of skin ailments and ritual impurity caused by bodily emissions. And previous years' study have tackled the challenging subject (if you're interested, see archives). Fortunately for me, this week our parasha of Tazria is also Shabbat Hachodesh- the last of four special Shabbatot before Passover where we add an extra reading in addition to the regularly read portion. Not surprisingly- this week's additional reading which always falls on the Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Nisan reminds us that there less than three weeks left to prepare for Passover. (We will be sharing a special pre-Pesach message in the coming weeks- with some Internet resources to enhance your Passover; a special how-to guide for Passover this year- as the first seder falls on Saturday night which complicates things is available online.) The extra reading on this special Shabbat and the upcoming Passover festival give me an excuse to depart from the weekly subject, and turn my attention back to Exodus.
The special reading is taken from Exodus 12 and describes the first 'Passover.' Actually, the events described are the preparations for the tenth and final plague. Note that the Israelites are celebrating 'Passover' but are technically still slaves in Egypt; what holiday are they actually celebrating? The passage then continues with a description of the holiday that is to be celebrated for all time. The three central symbols of Passover appear: Matzah, Maror (bitter herb), and the Pesach offering (the latter is no longer consumed but still has an honoured place on the Seder plate and in the Haggadah). Instructions on how to eat it: dressed ready to go, with staff in hand and sandals on our feet (in the ancient world, shoes were not worn inside). Some Jewish communities even begin their Seders this way.
In preparation for the tenth and final plague, the Israelites were instructed to paint the blood of the slaughtered lamb on the doorposts (mezzuzot) and lintels of the homes. Biblical hyssop, a fragrant herb in the oregano family, was used as a 'brush.' (Creative suggestion: purchase fresh oregano and place it on your Seder plate beside the zro'a. Vegetarians can substitute a beet for the bone). If you're looking for a fun way to engage younger members at your seder, check out Sedra Scenes by Stan J. Beiner, a wonderful collection of short, light-hearted skits on each Torah portion from A.R.E. Publishing. The week of 'Bo' describes the Passover preparations, and when told that God would 'pass over' one character exclaims: "Pass- over- hey, that's a great name for a holiday." The reply: "Sure beats Bloody-Door-Day." Fortunately, we no longer have to put blood on our doors as part of our Passover celebrations notwithstanding verse 24: "You shall observe this as an institution for all time..." Ramban interprets the 'this' to refer to the observance of Passover (specifically the slaughter of the lamb) but not to the blood on the door. In his new translation and commentary, Robert Alter reminds us of how the motif of blood continually runs through the Egyptian narrative: Moses sheds blood when he slays the Egyptian, the blood of his circumcision by Tziporah (similarly described to this passage) and the Nile turning to blood.
What was the purpose of the blood? The standard explanation, that it was so God/the Destroyer-angel would know which homes to 'pass over,' is not satisfactory. After all, can't God keep track? (There was no need to distinguish between the Israelites and the Egyptians in any of the other plagues). Many commentators interpret the blood, like our mezzuzah today, as an outward sign of Jewish identity. Only those Jews who were proud of their Jewish identity had the potential to be redeemed. Some even see the blood as an 'in-your-face' act of civil disobedience against the Egyptians. By commanding the Israelites to kill a lamb (worshipped by the Egyptians) God was asking the Jews to make a stand and reject Egyptian idolatry. What is surprising, therefore, is Rashi's comment on verse 13 that the blood was to be put on the inside surfaces of the doors to the Israelite's homes, not the outside, as most of us imagine. It was visible to the Israelites, but not outside. This could be a great proof text for the very beginning Reform movement's motto: Be a Jew in your home and a person on the street. In other words, be Jewish privately, but publicly, be a citizen of the world/country/modernity.
We don't put blood on our doorposts for Passover anymore. Today, Jewish homes have a mezzuzah affixed to the doorpost. Although the Torah does not make an explicit connection between the two mitzvot, (which are actually separate and not specifically related except for the fact they both use the doorpost), many see the mezzuzah as a daily reminder of the blood that the Israelites painted on their doors on Passover. Mezzuzah (literally doorpost) today refers to the small case, and its contents: a handwritten piece of parchment containing the two passages from the 'Shma' with the words: "And you shall write these words on the doorposts of your house." Possibly because of the association with the protective nature of the blood in our Passover passage, the mezzuzah has also come to be understood as a protective amulet. The three Hebrew letters of God's name, Shadai, found on the back of the parchment and often artistically portrayed on the mezzuzah cover (or at least the first letter: 'shin') are interpreted to be the abbreviation for the Hebrew phrase "Guardian of the Doors of Israel." While the mezzuzah may 'guard' one from sin, or 'guard' our Jewish identity, it is no replacement for a good alarm. No less an authority than the RaMBaM criticizes the opinion that reduces the mezzuzah to a personal charm, an amulet. But this still has not prevented these misconceptions from gaining wide circulation. 'Miraculous' stories of people being cured from illness or other afflictions after checking and replacing their mezzuzot are popular in some circles, although they distort the meaning of the mezzuzah.
Lessons for Today
But applying Rashi's comment about the blood on the inside of the house to the mezzuzah poses an interesting question: should we be Jewish for the outside world, or for ourselves? Is it more important that we have a mezzuzah on our outside door, to 'show the world we're proud of being Jewish' or on our master bedroom door, so that the room we live in reminds us to live with Jewish values? And the question should our homes be Jewish on the 'outside' or the 'inside can also mean should our homes be Jewish because of the art, the books, and the ritual objects, or because of the values and words of Torah that are inside it.
I think we can extend the question to ourselves as well. Just like our homes, we should pay attention to our insides too. We can wear a kippah on our heads, or be Jewish inside our heads. As we prepare for Pesach, many get so consumed with spring cleaning and ridding their houses of chametz (leaven) they end up too exhausted to enjoy the Seder. Maybe we should spend some of that energy cleaning out any 'inner chametz' (puffed-up arrogance) from our hearts. Then we will be truly free when we sit down to celebrate with our loved ones.
Shabbat Shalom
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