Exodus/Shemoth 13 – “Hallow to me every firstborn . . . it is mine.”

[Translation: EF/Everett Fox, The Five Books of Moses.  We will feature the commentaries later, for now we are just updating the translation from the previous one.—Admin1.]

 

A night to remember . . . the night of Passover . . . for two people groupings:

• the Hebrew slaves 
  • and their Egyptian masters; 
• one about to experience redemption by their Elohiym, 
  • the other to mourn the death of their firstborn at the hands of the ‘Angel’ of death.

Yet just as YHWH claims the firstborn of Egypt, He commands Israelite to “sanctify” (as in “set apart”) all their firstborn. ——————————————————————————————–

Exodus/Shemoth 13

1 YHVH spoke to Moshe, saying: 2 Hallow to me every firstborn,

 breacher of every womb among the Children of Israel, of man or of beast, it is mine. 3 Moshe said to the people:

 Remember this day, 

 on which you went out from Egypt, from a house of serfs,

 for by strength of hand YHVH brought you out from here:

 no fermentation is to be eaten. 4 Today you are going out, in the New-moon of Ripe-grain.

 

————————————————–

Abib — everything and more than you care to know about this word is provided by the Karaite Korner[http://www.karaite-korner.org/abib.shtml]; some excerpts:

 

The Biblical year begins with the first New Moon after the barley in Israel reaches the stage in its ripeness called Abib. The period between one year and the next is either 12 or 13 lunar months. Because of this, it is important to check the state of the Barley crops at the end of the 12th month. If the barley is Abib at this time, then the following New Moon is Hodesh Ha-Aviv (“New Moon of the Abib”). If the barley is still immature, we must wait another month and then check the barley again at the end of the 13th month.

 

What is Abib?

Abib indicates a stage in the development of the barley crops. This is clear from Ex 9,31-32 which describes the devastation caused by the plague of hail:

“And the flax and the barley were smitten, because the barley was Abib and the flax was Giv’ol. And the wheat and the spelt were not smitten because they were dark (Afilot).”

 

The above passage relates that the barley crops were destroyed by the hail while the wheat and spelt were not damaged. To understand the reason for this we must look at how grain develops. When grains are early in their development they are flexible and have a dark green color. As they become ripe they take on a light yellowish hue and become more brittle. The reason that the barley was destroyed and the wheat was not is that the barley had reached the stage in its development called Abib and as a result had become brittle enough to be damaged by the hail. In contrast, the wheat and spelt were still early enough in their development, at a stage when they were flexible and not susceptible to being damaged by hail. The description of the wheat and spelt as “dark” (Afilot) indicates that they were still in the stage when they were deep green and had not yet begun to lighten into the light yellowish hue which characterizes ripe grains. In contrast, the barley had reached the stage of Abib at which time it was no longer “dark” and at this point it probably had begun to develop golden streaks.

 ————————————————————————————

5 And it shall be,

when YHVH brings you to the land of the Canaanite, 

of the Hittite, of the Amorite, of the Hivvite and of the Yevusite,

which he swore to your fathers to give you, 

a land flowing with milk and honey,

you are to serve this service, in this New-moon: 6 For seven days you are to eat matzot,

and on the seventh day (there is): a pilgrimage-festival to YHVH. 7 Matzot are to be eaten for the seven days,

nothing fermented is to be seen with you, no leaven is to be seen with you, throughout all your territory. 8 And you are to tell your child on that day, saying:

It is because of what YHVH did for me, when I went out of Egypt. 9 It shall be for you for a sign on your hand and for a reminder between your eyes, 

in order that YHVH’S Instruction may be in your mouth,

that by a strong hand did YHVH bring you out of Egypt. 10 You are to keep this law at its appointed-time from year-day to year-day! 11 It shall be, 

when YHVH brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as he swore to you and to your fathers, 

and gives it to you, 12 you are to transfer every breacher of a womb to YHVH, every breacher, offspring of a beast that belongs to you, 

the males (are) for YHVH. 13 Every breacher of a donkey you are to redeem with a lamb; 

if you do not redeem (it), you are to break-its-neck.

And every firstborn of men, among your sons, you are to redeem. 14 It shall be

when your child asks you on the morrow, saying: What does this mean?

You are to say to him:

By strength of hand YHVH brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of serfs. 15 And it was

when Pharaoh hardened (his heart) against sending us free,

that YHVH killed every firstborn throughout the land of Egypt,

from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of beast. Therefore I myself slaughter-offer to YHVH every breacher of a womb, the males, 

and every firstborn among my sons I redeem. 16 It shall be for a sign on your hand and for headbands between your eyes,

for by strength of hand YHVH brought us out of Egypt. 17 Now it was, when Pharaoh had sent the people free, 

that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, which indeed is nearer, 

for God said to himself: 

Lest the people regret it, when they see war, 

and return to Egypt! 18 So God had the people swing about by way of the wilderness at the Sea of Reeds. 

And the Children of Israel went up armed from the land of Egypt.

Who was the one leading the Israelites, Mosheh or ‘Elohiym? If it had been Mosheh, he would most likely have led them out the fastest way he knew how, but ‘Elohiym took them instead on a circuitous route.  The reason stated will be repeated all throughout their journey in the wilderness:  the people will “change their minds” and think about “returning to Mitsrayim.”  

19 Now Moshe had taken Yosef’s bones with him,

for he had made the Children of Israel swear, yes, swear, saying:

God will take account, yes, account of you-so bring my bones up from here with you! 20 They moved on from Sukkot and encamped in Etam at the edge of the wilderness. 21 Now YHVH goes before them, 

by day in a column of cloud, to lead them the way, 

by night in a column of fire, to give light to them, 

to (be able to) go by day and by night. 22 There does not retire

the column of cloud by day 

or the column of fire by night

from before the people!

What a privileged people the Israelites were and continue to be.  If there is proof of the truth of these TORAH narratives, it is the strange survival to this day of the chosen people of YHWH, the people of the Book.  Not only did they witness and experience God’s protection during the 9 plagues brought upon Egypt, none of their firstborn die on Passover night, and to top it all, their travel route is determined by YHWH whose theophanies as fire by night and cloud by day are visual guides through the first lap of their exodus from their land of bondage.   Just as Jacob’s remains was carried out of Egypt back to the land of promise, so are Joseph’s remains . . . imagine . . . after 430 years!