Doorways (Pesach 5779)

(2) "and you shall not go out, a man from the door of his house: We are hereby taught that once permission has been given to "the destroyer" to destroy, he does not distinguish between the righteous and the wicked. As it is written (Isaiah 26:20) "Go, My people, enter your chambers and close your door behind you. Hide but a little moment, until the wrath passes," and (Ezekiel 21:8) "Behold, I am (coming) upon you, and I will draw My sword from its sheath, and I will cut of from you (both) righteous and wicked." And it is written (Exodus 33:22) "And it shall be, when My glory passes by … and I shall cover you with My palm until I have passed." ...

"And the L rd will pass through to smite Egypt": Rabbi Yehuda says: as a king, who passes from place to place.

"and the L rd will skip over the blood": Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If of the blood (on the door) of the Pesach of Egypt, which is less weighty, obtains only for a circumscribed time, did not obtain (both) in the daytime and at night, (but only at night), and does not obtain for future generations, it is written (Ibid.) "and He will not permit the destroyer, etc.", then (the mitzvah of) mezuzah, the more weighty, containing (in Scripture) ten citations (of the name of the L rd), and which obtains (both) in the daytime and at night, and which obtains for all generations, how much more so should He not permit the destroyer, etc."! ...

(23) For the Glory of the Lord will be manifested in striking the Mizraee, and He will see the blood upon the lintel and upon the too posts, and the Word of the Lord will spread His protection over the door, and the destroying angel will not be permitted to enter your houses to smite.

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"And with great awe" - this [refers to the revelation of] the Divine Presence, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 4:34); Or did God try to take for Himself a nation from within a nation with enigmas, with signs and with wonders and with war and with a strong hand and with an outstretched forearm and with great and awesome acts, like all that the Lord, your God, did for you in Egypt in front of your eyes?"

(1) ליל שמרים IT WAS NIGHT OF WATCHING [UNTO THE LORD] — a night which the Holy One, blessed be He, was watching for and looking forward to, that He might fulfill His promise להוציאם מארץ מצרים TO BRING THEM OUT FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT.

(3) שמרים לכל בני ישראל לדרתם [IT IS A NIGHT] OF PROTECTION FOR ALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL THROUGHOUT THEIR GENERATIONS — this night is henceforth protected against all destructive forces, as it is said, (v. 33) “And He will not permit the destroyer [to enter your houses]” (Pesachim 109b; Rosh Hashanah 11b).

(1) It was a night of watching unto the Lord: According to its simple understanding, since it mentioned, "it was a night of watching unto the Lord," and at the end, "watching... for all the Children of Israel throughout their generations" - it appears that the explanation is that because the Lord watched them and did not let the destroyer come to their homes to attack, He commanded that this night be shimurim / observances for all Children of Israel throughout their generations. And [this is by way of] eating the Passover sacrifice, according to its statute and matza and bitter herbs on that night.

But some explain that it has the same meaning as in the phrase "the watchers of the [city] walls" (Song of Songs 5:7): They must not sleep, but rather give thanks and recount the powerful acts of the Lord upon their leaving Egypt. And the Sages, may their memory be blessed, allude to this - "the time of reading Shema in the morning has arrived" (Passover Haggadah).

We pour the cup of Eliyahu and open the door.

Pour your wrath upon the nations that did not know You and upon the kingdoms that did not call upon Your Name! Since they have consumed Ya'akov and laid waste his habitation (Psalms 79:6-7). Pour out Your fury upon them and the fierceness of Your anger shall reach them (Psalms 69:25)! You shall pursue them with anger and eradicate them from under the skies of the Lord (Lamentations 3:66).