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Last week we developed the idea that the law of establishing the new month is meant to be a calling for us to internalize what changes may be necessary to make in our lives. But once we decide to undergo these changes, what’s the first step we must take? The answer is hinted at in the law of the Passover sacrifice, which is mentioned immediately after the law of instituting the new month.

The Passover sacrifice involved slaughtering a lamb, roasting it, eating it, and placing its blood around the front door of the house. What is the underlying meaning of this sacrifice?

It has been mentioned by the majority of the Torah commentaries that (of the many of Egypt’s deities) Egyptians worshipped cattle (sheep, lambs, rams etc.). This explains why the Jews first lived separately from the Egyptians when they first came down to Egypt; because they were all shepherds and it was considered an abomination before the Egyptians to have any authority over their god, the cattle. So they lived and pastured their flock in an area completely removed from the mainstream Egyptian society.

Therefore, God commanded the Jews that upon becoming a new nation the first step they were to take was to slaughter the god of Egypt. This symbolized that upon leaving Egypt to become God’s chosen people, the Jews had to forget about Egypt and rid themselves from its culture and ideology completely.

The Talmud speaks about certain individuals who aren’t trusted to testify in a Jewish court; one of the examples is a gambler. However, if the gambler changes his lifestyle he will again be able to act as a witness in the Jewish court system.

When does he regain the trust of the Jewish court? Not when he tells the judges that he has regretted everything he’s done in the past and wants to change! The Talmud tells us that the gambler must cleanse his ways until the point that he has “thrown away his dice”, and only then may his testimony be accepted again in a Jewish court. Only once someone has removed himself entirely from his previous path can he truly be seen as a new person.

If we want to change, we must spend a considerate amount of time thinking of all the things in our lives that have led us to our presently regretted actions, and then abandon them completely. There is no in-between. Although it is somewhat admirable to stop certain patterns of previous undesirable behavior (despite still holding onto others), change can only truly come about when one decides to erase those patterns to the utmost degree. Because as long as one is holding onto even a shred of his undesirable ways, there always exists a greater possibility that things revert back to the way they were.

This is a huge step and may be one of the most difficult things we’ll ever have to do in life. Unfortunately, this is why so many people refuse to change their ways even though they know it’s the right thing to do; because it’s too hard. The actual removal process is quite difficult but it isn’t even the hardest part; the after effects are what pose the most hardships. Once one has rid himself of those things that were such a crucial part of his life, how does he replace them? Sooner or later they’ll fill his thoughts and dreams, while feelings of regret and anxiety may plague him constantly.

This is exactly what occurred to the Jewish people in this week’s parshah. The Jews left Egypt behind and began their journey in the desert, but only after a few days when they thought that it was all over, they “…raised their eyes and behold! Egypt was journeying after them, and they were very frightened…” [Exodus: 14: 10] They had gone through so much by leaving aside the culture they spent their whole lives in, but no matter how far they travelled they felt they could never escape it! They complained to Moshe (Moses) and said “What is it that you have done to us to take us out of Egypt? … it is better that we should serve Egypt than die in the wilderness!” [Exodus: 14: 11-12]

The pain and regret the Jews were feeling was completely normal; how can one give up his entire life, leave his home and enter into a desert unaware of what will be!? Although the Jews had seen the 10 plagues and the wonders that God had brought upon Egypt, it’s not that simple. They were born and bred in Egypt, and even though they were slaves there, it was where they were born!

The message here is that the process of change is not an overnight thing; it takes time, and getting used to. Only a fool can think that he can wake up the next morning a new person.

A person who is striving to attain personal redemption must first realize that it is necessary to undergo a dramatic change. The first step in that process of change is to keep away from bad influences and to completely distance oneself from the actions that one is trying to get away from.

Good Shabbos,

NZL