The Hidden Meaning Behind Keeping the Passover Lamb for Four Days, by Dr. Terry Harman
- Dr. Terry Harman
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Lamb Watched for Four Days
Why did God command the Israelites to keep the Passover lamb for four days before offering it? This ancient mitzvah was far more than ritual; it was an act of defiance, faith, and covenantal identity. Explore the spiritual and historical meaning behind the korban Pesach (קרבן פסח), the courage to stand against Egypt’s gods, and how this timeless lesson of visible faith still speaks to our lives today.
Exodus 12:1–13 (JPS 1917)
And the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: ‘This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying: In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household;
And if the household be too little for a lamb, then shall he and his neighbour next unto his house take one according to the number of the souls; according to every man’s eating ye shall make your count for the lamb.
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year; ye shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats; And ye shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at dusk. And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel, upon the houses wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; its head with its legs and with the inwards thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
And thus shall ye eat it: with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste, it is the Lord’s passover.
For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there shall no plague be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. (1)
The Purpose of Keeping the Passover Lamb
The command for Bnei Yisrael (בני ישראל) to take a seh tamim (שה תמים – unblemished lamb) on the tenth of Nisan and keep it until the fourteenth day held deep spiritual design.
The Mechilta de-Rabbi Yishmael (מכילתא דרבי ישמעאל) teaches that this waiting period symbolized inner sanctification. (2) Each family’s obedience served to sever allegiance to Egyptian avodah zarah (עבודה זרה – idolatry) and orient the heart toward Hashem (השם).
Housing the lamb, a creature revered by Egyptians, was a spiritual and social risk. But through this act of emunah (faith), the Israelites became partners in their own redemption.
Spiritual and Social Risks Require Courage.
Thoughtful Decision and Intentional Faith
Maimonides (Rambam – רמב״ם) wrote that the purpose of mitzvot is to retrain the human character through mindful practice. (3) The four days before the sacrifice taught patience, responsibility, and moral awareness.
Shemot Rabbah (שמות רבה) 15:4 compared this spiritual trial to refining precious metal in a furnace. (4) By nurturing the lamb and knowing it would be offered to God, they learned the balance between compassion and courage, a lesson in kavanah (כוונה – intention) before action.
Over time, the Israelites’ fear melted into conviction.
A Public Display of Defiance
Egyptian religion venerated the ram and lamb as manifestations of fertility and divine strength, particularly through gods such as Khnum and Amun-Ra. (5) Therefore, taking such animals into Jewish homes was a declaration of independence from Egyptian theology.
The Mechilta explains that God desired this visibility so the Egyptians would witness the courage of His people. (6) This act exemplified kiddush Hashem (קידוש השם – sanctifying God’s name through public faith).
Caring openly for what Egypt feared to harm, Israel broke both spiritual and social chains.
Disrespect to Egyptian Deities: A Holy Boldness
The moment of greatest defiance came with the dam Pesach (דם פסח – the blood of the Passover offering). “And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel…” (Exodus 12:7). As Shemot Rabbah (16:2) teaches, this was not just a divine ritual but a visible covenant mark declaring loyalty to the Lord. (7)
Each mezuzah (doorpost – מזוזה) became the frame of courage, and each home a miniature sanctuary. Rashi (רש״י) notes that the blood was intentionally applied for all to see, a visual display of trust in God’s protection despite potential wrath. (8) The blood, a symbol of life, became also a testimony of allegiance. This open act of faith (emunah ozah – אמונה עזה) turned ordinary dwellings into beacons of covenantal defiance.
Boldness rooted not in rebellion, but in belief.
Author's Reflection
I recently turned sixty-nine years old. For forty-six years, serving in governmental mental institutions, jails, prisons, and addiction rehabilitation facilities, I have learned one major lesson. My faith is sustained not merely by prayer but by purpose. I have been fortunate to find my purpose in life serving the Least, the Last, the Lost, and the Lonely. Yet I, too, need those times of spiritual intimacy.
What touches me at the core of my heart about korban Pesach (קרבן פסח) is its intimacy: performed in private homes yet seen by the entire empire. To care for that lamb, knowing it would invite scorn or danger, required faith that intertwined humility and defiance.
Today, we too face quieter forms of idolatry: comfort, conformity, and cultural pressure, staying within our comfort zones. True emunah resists these forces. Like Hebrews, we are invited to live visibly religious lives, defining freedom not as absence of bondage, but as presence of courage. Redemption, both ancient and personal, is always an act of involvement.
How You Can Thank Me
If you enjoyed reading this post and you're wondering how you can thank me, here’s what I ask: Take the inspiration you’ve found here and pass it on.
Consider donating your time, talents, or treasure to a worthy cause in your community. Maybe there’s a widow who could use help with her yard. Perhaps you know someone who’s recently lost a job and could use a helping hand. Maybe your local community center, homeless shelter, or school program is looking for mentors; step in and support them.
Look within your own religious or spiritual community. What needs do you see around you? Where can you make a difference?
You don’t need a lot. Just do what you can, with what you have, to make this world a better place. Your kindness will ripple out farther than you can imagine. Thank you for being here, for reading, and for choosing to be a light.
Shalom, Terry
Footnotes
The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1917. Exodus 12:1–13.
Mechilta de-Rabbi Yishmael, Bo, Parasha 5.
Maimonides, Moses (Rambam – רמב״ם). Guide for the Perplexed. Translated by M. Friedländer, Dover Publications, 1956.
Shemot Rabbah (שמות רבה) 15:4.
Wilkinson, Richard H. The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson, 2003.
Mechilta de-Rabbi Yishmael, Bo, Parasha 5.
Shemot Rabbah (שמות רבה) 16:2.
Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki – רש״י). Commentary on the Torah: Exodus 12:7. Mikraot Gedolot edition.
Bibliography
Mechilta de-Rabbi Yishmael, Bo, Parasha 5.
Maimonides, Moses (Rambam – רמב״ם). Guide for the Perplexed. Translated by M. Friedländer, Dover Publications, 1956.
Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki – רש״י). Commentary on the Torah: Exodus 12:7. Mikraot Gedolot edition.
Shemot Rabbah (שמות רבה). Vilna Edition.
The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1917. Exodus 12:1–13.
Wilkinson, Richard H. The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson, 2003.