We continue the account of the ten plagues with the last three, in this portion. The plagues of locusts and darkness are described and then the account is interpreted in order to record a detailed set of instructions which God gives to Moses and Aaron to prepare the Israelites for freedom. They are first directed to establish a calendar starting with the month of liberation, Nisan. The calendar is meant to provide social and religious cohesion as well as to symbolize the free man’s ability, indeed responsibility, to make time. Then follow directions for offering the paschal sacrifice (to be eaten in haste) and for smearing blood on the door posts and lintels so Israelite houses will be spared the final plague. God then passes over the land and kills all the first-born sons of the Egyptians, whereupon Pharaoh finally sends the Israelites out and they begin their journey toward Sinai. The Exodus is the key event in all Jewish history, and the instructions given here are by way of assuring that we remember God’s role as redeemer to eternity.
