“They shall not leave over from it until morning nor shall they break a bone of it; like all the decrees of the pesach – offering shall they make it. (Numbers 9:12)”
The Jews who were unable to bring an offering on Pesach because they were spiritually contaminated are instructed to bring an offering the following month. They are expressly reminded to keep the bones from breaking. Christians believe this commandment predicts a human sacrifice without broken bones that will redeem them from sin as they believe the pesach offering redeems the Jews from slavery. They claim this human sacrifice is a physical manifestation of G-d.
Humans have used items from the physical world to represent divinity almost since the beginning of time. Egyptians elevated the created world in this way. When the Jews were instructed to kill a lamb, they were demonstrating that an Egyptian idol is not worthy of their worship. They were declaring publicly that creation is not to be worshiped, only HASHEM. They were also demonstrating their trust that HASHEM will protect them from the Egyptians.
"Moses said, "it is not proper to do so, for we will offer the deity of Egypt to HASHEM, our G-d -- behold, if we were to slaughter the deity of Egypt in their sight, will they not stone us? (Exodus 8:22)"
All of the plagues, including this one, reveal HASHEM’s sovereignty over creation. Worshiping anything in creation is idolatry. Contrary to the Christian teaching that the pesach offering represents a god to be worshiped, the Torah teaches that it is an idol not worthy of devotion. Jews are instructed to beware of images and not to worship things in the physical world.
“HASHEM spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you were hearing the sound of words, but you were not seeing a likeness, only a sound. He told you of His covenant that He commanded you to observe, the Ten Declarations, and He inscribed them on two stone Tablets. HASHEM commanded me at that time to teach you decrees and ordinances, that you shall perform them in the Land to which you cross, to possess it. But you shall greatly beware for your souls, for you did not see any likeness on the day HASHEM spoke to you at Horeb, from the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image, a likeness of any shape, a form of a male or a female; a form of any animal that is on the earth; a form of any winged bird that flies in the heaven; a form of anything that creeps on the ground; a form of any fish that is in the water under the earth; and lest you raise your eyes to the heaven and you see the sun, and the moon, and the stars – the entire legion of heaven – and you be drawn astray and bow to them and worship them, which HASHEM , your G-d, has apportioned to all the peoples under the entire heaven! (Deuteronomy 4:12-19)”
“From heaven He caused you to hear His voice in order to teach you, and on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire, because He loved your forefathers, and He chose his offspring after him, and took you out before Himself with His great strength from Egypt; to drive away from before you nations that are greater and mightier than you, to bring you to give you their land as an inheritance, as this very day. You shall know this day and take to your heart that HASHEM, He is the G-d – in heaven above and on the earth below – there is none other. (Deuteronomy 4:36-39)”
“beware for yourself lest you forget HASHEM Who took you out of the land of Egypt
Jews should only follow HASHEM, not the gods of the nations they are sent to reside in. He warns the Jews of their future exile and what type of idolatrous enticement they will face.
“HASHEM will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where HASHEM will lead you. There you will serve gods, the handiwork of man, of wood and stone, which do not see, and do not hear, and do not eat, and do not smell. (Deuteronomy 4:27-28)”
“HASHEM will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where HASHEM will lead you. There you will serve gods, the handiwork of man, of wood and stone, which do not see, and do not hear, and do not eat, and do not smell. (Deuteronomy 4:27-28)”
Wood and stone are metaphors for Christianity, the cross, and Islam, kabaa.
“From there you will seek HASHEM, your G-d, and you will find Him, if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. (Deuteronomy 4:29)”
Hashem alone provides forgiveness at His discretion, bringing the Jews back to the Land of Israel Egypt
Some commandments are given without clear reason; these are called chukim and are followed simply because HASHEM commands. Many different opinions arise to explain the command to keep the bones of the pesach offering intact. Sefer hachinuch notes that as freed people, sustained by HASHEM, the Jews don’t need to chew on the bones, so they are left intact to display HASHEM’s abundant provision for His people. Another opinion, offered by Maimonides, is that the Jewish people were leaving in a hurry. They were not lingering in their state of slavery, but eager and hurrying to become servants of HASHEM and receive His Torah.
“For inquire now regarding the early days that preceded you, from the day when G-d created man on the earth, and from one end of heaven to the other end of heaven: Has there ever been anything like this great thing or has anything like it been heard? Has a people ever heard the voice of G-d speaking from the midst of the fire as you have heard, and survived? Or has any god ever miraculously come to take for himself a nation from amidst a nation, with challenges, with signs, and with wonders, and with war, and with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with greatly awesome deeds, such as everything that HASHEM, your G-d did for you in Egypt before your eyes? You have been shown in order to know that HASHEM, He is the G-d! There is none beside Him! (Deuteronomy 4:32-35)”
There is none beside Him!
Ein Od Milvado!
אין עוד מלבדו
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