"Bigdei Kahuna" Parsha page by Rabbi Yehuda Katz

This parsha sheet is being dedicated to my beloved father, Nachman Shimon ben Yehuda Meir Hakohan,Z"L.May it be a merit for his soul.

" So shall you eat it: Your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; you shall eat it in haste. " (12:11)

This is the manner the Jews ate their pascal lamb before departing from Egypt. The Sforno states the following on this verse," The Jews demonstrated their trust in G-d by readying themslves for the journey while they were still in prison (Egypt)." The Jews were in a complete state of preparedness to leave Egypt. They had no doubt that G-d would fullfill his promise to bring them forth from Egypt .They were ready, and they showed it as a person departing from a location never to return leaving nothing behind. They demonstrated their perfect trust in G-d while still locked in servitude to the Egyptians. This took much courage and strength. However, there is a tremendous lesson to be learned from this readiness to depart which is very relevent to us today.I would like to propose, Bezrat Hashem, the following original thought to better understand what this lesson might be. It relates to what our attitude should be when we wish to better ourselves by "departing" from sin by doing "Tshuva" (Repentance). We must be in a state of readiness never to return to sin just like the Jews were when departing from Eygpt never to return. "Egypt"represents spiritual and physical bondage which is also the state a person is in before repentance. A person not wanting to depart from a location will always leave something behind, its evident. Yet, a person wishing never to return will be girded, shoes on his feet with walking stick in hand waiting impatiently for the departure to occur. All of us who have taken trips are well aware of this . When a person wishes to do "Tshuva" (repentance), a full commitment to self improvement with no residue of self can be left behind. A parable demonstrating this attitude is found in "Sharei Tshuva" (1:11) by Rabbenu Yona, as follows: "Its like a person holding an unclean creature in his hand coming to immerse in a Mikva (Ritual bath).As long as the creature is in his hand, he will remain unclean." (End of quote) In order for a person to leave "Egypt", he must be willing to leave completely and fully. Have a good Shabbos