The name Pesach rarely evokes images of obstacle racers leaping over obstacles barreling to the finish line. The taste of Matzah, memories of long Seder nights and Afikoman gifts are the traditional Pesach fare.
The nuanced meaning of Pesach has been lost in the English translation of “Passover.” The most accurate way to translate “Pesach” in the context of the Exodus is to “Leap Over.”
As G-d prepared the Israelites for the imminent redemption from the two-century-old Egyptian slavery, He instructed them to sacrifice, roast and eat a lamb as a “Pesach Sacrifice” on the eve of the 15th on Nissan. They should put the sacrificial blood on their doorposts so that at midnight, G-d will strike the first-born Egyptians and skip the Jewish homes. The relevant verse (Exodus, 12:23) reads “Pasach Hashem Al Hapetach.”
The name links the sacrifice to the miracle, because in Biblical Hebrew, the word “Pesach” means to leap.
The famous 12th century commentator Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) explains: The sacrifice is called “Pesach” because of the skipping and the jumping over, which the Holy One, blessed be He, skipped over the Israelites’ homes that were between the Egyptians homes. He jumped from one Egyptian to another Egyptian, and the Israelite in between was saved. Likewise, you should perform the service in the manner of skipping and jumping, in commemoration of its name: Pesach.
How does “skipping and jumping” adequately describe the manner in which the Israelites prepared the Pascal Lamb?
Jumping is not a routine method of reaching a destination. When confronted with an obstruction we need to disregard the obstacle and elevate ourselves above it. For the Israelites to comply with the instructions to prepare the sacrifice and to be ready to leave Egypt, they needed to break their routine.
Ancient Egypt was the superpower of the world. The leading civilization in technology, philosophy and the arts. Yet it was also a morally corrupt and pagan nation. The vast majority of Jacob’s descendants dwelled in this cultural swamp of idolatry and immorality for over two centuries. Though they we distinguishable by their names, language and unique mode of dress, they had assimilated to Egyptian behavior and beliefs. To the point that four fifths of the Jewish population were uninterested in leaving Egypt, and perished before the Exodus.
Being worthy of redemption called for radical moves, such as slaughtering a sheep, which was the Egyptian deity they had worshipped just a few days prior and following Moses into the vast wilderness with insufficient food supplies or housing options. In doing so, they leaped out of the Egyptian outlook to a divine and holy reality. Only fifty days later, they enthusiastically accepted the Torah and Mitzvoth in all of its lofty moral obligations.
The Exodus of Pesach serves as a prototype for all subsequent redemptions. To break bad habits, mend broken relationships and to grow in religious commitment we must be ready to jump. Stubbornly following routine will produce predictable results. Breaking free from perceived limitations produces miracles.