שמות, פרק י״ב, פסוק י״א

A dramatic and highly unusual sacrificial meal takes place on the eve of the Exodus. Rather than relaxing, the Israelites eat in a state of high alert, fully prepared for an immediate departure. The primary approach among commentators is that these specific requirements of dress and urgency apply exclusively to the historical event in Egypt, not to the annual holiday observed by future generations.

In ancient times, it was customary for people to loosen their belts and remove their shoes before a meal to eat in comfort [רלב״ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The instructions for this night demand the exact opposite. The Israelites are told to keep their belts fastened and their shoes on their feet, fully dressed and ready to march. They must even hold their walking sticks, prepared to guide their livestock on the journey [אבן עזרא, חזקוני]. Beyond practical preparation, this readiness serves as a profound display of absolute trust in God. The Israelites are required to prepare for their redemption and act as if they are leaving while still physically imprisoned in Egypt, even before witnessing the final plague. By doing so, they demonstrate complete faith in His promise [ספורנו, אלשיך].

The requirement to eat in haste implies the panic and speed of someone fleeing from danger [רש״י, רש״ר הירש]. On a practical level, the Israelites had to finish eating the sacrifice before midnight, the exact moment the destroyer would strike Egypt. This urgent timeframe also explains why the meat had to be roasted over an open fire, as boiling it in water would take far too much time [אבן עזרא, חזקוני].

While the simplest understanding of this haste focuses on the Israelites rushing to leave Egypt, a deeper perspective attributes the urgency to the Divine Presence. God descended into the impurity of Egypt to save His people and hurried to depart from that defiled environment, compelling the Israelites to run swiftly after Him. Because the redemption from Egypt required a sharp, immediate break from an impure culture, it had to happen quickly. Conversely, the promised future redemption will unfold without such a need for frantic haste [כלי יקר, חומש קה״ת].

The very name of the sacrifice means to skip, jump, or show compassion and save [רש״י, אבן עזרא הקצר]. It commemorates how God skipped over the homes of the Israelites to protect them while striking the Egyptians. The swift nature of God's skipping action is reflected in the requirement to eat quickly. The Israelites mirror His rapid movements, performing the entire service for the sake of heaven [רש״י, העמק דבר, גור אריה]. While the general concept of such a sacrifice may have been familiar in the ancient world, it is now given an entirely new meaning and dedicated exclusively to God [קאסוטו].