שמות, פרק י״ב, פסוק כ״ה

Right before leaving Egypt, Moses looks ahead to a time when the Israelites will live securely in their own land. The Passover sacrifice is not meant to be a one-time event on the night of their escape, but an eternal memorial that shapes the identity of a free nation. The primary approach among commentators is that the ongoing obligation to observe this commandment is strictly tied to entering the Land of Israel. This connection exists because the process of redemption is not considered complete until the nation actually arrives in their promised homeland. God will give them the land just as He promised [ביאור שטיינזלץ], and only there is it truly fitting to perform a memorial celebrating a complete redemption [רש״י, משכיל לדוד].

This condition raises an obvious question: if the commandment depends on being in the land, why did the Israelites offer a Passover sacrifice during their second year in the desert? Commentators explain that this specific observance was a rare exception, carried out due to a direct, one-time command from God. Originally, the divine plan was for the Israelites to enter the land immediately and begin observing the Passover there, but their sins led to a forty-year delay in the desert [אור החיים]. Early sages view the reality of keeping only one Passover during the entire period of wandering as a mark of disgrace for the nation. This is not because they actively neglected a commandment they were legally bound to keep, but rather because their own wrongdoings caused the delay, preventing them from having the privilege to observe it [הטור הארוך, ריב״א, פענח רזא].

Beyond the delay itself, several other factors prevented the Israelites from observing the Passover in the desert. Spiritually, they were out of favor with God because of their sins [הדר זקנים]. Practically, they were unable to circumcise the children born during their travels, and an uncircumcised person is forbidden from eating the Passover sacrifice [מזרחי, ברכת אשר]. Furthermore, the harsh desert environment made it impossible. The people survived solely on Manna and lacked the ingredients to bake matzah, which is typically only available in settled areas [אבן עזרא].

However, the moment the Israelites finally set foot in the land, the obligation took effect immediately. Unlike agricultural commandments, which required the people to wait until the land was fully conquered and divided, the Passover sacrifice is a personal physical duty. Therefore, they were bound to it right away, just as they did under Joshua at Gilgal [הטור הארוך, ריב״א, פענח רזא]. Practically, this sacred work centers on the act of slaughtering the sacrifice [העמק דבר, ביאור יש״ר]. Yet on a deeper level, it carries a profound message. The Israelites are called to trade the bitter, crushing labor they endured under the Pharaohs for the service of God. The Passover offering is the only sacrifice uniquely labeled as a service, because it marks the exact historical moment when the nation first stepped into God's service as free people [קאסוטו, רש״ר הירש].