שמות, פרק י״ב, פסוק ה׳

The instructions for the Passover sacrifice transcend basic ritual requirements, serving instead as a profound theological statement and a public act of defiance against Egyptian idolatry. The Egyptians were deeply steeped in astrology and worshipped the zodiac sign of Aries, the ram, which reaches the peak of its power during the month of Nissan. By deliberately selecting a choice, unblemished male animal—the exact specimen the Egyptians would consider most worthy of their own deity—and preparing to slaughter it, the Israelites humiliated the Egyptian gods. This act proved conclusively that their redemption came from the supreme power of God rather than any astrological influence [טור הארוך, פענח רזא]. Tying the animal up for four days in plain sight demonstrated the Israelites' absolute lack of fear regarding Egyptian idolatry. It also prevented the Egyptians from claiming that the Israelites were merely disrespecting the local deities by sacrificing a defective animal [חזקוני, צאינה וראינה].

The physical criteria for this offering are exact and uncompromising. The sacrifice must be a single sheep or goat drawn from the flock, categorically excluding a calf [בכור שור, תורה תמימה]. It must be exclusively male, ruling out females as well as animals of indeterminate sex [פרדס יוסף, רלב"ג, תורה תמימה]. Crucially, the animal must be entirely unblemished and free of any physical defect [רש"י, שטיינזלץ]. This requirement for physical perfection is so strict that it disqualifies even minor eye defects, which had previously been acceptable for offerings under the earlier Noahide laws [תורה תמימה]. Regarding the animal's age, the primary approach among commentators is that it must be within its first year of life, calculated from the day of its birth rather than the calendar year [רש"י, מלבי"ם, תורה תמימה]. Some suggest it is valid for sacrifice even within its first thirty days [העמק דבר]. Conversely, a differing view argues that the animal must have already completed one full year of life [אבן עזרא]. These strict criteria of physical perfection and age must be maintained continuously throughout every stage of the sacrificial process, from the slaughter to the receiving and sprinkling of the blood [העמק דבר, תורה תמימה]. Furthermore, these established laws remain valid for all future Passover observances [מלבי"ם].

The Israelites were granted the explicit choice to bring either a sheep or a goat. While the general term for the flock naturally encompasses both, specifying the two options emphasizes this freedom; even a person who already owns sheep is fully entitled to deliberately select a goat instead [רש"י, שד"ל, אור החיים]. This choice carries profound historical and spiritual layers. Astrologically, the slaughter of a goat corresponds to the midnight Plague of the Firstborn, aligning with the rise of the Capricorn constellation, while the sheep corresponds to the morning departure from Egypt, aligning with Aries [חתם סופר]. Additionally, offering a goat serves as a spiritual rectification for the sale of Joseph, during which his brothers slaughtered a goat to deceive their father [שפתי כהן]. Ultimately, this pristine sacrifice acted as a direct substitute for the lives of the Israelite firstborns. Its blood stood as a powerful symbol of the Israelites dedicating their lives to the service of God, reflecting a complete readiness for absolute devotion and self-sacrifice [קאסוטו].