 APRIL 9 • 2020 | 27

A

s many of us are now 
weeks into hunkering 
down into our houses, 
we have all experienced a sense 
of Egypt, having been 
displaced from our daily 
routines. We are all long-
ing for redemption for 
better days. 
When thinking about 
Pesach and the virus, I 
was drawn to the scene in 
the Torah right after the 
Jewish people make the 
Pesach offering in Egypt. 
The Torah continues as 
the Jewish people are 
hunkered down in their 
houses saying (Shemot 
12:12-13), “For that night 
I will go through the land 
of Egypt and strike down 
every firstborn in the land of 
Egypt, both man and beast; and 
I will mete out punishments to 
all the gods of Egypt, I the Lord. 
And the blood on the houses 
where you are staying shall be a 
sign for you: when I see blood 
I will pass over you, so that no 
plague will destroy you when I 
strike the land of Egypt.
”
In some ways with the corno-
virus outside and the orders to 
stay home, we are like the Jews 
the night before the exodus, 
hunkered down.
I imagine for the Jews that 
night there was fear, anxiety and 
uncertainty. There was also the 
unknown: What would be the 
next day? Where would the new 
journey take them? Many of us 
have probably been feeling the 
same the past several weeks.
There is growing anxiety and 
fear across our country. There 
is also anticipation and excite-
ment with the hope that social 
distancing and medical research 

will soon bring about a solution. 
 However, there is one 
significant difference between 
the Jews in their houses in 
Egypt and us today. In 
the verses above, the sal-
vation only comes from 
God. The Jewish people 
are passively involved. In 
the verses, God takes all 
of the action and brings 
about the redemption. 
Notice how many times 
in these verses alone I 
(God) is mentioned. 
The biblical commen-
tator Rashi says the Jews 
were not totally passive in 
their redemption. Rashi 
asks why it was necessary 
for the blood to be on the 
doorposts. He answers 
that it was a sign to God that 
the Jews were involved in doing 
God’
s commandments.
When there was a plague 
outside, the Jews needed to take 
some action.
 People across Detroit 
have started to put sayings of 
encouragement and community 
in their windows to encourage 
everyone to keep going.
Our Pesach celebration is a 
reminder of the call to action, 
even small actions. We can all 
do our parts by connecting with 
each other through phone calls 
and Zoom, by supporting those 
working tirelessly in the medical 
field and by praying. 
Although we may feel now 
more than ever as if we are in 
Egypt and a plague is on our 
doorstep, redemption is just 
around the corner, and we all 
have a part in ushering it in. 
 
Rabbi David Fain is rabbi at Hillel Day 
School of Metropolitan Detroit.

Parshat 

Pesah Chol 

HaMoed: 

Exodus 

33:12-24:26; 

Numbers 

28:19-25; 

Ezekiel 

37:1-14.

Rabbi David 
Fain

Bring About The 
Redemption

Spirit
torah portion







MichiganPropertyManagers.com 

MyRepairPros.com 

MetroSOLD.com 




LEASING - MANAGEMENT 

HOME REPAIRS 

 BUY - SELL

REMODELING-ELECTRICAL-PAINTING & More 





CANTOR SAMUEL
GREENBAUM 
— Certified Mohel —

855ABoy@gmail.com

Office: (248) 547-7970

Answering all of your anesthetic 
& aftercare needs.

(248) 417-5632 

Skill, Sensitivity and Tradition 
come together to create your special Bris.

