And the rabbis of old, they wrestled with this question too!
The verse in Deuteronomy (16:6) tells us we should sacrifice the Passover offering "to the place that the L-rd your G-d chooses…in the evening." Sounds simple enough. But "evening" can be a tricky word. Does it mean dusk? Twilight? Full-on night?
R. Eliezer, a prominent sage of the Tannaitic period (roughly 1st-2nd century CE), offers a very specific interpretation in Sifrei Devarim, one of the earliest works of halakha, Jewish law, connected to the Book of Deuteronomy. He breaks down the evening into distinct phases, each tied to a specific action.
According to R. Eliezer, the Passover sacrifice should be offered "towards evening" on the 15th of Nissan, the Hebrew month in which Passover falls. So, sometime in the late afternoon, as the day begins to transition into night.
Then, once the sun dips below the horizon, that's when the eating begins. Picture it: the aroma of roasted lamb filling the air, families gathered together, recounting the story of their liberation.
But the night doesn't end there. R. Eliezer continues: precisely at midnight, the time when our ancestors actually began their exodus from Egypt, any remaining portions of the Passover offering should be burned. for a second. It's not just about following a ritual, but about connecting with the very moment of redemption. The precise timing, down to the hour, links us to the experience of our ancestors leaving Egypt. It's as if, by observing these details, we’re stepping back in time, reliving their journey.
So, what does this teach us? Perhaps it's about the power of precision in ritual. Or maybe it's a reminder that even seemingly small details can carry profound meaning, connecting us to our past and shaping our present. It encourages us to delve deeper into the texts, to ask questions, and to find our own meaning within these ancient traditions. And, maybe most importantly, to feel, just a little bit, what it felt like to leave Egypt.