Aaron’s Story, Part Six: “Death, Judgement, and Surrender.”

The cries of anguish and sorrow echoed through the land as one by one, every firstborn of every Egyptian household was claimed by the Angel of Death.

Rameses the Great, overwhelmed by the devastation and loss of his own first born son, and being desperately urged on by his own people, summed us one again to the Palace. However, true to his word, Moses refused to accompany me to the Palace, instead preparing the Israelites to leave.

"Where is Moses, Priest? I have summoned him and you have come in his place."

"Have you forgotten already, Pharaoh? Moses swore to you that he would never look upon your face again. Why is it you have called us here, Pharaoh?"

"Enough of your insolence! Leave my people, and my nation; you and your Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, and also bless me, so we may be done with this; and a new age for Egypt can begin."

The Egyptians themselves now pleaded for our swift departure, realizing that the hand of the Lord was upon us. Fearing the death of their entire population, they urged the Exodus of the Israelites.

The Israelites hurriedly gathered their belongings, taking their dough before the yeast could be added. They carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs, bundled within their garments. In addition, they followed Moses' further instructions, approaching their Egyptian neighbors, who, by divine intervention, granted them articles of silver, gold, and clothing.

The time had come. The journey to freedom and the promised land awaited us. Our multitude, consisting of about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children, began its arduous trek from Rameses.

However… We were not alone. Others, drawn by the miraculous events that had unfolded before them, joined us in our exodus. Large droves of livestock accompanied us, our pockets were full of silver and gold, and freedom rang heavily in the air around us; a sign of the abundance that would come.

With the dough we had brought from Egypt, we baked unleavened bread. There was no time to wait for it to rise, for the urgency of our liberation demanded immediate action. The years of oppression had prepared us for this moment, and as we journeyed, we carried the taste of freedom on our lips.

The Lord's promise had finally been fulfilled. The Israelite people had resided in Egypt for nearly 5 centuries as slaves, and on this very day, the Lord led his people out of Egypt by their divisions.

We were no longer slaves; we were a people; a nation once again; chosen and liberated. The journey ahead would be challenging, but our faith burned brightly within us, igniting a hope that would sustain us through the trials to come.

And so, on the first night after we left Egypt, Moses, the servant of the Lord, addressed our people, speaking with the authority and wisdom bestowed upon him.

"Yahweh has given me one last command for the men of Israel. He says: 'Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.

Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt; out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand! Eat nothing containing yeast, and keep the Torah of God.'"

He took a second to catch his breath and look at his people, before continuing. "Today, in the month of Aviv, We are leaving. We are free from the claws of Egypt and her King. When the Lord brings you into the land He swore to your ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey, you are to observe this ceremony.

For seven days, eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day, hold a festival to the Lord. Eat only unleavened bread during those seven days; let no yeast be seen among you, nor within your borders."

He spoke of the significance of this observance, not only as a reminder of our deliverance but as a testimony to future generations.

He smiled, visions of their promised land vivid and raw in his mind, trying his best to convey the importance of our future:

"After the Lord brings you into the land and gives it to you, as He promised, you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord.

Sacrifice a lamb from every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons through circumcision, and if you do not, you may well have broken his neck."

Next, Moses emphasized the importance of passing on the story of our liberation, ensuring that future generations would understand the significance of this solemn act.

"In days to come, when your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' say to him, 'With a mighty hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.'

Let it be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead, that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with His mighty hand."

And so, as we embarked on this transformative journey… We embraced the festival of unleavened bread, symbolizing the haste with which we left Egypt. We ate meat with bitter spices, symbolizing the bitterness and distate of our years in slavery.

Finally, we followed the sacrificial command given by Yahweh; offering Him the best of the first-born of each flock; which in turn, represents the purity of our devotion to the Lord.

By night, a pillar of fire and light would guide us and give us protection; and by day, it was a pillar of clouds and smoke. In its midst, resided the spirit of Yahweh himself."

Aaron sat back, satisfied with his rendition of the Exodus. He smiled at everyone in the group in turn, before looking at Hur and Ezrae. "Well, I think I'll let Ezrae take over from here.

My brother likes to talk about how he's old and needs rest, but he's the youngest of us three." Everyone laughed together, and for a moment, they found a brief respite from their sad shared history.