Biblical Parallels Index – Devarim 16/0
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Biblical Parallels Index – Devarim 16
Overview
This index is meant to help the reader explore Biblical parallels, be they two accounts of the same event, stories with similar motifs and themes, or units of text which are linguistically similar and perhaps alluding one to the other. The page includes links to tools that aid in comparison, primary sources that touch upon the parallels, and summaries of and links to articles which analyze them in depth.Korban Pesach
The laws of the Pesach sacrifice are spoken of in both Shemot 12 and Devarim 16.
Tools
- Makbilot BaMikra points out parallel passages in the Torah that describe the Korban Pesach. In addition to Shemot 12, the most extensive discussion of Korban Pesach is in Devarim 16.
Articles
- See הפסח וסיפור יציאת מצרים, by R. Yehuda Rock, for a comparison and contrast of the requirements of Korban Pesach as set forth in Parashat Bo and Parashat Re’eh. R. Rock suggests that the two passages reflect two different aspects of what Korban Pesach is meant to symbolize and commemorate. Parashat Bo emphasizes how the sacrifice is an expression of belief in God and a rejection of Egyptian culture and religion, while Parashat Re'eh views it as a thanksgiving offering to God for the redemption of Israel.
Korban Pesach in Later Biblical Stories
Tanakh describes the bringing of a Pesach sacrifice during several periods of Jewish history, in the times of Yehoshua, Chizkiyahu, Yoshiyahu, and Ezra. This leads one to wonder as to the specific symbolism and significance of the Pesach in these various historical contexts.
Tools
- See Makbilot BaMikra for links to sources which describe each of the celebrations of Pesach mentioned above.
Articles
- See The Meaning of the Korban Pesach, by R. Amnon Bazak, for analysis of the significance of many aspects of the Korban Pesach and its relevance to the other narratives in which a Pesach offering is brought. R. Bazak suggests that throughout these narratives, the Pesach sacrifice serves as part of the renewal of the covenant between the collective Jewish people and Hashem.
- See The Korban Pesach -- Sacrifice or Feast, by Prof. Yonatan Grossman, for an interpretation of the Korban Pesach as representing the sanctity of the Jewish home and its centrality to redemption. Prof. Grossman (like R. Bazak above) suggests that the Pesach sacrifice appears in the subsequent stories as well because they represent moments of national renewal and re-commitment to the covenant.
Rapid Redemption
The noun "חִפָּזוֹן" (haste) appears three times in Tanakh, in Shemot 12:11, Devarim 16:3, and Yeshayahu 52:12, all in the context of redemption. In the first two verses, the word refers to the haste of the Exodus. In the last, interestingly, Hashem promises that the ultimate redemption will not be in haste. Exploring these stories and the concept of "haste" in general makes one both ponder the necessity of redeeming Israel in haste and question what were the advantages and disadvantages of doing so.
Tools
- Concordance – Use the concordance to explore usage of the noun "חפזון" and the related verbal root "חפז". While the former appear in the context of redemption, all of the appearances of the verb in Tanakh are associated with an undignified rush.1 These usages indicate a duality associated with the concept of haste; it seems to reflect Hashem’s miraculous salvation in the story of the Exodus, but a lack of dignity and forethought in other contexts.
Articles
- See Hippazon - Rapid Redemption, by R. Alex Israel, for analysis of the nuances of the notion of "חִפָּזוֹן", which includes both a connotation of panic as well as of Hashem’s instantaneous salvation. R. Israel explores the symbolism and significance of the concept of "חפזון" through the writings of a range of Jewish thinkers. He notes that sometimes change takes time and haste is dangerous, but that simultaneously a rush of energy and passion might be necessary to kick-start a colossal religious and national transformation.
Matzah and Chametz
The command to eat matzah and prohibition to eat leavened bread are mentioned several times in Tanakh, with different reasons given for the law in different verses.
Tools
- See Makbilot BaMikra for links to verses discussing the command to eat Matzah and corresponding prohibition of leavened bread. There is a seeming tension between the reasons for the mitzvah that are given by the Biblical verses: Shemot 12:20 sets forth a command to eat matzah that precedes the Exodus, whereas Shemot 12:34 and 12:39, as well as Devarim 16:3, characterize matzah as a result of the hurried departure from Egypt, which did not give enough time for the Jews’ bread to rise. Shemot 13:6-7 prescribes the command of matzah without giving the reason of the hasty Exodus.
Articles
- See Chametz and Matzah in Pesach Mitzrayim for an overview of commentators’ approaches to this issue. One position maintains that the commandment of eating matzah and prohibition of chametz on Passover were given before the Exodus and that the Jews in the Exodus story were obligated in them, another suggests that these laws emerged only after the Exodus as a form of commemoration, while yet a third proposes that chametz was prohibited only on the day of the Exodus itself.
