The New Jew: A Field Guide

Ex. 13

Hebrew

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר: קַדֶּשׁ־לִי כָל־בְּכוֹר, פֶּטֶר כָּל־רֶחֶם
בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּאָדָם וּבַבְּהֵמָה, לִי הוּא: וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־הָעָם,
זָכוֹר אֶת־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, אֲשֶׁר יְצָאתֶם מִמִּצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים, כִּי בְּחֹזֶק
יָד הוֹצִיא יְהוָה אֶתְכֶם מִזֶּה, וְלֹא יֵאָכֵל חָמֵץ: הַיּוֹם אַתֶּם יֹצְאִים,
בְּחֹדֶשׁ הָאָבִיב: וְהָיָה כִי־יְבִיאֲךָ יְהוָה אֶל־אֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַחִתִּי
וְהָאֱמֹרִי וְהַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי, אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לָתֵת לָךְ, אֶרֶץ זָבַת
חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ, וְעָבַדְתָּ אֶת־הָעֲבֹדָה הַזֹּאת בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה: שִׁבְעַת יָמִים
תֹּאכַל מַצֹּת, וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי חַג לַיהוָה: מַצּוֹת יֵאָכֵל אֵת שִׁבְעַת
הַיָּמִים, וְלֹא־יֵרָאֶה לְךָ חָמֵץ וְלֹא־יֵרָאֶה לְךָ שְׂאֹר, בְּכָל־גְּבֻלֶךָ:
וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר, בַּעֲבוּר זֶה עָשָׂה יְהוָה לִי בְּצֵאתִי
מִמִּצְרָיִם: וְהָיָה לְךָ לְאוֹת עַל־יָדְךָ וּלְזִכָּרוֹן בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ, לְמַעַן תִּהְיֶה
תּוֹרַת יְהוָה בְּפִיךָ, כִּי בְּיָד חֲזָקָה הוֹצִאֲךָ יְהוָה מִמִּצְרָיִם: וְשָׁמַרְתָּ
אֶת־הַחֻקָּה הַזֹּאת לְמוֹעֲדָהּ, מִיָּמִים יָמִימָה:

Sephardi

Vayedaber Adonai el-Moshe lemor: Kadesh-li chol-bechor, peter kol-rechem
bivnei Yisrael, ba'adam uvabehemah, li hu: Vayomer Moshe el-ha'am,
zachor et-hayom hazeh, asher yetzatem miMitzrayim mibeit avadim, ki bechozek
yad hotzi Adonai etchem mizeh, velo ye'achel chametz: Hayom atem yotze'im,
bechodesh ha'aviv: Vehayah chi-yevi'acha Adonai el-eretz hakena'ani vehachiti
veha'emori vehachivi vehayevusi, asher nishba la'avotecha latet lach, eretz zavat
chalav udevash, ve'avadta et-ha'avodah hazot bachodesh hazeh: Shiv'at yamim
tochal matzot, uvayom hashevi'i chag laAdonai: Matzot ye'achel eit shiv'at
hayamim, velo-yera'eh lecha chametz velo-yera'eh lecha se'or, bechol-gevulecha:
Vehigadta levincha bayom hahu leimor, ba'avur zeh asah Adonai li betzeiti
miMitzrayim: Vehayah lecha le'ot al-yadcha ulezikaron bein einecha, lema'an tihyeh
torat Adonai beficha, ki beyad chazakah hotzi'acha Adonai miMitzrayim: Veshamarta
et-hachukah hazot lemo'adah, miyamim yamimah:

English

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites, whether man or beast, belongs to Me." Then Moses said to the people, "Remember this day on which you left Egypt, the slave-house, when the LORD brought you out of it with a mighty hand. No leaven shall be eaten. You are leaving on this day, in the month of Aviv. When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites, the land He swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you are to observe this service in this same month. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and make the seventh day a festival to the LORD. Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days. No leavened bread may be seen in your possession, and no leaven shall be seen anywhere within your borders. On that day you shall tell your son, 'This is because of what the LORD did for me when I left Egypt.' [These words] shall also be a sign on your hand, and a reminder above your forehead, so that the LORD's Torah may always be in your mouth, because with a mighty hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year."

Hebrew

וְהָיָה כִי־יְבִאֲךָ יְהוָה אֶל־אֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי כַּאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לְךָ וְלַאֲבֹתֶיךָ,
וּנְתָנָהּ לָךְ: וְהַעֲבַרְתָּ כָל־פֶּטֶר־רֶחֶם לַיהוָה, וְכָל־פֶּטֶר שֶׁגֶר בְּהֵמָה
אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה לְךָ הַזְּכָרִים, לַיהוָה: וְכָל־פֶּטֶר חֲמֹר תִּפְדֶּה בְשֶׂה, וְאִם־
לֹא תִפְדֶּה וַעֲרַפְתּוֹ, וְכֹל בְּכוֹר אָדָם בְּבָנֶיךָ תִּפְדֶּה: וְהָיָה כִּי־יִשְׁאָלְךָ
בִנְךָ מָחָר, לֵאמֹר מַה־זֹּאת, וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו, בְּחֹזֶק יָד הוֹצִיאָנוּ יְהוָה
מִמִּצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים: וַיְהִי כִּי־הִקְשָׁה פַרְעֹה לְשַׁלְּחֵנוּ, וַיַּהֲרֹג
יְהוָה כָּל־בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, מִבְּכֹר אָדָם וְעַד־בְּכוֹר בְּהֵמָה, עַל־כֵּן
אֲנִי זֹבֵחַ לַיהוָה כָּל־פֶּטֶר רֶחֶם הַזְּכָרִים, וְכָל־בְּכוֹר בָּנַי אֶפְדֶּה: וְהָיָה
לְאוֹת עַל־יָדְכָה וּלְטוֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ, כִּי בְּחֹזֶק יָד הוֹצִיאָנוּ יְהוָה
מִמִּצְרָיִם:

Sephardi

Vehayah chi-yevi'acha Adonai el-eretz hakena'ani ka'asher nishba lecha vela'avotecha,
unetanah lach: Veha'avarta chol-peter-rechem laAdonai, vechol-peter sheger behemah
asher yihyeh lecha hazecharim, laAdonai: Vechol-peter chamor tifdeh veseh, ve'im-
lo tifdeh va'arafto, vechol bechor adam bevanecha tifdeh: Vehayah ki-yish'alcha
vincha machar, leimor mah-zot, ve'amarta eilav, bechozek yad hotzi'anu Adonai
miMitzrayim mibeit avadim: Vayehi ki-hikshah par'oh leshalchenu, vayaharog
Adonai kol-bechor be'eretz Mitzrayim, mibechor adam ve'ad-bechor behemah, al-kein
ani zove'ach laAdonai kol-peter rechem hazecharim, vechol-bechor banai efdeh: Vehayah
le'ot al-yadchah uletotafot bein einecha, ki bechozek yad hotzi'anu Adonai
miMitzrayim:

English

After the LORD has brought you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your ancestors, and He has given it to you, you shall set apart for the LORD the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your cattle belong to the LORD. Every firstling donkey you shall redeem with a lamb. If you do not redeem it, you must break its neck. Every firstborn among your sons you must redeem. If, in time to come, your son asks you, "What does this mean?" you shall say to him, "With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the slave-house. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us leave, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. That is why I sacrifice to the LORD the first male offspring of every womb, and redeem all the firstborn of my sons." [These words] shall be a sign on your hand and as an emblem above your forehead, that with a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.