186. "And Hashem said to Moses and Ahab, 'This is the ordinance of the Passover'" (Shemot 12:43). This (28th) commandment is to slaughter the Passover at twilight of the fourteenth day of Nissan, a remembrance to the Passover in Egypt. And this is incumbent upon everyone, as it is written, "And the whole assembly of the Congregation of Yisrael shall kill it towards evening" (Ibid. 6).
187. This Pascal sacrifice has to be kept since the tenth day of the month, as it is written, "On the tenth day of this month, and they shall take..." (Shemot 12:3). What is the reason? It is because that is when the moon starts to shine, from the tenth day and further until it becomes full on the fifteenth day. It should be slaughtered on the fourteenth day at the time that Judgment is impending over the world, NAMELY AT TWILIGHT.
188. The meaning behind this is to remove the foreskin from before the Holy Covenant and to gain pleasure from the scent that spreads from the meat roasted on fire, MEANING THE MAIN PART OF THE COMMANDMENT IS TO ENJOY ITS SCENT. Its purpose is only satiation, THEN ONE DOES NOT NEED TO EAT ANYMORE. Therefore, "no uncircumcised person shall eat of it" (Ibid. 48) but one who has the Holy Covenant may eat of it. This is because he of the members of the covenant breaks the power of the Other Side, and removes the foreskin from the covenant. Therefore, it must be done by members of the covenant and not by uncircumcised ones.
189. When the Holy One, blessed be He, came to Egypt, He saw how the blood of the Passover that was marked on the entrance and the blood of the circumcision were on the door, as it is written, "And take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch with it..." (Shemot 12:22). We have explained that hyssop removes evil spirits and any aspect of a bad odor when it is operative for the supernal redemption of Yisrael.
190. In the future to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, will come upon the Evil Inclination and slaughter it. By this redemption FROM EGYPT, it is written, "and the whole assembly of the Congregation of Yisrael shall kill it," for it is a token of remembrance for the time to come of the supernal redemption THAT IS HIGHER THAN THE ONE FROM EGYPT.
191. "The lintel and the two side posts..." They marked the letter Yud ON THE DOORPOSTS. They marked the letter Yud ON THE LINTEL to show THROUGH THEM the mark of the Holy Covenant, WHICH IS THE YUD, and the foreskin was broken before the blood of the covenant that was marked on all. And blood came upon blood, NAMELY THE BLOOD OF THE PASCAL SACRIFICE ON THE BLOOD OF THE CIRCUMCISION. When the Destroyer passed, he would see blood and distance himself from the house, as it is written, "And will not allow the Destroyer..." (Shemot 12:23)
192. HE ASKS, If the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself was killing, why is it written, "And will not allow the Destroyer," which implies that the Destroyer was doing it and not the Holy One, blessed be He. HE ANSWERS, Assuredly the Holy One, blessed be He, alone was carrying out the killing and the Destroyer was seeking to find a pretext against Yisrael TO ACCUSE THEM. As soon as he saw the breakage of the foreskin in two aspects, BY THE BLOOD OF THE PASSOVER AND THE BLOOD OF CIRCUMCISION, he would flee and leave them.
193. Because the Holy One, blessed be He, slew all the firstborns of that side, He obligated the firstborn of Yisrael to redeem THEMSELVES so that the Other Side will find no pretext against them. The Holy One, blessed be He, guarded them against everything, like a father over children.
194. "In one house shall it be eaten, you shall not take any of the meat outside, out of the house" (Shemot 12:46). This (29th) commandment is to eat the Passover with Matzot and bitter herbs. Matzot is spelled without a Vav. HE ASKS, What is MATZOT with regard to BITTER HERBS, THAT THE VERSE OBLIGATED TO EAT THEM TOGETHER? HE ANSWERS, It is only to show the exile of the Shechinah with Yisrael in their bitterness, as it is written, "And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage..." (Shemot 1:14). When the Pascal sacrifice is eaten, it shows everything that was done to them in Egypt in that exile and that bondage. THEREFORE, IT IS EATEN WITH MATZOT AND BITTER HERBS.
195. What is the meaning of, "Neither shall you break a bone of it" (Shemot 12:46)? To show contempt to it, and all the deities of Egypt because the unbroken bones were thrown out to the marketplace and dogs would come and drag them from place to place. This was the most difficult thing for them, because the bones put the body in order and resemble another side, NAMELY THEIR OTHER DEITIES. The children of Yisrael cast them out into the marketplace in contempt. Therefore, it is written, "Neither shall you break a bone of it." You must not break them, but dogs came and broke them.