74. "For Hashem will pass through to smite Egypt..." (Shemot 12:23) We learned, as Rabbi Yosi said, that this passage is difficult. Could it be that first "He sees the blood" and then He "will pass over" (Ibid.), which means He made a sign? If you say it is because of the commandment to place the blood, then why WAS IT PLACED outside THE DOOR, and why on the lintel and two side posts? WHY DID HE NEED THIS? IS NOT EVERYTHING REVEALED BEFORE THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE? It is written, "He reveals the deep and secret things" (Daniel 2:22). And why did He have to have to reveal the blood on the lintel and two side posts?

75. HE ANSWERS, But we studied that it is written, "And when Hashem saw it, He abhorred them" (Devarim 32:19), and also, "And Hashem saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth" (Beresheet 6:5). Yet we learned that providence is not seen above unless an action below becomes manifest from it. Before an action is done below, there is no looking to punish, except for the thought of idolatry, WHICH IS PUNISHED WITHOUT AN ACTION, as it is written, "Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived" (Devarim 11:16). After the action is done, providence is aroused. Therefore everything, both good and bad, depends upon action.

76. Rabbi Yosi said, All the marketplaces of Egypt were full of idols. Moreover, every house had kinds OF WITCHCRAFTERS who with their witchcraft connected with the lower crowns that were below to arouse the Impure Spirit amongst them.

77. We have learnt the secret meaning of it. It is written, "And take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch with it the lintel and two side posts..." (Shemot 12:22). HE ASKS, Why a bunch of hyssops? HE ANSWERS, In order to destroy the Impure Spirit from among them and to indicate on their houses at these three places the Complete Faith, one on this side and one on that side - ON THE TWO SIDE POSTS THAT ALLUDE TO THE TWO COLUMNS, RIGHT AND LEFT - and one between them ON THE LINTEL THAT ALLUDES TO THE CENTRAL COLUMN. Therefore, "Hashem will pass over the door, and will not allow the Destroyer to come into your houses to smite you" (Ibid. 23), for He sees the Holy Name marked on the entrance, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE THREE COLUMNS.

78. Rabbi Yehuda said, If THEY ALLUDE TO THE THREE COLUMNS, why IS THIS DONE with blood? Did we not learn THAT THE COLORS OF THE THREE COLUMNS ARE white and red, and the one THAT IS BETWEEN THEM combines both colors; ITS COLOR IS GREEN LIKE THE SUN THAT COMBINES WHITE AND RED. AND WHY ARE ALL THREE COLUMNS ALLUDED TO WITH THE RED COLOR, WHICH IS BLOOD? He said to him, There were two kinds of blood, one of the Pascal sacrifice and one of circumcision AS THEY CIRCUMCISED THEMSELVES. The blood of the circumcision is Mercy, EVEN THOUGH IT IS RED, and the blood of the Pascal sacrifice is Judgment. IT THEREFORE DOES NOT DEPEND UPON COLORS IN THIS CASE.

79. Rabbi Yehuda said, It is not so, but rather as I learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, turned that blood into Mercy as though it was the white among the colors. This is the meaning of, "And when I passed by you, and saw you weltering in your blood and I said to you, 'In your blood live'..." (Yechezkel 16:6). Even though it was red, it was transformed into Mercy, for "In your blood live." IT IS NOT DEPENDENT UPON COLORS IN THIS CASE, and one therefore marked the entrance on three sides, one here, one there and one between them FOR THEY ALLUDE TO THE THREE COLUMNS.

80. Rabbi Chizkiyah learned that two types of blood appeared, THE BLOOD OF THE PASSOVER AND THE BLOOD OF CIRCUMCISION, which correspond to two crowns, MEANING SFIROT, that appeared above at that time - WHICH ARE THE TWO COLUMNS, CHESED AND GVURAH. Rabbi Yosi said, THEY CORRESPOND TO one crown that combines the two concealed sides, NAMELY, Mercy and Judgment.

81. Rabbi Aba said, The Holy One, blessed be He had compassion for His children on many occasions. A man made a house and the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, 'Write My Name and place it on your door so when you sit in your house, I will sit outside by your door to guard you.' Here AT PASSOVER, He said, 'Mark on your entrance the secret of Faith in Me,' NAMELY THE THREE COLUMNS ON THE TWO SIDE POSTS AND ON THE LINTEL, AS MENTIONED. 'Sit in your house and I will guard you from outside,' as it is written, "And none of you shall go out at the door entrance of his house until the morning...and when He sees the blood on the lintel, and on the two side posts, Hashem will pass over the door, and will not allow the Destroyer to come into your house to smite you" (Shemot 12:22-23). SO WE SEE THAT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, GUARDED THEM FROM OUTSIDE.

82. Rabbi Aba also said, they made the semblance of the Holy Name Hei at the time, NAMELY THREE LINES - TWO ON THE SIDE POSTS AND ONE ON THE LINTEL ABOVE - WHICH RESEMBLES THE FORM OF THE LETTER HEI, WHICH IS MALCHUT. THEREFORE, as the Holy Name changed at that time to be of Judgment AGAINST THE EGYPTIANS, so did the blood change at that moment into Judgment, as it is written, "and when He sees the blood on the lintel, and on the two side posts." For everybody's mark was red, WHICH ALLUDES TO JUDGMENT, to show THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS MERCY FOR YISRAEL, it changed to Judgment to wreak revenge AGAINST THE EGYPTIANS

83. The secret of this matter is that they had to display below in the same manner it was above at the time-if it was Mercy, then Mercy, if Judgment, then Judgment. Since ABOVE THERE WAS JUDGMENT AGAINST EGYPT, it is written, "And dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch with it the lintel..." (Shemot 12:22), FOR BLOOD ALLUDES TO JUDGMENT. About the future time to come, it is written, "Who is this that comes from Edom, with crimsoned garments from Botzrah" (Yeshayah 63:1), for He will show Judgment to them all to wreak revenge. HIS GARMENTS WILL THEN REDDEN WITH BLOOD.