Passover Lamb Selected

During the Jewish holiday of Passover, the selection of the Passover lamb was an important ritual in ancient times. According to the biblical account in the book of Exodus, the Israelites were instructed to select a lamb or goat on the 10th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan and keep it until the 14th day.

The lamb was to be without blemish, male, and in its first year. It was chosen with care and brought into the home, where it was cared for and treated as a special guest. This selection process was symbolic of the Israelites’ preparation for the upcoming Exodus from Egypt.

On the 14th day of Nisan, the lamb was slaughtered and its blood was used to mark the doorposts of the Israelites’ homes. This was a sign for the final plague, in which the firstborn of Egypt would be struck down by the Angel of Death. The Israelites were instructed to roast the lamb and eat it as a part of the Passover meal, along with unleavened bread (matzah) and bitter herbs.

The Passover lamb selection and sacrifice were central to the observance of the Passover holiday during the time of the Exodus and in subsequent years when the Israelites celebrated the festival. However, after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, the practice of sacrificing the Passover lamb ceased, as there was no longer a central sanctuary for animal sacrifices.

Today, the Passover Seder meal is still celebrated by Jews around the world, but without the sacrificial lamb. Instead, a symbolic shank bone is placed on the Seder plate to represent the Passover lamb, serving as a reminder of the historical significance of the Exodus from Egypt.