Excuses
The Pesah is a celebration of the Hebrews’ liberation from the Egyptians and of the love shown by YHWH for his chosen people – despite the fact that he didn’ t bother to prevent them from becoming slaves in the first place. Jews and Christians alike will claim that there is no celebration of the death of the Egyptians, it’ s all about liberation. This is despite the fact that a traditional part of the Pesah celebration by some Jews is the Ta’ anit B’ Chorim, or the“ fast of the first born” where the first born son in a Jewish family fasts before the seder. Funny how it’ s only the sons, even though all first born Egyptians were killed, but there is a LOT of sexism in the Hebrew Bible and traditions.
I have been told that any objection to celebrating the death of the innocent Egyptians is“ missing the point” of YHWH’ s act of liberation. That the Egyptians were merely being repaid for all the Hebrews they had killed while they were enslaved. That every culture celebrates military victories, and this is just a victory won by YHWH. Yes, a victory over civilians who were not fighting – name me one other country that celebrates a slaughter of civilians, please – it would be like the British having a national day of celebration for the bombing of Dresden, or the US for the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. That I don’ t understand the Jewish traditions. But what is there to misunderstand about dead innocent Egyptians? That Jews have been persecuted throughout history and that to deny them the right to celebrate their deliverance is racism. Give me a break, this is not an explanation, it’ s a personal attack lodged whenever there is no defense to a criticism. That YHWH is by definition incapable of any evil act, so there is nothing to criticize. This is stating a conclusion, so I guess I am more moral than YHWH; not hard to do really.
And my personal favorite, that the slaughter is just a small and unimportant part of the story. Right. The“ Passover” is when the Angel of Death avoids the Hebrews on its way to kill the helpless Egyptians- it“ passes over” the
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