Jun 20, 2024
Behaalotekha | Where was the Korban Pesach Brought? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom
Was the Pesach brought at the beginning of the 2nd year brought in people's homes?!
Although we broadly assume that, once the Mishkan was constructed, any offerings would be brought there; especially in line with Vayikra 17 which prohibits שחוטי חוץ - animals slaughtered outside of the precincts of the Mishkan. Yet, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that perhaps the Pesach brought at the beginning of the 2nd year (the first anniversary of the Exodus) was brought in the people's homes/tents in the camp. We explore the textual evidence for each side, first proposing an explanation as to why there was (seemingly) only one Pesach offered during the forty years in the desert and subsequently exploring the possibility that the function of the Mishkan was more "Ohel Moed" ("Tent of Meeting") than the locus of offerings - until we entered the Land and, perhaps, until the Mishkan was established at Shilo (Yehoshua 18:1) - which is the first place that we ever hear of anyone bringing offerings at the Mishkan (1 Shmuel 1).