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This week's parsha is one of the most famous within Chumash known mostly for the story of יציאת מצרים . It contains the story of the Jewish People becoming a nation. But if we weren't a nation before what would you have called us? Random people that happen to all be slaves? All descendants of a man named Yaakov? And if that was all we were, when and how did a transformation occur?

Most mefarshim explain we became a nation when we got out first mitzvah, Rosh Chodesh, which was given to us in this week's parsha. But what is most interesting are the mitzvot the follow. After we are told about Rosh Chodesh, we are given a long list of other mitzvot. Some of which are as follows:

• On the 10th day of the month we need to take a sheep into our home
• If our family is not large enough to eat the entire sheep we should combine with "a neighbor that lives closest to us."
• We should "watch" the sheep for four days
• Then we can kill it and roast it
• We must put the blood of the sheep on our doorposts where we are eating our meal
• And we must eat it with מצה ומרור

When you think about it this is a very strange list of commandments. If they needed to combine with another family to eat the sheep why can't they invite a family they were friends with? Why does it have to be the "closest neighbor?" And why should they have the sheep hanging out of their house for four days? And if Hashem knows everything, why does He need to see blood on the doorpost to know to skip a house? And lastly, but one of the most bothersome issues, why would they have to eat Maror when we only eat it now to "remember their bitter lives?" If they lived through those torturous times they definitely didn't need a reminder they occurred!

Chazzal explain to us that פסח מצרים was a very important step for that generation. The Jewish people were very far from actually being a nation and even from Hashem. While in Mitzrayim they had assimilated into the Egyptian culture and values. Hashem was giving them this experience to help separate and distance themselves from that culture and grow towards Him.

The sheep was considered a god in Egypt. Therefore they needed to take their "god" and tie it up outside their house for four days. Sheep are not quiet animals. They would make noise and draw attention to the fact that Jewish people were holding them. The Jewish people had to be comfortable acknowledging this sheep was not their god and had to publicly "show off" that belief as well. After the four days were over they then had to put the blood on the door as a sign for THEM, not Hashem, that they no longer believed in the sheep but rather in Hashem as their G-d.

Once their faith was proven they had to form bonds with each other. Yes, they all suffered many personal tragedies and would not need maror to remind them of those horrible times. But that night was not about personal tragedies, it was about the communal and national tragedy. They had to start appreciating they were part of a whole. For the same reason they were eating with their neighbors and not a friend. They needed to see every Jew as part of their "family" and part of their nation.

The mitzvot of פסח מצרים were there to help that generation come together. To help them show and prove their belief in G-d, and help them unite to feel pride in their Jewish identity. And hopefully as we read the parsha this Shabbat in shul we too will feel that same pride that we are lucky enough to be a part of Hashem's עם סגולה .