Passover - Blood on the Doorposts

[Thaladan]

Did/do Jews always paint their doorposts with the blood of the lamb at Passover, or was that just for the original Passover in Egypt?

 

[GEddie]

Did/do Jews always paint their doorposts with the blood of the lamb at Passover, or was that just for the original Passover in Egypt?

I believe this was the practice for some time, giving rise to the connection between the door post and the Cross (at the height of a door post).

Once the temple service was no more, the Passover blood was replaced by a mezuzah, IMSC.

ICXC NIKA.

 

[meltzerboy]

Did/do Jews always paint their doorposts with the blood of the lamb at Passover, or was that just for the original Passover in Egypt?

Hebrew scholars have written about this. The vast consensus is that the blood of the Paschal lamb is NOT a sign for the benefit of G-d since G-d is omniscient and does not need such a sign. Besides, the Hebrew text clearly states that it is a sign for the Israelites themselves. The sign is for them to abandon the idolatrous ways of the heathens, which they had still practiced in Egypt. The lamb was one of the Egyptian gods, and hence smearing its blood was a symbol of defiance and lack of fear of either the Egyptians or their gods.

Nonetheless, there is some dispute among Hebrew scholars regarding whether the blood was to be sprinkled on the OUTSIDE of the doorposts and gates or on the INSIDE door of the home. According to Maimonides, it was for the purpose of reminding the Jewish people of their covenant with G-d and therefore was to be placed on the inside. He affirms that it was NOT to defy and insult the Egyptians. Other scholars state, however, that it was meant for the Egyptians to see and be horrified, as well as show them that their so-called gods had no power over the Jews.

Another important point according to rabbinical interpretations of the Torah is that simply abandoning the pagan gods is insufficient for the Jews to be redeemed. Judaism is not primarily based on the absence of committing wrongdoing but rather on the presence of doing things which are good and positive. IOW, positive behavior counts more than the act of refraining from negative behavior.

 

[White_Orchid]

I was in a Messianic Congregation for 7 yrs before I became a Catholic. So, maybe what I have to share will help.
It is visible prophecy of the wounds of Christ.

In Egypt, the Death Angel saw the blood on the Doors and Past Over (1st Pass Over) so no one in that house was killed. The put blood of a pure lamb was put on the head, side.hands and foot of the door, the same places where the wounds of Christ were. His blood allows the the Death Angel to Pass Over us, He is our “door” into Heaven.

To make this point even more later on a Mezuzah is Nailed to the door. The Mezuzah holds the “Word of God” within it. Just like the Jesus was Nailed to the cross.

Hope you are starting to see the “pictures of the past” Some Very Very strict Jews will still put blood on their door frames. But all Jews (and Messianic Believers) celebrate Pass Over.

 

[Moses613]

Wow! I see lots of misinformation here to dispel.

I believe this was the practice for some time, giving rise to the connection between the door post and the Cross (at the height of a door post).

I don’t know what the connection between the doorpost and the cross is, but the blood was only smeared on the doors for the Passover in Egypt - not at any subsequent time in history to my knowledge. It’s certainly not part of the Biblical commandment of the yearly Paschal sacrifice.

Once the temple service was no more, the Passover blood was replaced by a mezuzah, IMSC.

Sorry, memory’s not serving you correctly. The Mezuzah is commanded by G-d on Mount Sinai in Deut. 6:4-9 and 11:13-21… a while before the Temple service was no more. They were always placed on the doorposts.

Some Very Very strict Jews will still put blood on their door frames.

I’m a Very Very Strict Jew, in fact, I would be labeled as Ultra Orthodox, and believe me, NO ONE puts blood on their doors. The reason I think it’s vital to address this point is because insinuations that Jews somehow use blood nowadays as part of the Passover ritual is what has historically given birth to blood libels - for those who don’t know, that is the old canard used by Christians and later Muslims that accuses the Jews of ritually murdering Christian children for Passover and using their blood. By the way - if memory serves - Popes have denounced these blood libels from the earliest times. Which didn’t stop local clergymen from promulgating them, in many cases.

In fact, the only ritual involving blood in modern Judaism is the circumcision ceremony! The Bible strictly prohibits the consumption of all blood. We even salt all our meat to drain every last bit of blood out.

 

[rcwitness]

Wow! I see lots of misinformation here to dispel

I believe you.

But are you saying that the practice was a one time only event?

 

[Moses613]

I believe you.

But are you saying that the practice was a one time only event?

Right. The placing of the blood from the Passover sacrificial lamb on the door was a sign of faith when the Jews were in Egypt that they believed G-d would free them from bondage. G-d commanded the act and promised to cause the Angel of Death to “pass over” any home with the blood so its firstborn would not die. It was a one-time event.

In fact, now that I think about it, it wasn’t even possible to spread the blood on the doorposts in later generations. Every family offered its Passover sacrifice within the grounds of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The blood was sprinkled on the altar there. Then they brought home their cuts of meat to roast them. By then all the blood, except what would drip out of their cuts of meat maybe, had been drained from them. But that’s all a side point. The blood on the doorposts was only meant to be that one time in Egypt.