“And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.”
If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. The practicality of the instruction is characteristic of Torah — it provides for the small household that cannot consume a whole lamb rather than imposing a requirement that would result in waste. The emphasis on each person eating enough — the amount needed in accordance with what each will eat — is pastoral. No one should be left out, and nothing should be wasted. The Passover meal is a shared communal act of consumption, not a ritual performance. Acts 2:46 describes the early church breaking bread from house to house — the household structure of the Passover meal is the prototype for the Lord's Supper celebrated in homes.
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
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