Parashat Metzora: Pesach in Jerusalem: Yesteryear and Today

Rabbi Meir Soloveichik's reflection on Parashat Metzora, coinciding with Pesach, offers profound insights into the themes of protection and purification. As tensions rose with news of drones launched against Israel, Rabbi Soloveichik's lecture on the true meaning of "pesach" became strikingly relevant. Contrary to the common translation of "pass over," he argues that "pesach" signifies God's protective hovering over His people, as illustrated in Isaiah's assurance of Jerusalem's salvation from Assyrian forces. This divine protection is mirrored in the rituals of purification described in Leviticus, where the use of hyssop and blood symbolizes the cleansing of impurity, paralleling the Israelites' preparation for the first Passover in Egypt.