Everything was set to go.  The 10 plagues in Egypt had brought the Egyptians to their knees.  All was clear that the Jewish people were about to exit – forever. But then a Mitzvah – a commandment. Moshe tells the Jews in this week’s Torah portion that they must bring a sacrifice known as the Korban Pesach! Only after partaking from that delicious meat could they then leave Egypt!  Why? Would it have been so difficult to fulfill this commandment after they left?  Why now?

The answer lies in the powerful lesson brought about through the various laws and requirements of the Korban Pesach. The sacrifice had to be eaten in a group, fully roasted, and with no leftovers. These details are not technicalities; they are the message.

The Korban Pesach could not be eaten alone. Each person had to be part of a “chaburah”, a collective. Redemption from Egypt was not granted to individuals acting in isolation, but to a people bound together. Even if one person had more than enough, they were required to join with others. This teaches that freedom is achieved not through self-sufficiency, but through connection.

The requirement that the offering be roasted whole further reinforced this idea. Nothing could be separated or divided; the sacrifice remained intact, symbolizing a unified entity. Even the very nature of roasting, where the meat contracts, speaks of connection. Likewise, no leftovers were permitted. Nothing — and no one — could be pushed aside or left for “later.” Redemption demands full inclusion.

This lesson is especially relevant to our current exile. Am Yisroel is not redeemed as scattered individuals, each focused on personal growth alone, but rather as a unified whole. When we shift our focus from individual accomplishment to collective responsibility, we create space for true unity to emerge and then we merit redemption.

Unity means recognizing that each person is a vital part of a greater unit. Just as the Korban Pesach was complete only when eaten together, so too the Jewish Nation becomes whole — and worthy of redemption — when no one is left out!