'You want us to do what?'

The American Jewish community is still reeling from the attack on a Reform temple in the Detroit area. Thankfully, no one was killed on March 12 other than the attacker, though several first-responders were injured. It's a near miracle that roomfuls of children in the building that afternoon got our safely with teachers and synagogue staff.

As I write this, Jews throughout the United States are preparing for Shabbat.

This Shabbat is called Shabbat Hachodesh. It takes its name from the beginning of the special maftir (last Torah section) that is read before the month of Nisan begins, the month in which Passover is observed. The section itself, Exodus 12:1-20, contains the first Passover commandments: slaughtering a lamb on the 14th day of the month, smearing its blood on the doorposts, roasting its flesh, and eating it hastily in family gatherings with matzah and bitter herbs.

But preceding these particulars is the commandment to take the designated lamb and watch it for four days. Just watch it. Tie it up, and don't do anything to it yet. Just watch it.

It does seem a bit unusual to be told to "do something by doing nothing," and one might imagine folks back in Egypt responding to Moses: "You want us to do what?"

The Torah text itself does not explain the need to wait several days before the animals are to be slaughtered …