A Variation on the Passover Theme

Ancient Egypt 3300 years ago was a powerful and glorious country. Its capital, Memphis, was the navel of the civilized world and its Pharaoh the most resplendent monarch of that time.

He had a grand vizier, Wozer, whose first-born and only child was a son, Hotep. Hotep was a fragile and sickly child. His mother, the beautiful Lady Merrit had consulted all the famous physicians of the land, but the little boy grew weaker and more frail every year.

One morning, as usual, Hotep lay beside his mother on a gilt lounge chair in the shade by the garden pool. A Hebrew woman and her young son appeared. She was the wife of the chief gardener and was bringing Lady Merrit some exotic flowers that her husband had grown. Lady Merrit, a kind and gracious person thanked her warmly and then condescended to speak a few words to her. While she spoke, Hotep's attention was drawn to something the little Hebrew boy was munching on. It was a piece of coarse black bread and Hotep suddenly wanted that more than anything in the world. Lady Merrit could hardly believe that her son would actually ask to eat such plebeian food ! His constant lack of appetite was a deep source of concern to his parents who had gone to every kind of food supplier in order to discover the magical morsel which would appeal to Hotep .... but in vain.

Lady Merrit hesitated but a minute, then deciding that anything her child chose to eat was acceptable, she ordered the Hebrew boy to give Hotep his snack. Hotep ate it voraciously and asked for more. So, the Lady Merrit asked Miriam, the gardener's wife, to make more of this black bread and bring it back to Hotep as soon as she could.

From that day on Miriam and Ben, her son, came to the garden every day and brought Hotep freshly baked black bread which he invariably ate with great appetite. As the weeks went by a strange friendship developed between Hotep and Ben.

Previously, the Grand Vizier's son had shown no inclination to play and no interest in the company of other children of his social status; but Ben was different. He was a chubby, grubby, funny little kid with a mischievous grin. He would sit at the foot of the lounge chair and tell wonderful stories of animals, birds and insects and invent intriguing games with twigs, pebbles and mud. The months went by and Hotep grew stronger and healthier. He and Ben were now inseparable. Years passed and now they were young lads who enjoyed fishing and hunting together and, more than anything, each other's company.

Sadly, conditions in Egypt began to change. Pharaoh had lost a border war against Libya and, full of rage and frustration, looked for a scapegoat on whom to vent his anger. So he accused some of the Hebrews of having plotted against Egypt and of having sold military secrets to his Libyan foes. Very quickly persecution spread and the Hebrews' security and well-being were shattered. They were taken as slaves and treated harshly.

In their affliction they cried out to Yahweh, their God, who hearing their lament promised to save His people from bondage. To lead them Yahweh chose Moses, a Hebrew who had been adopted as an infant by Pharaoh's sister and reared as an Egyptian Prince of the Royal Palace.

Moses, obeying Yahweh's command, challenged Pharaoh and demanded that he let the Hebrews go free. Pharaoh refused and a terrible test of wills followed, pitting Pharaoh against Yahweh's spokesman. The ensuing events are recorded in the Jewish Bible story of "Exodus" and Egypt
began to experience awful plagues. Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart and, although the plagues increased in severity, the mighty Egyptian ruler refused to free his Hebrew slaves.

Finally, Yahweh summoned Moses once more and revealed to him the ultimate affliction about to befall Egypt, one so horrendous that Pharaoh's obstinacy would surely be crushed.

That night, Moses chose the humble abode of Ben's father and gathered there the heads of the Hebrew households to unveil the final episode of their struggle that would overcome, without a doubt, Pharaoh's sinful stubbomess.

As young Ben lay on his mat in the dark he could not help overhearing what was to happen to every first born Egyptian son and the thought that Hotep also would be killed filled him with horror and grief; but as he listened and heard how the Hebrew families would be spared Yahweh's destructive wrath he knew there was a sure way he could save his friend's life. On that fateful night Ben slipped out of his house after the evening meal, clutching a small sharp knife. Slithering against walls he made his way across the city to the estate of the Grand Vizier and stood by the huge portals of its entrance. Ben then made a deep incision in his fingers and when the blood began to flow he applied his hand to the granite pillar as high as hecould extend his arm. However, to his despair the blood from the wound left only a thin trickle on the stone. Yahweh would certainly overlook it and Hotep would be killed at midnight along with all the other first born sons of Egypt.

Ben's heart was pounding and his limbs were shaking. There must be a way, he thought, of causing more blood to flow. The fated hour was drawing near and there was no time to waste. Clenching his teeth Ben swiftly and resolutely slit the vein on his wrist. The blood spurted out in rich, generous gushes.

Oblivious to the pain, Ben lifted his arm again and rested it against the stone pillar which quickly shone in the bright moonlight. Ben felt faint but by sheer will power remained in this position for as long as necessary. As the blood flowed he grew weak. He staggered to the other side of the portals and resumed the same position bathing the stone with his blood.

Soon he heard faint screams and lamentations. These grew nearer and louder as Yahweh's terrible sentence was carried out on Egyptian households. In a daze Ben felt the awesome and frightful passage of death over his head, but the Destroyer did not stop at Hotep's home and Ben smiled through his tears.

The next morning his distraught mother found his body lying in a pool of blood at the foot of the Great Portals of Wozer's mansion. She crouched beside him and gathered him in her arms. As she rocked her dead child her mournful wailing rose and mingled with the lamentations of all but one of the Egyptian mothers whose sons lay dead killed by the vengeance of Yahweh.

"GREATER LOVE HAS NO MAN..."