| A letter in the story The Ba Affair Matzah and maror in the Exodus from Egypt The plagues fall on the land of Egypt one after another, each time from a different direction and a more severe plague. But Pharaoh did not give in. He continued to stand his ground even though his people were suffering enormously. In a stroke of darkness, Pharaoh seemed to relent: "And Pharaoh called to Moses and said, Go, serve the Lord..." Moses' response: "Even our nest will go with us; not a hoof will be left behind..." Pharaoh gets angry and tells Moses, "Don't let me see you..." In such a difficult situation, God's command came to hold the first Passover sacrifice on the land of Egypt, even before the people of Israel left Egypt. And on the same night that the Israelites celebrate the Passover sacrifice, a plague of firstborns comes upon Egypt. Pharaoh urges the people to leave Egypt. The people are not able to bake the remaining dough and also pack the leftovers of the Passover sacrifice, the matzah and the bittern, on their shoulders. (Rashi on the verse) The letter R in the word "mash-er-vetam " is written with two horns, a reference to the remnants of matzah and maror from the first Passover sacrifice that was celebrated in the land of Egypt even before the plague of the firstborn.
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