Likkutei Sichos vol. 16, Bo Sicha 3
Sicha, Parshas Bo 5737
A. Preparing to Leave Egypt
On the eve of the Exodus, the Jews received two commandments from G-d: circumcision and the Passover offering. Rabbi Matya ben Charash explained that the fulfillment of these mitzvot enabled them to leave Egypt. (Source 1)
B. Why Two Mitzvot?
Why were specifically two mitzvot needed, not one, or more than two? The Rebbe explains that the Passover offering severed the Jews from idolatry and circumcision expressed their connection to G-d.
The lamb represented the Egyptian god, whose worship had become entrenched also among the Jews. Moses even wondered how they would slaughter the lamb in view of the Egyptians (Source 3). Its slaughter represented severing their ties to idolatry.
This mitzvah included keeping the lamb in the home for four days, because such a period demonstrated that the sacrifice was being done in a clear frame of mind, and only then were the people completely severed from idolatry. We see the same idea with Abraham, where G-d arranged the test of the binding of Isaac to take four days, so it would be clear that Abraham was making his decisions with a clear mind, and not impulsively. (Source 4)
C. In Rome, of all Places
It is no coincidence that this explanation was given by Rabbi Matya ben Charash. Rabbi Matya established a yeshivah in Rome and explained to his students that the reason for doing so was to influence the Jews in Rome to observe the mitzvot and thus hasten the final redemption.
The Rebbe explains that this is also the ideology behind Chabad’s efforts to spread Torah and mitzvot, helping Jews do individual mitzvot and bringing redemption for all.
