10654. Verses 18-23. The feast of unleavened things shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened things, as I commanded thee, at the time appointed of the month Abib; because in the month Abib thou wentest forth from Egypt. Everything that openeth the womb is mine; and of all thy cattle thou shalt give the male, that openeth of ox and of small cattle. And that which openeth of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, thou shalt break its neck. Every firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And My faces shall not be seen empty. Six days thou shalt work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest; in plowing and in harvest thou shalt rest. And the feast of weeks thou shalt make to thee of the firstfruits of wheat harvest; and the feast of ingathering at the revolving of the year. Three times in the year shall every male of thine be seen before the faces of the Lord Jehovah, the God of Israel. “The feast of unleavened things shalt thou keep,” signifies the worship of the Lord and thanksgiving on account of liberation from evil and from the falsities of evil; “seven days thou shalt eat unleavened things,” signifies a holy state then, and the appropriation of Divine truth purified from evil and from the falsities of evil; “as I commanded thee,” signifies according to Divine order; “at the time appointed of the month Abib,” signifies a new state; “because in the month Abib thou wentest forth from Egypt,” signifies because there was then liberation from hell; “everything that openeth the womb is Mine,” signifies that all the good of innocence, of charity, and of faith is to be ascribed to the Lord; “and of all thy cattle thou shalt give the male,” signifies that it is given by means of truth; “that openeth of ox and of small cattle,” signifies in the external and in the internal man; “and that which openeth of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb,” signifies that faith merely natural must not be ascribed to the Lord; “and if thou wilt not redeem it, thou shalt break its neck,” signifies that if the truth of innocence is not therein, it must be separated and cast out; “every firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem, “signifies that the truths of faith which are without good must not be ascribed to the Lord; “and My faces shall not be seen empty,” signifies reception from mercy, and thanksgiving; “six days thou shalt work,” signifies the first state of regeneration, when the man is in truths, and is at that time in combats; “and on the seventh day thou shalt rest,” signifies the second state of regeneration, when the man is in good and is then in peace; “in plowing and in harvest thou shalt rest,” signifies in respect to the implanting of truth in good and its reception; “and the feast of weeks thou shalt make to thee of the firstfruits of wheat harvest,” signifies the worship of the Lord and thanksgiving on account of the implanting of truth in good; “and the feast of ingathering at the revolving of the year,” signifies regeneration, and complete liberation from damnation; “three times in the year shall every male of thine be seen before the faces of the Lord Jehovah, the God of Israel,” signifies the continuous manifestation and presence of the Lord in the truths of faith also.