the Passover lamb, and of abstaining from leavened bread. (See Commandments below.) The fourth reading and the third open portion end here. Fifth reading—Exodus 12:21–28 In the short fifth reading, Moses instructed the elders of Israel to kill their Passover lambs, paint their doorways with the lamb's blood, and remain inside their houses until the morning. For God would smite the Egyptians, but when God saw the blood on the lintel, God would pass over the house and not allow "the Destroyer" to come into that house. The Israelites were to observe the Passover service for all time, and when their children would ask what the service means, they were to say that it commemorated the time when God passed over the Israelites' houses when God smote the Egyptians. ' And the people bowed the head and worshipped. And the Israelites did as God commanded Moses and Aaron. The fifth reading and a closed portion end here. Sixth reading—Exodus 12:29–51 In the sixth reading, in the middle of the night, God struck down all the firstborn in Egypt. Pharaoh arose in the night to a loud cry in Egypt, summoned Moses and Aaron, and told them to take the Israelites and go. So the Israelites took their dough before it was leavened, and asked for silver, gold, and clothing from the Egyptians. The fourth open portion ends here. In the continuation of the reading, the Israelites and a mixed multitude journeyed from Rameses to Sukkot. They baked unleavened bread (, matzah), because they could not delay before they left Egypt. The Israelites dwelt in Egypt for 430 years and left the land after the night of watching for the Lord. The fifth open portion ends here. In the continuation of the reading, God told Moses and Aaron the laws of who was to keep the Passover. A closed portion ends here. The reading concludes with a notice that on the same day, God bought the Israelites out of Egypt. The sixth reading and the sixth open portion end here with the end of chapter . Seventh reading—Exodus 13:1–16 In the seventh reading, in chapter , God instructed Moses to tell the Israelites to consecrate to God every firstborn man and beast, and Moses did so. Moses told the people to remember the day and the month in which God brought them out of Egypt, and to keep the service to