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וַיִּקְרָ֥א מֹשֶׁ֛ה לְכָל־זִקְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֑ם מִֽשְׁכ֗וּ וּקְח֨וּ לָכֶ֥ם צֹ֛אן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתֵיכֶ֖ם וְשַׁחֲט֥וּ הַפָּֽסַח׃

Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them: ‘Draw out, and take you lambs according to your families, and kill the passover lamb.

- Shmos 12:21

"מִֽשְׁכוּ וּקְחוּ" means "either take from your flock or buy" according to rashi. We are not told by other mitvot like lulav to go and buy them. It is self understood. Why is the pesach lamb different?

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    By Lulav it says ולקחתם לכם
    – Double AA
    Apr 6, 2016 at 15:17

2 Answers 2

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Sources here.

Ramban seems to understand that this was telling them to have it set aside in advance:

משכו הצאן מן העדר אל בתיכם להיות לכם למשמרת מבעשור לחדש.

Ralbag also mentions to "set the lamb aside".

Netziv explains that it was to emphasize that specifically it was to be the more Chashuv family members (i.e. the Ziknei Yisrael in that Passuk) who would go out and actually buy or select it, even though they normally wouldn't do such things:

אבל לפי הפשט, באשר המצוה בפרשה הקודמת נאמרה לכל ישראל ליקח שה לבית אב, והיתה הדעת נותנת שיטפלו בזה האנשים הפשוטים בבית אב מי שרגיל למשוך טלה לשחיטה ולהפשיט, ולא מי שהוא גדול בבית אב ואין עסקו בכך, על כן קרא משה לזקני הדור והזהירם ביחוד ״משכו״ — אתם ״וקחו לכם צאן למשפחותיכם״ — בשביל כל המשפחה תהיו אתם המתעסקים בזה.

See Netziv further for other, more Drushy answers.

EDIT: Someone pointed out an excellent Targum Pseudo-Yonasan, who notes that Mishchu does not refer to the taking of a lamb, but rather, was a commandment to withdraw from Avodah Zarah:

וקרא משה לכל סבי ישראל ואמר להון נגודו ידיכון מטעוות מצראי וסבו לכון מן בני ענא לייחוסיכון וכוסו אימר פסחא.

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Even though it says by Lulav 'ulkachtem' it doesnt mean specifically "buy" like it does with the pesach lamb. Maybe the answer is that since the reason for taking it so early, four days before it was necessary, was for the Jews to show "mesiras nefesh" and not to be scared of the Egyptians, the torah is telling you a rule for mesiras nefesh. If one wants to be mesiras nefesh, then one has to "pay" for it. One has to give up something of one's own. To do mesirash nefesh with someone else's is article or for one that one has not paid for doesnt work.

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  • Nice Drash, I've adapted it to be more Pshat-oriented below... Mar 19, 2018 at 19:21

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