Night Of Watching Passover? Best 173 Answer

One of the most unusual and epic events in human history was the Exodus. On that night some 3,500 years ago, an entire nation of millions suddenly left Egypt’s grueling, genocidal slavery. God had just performed 10 monumental and miraculous plagues to force the Egyptians to deliver the Israelites.

“[It] came to pass that all the hosts of the Lord came out of the land of Egypt. It is a night dear to the Lord, because he brought them out of the land of Egypt: this is the night of the Lord, to be kept by all the children of Israel in their generations” (Exodus 12:41- 42).

God commanded His people to continually hold a “much noted night” to commemorate this spectacular national miracle. But this annual celebration has an even greater meaning.

The Hebrew word for watch means to guard or protect. God commanded His people to preserve this wondrous history by commemorating it every year on its anniversary throughout all generations of Israel. But this command applies not only to the physical descendants of the Israelites (which, incidentally, includes not only the Jews, but also America, Great Britain, and several other English-speaking nations). God says that His church, made up of baptized persons, are spiritual Jews, of the seed of Abraham (Romans 2:29; Galatians 3:29). This command applies to the church of God today.

Why? Why does God want even New Testament Christians to remember this night? Why is “a lot” important? For this celebration not only reminds us of this important history, but also has wonderful personal meaning for Christians today.

Egypt symbolizes sin (e.g. Hebrews 11:24-26). Each of us has fallen into sin (breaking God’s law of love – 1 John 3:4). We are helpless to flee. The lambs sacrificed by the Israelites on Passover, the night before the Exodus, symbolize Jesus Christ. His sacrifice frees us from sin! (1 Corinthians 5:7; Romans 6:17-18). And immediately after the Passover comes the night of much note. It symbolizes God’s people leaving sin behind gratefully and triumphantly, just as the Israelites left Egypt.

This celebration is held on the evening beginning the first holy day of the days of unleavened bread (Leviticus 23:6-7). So it’s sacred time. How are God’s people celebrating this night?

Those whom God has called into His church keep the deep meaning and wonderful story of the Night of the Notable by keeping it together, usually in their homes. They meet for a fine meal with maybe two or three families and single people. They show respect and appreciation for God’s deliverance with a high standard of dress, table setting, decorations, cutlery, food and drink, with alcohol consumed in moderation. Most importantly, the conversations focus on the meaning of the night, such as God delivering the Israelites, God’s plan for mankind, how He called each member, miracles in their lives, and similar topics. The whole family is involved: sometimes children are given small gifts, and children read or recite relevant scriptures. The evening has the atmosphere of a happy and royal celebration.

It is a night of remembering, observing and celebrating what God did for ancient Israel and what God has done and is doing for His people today. It’s a night that needs a lot of attention!

If you would like to learn more about the meaning of God’s annual festivals, please read Herbert W. Armstrong’s pamphlet Pagan Holidays – or God’s Holy Days – What?

Pessach, Hebrew Pesaḥ or Passover, in Judaism holiday to commemorate the liberation of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt and the “passing over” of the forces of destruction or the sparing of the firstborn of the Israelites, as the Lord “the land of Egypt” on the eve of the Exodus . Passover begins on the 15th and ends on the 21st (or, outside of Israel and among Reform Jews, the 22nd) day of the month of Nisan (March or April). During these seven (or eight) days, all leaven, whether in bread or other mixtures, is forbidden, and only unleavened bread called matzo may be eaten. The matzo symbolizes both the suffering of the Hebrews in bondage and the haste with which they left Egypt in the course of the Exodus. Passover is sometimes called the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Passover is often celebrated with great pomp and ceremony, especially on the first night when a special family meal called the Seder is held. At the Seder, food of symbolic importance commemorating the liberation of the Hebrews is eaten, prayers and traditional recitations are performed. Although Passover is meant to be a celebration of great joy, strict dietary regulations must be observed, and special prohibitions restrict work at the beginning and end of the festival. See also matzo; seder

Seder A family at the Seder, the ritual meal held at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. old photo stock/SuperStock

The last day of Passover marks the end of a Jewish holiday celebrating the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Passover is also known as Passover, Passover, or the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

©iStockphoto.com/pushlama

what are people doing

The Passover period lasts seven days in Israel, but in other countries it can be celebrated for seven or eight days. The first and last days (or two days in some countries outside of Israel) are particularly important. People recite special blessings or prayers, make a special effort to attend a synagogue or hear readings from the Torah, and eat a ceremonial meal.

Readings of the Haggadah, the story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery and their exodus from Egypt, are particularly important. The focal point of the feast is the Seder plate and red wine or red grape juice. Each meal has a special meaning in relation to the Passover story.

Public life

None of the Passover days is a public holiday in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom or the United States. However, many Jewish businesses and organizations are closed on some days or have restricted hours on others.

background and symbols

Passover celebrates the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. It is one of the three pilgrim festivals. According to the book of Exodus, when Pharaoh refused to let Moses lead the Jewish people out of Egypt, God sent a series of plagues. The final plague, which killed Egyptians’ firstborn sons, finally persuaded Pharaoh to yield.

To commemorate the Exodus from Egypt, Jewish families eat a ceremonial meal known as the Seder, which includes various symbolic foods, such as Easter lamb meat and bitter herbs (reminiscent of the hard life of slavery). The matzo, a flat and unleavened bread, symbolizes the speed with which the Jewish people were expelled from Egypt. They didn’t have time to proof their bread before baking it.

Jewish holidays last longer outside of Israel

In the Jewish diaspora — Jewish communities outside of Israel — an extra day is usually added to religious celebrations, with the exception of Yom Kippur, which lasts just one day worldwide, and Rosh Hashana, which is celebrated over two days in both Israel and the United States becomes diaspora.

This custom has its roots in antiquity, when the beginning of the month in the Jewish calendar depended on the sighting of the crescent moon after a new moon.

The beginning of a new month was determined by the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of ancient Israel in Jerusalem. As soon as the date was published, messengers were dispatched to spread the news among Jews living abroad. Since this process took time, it was decreed that Jews outside of ancient Israel should observe each holiday for two days to ensure that the rules and customs specific to each holiday were observed on the correct date. This rule is still observed today.

Ritual festival marking the beginning of Passover

“Seder” redirects here. For other uses, see Seder (disambiguation)

Passover Seder Placemat for the Passover Seder Observed by Jews, Samaritans and other groups claiming association with Israelites Type Religious, cultural significance To retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt Celebration In Jewish practice, a celebratory seder or two -Meals on the first two nights Date Nisan 15, 2021 Date evening, March 28, 2022 Date evening, April 16, 2023 Date evening, April 6, 2024 Date evening, April 23 Related to three pilgrimage festivals (particularly Shavuot, the 49 days after the second night of Passover)

The Passover Seder ( ; Hebrew: סדר פסח [ˈseider ˈpeisax], “Passover order/order”; Yiddish: סדר [ˈseider]) is a ritual festival at the beginning of the Jewish Passover festival. It is performed around the world on the eve of Nisan 15 in the Hebrew calendar (i.e., at the beginning of the 15th; a Hebrew day begins at sunset). The day falls in late March or April of the Gregorian calendar; Passover lasts seven days in Israel and eight days outside of Israel. Jews traditionally celebrate one Seder when in Israel and two (one on each of the first two nights) when in the Jewish Diaspora. The Seder is a ritual that retells the story of the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt, taken from the book of Exodus (Shemot) in the Jewish Torah. The Seder itself is based on the Biblical verse that commands the Jews to retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt: “You shall tell your child that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the Lord has done for me when I went out of Egypt.’” (Exodus 13:8) At the Seder, the Jews read the text of the Haggadah, an ancient Tanaitic work.[1][2] The Haggadah contains the narrative of the Israelite exodus from Egypt, special blessings and rituals, Talmudic commentaries and Passover songs.

Seder observances include telling the story, discussing the story, drinking four cups of wine, eating matza, partaking of symbolic foods, and reclining in celebration of freedom.[3] The Seder is among the most celebrated Jewish rituals performed by Jews around the world.[4]

Overview [ edit ]

Kadeish קדש Bless! – Performing the Kiddush blessing and drinking the first cup of wine Urchatz ורחץ and Wash! – washing hands karpas כרפס vegetables – immersing the karpas in salt water Yachatz יחץ halving – breaking the middle matzo; the larger piece becomes the Afikoman Maggid מגיד narrating – retelling the Passover story, including reciting the “four questions” and drinking the second cup of wine Rach’tzah רחצה washing – second washing of hands Motzi מוציא “Who brings out . . .” – blessing over the bread matzah מצה “. . . matza” – blessing before eating matza Maror מרור Bitter – eating the Maror Koreich כורך Wraps – eating a sandwich of matzo and Maror Shulchan oreich שלחן עורך Covered table – the serving of the holiday food Tzafun צפון Hidden – eating the Afikoman Bareich ברך Bless! Blessing after eating and drinking the third cup of wine Hallel הלל High!—Reciting the Hallel traditionally recited at festivals Drinking the fourth cup of wine Nirtzah נרצה Desired—saying “Next year in Jerusalem!”

The Seder is most commonly held at the family home, although communal Seders are also organized by synagogues, schools, and community centers, some of which are open to the general public. It is customary to invite guests, especially strangers and those in need. The Seder is an integral part of Jewish faith and identity: as explained in the Haggadah, absent divine intervention and the Exodus, the Jewish people would still be slaves in Egypt. Therefore, the Seder is an occasion for praise and thanksgiving and for renewed dedication to the idea of ​​liberation. In addition, the words and rituals of the Seder are an important vehicle for the transmission of the Jewish faith from grandparents to children and from one generation to the next. Attending a seder and eating matza on Passover is a widespread custom, even among those who are not religious practitioners.

A 19th-century Ukrainian lubok depicting the Seder table

Family members come to the table in their holiday attire. There is a tradition that the person leading the Seder wears a white robe called a smock.[5][6] For the first half of the Seder, each attendee only needs a plate and wine glass. At the head of the table is a Seder plate with various symbolic foods to be eaten or highlighted during the Seder. Nearby is a plate with three matzos and bowls of salt water for dipping.

Each attendee receives a copy of the Haggadah: an ancient text containing the entire Seder service. Men and women are equally required and entitled to attend the Seder.[7] Traditionally, each participant at the Seder table recites the Haggadah in the original Hebrew and Aramaic. Halacha (the body of Jewish religious law) requires certain parts to be spoken in a language participants can understand, and critical parts are often said in both Hebrew and the native tongue. The leader often interrupts the reading to discuss various points with his or her children or to provide insight into the meaning or interpretation of the words.

In some homes, participants take turns reciting the text of the Haggadah, in the original Hebrew or in translation. It is traditional for the head of household and other participants to have pillows behind them for added comfort. At several points during the Seder, attendees lean to the left—when drinking the four cups of wine, eating the afikoman, and eating the korech sandwich.[6]

Jews generally observe a seder or two: in Israel, a seder is celebrated on the first night of Passover; Traditional Diaspora communities (with the exception of Reformed and Reconstructivist Jews) also hold a Seder on the second evening. Seders have been observed around the world, including in remote locations such as high in the Himalayan mountains in Kathmandu, Nepal.[8][9]

Themes of the Seder[edit]

Slavery and freedom[edit]

The rituals and symbolic dishes are reminiscent of the two themes of the evening: slavery and freedom. The Haggadah says: “In every generation everyone is obliged to see himself as if he came from Egypt” – that is, from slavery.

The rendering of time for Jews is that a day began at sunset and ended at sunset. According to the Exodus narrative, the Jewish people were enslaved to Pharaoh at the beginning of the 15th Nisan in ancient Egypt. After the tenth plague struck Egypt at midnight and killed every firstborn son, from Pharaoh’s firstborn to the lowest Egyptian’s firstborn to all the firstborn of the cattle in the land (Exodus 12:29), Pharaoh let the Hebrew nation go and made them free men for the second half of the night.

Thus, seder attendees commemorate the slavery that reigned during the first half of the night by offering matza (the “bread of the poor”), maror (bitter herbs symbolizing the bitterness of slavery), and charoset (a sweet paste made possibly representing slavery) ate mortar used by the Jewish slaves to cement bricks). In memory of the freedom of the second half of the night, they eat the matzo (the “bread of liberty” as well as the “bread of affliction”) and “afikoman” and drink the four cups of wine in a lying position, and soak vegetables in salt water (the Diving is a sign of royalty and freedom).

The Four Cups[ edit ]

Drinking four cups of wine is compulsory during the Seder. The Mishnah says (Pes. 10:1) that even the poor are obligated to drink the four cups. Each cup is drunk at a specific point in the Seder. The first is for Kiddush (קידוש), the second for ‘Maggid’ (מגיד), the third for Birkat Hamazon (ברכת המזון), and the fourth for Hallel (הלל).[10][11]

Passover seder table

Traditional arrangement of symbolic food on a Passover Seder plate

The four cups represent the four expressions of deliverance promised by God in Exodus 6:6-7: “I will bring out,” “I will deliver,” “I will redeem,” and “I will take.”[ 10]

The Vilna Gaon relates the Four Cups to four worlds: this world, the Messianic Age, the world of reviving the dead, and the world to come. The MaHaRaL connects them to the four matriarchs: Sarah, Rebekka, Rachel and Leah. (The three Mazot, in turn, are associated with the three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.) Abarbanel relates the cups to the four historical redemptions of the Jewish people: the election of Abraham, the Exodus from Egypt, the survival of the Jewish people throughout exile, and the fourth that will happen at the end of days.

The four cups may also reflect the Roman custom of drinking as many cups as there are letters in the name of the main guest at a meal, who in the case of the Seder is God himself, whose Hebrew name has four letters.[12]

Seder plate[ edit ]

The special Passover Seder plate (ke’arah) is the special plate of symbolic food used during the Passover Seder. Each of the six items arranged on the plate has a special meaning in retelling the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The seventh symbolic item used during the meal – a stack of three matzahs ​​- is placed on its own plate on the Seder table.

The six items on the Seder plate are:

Maror: Bitter herbs which, according to Gamaliel, symbolize the bitterness and harshness of the slavery endured by the Jews of ancient Egypt. For maror, many people use freshly grated horseradish or whole horseradish root.

: Bitter herbs which, according to Gamaliel, symbolize the bitterness and harshness of the slavery endured by the Jews of ancient Egypt. For , many people use freshly grated horseradish or whole horseradish root. Chazeret is typically romaine lettuce, the roots of which taste bitter. In addition to horseradish and romaine lettuce, other types of Epsom lettuce such as endive may be eaten to fulfill the mitzvah, as may spring onions, dandelion leaves, celery leaves, or curly parsley (but parsley and celery are more common). used as karpas or vegetable element). Much depends on whether one’s tradition is Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Mizrahi, Persian, or one of the many other Jewish ethnocultural traditions.

is typical romaine lettuce, the roots of which taste bitter. In addition to horseradish and romaine lettuce, other types of Epsom lettuce such as endive may be eaten to fulfill the mitzvah, as may spring onions, dandelion leaves, celery leaves, or curly parsley (but parsley and celery are more common). used as karpas or vegetable element). Much depends on whether one’s tradition is Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Mizrahi, Persian, or one of the many other Jewish ethnocultural traditions. Charoset: A sweet, brown, pebbly paste of fruit and nuts that may represent the mortar used by the Jewish slaves to build the warehouses of Egypt. The actual recipe depends partly on ethnocultural tradition and partly on locally available ingredients. Ashkenazi Jews, for example, traditionally make apple-raisin-based charoset, while Sephardic Jews often make date-based recipes that may include oranges and/and lemons or even bananas. Other Talmudic traditions claim that the charoset “commemorates the apple” and appears to refer to a tradition that Jewish women in Egypt snuck out to apple orchards to conceive and that this is not obligatory but serves to pick up poison of Maror.

: A sweet, brown, gritty paste of fruit and nuts that may represent the mortar used by the Jewish slaves to build the storehouses of Egypt. The actual recipe depends partly on ethnocultural tradition and partly on locally available ingredients. Ashkenazi Jews, for example, traditionally make apple-raisin-based charoset, while Sephardic Jews often make date-based recipes that may include oranges and/and lemons or even bananas. Other Talmudic traditions claim that the charoset “commemorates the apple” and appears to refer to a tradition that Jewish women in Egypt snuck out to apple orchards to conceive and that this is not obligatory but serves to pick up poison of Maror. Karpas: A vegetable other than bitter herbs, sometimes parsley or celery or boiled potatoes, which is steeped in salt water (Ashkenazi custom), vinegar (Sephardic custom), or charoset (Yemeni Jews) at the beginning of the Seder.

: A vegetable other than bitter herbs, sometimes parsley or celery, or boiled potatoes, which is dipped in salt water (Ashkenazi custom), vinegar (Sephardic custom), or charoset (Yemeni Jews) at the beginning of the Seder. Zeroa: A roasted lamb or goat bone symbolizing the Korban Pesach (Passover sacrifice), a lamb sacrificed in the Temple in Jerusalem and then roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night.

: A roasted lamb or goat bone symbolizing the (Passover sacrifice) which was a lamb sacrificed in the Temple in Jerusalem and then roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Beitzah: A fried egg—usually a hard-boiled egg fried in a skillet with a little oil or with a leg of lamb—symbolizes the korban chagigah (festival offering) offered at the Temple in Jerusalem and was consumed as part of the meal at the Seder – ate night.

Focus on the kids[edit]

Since retelling the Exodus for one’s child is part of the Seder experience, much effort is put into stimulating the children’s interest and curiosity, and keeping them awake during the meal. To this end, questions and answers are a central tool in the Seder ritual. By encouraging children to ask questions, they will be more open to the answers.

The most famous question asked by the youngest child at the Seder is “Ma Nishtana” – “Why is this night different from all other nights?”. After asking these questions, the main part of the Seder, Magid, discusses the answers in the form of a historical review. At various points in the seder, the leader of the seder will cover the matzo and raise its wine cup; Then set down the wine cup and uncover the mazot—all to elicit questions from the children.[13]

In some traditions, the questions are asked by the assembled group in chorus, rather than by a child, and posed to the leader of the Seder, who can either answer the question or draw the assembled group’s attention to someone who is playing that particular part of the Exodus. The physical re-enactment of the Exodus during the Passover Seder is common in many families and communities.

Families will follow the Haggadah’s example by asking their own questions at various points in the Haggadah and offering prizes such as nuts and sweets for correct answers. The afikoman, which is hidden for the “dessert” after the meal, is another device used to encourage children’s participation. In most families, the leader of the Seder hides the Afikoman and the children must find it, after which they receive a prize or reward. In other houses, the children hide the Afikoman and a parent must search for it; When the parents give up, the children demand a prize (often money) to reveal the location.

Order of the Seder[edit]

The order and procedure of the Seder are recorded and printed in the text of the Passover Haggadah, a copy of which is in front of all participants. Jewish children in their Jewish schools learn the following words denoting the Seder order with a rhyme and a melody:

Kadeish (blessing and the first cup of wine) [ edit ]

Kadeish קדש is the Hebrew imperative for kiddush. It should be recited as soon as synagogue services have ended, but not before dark.[14] This kiddush is similar to that recited at all three pilgrimage festivals, but also refers to matzot and the Exodus from Egypt. Showing liberty and majesty, many Jews have the custom of filling one another’s cups at the Seder table. The kiddush is traditionally said by the father of the house, but all seder attendees may participate by reciting the kiddush and drinking at least a large portion of the first cup of wine.

Urchatz (wash hands) [ edit ]

Technically, according to Jewish law, whenever you eat fruit or vegetables that are dipped in liquid, if they stay wet, you must wash your hands if the fruit or vegetable stays wet. At other times of the year, however, one has either washed one’s hands before eating the bread or has dried the fruit or vegetables, in which case one does not need to wash one’s hands before eating the fruit or vegetables.

According to most traditions, no blessing is said at this point in the Seder, unlike the blessing recited when washing hands before eating bread. However, devotees of Rambam or the Gaon of Vilna recite a blessing.

Karpas (appetizer) [ edit ]

Each participant dips a vegetable in either salt water (Ashkenazi custom; said to serve as a reminder of the tears of their enslaved ancestors), in vinegar (Sephardic custom), or in charoset (an older Sephardic custom; still common among Yemeni Jews). Another custom mentioned in some Ashkenazi sources, probably originating from Meir von Rothenburg, was to dip the karpas in wine.

Yachatz (breaking the middle matzah) [ edit ]

Three matzos are stacked on the Seder table; At this stage, the middle matzah of the three is broken in half. The larger piece is hidden to be used later as an afikoman, the “dessert” after the meal. The smaller piece is returned to its place between the other two mazot.

The Moroccan-Jewish custom is that when the matzo is divided, a passage is recited that describes how “in this way God divided the Red Sea” after the Exodus.[15]

Before Magid, some Sephardi families have the custom of chanting “Bivhilu yatzanu mi-mitzrayim” – (translated: “In haste we left Egypt”). As this is sung, the head of household walks around the table with the Seder plate and waves it over the heads of each.

Magid (about the Exodus) [ edit ]

The story of Passover and the transition from slavery to freedom is told. At this point in the Seder, Moroccan Jews have the custom of raising the Seder plate over the heads of all present while chanting “Bivhilu yatzanu mimitzrayim, halahma anya b’nei horin” (In haste we left Egypt [with our] bread of the Not, [now we are] free people).

Ha Lachma Anya (Invitation to Seder) [ edit ]

Ha Lachma Anya A bronze matzo plate designed by Maurice Ascalon, inscribed with the opening words of

The matzo are uncovered and referred to as the “bread of tribulation”. The participants explain (in Aramaic) an invitation to all who are hungry or needy to attend the Seder. Halacha requires that this invitation be repeated in the native language of the country.

Mah Nishtanah (The Four Questions) [ edit ]

The Mishnah contains questions to be asked on the night of the Seder. It is customary for the youngest child present to say the four questions.[16] Some customs require the other participants to recite them silently to themselves as well. In some families, this means that the obligation remains with an adult “child” until a grandchild in the family receives sufficient Jewish education to assume responsibility. If a person does not have children to ask, the responsibility rests with their spouse or other party involved.[17] Such is the need to ask that even if a person is alone at the Seder, he is obligated to ask himself questions and to answer his own questions.[17]

Ma nishtana ha lyla ha zeh mikkol hallaylot?

Why is this night different from all other nights?

Shebb’khol hallelot anu okh’lin ḥamets umatsa, vehallayla hazze kullo matsa.

Why do we eat either sourdough bread or matza every other night of the year, but this night we only eat matza? Shebb’khol hallelot anu okh’lin sh’ar y’rakot, vehallayla hazze maror.

Why do we eat all kinds of vegetables on all other nights, but bitter herbs on this night? Shebb’khol hallelot en anu matbillin afillu pa’am eḥat, vehallayla hazze sh’tei fe’amim.

Why don’t we dip [our food] once every other night, but this night we dip it twice? Shebb’khol hallelot anu okh’lin ben yosh’vin uven m’subbin, vehallayla hazze kullanu m’subbin.

Why do we eat either sitting up or lying down every other night, but this night we’re all reclining?

The question about reclining replaces a question about eating roast meat, which was present in the Mishnah but was removed by later authorities due to its inapplicability after the destruction of the Temple:

Shebb’khol hallelot anu okh’lin bazaar tsali shaluk umvushal, vehallayla hazze kullo tsali.

Why do we eat meat every other night either roasted, marinated, or boiled, but on this night it’s fully roasted?

Roasted offerings were no longer possible after the destruction, and roasted meat was therefore not permitted on the Seder night to avoid confusion.

The questions are answered as follows:

We only eat matzo because our ancestors couldn’t wait for their loaves to rise when fleeing slavery in Egypt, so they were flat when they came out of the oven. We only eat maror, a bitter herb, to remind us of the bitterness of the slavery our ancestors endured in Egypt. The first dip, green vegetables in salt water, symbolizes replacing our tears with gratitude, and the second dip, Maror in Charoses, symbolizes sweetening our burden of bitterness and suffering. We recline at the Seder table because in ancient times a person who reclined while eating was a free person while slaves and servants stood. We only eat roasted meat because that is how the Passover/Passover lamb is prepared during the sacrifice in the Temple in Jerusalem.

The four questions have been translated into over 300 languages.[18]

The four sons[edit]

The traditional Haggadah speaks of “four sons” – one who is wise, one who is evil, one who is simple and one who does not know how to ask. This is based on the rabbis of the Jerusalem Talmud finding in the Torah four clues to the answer to Your son asking a question.[19] Each of these sons phrases their question about the Seder differently. The Haggadah recommends answering each son according to his question using one of the three verses in the Torah that refer to this exchange.

The wise son asks, “What are the statutes, testimonies and laws that God has commanded us to do?” One explanation for why this very detail-oriented question is classified as wise is that the wise son is trying to learn how to perform the Seder rather than asking someone else what its meaning is. He is answered in full: “You should answer him with [all] Passover laws: One must not eat dessert after the Easter sacrifice.”

The wicked son who asks, “What is this ministry for you?” is characterized by the Haggadah as isolating himself from the Jewish people, standing objectively by them and observing their behavior rather than participating. Therefore, he is rebuked by declaring that “it is so because God acted on my behalf when I left Egypt.” (This implies that the Seder is not for the wicked son, because the wicked son would not have deserved to be freed from Egyptian slavery.) Where the four sons are depicted in the Haggadah, that son was frequently portrayed as armed or elegant dressed depicted contemporary fashions.

The simple son who asks, “What is this?” is answered with “With a mighty hand the Almighty brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”

And the one who does not know how to ask is said, “It is because of what the Almighty did for me when I left Egypt.”

Some modern Haggadas mention “children” instead of “sons,” and some have added a fifth child. The fifth child may represent the children of the Shoah who did not survive to ask a question[20] or represent Jews who have strayed so far from Jewish life that they do not attend a Seder.[21]

For the former, tradition says we ask for that child, “Why?” and like the simple child we have no answer.

“Go and Learn” [ edit ]

Four verses in Deuteronomy (26:5-8) are then explained, with extensive traditional commentary. “5. And you shall speak before the Lord your God, saying: ‘My father was a wandering Aramean, and they went down to Egypt and dwelt there, few in number, and there they became a great, mighty, and mighty nation 6. And the Egyptians wronged us and oppressed us and imposed severe bondage on us. 7. And we cried unto the Lord, the God of our parents, and the Lord heard our voice, and saw our misery, and our toil, and our affliction. 8 And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror, and with signs and wonders.”

The Haggadah examines the meaning of these verses and embellishes the story. This narrative describes the slavery of the Jewish people and their miraculous salvation by God. This culminates in an enumeration of the ten plagues:

Dam (Blood) – All the water was turned into blood Tzefardeyah (Frogs) – An infestation of frogs arose in Egypt Kinim (Lice) – The Egyptians were infested with lice Arov (Wild Animals) – An infestation of wild animals (some say flies) broke out in Egypt Dever (plague) – A plague killed the Egyptian cattle Sh’chin (Boils) – An epidemic of boils struck the Egyptians Barad (Hail) – Hail rained from the sky Arbeh (Locusts) – Locusts swarmed over Egypt Choshech (Darkness ) – Egypt was shrouded in darkness Makkat Behorot (killing the firstborn) – All the firstborn sons of the Egyptians were slain by God

When reciting the ten plagues, each participant takes a drop of wine from their cup with their fingertip. Although this night is one of redemption, Don Isaac Abravanel explains that one cannot fully rejoice when some of God’s creatures have suffered.[22] A mnemonic acronym for the plagues is also introduced: “D’tzach Adash B’achav”, while a drop of wine is similarly spilled for each word.

At this point in the Seder, hymns of praise are sung, including the song Dayenu, which proclaims that it would have been enough to oblige us to give thanks if God had done even one of the many deeds for the Jewish people. Some sing instead The Women’s Dayenu, a feminist variant of Dayenu, by Michele Landsberg.[23][24]

After Dayenu follows an explanation (prescribed by Rabban Gamliel) of the reasons for the commandments of the Passover, Matza and Maror, with scriptural sources. Then follows a short prayer and recitation of the first two Psalms of Hallel (which concludes after the meal). A long blessing is said and the second cup of wine is drunk.

Rohtzah (ritual washing of hands) [ edit ]

The ritual washing of hands is repeated, this time with all the customs including a blessing.

Motzi (blessing over the matzah) [ edit ]

Two blessings are recited.

First, before eating the bread, one recites the standard blessing, which includes the words “he who brings forth” (motzi in Hebrew).[25]

matza [ edit ]

Then one recites the blessing over the commandment to eat matzah.

An olive-sized piece (some say two) is then eaten while leaning to the left.

Maror (bitter herbs) [ edit ]

The blessing for eating the maror (bitter herbs) is spoken and then eaten.[25]

Korech (sandwich) [ edit ]

The maror (bitter herb) is placed between two small pieces of matzo, much like the contents of a sandwich are placed between two slices of bread and eaten. Dies folgt der Tradition von Hillel, der vor 2000 Jahren an seinem Sedertisch dasselbe tat (außer dass zu Hillels Zeiten das Osteropfer, Matze und Maror zusammen gegessen wurden).

Shulchan Orech (das Essen) [ bearbeiten ]

Gedeckter Sedertisch

Das Festmahl wird eingenommen. Traditionell beginnt es mit einem hartgekochten Ei, das in Salzwasser getaucht wird, in Anspielung auf das verkohlte Ei auf dem Seder-Teller.[26] Auf Jiddisch gibt es ein Sprichwort: מיר צוגרייטן די טיש און עסן די פיש, was „Wir decken den Tisch und essen den Fisch“ bedeutet.

Tzafun (Essen des Afikoman) [ bearbeiten ]

Der Afikoman, der früher im Seder versteckt war, ist traditionell der letzte Bissen, den die Teilnehmer am Seder essen.

Jeder Teilnehmer erhält eine olivengroße Portion Matzen zum Verzehr als Afikoman. Nach dem Verzehr des Afikoman dürfen traditionell für den Rest der Nacht keine anderen Speisen mehr gegessen werden. Außerdem dürfen mit Ausnahme der restlichen zwei Tassen Wein keine berauschenden Getränke konsumiert werden.

Bareich (Grace after Meals) [Bearbeiten]

Das Rezital von Birkat Hamazon.

Kos Shlishi (der dritte Kelch Wein) [ bearbeiten ]

Das Trinken des dritten Weinkelches.

Hinweis: Der dritte Kelch wird üblicherweise vor dem Rezitieren der Gnade nach dem Essen ausgegossen, weil der dritte Kelch auch als Segenskelch dient, der bei besonderen Anlässen mit der Gnade nach dem Essen verbunden ist.

Kos shel Eliyahu ha-Navi (Kelch des Propheten Elia); Miriams Tasse [ bearbeiten ]

In vielen Traditionen wird an dieser Stelle die Haustür geöffnet. Psalmen 79: 6–7 werden sowohl in aschkenasischen als auch in sephardischen Traditionen rezitiert, plus Klagelieder 3:66 unter Aschkenasim.

Die meisten Aschkenasim haben den Brauch, an dieser Stelle eine fünfte Tasse zu füllen. [Klärung erforderlich] Dies bezieht sich auf eine talmudische Diskussion, die die Anzahl der Tassen betrifft, die getrunken werden sollen. Angesichts der Tatsache, dass sich die vier Kelche auf die vier Ausdrücke der Erlösung in Exodus 6: 6,7 beziehen, hielten einige Rabbiner es für wichtig, einen fünften Kelch für den fünften Ausdruck der Erlösung in Exodus 6: 8 aufzunehmen. Alle waren sich einig, dass fünf Becher ausgeschenkt werden sollten, aber die Frage, ob der fünfte getrunken werden sollte oder nicht, da der fünfte Ausdruck der Erlösung das Einbringen in das Land Israel betraf, das zu diesem Zeitpunkt kein mehr besaß autonome jüdische Gemeinde, blieb unlösbar. Die Rabbiner entschieden, dass die Angelegenheit bis Elia liegen bleiben sollte (in Bezug auf die Vorstellung, dass Elias Ankunft das Kommen des Messias beschleunigen würde, zu welchem ​​Zeitpunkt alle halachischen Fragen gelöst sein würden) und der fünfte Kelch als Kos Shel bekannt wurde Eliyahu (“Kelch des Elia”). Im Laufe der Zeit haben die Menschen diesen Kelch mit der Vorstellung in Verbindung gebracht, dass Elia jedes Haus in der Seder-Nacht besuchen wird, als Vorbote seiner zukünftigen Ankunft am Ende der Tage, wenn er kommen wird, um das Kommen des jüdischen Messias anzukündigen.

Einige Seder (einschließlich des ursprünglichen Frauen-Seders, aber nicht beschränkt auf Seder nur für Frauen) stellen jetzt einen Kelch für die Prophetin Miriam sowie den traditionellen Kelch für den Propheten Elia auf, manchmal begleitet von einem Ritual zu Ehren von Miriam.[27] Miriam’s cup originated in the 1980s in a Boston Rosh Chodesh group; it was invented by Stephanie Loo, who filled it with mayim hayim (living waters) and used it in a feminist ceremony of guided meditation.[28] Miriam’s cup is linked to the midrash of Miriam’s well, which “is a rabbinic legend that tells of a miraculous well that accompanied the Israelites during their 40 years in the desert at the Exodus from Egypt”.[29][30]

Hallel (songs of praise) [ edit ]

The entire order of Hallel which is usually recited in the synagogue on Jewish holidays is also recited at the Seder table, albeit sitting down. The first two psalms, 113 and 114, were recited before the meal. The remaining psalms 115–118, are recited at this point. Psalm 136 (the Great Hallel) is then recited, followed by Nishmat, a portion of the morning service for Shabbat and festivals.

There are a number of opinions concerning the paragraph Yehalelukha which normally follows Hallel, and Yishtabakh, which normally follows Nishmat. Most Ashkenazim recite Yehalelukha immediately following the Hallel proper, i.e. at the end of Psalm 118, except for the concluding words. After Nishmat, they recite Yishtabakh in its entirety. Sephardim recite Yehalelukha alone after Nishmat.

Afterwards the Fourth Cup of Wine is drunk and a brief Grace for the “fruit of the vine” is said.

Nirtzah [ edit ]

The Seder concludes with a prayer that the night’s service be accepted. A hope for the Messiah is expressed: “L’shanah haba’ah b’Yerushalayim! – Next year in Jerusalem!” Jews in Israel, and especially those in Jerusalem, recite instead “L’shanah haba’ah b’Yerushalayim hab’nuyah! – Next year in the rebuilt Jerusalem!” Jerusalem is the holiest city in the Bible; it has become symbolic of the idea of spiritual perfection. The tradition of saying “Next year in Jerusalem” is similar to the tradition of opening the door for Elijah: it recognizes that “this year” we live in an imperfect world outside of “Jerusalem,” but we patiently await a time, hopefully “next year,” in which we live in spiritual perfection.[31]

Although the 15 orders of the Seder have been complete, the Haggadah concludes with additional songs which further recount the miracles that occurred on this night in Ancient Egypt as well as throughout history. Some songs express a prayer that the Beit Hamikdash will soon be rebuilt. The last song to be sung is Chad Gadya (“One Kid Goat”). This seemingly childish song about different animals and people who attempted to punish others for their crimes and were in turn punished themselves, was interpreted by the Vilna Gaon as an allegory to the retribution God will levy over the enemies of the Jewish people at the end of days.

Following the Seder, those who are still awake may recite the Song of Songs, engage in Torah learning, or continue talking about the events of the Exodus until sleep overtakes them.

Non-traditional Seders [ edit ]

Feminist Seders [ edit ]

In 1976, the first of a series of women-only Passover seders was held in Esther M. Broner’s New York City apartment and led by her, with 13 women attending, including Gloria Steinem, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, and Phyllis Chesler.[32] Esther Broner and Naomi Nimrod created a women’s haggadah for use at this seder.[33] In the spring of 1976 Esther Broner published this “Women’s Haggadah” in Ms. Magazine, later publishing it as a book in 1994; this haggadah is meant to include women where only men had been mentioned in traditional haggadahs, and it features the Wise Women, the Four Daughters, the Women’s Questions, the Women’s Plagues, and a women-centric “Dayenu”.[34][35] The original Women’s Seder has been held with the Women’s Haggadah every year since 1976, and women-only seders are now held by some congregations as well.[36][37][38] Some seders (including the original Women’s Seder, but not limited to women-only seders) now set out a cup for the prophet Miriam as well as the traditional cup for the prophet Elijah, accompanied by a ritual to honor Miriam.[27] Miriam’s cup originated in the 1980s in a Boston Rosh Chodesh group; it was invented by Stephanie Loo, who filled it with mayim hayim (living waters) and used it in a feminist ceremony of guided meditation.[28] Miriam’s cup is linked to the midrash of Miriam’s well, which “is a rabbinic legend that tells of a miraculous well that accompanied the Israelites during their 40 years in the desert at the Exodus from Egypt”.[29][30] Furthermore, some Jews include an orange on the seder plate. The orange represents the fruitfulness for all Jews when all marginalized peoples are included, particularly women and gay people.[39] An incorrect but common rumor says that this tradition began when a man told Susannah Heschel that a woman belongs on the bimah as an orange on the seder plate; however, it actually began when in the early 1980s, while when speaking at Oberlin College Hillel, Susannah Heschel was introduced to an early feminist Haggadah that suggested adding a crust of bread on the seder plate, as a sign of solidarity with Jewish lesbians (as some would say there’s as much room for a lesbian in Judaism as there is for a crust of bread on the seder plate).[40] Heschel felt that to put bread on the seder plate would be to accept that Jewish lesbians and gay men violate Judaism like chametz violates Passover.[40] So, at her next seder, she chose an orange as a symbol of inclusion of gays and lesbians and others who are marginalized within the Jewish community.[40] In addition, each orange segment had a few seeds that had to be spit out – a gesture of spitting out and repudiating what they see as the homophobia of traditional Judaism.[40]

Furthermore, many Haggadah now use gender-neutral English translations.[41]

Public Seders [ edit ]

The group of people who hold a Passover Seder together is referred to in the Talmud (tractate Pesachim) as a chavurah (group). In the Far East, for example, Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries regularly conduct Seders for hundreds of visiting students, businesspeople and Jewish travelers. The Chabad Seder in Kathmandu regularly attracts more than 1,200 participants.[42] In 2006, the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS and Baltic Countries organized over 500 public Seders throughout the Former Soviet Union, led by local rabbis and Chabad rabbinical students, drawing more than 150,000 attendees in total.[43]

In Israel, where permanent residents observe only one Seder, overseas students learning in yeshivas and women’s seminaries are often invited in groups up to 100 for “second-day Seders” hosted by outreach organizations and private individuals.

Christian Seders [ edit ]

Some Christians, especially but not only Evangelical Protestants, have recently[timeframe?] taken great interest in performing Seders according to the ancient rubric[clarification needed]. Many churches host Seders, usually adding a Messianic Christian Passover message, and many times inviting Messianic Jews to lead and teach on it. The Gospels place the Last Supper at Passover, so that some Christians have interpreted it as a Seder; in consequence some Christian Seders are on Maundy Thursday as part of commemorating the Last Supper.[44] Many Christians cite the meal as a way to connect with the heritage of their own religion and to see how the practices of the ancient world are still relevant to Christianity today.[45] However, the current form of the Passover Seder dates from the Rabbinic period, after Christianity and Judaism had already gone their separate ways.[46] Some Jews and Christians consider Christian Seders an inappropriate cultural appropriation of Jewish ritual for non-Jewish purposes.[44][45][47][48][49]

Interfaith Seders [ edit ]

A number of churches hold interfaith Seders where Jews and non-Jews alike are invited to share in the story and discuss common themes of peace, freedom, and religious tolerance. During the American civil rights movement of the 1960s, interfaith Seders energized and inspired leaders from various communities who came together to march for equal protection for all. The first of these, the Freedom Seder, was written by Arthur Waskow, published in Ramparts magazine and in a small booklet by the Micah Press and in a later edition (1970) by Holt-Rinehart-Winston, and was actually performed on April 4, 1969, the first anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.and the third night of Passover, at Lincoln Memorial Temple in Washington, DC. It celebrated the liberation struggle of Black America alongside that of ancient Israel from Pharaoh, and was the first Haggadah to go beyond the original Biblical story. It sparked a large number of Haggadahs celebrating various other forms of liberation – feminism, vegetarianism, the liberation movements in Latin America in the 1970s, ecological healing, etc.. Today, many Unitarian Universalist congregations hold annual interfaith community Seders.[50] A number of Interfaith Passover Seder Haggadahs have been written especially for this purpose.[citation needed]

White House Passover Seder [ edit ]

In 2009 President Barack Obama began conducting an annual Passover seder in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House, marking the first time that a sitting US president hosted a Seder in the White House.[51][52] The private dinner for about 20 guests,[53] both Jewish and non-Jewish – including the President and his family, members of the President’s and First Lady’s staffs, and friends and their families[54] – features the reading of the Haggadah, traditional rituals such as the hiding of the afikoman and the cup of Elijah, and the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation.[51]

Virtual Seders [ edit ]

When people wish to participate in a shared Seder but are unable to be physically together, technology such as videoconferencing software can be used to facilitate a “virtual” Seder. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a surge of virtual Seders, as many Jews sought to practice social distancing during the holiday, or lived in jurisdictions where they were legally required to do so, and thus could not visit the homes of friends and family who were hosting Seders. The website OneTable saw a fourfold increase in the number of virtual seders it hosted from 2019 to 2020, and Zoom was widely used to host virtual Seders.[55][56] Virtual seders were endorsed by Progressive rabbis but eschewed by Orthodox rabbis.[57] The Rabbinical Assembly of Conservative Judaism issued guidance (though not an official Conservative responsum) specific to 2020 on using videoconferencing to facilitate Seders while avoiding or minimizing violations of Yom Tov restrictions that limit the use of electronic devices on holidays.[58]

Seder in space [ edit ]

In 2022, the Israeli astronaut, Eytan Stibbe, participating in the first privately sponsored trip to the International Space Station as part of the “Rakia” mission to conduct science and technology experiments for a number of universities and startups in Israel, as part of the “Rakia” mission, held the first Seder in space on the first night of the holiday, reciting kiddush and drinking grape juice, eating matzah, and relating to his fellow astronauts about the values that the Seder tradition and the reading of the Haggadah can teach, noting that the story of the exodus from Egypt of the people of Israel “from slavery into freedom” shows that “no dream is beyond reach”.[59]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

Passover is upon us, which means millions of observing Jews around the world will be emptying their pantries of all leavened bread and preparing for a Seder—or maybe two.

In 2022, Passover begins at nightfall on April 15 and ends on April 23. The focus of the Jewish holiday is the retelling of the biblical story of the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Each family has its own Passover rituals, which may reflect family tradition or denomination of Judaism (some are more orthodox, some less traditional).

If you’re new to this observance—perhaps you’ve been invited to your first Passover Seder, or perhaps your church has decided to host one before Easter—here’s a Passover foundation for all your Passover questions, including the story behind what for is a Seder and why not to eat sourdough bread on holidays.

Why is Passover celebrated?

Passover evokes the biblical story of Exodus – where God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Passover is prescribed in the book of Exodus in the Old Testament (in Judaism the first five books of Moses are called the Torah). The holiday is often celebrated for eight days (seven in Israel) and includes themes such as spring, a Jewish homeland, family, remembering Jewish history, social justice and freedom – including recognition of those who are still oppressed today. All of these aspects are discussed, if not represented symbolically, during the Passover Seder.

Whether or not the Exodus actually took place remains unclear, and it remains a mystery that still baffles Bible scholars and archaeologists.

Elon Gilad, who writes on history and language, told Haaretz that the Passover traditions are actually the result of the merging of two ancient festivals celebrating spring, one of nomadic origin and one of village origin.

“Not only does our modern Seder differ greatly from the ancient Passover, but in antiquity itself the holiday underwent radical changes,” writes Gilad.

When is Passover?

Passover occurs in early spring during the Hebrew calendar month of Nissan, as prescribed in the book of Exodus. Exodus 12:18 commands the celebration of Passover: “From the evening of the fourteenth day of the month you shall eat unleavened bread until the evening of the twenty-first day of the month.”

Because the Hebrew calendar is not the same as the Gregorian calendar, the Passover date (along with other Jewish holidays) changes every year.

Passover dates for 2022 are April 15th to April 23rd.

What is a Haggadah?

A Haggadah is a book read during the Seder that tells the story of Passover. The Hebrew word “haggadah” means “to narrate,” and according to My Jewish Learning, haggadot dates back to the Middle Ages.

In contemporary Passover celebrations, relevant themes of political or social justice were incorporated into the Seder. In 1969 Rabbi Arthur Waskow published the “Freedom Seder”, which dealt with the civil rights movement and the women’s movement. And while there are countless haggadot to choose from to suit almost any religious, age-specific, political, or even satirical need, retelling the Exodus is an important part of a haggadah, along with the reading of the 10 plagues, asking the four questions and explains various Passover rituals, some of which date back 2,000 years, according to My Jewish Learning.

What is the Passover story?

In the (very) simple Passover story, Pharaoh fears there will be too many Jews living in Egypt, so he institutes slavery and demands that Jewish male babies be killed. Baby Moses is rescued by his mother, who floats him in a basket on the Nile, where he is found and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. After killing a slave master, Moses flees into the desert and encounters a burning bush of God, which reveals itself to Moses. God commands Moses to go to Pharaoh and bring the Jews out of slavery.

Moses goes to Pharaoh and asks him to release the Jews from Egypt. Every time Pharaoh says “no,” God sends a plague upon Egypt (darkness, lice, boils, cattle diseases, etc.). The tenth and last plague is the most drastic: the killing of the firstborn by the so-called angel of death. To protect their firstborn children, the Israelites marked their doors with lamb’s blood for the angel of death to pass through. Hence the name Passover, which means “Pessach” in Hebrew. The Israelites were eventually freed from slavery and wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before reaching the promised land.

What is a seder?

The Hebrew word “seder” means “order,” and the Passover seder is a domestic ritual that combines religious ritual, food, song, and storytelling. Families hold a Seder on the first and sometimes the second night of Passover.

It is essentially a service that takes place around a dining table, where the order in which participants eat, pray, drink wine, sing, discuss social justice issues, and tell stories is dictated by a central book called the Haggadah.

What are some key symbols of the Passover Seder?

On Passover Seder tables, you may see a divided plate with small amounts of certain foods.

This is the Seder plate, and each meal is symbolic of an aspect of Passover: a roasted thighbone represents the Pescah sacrifice, an egg represents spring and the circle of life, bitter herbs represent the bitterness of slavery, haroset (an applesauce-like concoction with wine, nuts, apples, etc.) represents the mortar used by the Jews in Egypt Karpas (or vegetables, often parsley) to represent spring.

Also on the table are three pieces of matzah—a cracker-like unleavened bread—representing the bread the Israelites took when they fled Egypt, and salt water to represent the tears of the slaves. You may see a specific wine glass (or children’s mug) at your seat. The Torah commands that (at least) four symbolic cups of wine be drunk during the Passover Seder.

You may also have an extra children’s cup or two at your table: One is a wine cup for the prophet Elijah, whose spirit will pass by on Passover. In some families a cup of water is placed for Moses’ sister Miriam. This new feminist tradition symbolizes Miriam’s well that provided water for the Israelites in the desert; it also symbolizes the importance of women during the Exodus.

You may see cushions on the chairs. Because on Passover one should lean back at the table as a symbol of freedom.

Don’t worry if you can’t keep this all straight. Because Passover is a retelling of a story for new generations, and because of the prescribed order of the Seder, the Haggadah does a pretty good job of explaining many key elements and symbols as you read along. There is even a special section of the Seder called the Four Questions where the youngest person at the table asks about the various Passover symbols and the elders explain.

What are traditional Passover foods?

In addition to eating the food depicted on the Seder plate (with the exception of lamb, which is not eaten), a Passover meal is served that breaks the two halves of the Seder.

The menu of the meal differs according to family tradition. Traditional dishes include matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, brisket, chicken and potatoes. Traditional Sephardic (Mediterranean and Spanish) Passover dishes reflect a Mediterranean twist on the Passover dinner.

Why don’t Jews eat leavened bread during Passover?

During the meal, leavened grain foods known as “chametz” are not mentioned. Chametz is forbidden during Passover, so you won’t find pasta, biscuits, bread, or cereal at the Seder. (More traditional Jews will eliminate all foods containing chametz from their home altogether.)

This has to do with the Passover story: after killing the firstborn, Pharaoh agreed to let the Israelites go. But in their haste to leave Egypt, the Israelites could not leave their bread and brought unleavened bread with them. This special dietary requirement is spelled out in Exodus 12:14: “You shall not eat anything leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”

To commemorate this, Jews do not eat leavened bread for eight days. While all Jews are required to abstain from chametz, Ashkenazi Jews are also forbidden to eat rice, corn, or legumes—known as “kitniyot.” while Sephardic Jews eat kitniyot during Passover.

Any bread-like substance (cakes, dumplings, etc.) found at the Seder is made by combining matzo flour, a type of fat, and eggs to remain kosher for Passover.

If you wish to bring something for the host, pick up an item from your supermarket’s kosher Passover section or stick to a bottle of kosher wine or flowers.

Contact us at [email protected].

– In the USA, people sometimes gnash their teeth at Christmas greetings.

Passover, an eight-day Jewish holiday, begins at sunset on April 15 in 2022 and ends at sunset on April 23. If you’re wondering how to wish your friends, colleagues or loved ones a Happy Passover, you’ve come to the right place.

Here’s everything you need to know about the right Passover greetings:

What is the correct Passover greeting?

There are different Passover greetings depending on your language preference and the thoughtfulness of the person you are sending your congratulations to.

If you want to stick with English, “happy Passover” is a perfectly acceptable greeting. For those who keep their homes kosher for Passover (removing all chametz or leavened grains from their homes before the holiday), you can wish someone a “kosher and happy Passover,” according to Chabad.org.

You can also try wishing someone a happy Passover in Hebrew: Beginners can say “Happy Passover” – “Pessach” is Hebrew for “Passover”.

You can also say “chag sameach,” which translates to “happy festival,” which is the Hebrew equivalent of “happy holidays.” To make this Passover greeting specific, you can throw the word “Pessach” in the middle of this sentence – “chag Pesach samech.” Wishing someone a “kosher and happy Passover” would be “chag Pesach kasher vesame’ach” in Hebrew.

Note that the “ch” in these words (Pesach, chag, sameach, vesame’ach) is not pronounced the way you would say “chapstick”; it is pronounced like “Bach”. In the video below you can see Angelica from The Rugrats explaining the word Hanukkah (another Jewish holiday).

To wish someone a happy Passover in Yiddish, one would say “gut yontif”, which translates to “happy holidays”.

Yiddish, one of the most well-known Jewish languages ​​alongside Hebrew, was spoken by Ashkenazi (or Eastern European) Jews. (Other sects of Judaism have other dialects.) They are likely to use Yiddish expressions (oy vey, schmooze, schlep, etc.) in everyday life without realizing it. The language is a German dialect that contains Hebrew words and is written using the Hebrew alphabet.

What is Passover?

Now that you know the correct Passover greetings, let’s educate yourself on what Passover is.

Passover is a Jewish holiday celebrating the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It is celebrated for seven or eight days (depending on where you are), and the first two nights Passover is celebrated with a home ritual known as the Passover Seder.

The Seder (which means “order” in Hebrew) is celebrated around a dining table. It includes the retelling of the Passover story – the story of the Exodus from the Old Testament (or the Torah in Judaism) – blessings over food and wine, explanations of the Passover symbols, discussions of freedom and social justice, and lots of singing and eating. All of these rituals are performed in an order prescribed in a Passover-specific book called the Haggadah (meaning “to tell” in Hebrew).

When is Passover?

Passover dates change every year because the Hebrew calendar does not match the Gregorian calendar. The holiday generally takes place in early spring; According to the Hebrew calendar, it takes place in the first month of the year, Nissan, as prescribed in the book of Exodus.

In 2022, Passover will last from sunset on Friday, April 15th until sunset on Saturday, April 23rd.

Contact us at [email protected].

This story was first published in 2018 and updated for 2022.

This week brings two major religious holidays – Easter and Passover. As in many previous years, they will share the calendar space in 2022.

While the dates for the celebrations change each year, the first night of Passover in 2022 — Friday, April 15 — lands on Good Friday, which is an important part of Easter during the Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday (April 17).

At first, Easter and Passover seem distant in purpose, ritual, and imagery. But the common roots of the two holidays become overwhelmingly clear once you disregard any perceived divide between chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks and matzo and gefilte fish.

The Passover-Easter Connection

Passover marks the biblical story of the Exodus, of the Jews and their leader Moses fleeing slavery in Egypt with the help of divine intervention.

Easter, widely regarded as the most important day of the Christian calendar, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus as told in the New Testament gospels.

“Pessach and Good Friday through Easter go together like a hand and a glove,” says David Kraemer, librarian and professor of Talmud and rabbinic studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. “They’re actually designed to go together.”

However, if you think this simply means that Jesus, a Jew, attended a Passover Seder shortly before his death, read on. The connection between the two spring holidays manifests itself in a number of meaningful ways – from the names of the holidays to when, how and why we celebrate them.

The connections between Easter and Passover form a complex bond.Patti Sapone | The Star Ledger

It’s in the name

First, let’s take the names of the holidays. The actual origin of the name is unclear, but “Easter” has been associated with a pre-Christian Germanic goddess, Eostre (this is up for debate, as is the existence and origin of Eostre), or a word for “dawn” (which also goes to formation of the word “East”). But many other languages ​​call the holiday a variation of Pasqua (Italian) or Pascua (Spanish).

“You can actually hear the closeness of the two holidays,” says Gary Rendsburg, professor of Jewish studies at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. “You hear the Hebrew word ‘Pesach,'” he says, which means Passover in English.

Kraemer says there was no Latin word for Passover, so the name came from “Pessach”.

“Actually, ‘Pascua’ is the Christian Passover,” he says.

Why “Passover”? For according to the Exodus, during the plague, when the firstborn male of each family was to be killed, the angel of death “walked past” the homes of the Israelites because the Jews had marked their doorposts with lamb’s blood.

A Passover Haggadah.John Munson | The Star Ledger

Why does Easter sometimes coincide with Passover and sometimes not?

In 2022, Passover and Easter converge, as is customary. This year, Good Friday falls on the first night of Passover, April 15, and Easter falls on the second full day of Passover, April 17. (Jewish holidays begin the night before the first day. Passover, which is usually celebrated with seders—ritual meals—on the first two nights, lasts a total of eight days, ending on Saturday, April 23.)

But in 2016, the holidays were almost a month apart due to a “leap month” in the Jewish (lunar) calendar. And in other years, the holidays can be days or weeks apart. There is a greater reason for this, which points to Easter’s roots in the Jewish holiday.

“Originally, Passover and Easter were at the same time every year,” says Douglas Estes, assistant professor of New Testament and Practical Theology at South University in Columbia, South Carolina.

From the second century through part of the fourth century, Easter was celebrated on the Sunday after Passover (which it falls on this year), says Bruce Morrill, a Jesuit priest and professor of theological studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Christian churches around the Mediterranean only began to celebrate Easter as a festival in the second century,” says Morrill. It arose out of a desire to have a Passover associated with the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Passover is observed from the 15th of the month of Nisan in the Jewish calendar during the full moon. But Morrill says that in the fourth century it was established that Easter should always fall on the Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox (March 20).

(Christians in the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrate Orthodox Easter on Sunday, April 24, just after the end of Passover week, because their observance is centered around the Julian calendar and not the Gregorian calendar.)

The hallmarks of Easter would not be at home on a Passover Seder table, but the origin of the rituals of the two holidays are intertwined.Tony Kurdzuk | The Star Ledger

Jesus, Passover and the sacrificial lamb

Many who claim to have a basic knowledge of Passover and Easter may know that Jesus was a Jew who died during the Passover season. The question of the exact time of his death is laden with enduring symbolism.

The period known as the “Easter Triduum” (note the “Passover” reference) begins on the Thursday before Easter. Maundy Thursday or Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, the night before Jesus died.

On Good Friday the Gospel of John is read, in which Jesus is said to have been executed by the Roman authorities during the daytime slaughter of the Passover lambs while preparations for the holiday were underway.

The Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke, read on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter, differ in their presentation and place Jesus’ death on the day after the Passover meal with his disciples (as depicted in the painting by Leonardo da Vinci “The Last Supper”) says Morrill. It follows that the Gospel of John is the source of the image “Christ as the Lamb slain,” he says.

At that time, the Jews went to the temple to get their Passover lambs after the animals were sacrificed. Today the lamb appears on the Passover Seder plate in the form of the zeroah, or thigh bone (which is not eaten).

A Passover Seder plate. When Jesus died, the Jews traditionally went to the temple for Passover lambs after the animals were used as sacrifices. Today the echo of this ritual can be seen in the lower leg bone of the Seder plate. Saed Hindash | The Star Ledger

Was the Last Supper a Passover Seder?

It is believed that Jesus was executed around the time of Passover. But was Jesus really at a Passover Seder before he died?

Of course, that depends on whether you subscribe to the Gospel of John or the other version of the story that shows Jesus at the Last Supper the night before his crucifixion. Even assuming the latter is true, there is some room for debate. Especially if you distinguish between “seder” and “passover meal”.

“A lot of people think the Last Supper was a Seder meal,” says Rendsburg. “I belong to the group that doesn’t think.”

That’s because the version of the Passover meal we call the Seder was developed later, he says, citing evidence from the Gospels and Jewish literature that speaks of Jews going to the temple to make sacrifices and to celebrate holidays. In contrast, the Passover Seder we know today is a domestic affair.

Kraemer disagrees.

“The Last Supper is obviously the Passover meal, later what we would call the Seder,” he says.

The Seder, meaning ‘order’ and describing the procession of the ritual meal, with its plate of symbolic food (matzo, bitter herbs, thigh bones and more) and the reading of the story of the Exodus in the Passover Haggadah (‘tell’), developed at a later date, after the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70. But that is immaterial, argues Kraemer.

“Before the Seder developed, there was already the Passover supper,” he says. “It was definitely the Passover meal.”

Easter Lamb. In the Book of Revelation and the Epistle to the Hebrews, Jesus is referred to as “the Easter Lamb.” Mitsu Yasukawa | The Star Ledger

Freedom, Redemption and Redemption

Regardless of when he actually died—before or after the Passover meal—the image and symbol of Jesus as a lamb cuts into the heart of Easter.

In the New Testament — the Book of Revelation and the Epistle to the Hebrews — Jesus is referred to as “the Passover Lamb,” says Kraemer. His sacrifice “by crucifixion, like the slaughter of the lamb, symbolizes and brings about deliverance—redemption,” he says.

Estes says that for Christians, the idea of ​​the resurrected Jesus as the Passover sacrificial Lamb is the fulfillment of the Passover story, beginning with what God did through Moses, “and then still more what God did through Jesus.”

Early Christians celebrated Passover, and Estes says he saw an increase in awareness of the holiday among Christians.

“Pessach and Easter are supposed to go hand in hand,” he says. “The Israelites saw Passover as a symbol or sign that they were delivered by Pharaoh (in Egypt). Christians see Easter as freedom from corruption or sin. … As Christians we are saved and Jesus is the Savior.”

As part of the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening and Maundy Thursday, Christians read the story of the Exodus found in the Passover Haggadah read during the Seder, says Kevin Ahern, an assistant professor of religious studies at Manhattan College. The story of Easter is inseparable from Passover, but he also says that the overarching themes are similar.

“These two stories tell me that God’s love is mightier than any empire,” says Ahern, whether the pharaoh or the Romans. “Love wins.”

The Passover Seder plate contains an egg, although it is not colored or candy-colored like Easter eggs. Tony Kurdzuk | The Star Ledger

“Both are celebrations of hope,” he says. “Not out of sullen hope, but out of joyful hope.”

Morrill says messages of redemption and deliverance echo through both holidays: “These were life-changing and death-shattering events.”

The Easter candle, which is lit on Easter Sunday night, is about needing hope in the world and needing light in the midst of darkness. This custom, performed during the Easter vigil, reminds some of the Jewish custom of lighting candles at night during the Sabbath, Morrill says.

“The symbolism is that the candle represents the light that is Christ,” he says.

“St. Patrick of Ireland gave the light and fire thing a new kind of intensity,” says Morrill.

The tradition of lighting a bonfire or bonfire during the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening is a custom that originated with St. Patrick, who borrowed the custom from the Druids’ spring bonfires. It’s just one example of Easter’s Christianization of a popular local tradition. The eggs and bunnies we associate with the holiday are probably something else.

There may be many parallels between Easter and Passover, but Peeps isn’t one of them. However, kosher-for-Passover marshmallows are an essential part of some celebrations not associated with religious rituals. Star Ledger file photo

Spring, rabbits and eggs

The legions of chocolate bunnies, Easter baskets, and Easter eggs that are now symbols of the holiday? These may not have existed in pre-Christian celebrations, but perhaps that is where they come from. There is a hard-boiled egg on the Passover Seder plate, but it is not dyed spring colors or used for hunting (although children hunt for a piece of matzo called an afikoman).

Ostre, the German goddess of dawn, fertility and spring, is also associated with the emphasis on rabbits and eggs. Both Easter accessories, signifying life and fertility, were adopted by spring customs, says Morrill, in keeping with Christianity’s practice of fusing existing traditions with religious rituals.

The Easter bunny is also considered a German invention, which has its origins in the character Oschter Haws, a bunny who lays eggs. This emphasis on fertility, spring and life was only reinforced by the story of Jesus’ salvation from death.

The Easter Bunny was associated with Oschter Haws, an egg-laying rabbit of German tradition.Alex Napoliello | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Matzo, yeast and symbolism

In the unleavened bread used for the Christian Eucharist, some see a resemblance to matzo, the unleavened bread that Jews eat during Passover to commemorate their exodus from Egypt. In the usual narrative, the Jews did not have enough time for their dough to rise before they had to flee from Pharaoh.

Another interpretation of unleavened bread is that yeast is associated with pride or “puffiness,” says Rendsburg. Jews rid their homes of chametz, or leavened products, before Passover, removing both physical and spiritual yeast for the holiday, he says.

“That’s a good Jewish metaphor,” says Rendsburg. “It gets, like many things, levels of interpretation.”

Long before the development of the Passover feast celebrated by Jews today, an agricultural spring festival was celebrated in which unleavened bread made from barley was eaten.Noah K. Murray | The Star Ledger

How the barley festival became the matzo festival

On the surface, matzo might not have much in common with Easter eggs and Easter bunnies.

But like the symbols associated with Easter, the explanation that the Jews didn’t have time for their bread to rise in Egypt is the product of reinterpretation, says Rendsburg.

From about 1200 BC Until 586 BC When the First Temple was destroyed, the Jews celebrated an agricultural spring festival that served as a precursor to Passover, he says. At this festival, they marked the beginning of the barley harvest, as it was the first crop to ripen. To celebrate, the Jews did not want to contaminate their new barley with the yeast of the old grain.

“You don’t want to take some of your old propellant and add it,” says Rendsburg.

So they watched the celebration by eating unleavened bread made with this new barley — something that looked nothing at all like the packaged matzo we eat today, but probably more like a tortilla or naan or unleavened pizza dough.

The perfect square of crunchy matzo? A reinterpretation of a reinterpretation.

“The core is unleavened bread in celebration of the Barley Festival, which is then inscribed into the narrative,” says Rendsburg. “Religious symbols are constantly being reinvented.”

“People celebrate harvests, that’s what they do,” he says, but Passover was different because it was the first time such a festival had been used to commemorate a historical event.

“The genius of ancient Israel was to give the festival historical significance,” he says. “Some core element of the Israelites came from Egypt. This event took place at the time of spring, so it was easy to make a connection.”

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Amy Kuperinsky can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @AmyKup.

Many Jewish communities in the United States mark the last day of Passover as the end of a Jewish holiday celebrating the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Passover is also known as Passover, Passover, or the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Is Last Passover a Public Holiday?

This is not a public holiday in the United States. Most businesses, schools, and offices are open and follow regular hours, but Jewish-run businesses and organizations may be closed.

©iStockphoto.com/Pears2295

what are people doing

Passover lasts up to eight days (or seven days for Reform Jewish groups). There are many Jews who keep most of the Sabbath observances on the last day of Passover. Some may vacation at this time of year. It is also a time for Jews to recite special blessings or prayers, attend a synagogue or hear readings from the Torah, and eat a ceremonial meal.

Many Jewish families in the United States eat a ceremonial meal known as a seder, at which the story of the Exodus from Egypt is told and various symbolic foods are eaten, such as the flesh of the Easter lamb and bitter herbs (reminiscent of the Easter lamb’s hard life ). Slavery).

Public life

None of the Passover days is a public holiday in the United States. However, many Jewish businesses and organizations are closed on some days or have restricted hours on others.

background and symbols

Passover celebrates the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. It is one of the three pilgrim festivals. Passover is related to the Christian celebrations of Good Friday and Easter Sunday and the Islamic day of Ashura. Read about other Jewish festivals such as Tu B’Shevat (Arbor Day), Purim, Yom HaShoah, Lag B’Omer, Shavuot, Tisha B’Av, and Rosh Hashanah.

Jewish holidays last longer outside of Israel

In the Jewish diaspora — Jewish communities outside of Israel — an extra day is usually added to religious celebrations, with the exception of Yom Kippur, which lasts just one day worldwide, and Rosh Hashana, which is celebrated over two days in both Israel and the United States becomes diaspora.

This custom has its roots in antiquity, when the beginning of the month in the Jewish calendar depended on the sighting of the crescent moon after a new moon.

The beginning of a new month was determined by the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of ancient Israel in Jerusalem. As soon as the date was published, messengers were dispatched to spread the news among Jews living abroad. Since this process took time, it was decreed that Jews outside of ancient Israel should observe each holiday for two days to ensure that the rules and customs specific to each holiday were observed on the correct date. This rule is still observed today.

Note: The dates listed below this article refer to the 8-day Passover observation.

About the last Passover day in other countries

Read more about the last day of Passover

Last Day of Passover Observances Showing: 1777–1799 1800–1899 1900–1999 2000–2016 2017–2049 2050–209 2100–2199 2200–2249 2300–2349 2350 –2399 2400–2499 2500–2599 2600–2699 2700–2799 2800–2899 2900–299 3000–3000–3099 315– 299 3000–3000- 3200–3249 3250–3299 3300–3349 3350–3399 3400–3449 3450–3499 3500–3549 3550–3599 3600–3649 3650–3699 3700–3749 3750–37999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999911 3800–3899 3850–3799 3750-3799

Note: Jewish holidays begin at sunset the day before the date set for the holiday.

Year Day of week Date Name Holiday type 2017 T3 18 Tháng tư Last day of Passover Jewish holiday 2018 T7 07 Tháng tư Last day of Passover Jewish holiday 2019 T7 27 Tháng tư Last day of Passover Jewish holiday 2020 T5 16 Tháng tư Last day of Passover Jewish holiday 2021 CN 04 Tháng tư Last Day of Passover Jewish Holiday 2022 T7 23 Tháng tư Last Day of Passover Jewish Holiday 2023 T5 13 Tháng tư Last Day of Passover Jewish Holiday 2024 T3 30 Tháng tư Last Day of Passover Jewish Holiday 2025 Last Tháng CNt Holiday Passover 2026 T5 09 Tháng tư Jewish holiday Passover 2027 T5 29 Tháng tư Jewish holiday Passover last day

Although we carefully research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.

Jewish holiday

This article is about the Jewish holiday. For other uses, see Passover (disambiguation)

Passover, also called Passover (;[2] Biblical Hebrew: חַג הַפֶּסַח‎, romanized: Ḥag haPesaḥ), is a major Jewish holiday celebrating the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt,[3] which falls on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nisan , the first month of Aviv or Spring. The word Passover or Passover can also refer to the Korban Pesach, the Paschal Lamb, which was sacrificed when the Temple stood in Jerusalem; the Passover Seder, the ritual meal on Passover night; or the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Passover, one of the biblically prescribed three pilgrimage festivals, is traditionally celebrated for seven days in the Land of Israel and for eight days among many Jews in the Diaspora based on the concept of yom tov sheni shel galuyot. In the Bible, the seven-day holiday is known as Chag HaMatzot, the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Mazzoh).[4]

According to the Book of Exodus, God commands Moses to tell the Israelites to mark the blood of a lamb over their doors so that the angel of death will pass over them (i.e. that they will not be saved from the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn). After the death of the firstborn pharaoh, the Israelites were commanded to go and take what they wanted, and Moses was asked to bless him in the name of the Lord. The passage goes on to say that the Passover sacrifice commemorates the time when God “passed by the houses of the Israelites in Egypt.”[5] This story is told at the Passover meal in the form of the Haggadah, in fulfillment of the commandment “And you shall tell your son (Higgadata) on that day, saying: It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt out.”[6]

The wave offering of barley was offered in Jerusalem on the second day of the festival. Counting the sheaves will be practiced for seven more weeks leading up to the Feast of Weeks on the 50th day, the holiday of Shavuot.

Today, along with the biblical prohibition on possessing leavened food for the duration of the holiday, the Passover Seder is one of the most widespread rituals in Judaism.

etymology

Hebrew פֶּסַח is rendered as Tiberian [pɛsaħ] () and Modern Hebrew: [ˈpesaχ] Pesah, Pesakh. The verb pasàch (פָּסַח) is first mentioned in the Torah account of the Exodus from Egypt[7] and there is some debate as to its precise meaning. The common belief that it means “He passed over” (פסח), in reference to God “passing over” (or “skipping over”) the houses of the Hebrews during the finale of the Ten Plagues of Egypt, comes from the translation provided in of the Septuagint (Ancient Greek: παρελευσεται, romanized: pareleusetai in Exodus 12:23, [7] and εσκεπασεν, eskepasen in Exodus 12:27.) we-yēḥôs) “he had pity”, comes from the Hebrew root חסה, meaning “pity have”.[8] Related languages ​​yield similar terms with different meanings, such as “soften, appease, soothe” (Akkadian passahu), “reap, commemorate, blow” (Egyptian), or “sever” (Arabic fsh).[9]

The term Passover (Hebrew: פֶּסַח‎, Pesaḥ) can also refer to the lamb or goat referred to as the Passover sacrifice (called the Korban Passover in Hebrew). Four days before the Exodus, the Hebrews were commanded to set aside a lamb[10] and examine it daily for blemishes. During the day of Nisan 14, they were to slaughter the animal and use its blood to mark their lintels and doorposts. Before midnight on Nisan 15 they were to eat the lamb.

It is known that the English term “Passover” was first recorded in English in William Tyndale’s translation of the Bible[11] and later also appeared in the King James version. It is a literal translation of the Hebrew term.[12] The King James Version says in Exodus 12:23:

For the LORD will go through to strike the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the doorstep and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass by the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.

origins

It is generally believed that the Passover ritual has its origins in an apotropaic rite unrelated to the exodus to ensure the protection of a family home, a rite performed entirely within a clan.[14] Hyssop was used to smear the blood of a slaughtered sheep on the lintels and door jambs to ensure that demonic forces could not enter the house.[15]

Another hypothesis holds that after the promulgation of the priestly code, the Exodus narrative took on a central function, as the apotropaic rite was arguably merged with the Canaanite agricultural spring festival, which was a ceremony of unleavened bread associated with the barley harvest. As the Exodus motif grew, the original function and symbolism of these dual origins was lost.[16] Several motifs repeat features associated with the Mesopotamian Akitu festival.[17] Other scholars, John Van Seters, J.B. Segal, and Tamara Prosic, disagree with the merged two festivals hypothesis.[18]

Biblical narrative

In the Book of Exodus

In the book of Exodus, the Israelites are enslaved in ancient Egypt. Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, appears to Moses in a burning bush and commands Moses to face Pharaoh. To demonstrate his power, Yahweh inflicts a series of 10 plagues on the Egyptians, culminating in the 10th plague, the death of the firstborn.

This is what the Lord says: “At midnight I will pass through Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh who sits on the throne to the firstborn son of the slave woman who is at her hand in the mill and all the firstborn of the cattle. There will be loud wailing throughout all Egypt—worse than ever before or ever again.”—Exodus 11:4-6

Before this final plague, Yahweh commands Moses to tell the Israelites to mark the blood of a lamb over their doors so that Yahweh will pass them by (meaning that they will not be touched by the death of the firstborn).

Biblical regulations for observing the feast require that all leaven be disposed of before the beginning of Nisan 15.[19] An unblemished lamb or goat, known as the Korban Passover or “Easter Lamb”, is said to be separated on Nisan 10[10] and slaughtered at dusk when Nisan 14 ends in preparation for Nisan 15 if eaten thereafter will be roasted.[20] The literal meaning of the Hebrew is “between the two evenings.”[21] It is then said to be eaten “this night,” the 15th of Nisan,[22] roasted without removing the internal organs[23] with unleavened bread known as matzo and bitter herbs known as maror.[22] None of the sacrifice on which the sun rises on the morning of Nisan 15 may be eaten, but must be cremated.[24]

The biblical injunctions, which apply to the original Passover only at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, also include how the meal was to be eaten: “Gid up your loins, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hands; and ye shall eat it hastily: it is the Passover of the LORD.”[25]

The biblical requirements of slaughtering the Paschal lamb in the individual homes of the Hebrews and smearing the lamb’s blood on their doors were celebrated in Egypt. However, when Israel was in the wilderness and the tabernacle was in operation, a change was made to both of these original requirements.[26] Passover lambs were to be sacrificed at the door of the tabernacle and no longer in the homes of the Jews. Therefore blood was no longer allowed to be smeared on doors.

The Passover in other Bible passages

Referred to in the Hebrew Bible as the “Feast [of] Matzo” (Hebrew: חג המצות ḥag ha-matzôth), the commandment to keep the Passover is recorded in the book of Leviticus:

In the first month, the fourteenth day of the month at sundown is the Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to the LORD; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day ye shall have a holy assembly; you shall not do slave labor. And seven days you shall bring an offering made by fire to the LORD; on the seventh day is a holy assembly; you shall not do slave labor. Leviticus 23:5–8 (1917 JPS version)

The sacrifices are to be performed only in a specific place ordained by God. For Judaism, this is Jerusalem.[27]

The biblical commandments of Passover (and the Feast of Unleavened Bread) emphasize the importance of remembering the following:

Exodus 12:14, regarding God’s sparing of the firstborn from the tenth plague, commands: “And this day shall be a memorial to you, and you shall keep it to the LORD; ye shall keep it in your generations a feast by decree forever.” [28]

; ye shall keep it as a feast throughout your generations.” Exodus 13:3 repeats the command to remember: “Remember that day, when you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, for by power the hand of the LORD brought you out of this place.” [29]

brought you out from this place.” Deuteronomy 16:12: “And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall keep these statutes and do them.”[30]

In 2 Kings 23:21-23 and 2 Chronicles 35:1-19, King Josiah of Judah restores the Passover feast[31] to a standard not seen since the days of the judges or the days of the prophet Samuel became. [32]

Ezra 6:19-21 records the celebration of the Passover by the Jews who returned from exile in Babylon after the temple was rebuilt.[33]

In extra-biblical sources

Some of these details can be confirmed and partially supplemented in extra-biblical sources. The removal (or “sealing”) of the leaven is referred to in the Elephantine Papyri, a 5th-century B.C. Aramaic papyrus. BC, Elephantine in Egypt.[34] The slaughter of the lambs on the 14th is mentioned in the Book of Jubilees, a Ptolemaic-era Jewish work, and by the Herodian-era writers Josephus and Philo. These sources also indicate that “between the two evenings” meant the afternoon.[35] Jubilees states that the sacrifice was eaten that night,[36] and together with Josephus states that nothing was left of the sacrifice until morning.[37] Philo states that the banquet included hymns and prayers.[38]

Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan, which usually falls in March or April on the Gregorian calendar. The 15th day begins the evening after the 14th day, and that evening the Seder meal is eaten. Passover is a spring festival, so the 15th day of Nisan usually begins on the night of the full moon after the northern vernal equinox.[39] Because of leap months that fall after the vernal equinox, Passover sometimes begins on the second full moon after the vernal equinox, as in 2016.

To ensure that Passover did not begin before spring, tradition in ancient Israel stipulated that the lunar new year, the first day of Nisan, would not begin until the barley was ripe, which was the test of spring’s onset. [40] When the barley was not ripe or various other phenomena[41] indicated that spring was not yet imminent, a leap month (Adar II) was added. However, since at least the 4th century intercalation has been established mathematically according to the Metonic cycle.[42]

In Israel, Passover is the seven-day holiday of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, with the first and last days being celebrated as public holidays and as holy days with holiday meals, special prayer services, and refusal to work; The days in between are known as Chol HaMoed (“Weekdays [of the] Festival”). Jews outside the Land of Israel celebrate the festival for eight days. Reform and Reconstruction Jews typically celebrate the holiday over seven days.[43][44][45] Karaites use a different version of the Jewish calendar, differing from that of the modern Jewish calendar by a day or two.[46] The Samaritans use a calendar system that uses a method different from that used in Jewish practice to determine the timing of their feast days.[47] For example, in 2009, the 15th of Nisan in the Jewish calendar of Rabbinic Judaism corresponds to April 9th. In the Karaite and Samaritan calendars, the 15th of Abib or Aviv (as opposed to “Nisan”) corresponds to April 11, 2009. The Karaite and Samaritan Passover lasts one day each, followed by the six-day Feast of Unleavened Bread—for a total of seven days. [48]

Passover sacrifice

According to Judaism, the main entity at Passover is the sacrificial lamb.[49] During the existence of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem, the Passover sacrifice (Hebrew: korban Passover), also called the Easter lamb, was the focus of the Passover feast, eaten during the Passover Seder on Nisan 15. Every family large enough to completely consume a young lamb or wild goat was required to make an offering in the Jewish temple on the afternoon of Nisan 14[50] and eat it that night, Nisan 15. [51] When the family was too small to eat the entire offering in one sitting, an offering was made for a group of families. The sacrifice was not to be offered with anything leavened[52] and had to be roasted without removing the head, feet or internal organs[53] and eaten with unleavened bread (matze) and bitter herbs (maror). Care had to be taken not to break bones from the offering,[54] and none of the flesh was left until morning.[55]

Because of the Passover sacrifice’s status as a sacred offering, only those who were obligated to make the offering were allowed to eat. Among those who could not offer or eat the Passover lamb were an apostate,[56] a servant,[57] an uncircumcised man,[58] a person in a state of ritual uncleanness, except when the majority of the Jews were in a is in such a condition,[59] and a Gentile. The offer had to be made before a quorum of 30.[60] In the temple, the Levites sang Hallel while the priests performed the sacrificial service. Men and women were equally obligated in relation to sacrifice (Pesahim 91b).

Today, in the absence of the Temple, when no offerings are made or eaten, the Korban Passover mitzvah is celebrated in the Korban Passover Seder, a series of scriptures and rabbinic passages dealing with the Passover sacrifice and usually after the Mincha (afternoon prayer) service on Nisan 14,[61] and in the form of the zeroa, a symbolic food placed (but not eaten) on the Passover Seder plate, which is usually a roasted thigh bone (or a chicken wing or -neck) is. . Eating the Afikoman replaces eating the Korban Pesach at the end of the Seder (Mishna Pesachim 119a). Many Sephardic Jews have a custom of eating lamb or goat meat during the Seder to commemorate the Korban Passover.

Remove all leavens (chamez).

Washing Dishes for Passover (1657)

Burning chametz in the morning before the start of Passover

Leaven, in Hebrew chametz (Hebrew: חמץ ḥamets, “leaven”) is made from one of five grains[62] that are combined with water and left to stand for more than eighteen minutes. The consumption, keeping and possession of chametz is forbidden during Passover. Yeast and fermentation itself are not prohibited, as is the case with wine, for example, which is required rather than permitted. According to Halakha, possession of such chametz is also forbidden.[63]

Chametz does not contain baking powder, baking powder or similar products. Although these are called leavening agents in English, they acidify by chemical reaction, not biological fermentation. Bagels, waffles and pancakes made from baking soda and matzo flour are acceptable, while bagels made from sourdough and pancakes and waffles made from yeast are prohibited.[64]

The Torah commandments regarding chametz are:

To remove all chametz from one’s house, including things made with chametz, before the first day of Passover [65]. It can simply be used up, thrown away (historically destroyed by incineration), or given away or sold to non-Jews.

from home, including things made with chametz, before the first day of Passover. It can simply be used up, thrown away (historically destroyed by incineration), or given away or sold to non-Jews. Not to eat chametz or mixtures containing chametz during Passover. [66]

or mixtures included during Passover. Not having chametz in one’s area (i.e. home, office, car, etc.) during Passover.[67]

Observant Jews spend the weeks leading up to Passover in a barrage of thorough housecleaning to remove every morsel of chametz from every part of the house. Jewish law requires the removal of olive-sized or larger quantities of leaven from one’s possessions, but most household practices go beyond this. Even the joints of kitchen worktops are thoroughly cleaned to remove even the smallest traces of flour and yeast. Any containers or implements touched by chametz are kept and not used during Passover.[68]

Some hotels, resorts, and even cruise ships in America, Europe, and Israel are also undergoing thorough house cleaning to make their premises “kosher for Passover” to accommodate devout Jews.[69]

Interpretations for sourdough or yeast abstinence

Some scholars suggest that the commandment to abstain from leavened food or yeast suggests that sacrifices offered to God involve the offering of objects in “their least altered state”, that of the manner in which they were originally made by God.[49][70] According to other scholars, the absence of leaven or yeast means that leaven or yeast symbolize corruption and depravity.[49][71]

There are also variations with restrictions on eating matzah before Passover, so there is an increased appetite for it during Passover itself. Especially among the Chabad Hasidim there is a custom not to eat matzo (flatbread) in the 30 days before the start of Passover.[72] Others have the custom of not eating matzah from Rosh Chodesh Nissan, while halacha merely prohibits one from eating matzah the day before Passover.[73]

Selling sourdough

Chametz foods that cannot be bought in a Jerusalem supermarket during Passover Foods that cannot be bought in a Jerusalem supermarket during Passover

Sourdough or chametz can be sold rather than discarded, particularly in the case of relatively valuable forms such as spirits distilled from wheat, with the products then being bought back. In some cases, they may never leave home but are officially sold while remaining in a locked cupboard with the original owner until they can be bought back after the holiday. Modern observance can also include sealing cabinets and drawers containing “chametz” which are taped shut, serving a similar purpose to a lock but also showing evidence of tampering. Although the practice of selling “chametz” dates back many years, it is viewed with contempt by some reform rabbinic authorities – since the putative “new owner” never actually takes possession of the goods.[74]

The sale of chametz can also be done collectively through a rabbi who becomes the “representative” for all Jews in the community through a halachic process called kinyan (acquisition). Each householder must put all the chametz he sells in a box or cupboard, and the rabbi makes a contract to give all the chametz to a non-Jew (who is not obligated to keep the commandments) at a small discount sell payment (e.g. $1.00), the remainder due after Passover. This sale is considered fully binding according to Halakha, and the buyer can come to take or share his property at any time during the holidays. The rabbi then buys back the goods for less than they were sold at the end of the holiday.[75]

Look for sourdough

On the night of Nisan 14, the night before the Passover Seder (after dark on the evening before Passover eve), Jews conduct a formal search, known as bedikat chametz, of their homes for any remaining leaven (chametz). The sages of the Talmud instructed that chametz should be searched for in every home, workplace, or place where chametz may have been taken during the year.[76] If the first Seder is on a Saturday evening, the search will be conducted on the preceding Thursday evening (Nisan 13), since chametz cannot be burned during Shabbat.

The Talmud in Pesahim (p. 2a) deduces from the Torah that the search for chametz is done by the light of a candle and therefore occurs at night, and although the final destruction of the chametz (usually by burning it in a small campfire) occurs next morning, the blessing occurs at night because the quest is both preparation and part of the commandments to remove and destroy all chametz from one’s possessions.[76]

Blessings for finding chametz and chametz annulment

Before the quest begins, there is a special blessing. If multiple people or family members are helping in the quest, only one person, usually the head of that family, recites the blessing to include everyone present:[76]

Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to remove chametz.

In Hebrew:

ברוך אתה י-הוה א-להינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על בעור חמץ

(berūkh otah, Adoynoy E-lohaynū, melekh ha-‘ôlam, eser qedesh-nū be-mitsūtayu we-tsewinū ‘al be-ôr ḥamets)

The search is then usually carried out by the head of household with his family and children under the supervision of the parents.

It is customary to turn off the light and conduct the candlelight search with a feather and a wooden spoon: candlelight effectively illuminates corners without casting shadows; the pen can dust crumbs from their hiding places; and the wooden spoon that collects the crumbs can be burned with the chametz the next day. However, most contemporary Jewish Orthodox authorities allow the use of a flashlight, while some strongly recommend it due to the danger involved in using a candle.

Since the house is believed to have been thoroughly cleaned the night before Passover, there is some concern that if nothing is found, a blessing on seeking chametz will be in vain (bracha l’vatala). Traditionally, 10 pieces of bread or cereal smaller than the size of an olive are hidden around the house to ensure some chametz is found.

Upon completion of the search, after all the small pieces have been safely packed and placed in a bag or place to be burned the next morning, the following is said:

Any chametz or leaven in my possession that I have not seen, removed, or know of, should be annulled and abandoned like the dust of the earth.

Original explanation recited in Aramaic:[76]

”

Morning of the 14th of Nisan

Note that if the 14th is Nisan Shabbat, many of the events listed below are celebrated on the 13th instead due to Shabbat restrictions.

Fasting of the firstborn

The day before the first Passover seder (or the Thursday morning before the seder if the first seder falls on Motza’ei Shabbat), firstborn sons are commanded to celebrate the firstborn’s fast, which commemorates the salvation of the Hebrew firstborn. According to Exodus 12:29, God struck down all the Egyptian firstborn, while the Israelites were unaffected.[77] However, it is customary for synagogues to hold a siyum (ceremony marking the completion of a section of Torah study) immediately after morning prayers, and the celebratory meal that follows lifts the firstborn’s obligation to fast.

Burning and lifting of leaven

On the morning of Nisan 14, any leaven products still in the possession of the householder are burned (s’rayfat chamez) along with the 10 loaves of bread from the previous night’s search. The head of household repeats Biyur Chametz’s statement, declaring any chametz that may not have been found null and void “like the dust of the earth”:

Any chametz or leaven in my possession that I have not seen, removed, or know of, should be annulled and abandoned like the dust of the earth.

Original explanation recited in Aramaic:[76]

”

If more chametz is actually found in the house during the Passover holiday, it must be burned as soon as possible.

Unlike chametz, which can be eaten any day of the year except during Passover, kosher Passover foods can be eaten year-round. They do not have to be incinerated or disposed of in any other way after the holiday.

The historic Passover sacrifice of the “Easter Lamb” (Korban Passover) was discontinued after the Romans destroyed the Second Jewish Temple some two thousand years ago, and as such is still not part of the modern Jewish holiday.

At the time when the Jewish temples were in place, the lamb was slaughtered and cooked on Passover eve and fully eaten before morning as described in Exodus 12:3-11.[78]

Separate kosher for Passover utensils and crockery

Passover glass, interwar period

Because of the Torah’s injunction not to eat chametz (leaven) during Passover,[65] faithful families typically own complete sets of serveware, glassware, and flatware (and in some cases even separate dishwashers and sinks) that they never touch Chametz, only for use during Passover. Some chametz utensils may be dipped in boiling water (Hagalat keilim) to cleanse any traces of chametz that may have accumulated over the year. Many Sephardic families thoroughly wash their year-round glassware and then use it for Passover, as the Sephardic position is that glass does not hold enough traces of food to pose a problem. Similarly, ovens can be used for Passover either by setting the self-cleaning function to its highest level for a period of time, or by shining a blowtorch on the interior until the oven glows red hot (a process called Libun gamur). [79]

matzah

Shmura Matza Machine made

A symbol of Passover is matzo, an unleavened flatbread made solely from flour and water, which is constantly worked from mixing to baking to keep it from rising. Matzo can be made by machine or by hand. The Torah contains an instruction to eat matzo, especially on the first night of Passover, and to eat only unleavened bread (matzo in practice) throughout the entire Passover week.[80] Consequently, eating matzo plays a prominent role in the Passover Seder. There are several explanations for this.

The Torah says this is because the Hebrews left Egypt in such a hurry that there was no time to prove baked bread; such is flat unleavened bread, matzo, a reminder of the swift departure of the Exodus.[81] Other scholars teach that matzo was often baked for the purpose of travel around the time of the Exodus because it was durable and easy to carry (making it similar to hardtack), suggesting that matzo was made intentionally for the long journey ahead was baked.

Matzo was also called Lechem Oni (Hebrew: “bread of poverty”). There is an accompanying statement that matzo serves as a symbol to remind Jews what it is like to be a poor slave and to encourage humility, valuing freedom and avoiding the inflated ego symbolized by more luxurious sourdough bread. [82]

Shmura Matzo Handmade

Shmura matzo (“watched” or “guarded” matzo) is the preferred bread for the Passover Seder in Orthodox Jewish communities. Shmura matzah is made from wheat that is protected from contamination by leaven (chametz) from the summer harvest[62] until it is baked into matzo five to ten months later.

In the weeks leading up to Passover, matzo is prepared for holiday consumption. In vielen orthodoxen jüdischen Gemeinden versammeln sich Männer traditionell in Gruppen (“Chaburas”), um handgemachte Matze für den Seder zu backen, wobei der Teig von Hand gerollt wird, was zu einer großen und runden Matze führt. Chaburas arbeiten auch in maschinell hergestellten Matzo-Fabriken zusammen, die die typisch quadratische Matze produzieren, die in Geschäften verkauft wird.

Das Backen von Matze ist arbeitsintensiv, da zwischen dem Mischen von Mehl und Wasser bis zum Abschluss des Backens und der Entnahme aus dem Ofen weniger als 18 Minuten vergehen. Folglich kann nur eine kleine Anzahl Matzen auf einmal gebacken werden, und die Chabura-Mitglieder sind verpflichtet, den Teig ständig zu bearbeiten, damit er nicht gären und aufgehen kann. Unmittelbar vor dem Backen wird ein spezielles Schneidewerkzeug über den Teig geführt, um Blasen zu stechen, die die Matze aufblähen könnten;[83] dadurch entstehen die bekannten gepunkteten Löcher in der Matze.

Nachdem die Matzen aus dem Ofen kommen, wird der gesamte Arbeitsbereich geschrubbt und gekehrt, um sicherzustellen, dass keine alten, möglicherweise gesäuerten Teigstücke zurückbleiben, da alle verirrten Stücke jetzt Chamez sind und die nächste Charge Matze verunreinigen können.

Einige maschinell hergestellte Matzen sind innerhalb von 5 Minuten nach dem Kneten fertig.[62]

Pessach-Seder

Gedeckter Tisch für den Pessach-Seder

Es ist Tradition, dass sich jüdische Familien in der ersten Pessachnacht (die ersten beiden Nächte in orthodoxen und konservativen Gemeinden außerhalb Israels) zu einem besonderen Abendessen namens Seder versammeln (hebräisch: סדר seder – abgeleitet vom hebräischen Wort für „Ordnung“ oder „ Arrangement”, was sich auf die sehr spezifische Reihenfolge des Rituals bezieht). Der Tisch ist mit feinstem Porzellan und Besteck gedeckt, um die Bedeutung der Mahlzeit widerzuspiegeln. Während dieser Mahlzeit wird die Geschichte des Auszugs aus Ägypten anhand eines speziellen Textes namens Haggada nacherzählt. Während der Rezitation der Haggada werden insgesamt vier Tassen Wein getrunken. Der Seder wird durch die Haggada in die folgenden 15 Teile geteilt:

Kadeish/ Qadēsh קדש – Vortrag des Kiddusch-Segens und Trinken des ersten Bechers Wein Urchatz/ Ūr·ḥats/ Ūr·ḥaṣ ורחץ – das Waschen der Hände – ohne Segen Karpas כרפס – Eintauchen der Karpas in Salzwasser Yachatz/ Yaḥats/ Yaḥaṣ יחץ – Brechen der mittleren Matze; Das größere Stück wird zum Afikoman, das später während des Rituals von Tzafun Maggid/ Maggiyd מגיד gegessen wird – die Passah-Geschichte nacherzählt, einschließlich des Rezitierens der „vier Fragen“ und des Trinkens des zweiten Bechers Wein Rachtzah/ Raḥ·tsah/ Raḥ· ṣah רחצה – second washing of the hands – with blessing Motzi/ Môtsiy’/ Môṣiy’ מוציא – traditional blessing before eating bread products Matzo/ Maṣo מצה – blessing before eating matzo Maror מרור – eating of the maror Koreich/ Korēkh כורך – eating of a sandwich made of matzo and maror Shulchan oreich/ Shūl·ḥan ‘ôrēkh שולחן עורך – lit. “set table” – the serving of the holiday meal Tzafun/ Tsafūn/ Ṣafūn צפון – eating of the afikoman Bareich/ Barēkh ברך – blessing after the meal and drinking of the third cup of wine Hallel הלל – recital of the Hallel, traditionally recited on festivals; drinking of the fourth cup of wine Nirtzah/ Niyr·tsah/ Niyr·ṣah נירצה – conclusion

These 15 parts parallel the 15 steps in the Temple in Jerusalem on which the Levites stood during Temple services, and which were memorialized in the 15 Psalms (#120–134) known as Shir HaMa’a lot (Hebrew: שיר המעלות shiyr ha-ma‘alôth, “Songs of Ascent”).[84]

The seder is replete with questions, answers, and unusual practices (e.g. the recital of Kiddush which is not immediately followed by the blessing over bread, which is the traditional procedure for all other holiday meals) to arouse the interest and curiosity of the children at the table. The children are also rewarded with nuts and candies when they ask questions and participate in the discussion of the Exodus and its aftermath. Likewise, they are encouraged to search for the afikoman, the piece of matzo which is the last thing eaten at the seder. Audience participation and interaction is the rule, and many families’ seders last long into the night with animated discussions and singing. The seder concludes with additional songs of praise and faith printed in the Haggadah, including Chad Gadya (“One Little Kid” or “One Little Goat”).

Maror

Maror (bitter herbs) symbolizes the bitterness of slavery in Egypt. The following verse from the Torah underscores that symbolism: “And they embittered (Hebrew: וימררו ve-yimareru) their lives with hard labor, with mortar and with bricks and with all manner of labor in the field; any labor that they made them do was with hard labor” (Exodus 1:14).

Silver seder plate

Four cups of wine

There is a Rabbinic requirement that four cups of wine are to be drunk during the seder meal. This applies to both men and women. The Mishnah says (Pes. 10:1) that even the poorest man in Israel has an obligation to drink. Each cup is connected to a different part of the seder: the first cup is for Kiddush, the second cup is connected with the recounting of the Exodus, the drinking of the third cup concludes Birkat Hamazon and the fourth cup is associated with Hallel. A fifth cup of wine is poured near the end of the seder for Eliyahu HaNavi, a symbol of the future redemption, which is left un-touched.[85]

The four questions and participation of children

Children have a very important role in the Passover seder. Traditionally the youngest child is prompted to ask questions about the Passover seder, beginning with the words, Mah Nishtana HaLeila HaZeh (Why is this night different from all other nights?). The questions encourage the gathering to discuss the significance of the symbols in the meal. The questions asked by the child are:

Why is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights, we eat either unleavened or leavened bread, but tonight we eat only unleavened bread? On all other nights, we eat all kinds of vegetables, but tonight, we eat only bitter herbs? On all other nights, we do not dip [our food] even once, but tonight we dip twice? On all other nights, we eat either sitting or reclining, but tonight we only recline?

Often the leader of the seder and the other adults at the meal will use prompted responses from the Haggadah, which states, “The more one talks about the Exodus from Egypt, the more praiseworthy he is.” Many readings, prayers, and stories are used to recount the story of the Exodus. Many households add their own commentary and interpretation and often the story of the Jews is related to the theme of liberation and its implications worldwide.

Afikoman

14th century Haggadah

The afikoman – an integral part of the Seder itself – is used to engage the interest and excitement of the children at the table. During the fourth part of the Seder, called Yachatz, the leader breaks the middle piece of matzo into two. He sets aside the larger portion as the afikoman. Many families use the afikoman as a device for keeping the children awake and alert throughout the Seder proceedings by hiding the afikoman and offering a prize for its return.[62] Alternatively, the children are allowed to “steal” the afikoman and demand a reward for its return. In either case, the afikoman must be consumed during the twelfth part of the Seder, Tzafun.

Concluding songs

After the Hallel, the fourth glass of wine is drunk, and participants recite a prayer that ends in “Next year in Jerusalem!”. This is followed by several lyric prayers that expound upon God’s mercy and kindness, and give thanks for the survival of the Jewish people through a history of exile and hardship. “Echad Mi Yodea” (“Who Knows One?”) is a playful song, testing the general knowledge of the children (and the adults). Some of these songs, such as “Chad Gadya” are allegorical.

Counting of the Omer

Beginning on the second night of Passover, the 16th day of Nisan,[86] Jews begin the practice of the Counting of the Omer, a nightly reminder of the approach of the holiday of Shavuot 50 days hence. Each night after the evening prayer service, men and women recite a special blessing and then enumerate the day of the Omer. On the first night, for example, they say, “Today is the first day in (or, to) the Omer”; on the second night, “Today is the second day in the Omer.” The counting also involves weeks; thus, the seventh day is commemorated, “Today is the seventh day, which is one week in the Omer.” The eighth day is marked, “Today is the eighth day, which is one week and one day in the Omer,” etc.[87]

When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, a sheaf of new-cut barley was presented before the altar on the second day of Unleavened Bread. Josephus writes:

On the second day of unleavened bread, that is to say the sixteenth, our people partake of the crops which they have reaped and which have not been touched till then, and esteeming it right first to do homage to God, to whom they owe the abundance of these gifts, they offer to him the first-fruits of the barley in the following way. After parching and crushing the little sheaf of ears and purifying the barley for grinding, they bring to the altar an assaron for God, and, having flung a handful thereof on the altar, they leave the rest for the use of the priests. Thereafter all are permitted, publicly or individually, to begin harvest.[88]

Since the destruction of the Temple, this offering is brought in word rather than deed.

One explanation for the Counting of the Omer is that it shows the connection between Passover and Shavuot. The physical freedom that the Hebrews achieved at the Exodus from Egypt was only the beginning of a process that climaxed with the spiritual freedom they gained at the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Another explanation is that the newborn nation which emerged after the Exodus needed time to learn their new responsibilities vis-a-vis Torah and mitzvot before accepting God’s law. The distinction between the Omer offering – a measure of barley, typically animal fodder – and the Shavuot offering – two loaves of wheat bread, human food – symbolizes the transition process.[89]

Chol HaMoed: The intermediate days of Passover

In Israel, Passover lasts for seven days with the first and last days being major Jewish holidays. In Orthodox and Conservative communities, no work is performed on those days, with most of the rules relating to the observances of Shabbat being applied.[90]

Outside Israel, in Orthodox and Conservative communities, the holiday lasts for eight days with the first two days and last two days being major holidays. In the intermediate days necessary work can be performed. Reform Judaism observes Passover over seven days, with the first and last days being major holidays.

Like the holiday of Sukkot, the intermediary days of Passover are known as Chol HaMoed (festival weekdays) and are imbued with a semi-festive status. It is a time for family outings and picnic lunches of matzo, hardboiled eggs, fruits and vegetables, and Passover treats such as macaroons and homemade candies.[90]

Passover cake recipes call for potato starch or Passover cake flour made from finely granulated matzo instead of regular flour, and a large amount of eggs to achieve fluffiness. Cookie recipes use matzo farfel (broken bits of matzo) or ground nuts as the base. For families with Eastern European backgrounds, borsht, a soup made with beets, is a Passover tradition.[91]

A Passover brownie cake baked in a Wonder Pot

While kosher for Passover packaged goods are available in stores, some families opt to cook everything from scratch during Passover week. In Israel, families that do not kasher their ovens can bake cakes, casseroles, and even meat[92] on the stovetop in a Wonder Pot, an Israeli invention consisting of three parts: an aluminium pot shaped like a Bundt pan, a hooded cover perforated with venting holes, and a thick, round, metal disc with a center hole which is placed between the Wonder Pot and the flame to disperse heat.[93]

Seventh day of Passover

Shvi’i shel Pesach (שביעי של פסח) (“seventh [day] of Passover”) is another full Jewish holiday, with special prayer services and festive meals. Outside the Land of Israel, in the Jewish diaspora, Shvi’i shel Pesach is celebrated on both the seventh and eighth days of Passover.[94] This holiday commemorates the day the Children of Israel reached the Red Sea and witnessed both the miraculous “Splitting of the Sea” (Passage of the Red Sea), the drowning of all the Egyptian chariots, horses and soldiers that pursued them. According to the Midrash, only the Pharaoh was spared to give testimony to the miracle that occurred.

Hasidic Rebbes traditionally hold a tish on the night of Shvi’i shel Pesach and place a cup or bowl of water on the table before them. They use this opportunity to speak about the Splitting of the Sea to their disciples, and sing songs of praise to God.[95]

Second Passover

The “Second Passover” (Pesach Sheni) on the 14th of Iyar in the Hebrew calendar is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible’s Book of Numbers[96] as a make-up day for people who were unable to offer the pesach sacrifice at the appropriate time due to ritual impurity or distance from Jerusalem. Just as on the first Pesach night, breaking bones from the second Paschal offering or leaving meat over until morning is prohibited.[97][98]

Today, Pesach Sheni on the 14th of Iyar has the status of a very minor holiday (so much so that many of the Jewish people have never even heard of it, and it essentially does not exist outside of Orthodox and traditional Conservative Judaism). There are not really any special prayers or observances that are considered Jewish law. The only change in the liturgy is that in some communities Tachanun, a penitential prayer omitted on holidays, is not said. There is a custom, though not Jewish law, to eat just one piece of matzo on that night.[99]

Traditional foods

Because the house is free of leaven (chametz) for eight days, the Jewish household typically eats different foods during the week of Passover. Some include:

Ashkenazi foods

Matzah brei – Matzo softened in milk or water and fried with egg and fat; served either savory or sweet

– Matzo softened in milk or water and fried with egg and fat; served either savory or sweet Matzo kugel – A kugel made with matzo instead of noodles

Charoset – A sweet mixture of fruit, fresh, dried or both; nuts; spices; honey; and sometimes wine. The charoset is a symbol of the mortar the Israelites used for building while enslaved in Egypt (See Passover seder)

– A sweet mixture of fruit, fresh, dried or both; nuts; spices; honey; and sometimes wine. The charoset is a symbol of the mortar the Israelites used for building while enslaved in Egypt (See Passover seder) Chrain – Horseradish and beet relish

– Horseradish and beet relish Gefilte fish – Poached fish patties or fish balls made from a mixture of ground, de-boned fish, mostly carp or pike

Chicken soup with matzah balls ( kneydlach ) – Chicken soup served with matzo-meal dumplings

) – Chicken soup served with matzo-meal dumplings Passover noodles – Noodles prepared from potato flour and eggs, served in soup. Batter is fried like thin crepes, which are stacked, rolled up and sliced into ribbons.[100]

Sephardi foods

Kafteikas di prasa – Fried balls made of leeks, meat, and matzo meal

– Fried balls made of leeks, meat, and matzo meal Lamb or chicken leg – A symbol of God’s strong hand, and korban pesach

Mina (pastel di pesach) – a meat pie made with matzos

(pastel di pesach) – a meat pie made with matzos Spring green vegetables – artichoke, fava beans, peas

Sermons, liturgy, and song

The story of Passover, with its message that slaves can go free, and that the future can be better than the present, has inspired a number of religious sermons, prayers, and songs – including spirituals (what used to be called “Negro Spirituals”), within the African-American community.

Rabbi Philip R. Alstat, an early leader of Conservative Judaism, known for his fiery rhetoric and powerful oratory skills, wrote and spoke in 1939 about the power of the Passover story during the rise of Nazi persecution and terror:[101]

Perhaps in our generation the counsel of our Talmudic sages may seem superfluous, for today the story of our enslavement in Egypt is kept alive not only by ritualistic symbolism, but even more so by tragic realism. We are the contemporaries and witnesses of its daily re-enactment. Are not our hapless brethren in the German Reich eating “the bread of affliction”? Are not their lives embittered by complete disenfranchisement and forced labor? Are they not lashed mercilessly by brutal taskmasters behind the walls of concentration camps? Are not many of their men-folk being murdered in cold blood? Is not the ruthlessness of the Egyptian Pharaoh surpassed by the sadism of the Nazi dictators?

And yet, even in this hour of disaster and degradation, it is still helpful to “visualize oneself among those who had gone forth out of Egypt.” It gives stability and equilibrium to the spirit. Only our estranged kinsmen, the assimilated, and the de-Judaized, go to pieces under the impact of the blow….But those who visualize themselves among the groups who have gone forth from the successive Egypts in our history never lose their sense of perspective, nor are they overwhelmed by confusion and despair…. It is this faith, born of racial experience and wisdom, which gives the oppressed the strength to outlive the oppressors and to endure until the day of ultimate triumph when we shall “be brought forth from bondage unto freedom, from sorrow unto joy, from mourning unto festivity, from darkness unto great light, and from servitude unto redemption.

Related celebrations in other religions

Saint Thomas Syrian Christians observe Maundy Thursday as Pesaha, a Malayalam word derived from the Aramaic or Hebrew word for Passover (Pasha, Pesach or Pesah), commemorating the Korban Pesach and Last Supper of Jesus Christ during Passover in Jerusalem. The tradition of consuming Pesaha Appam after the church service is observed by the entire community under the leadership of the head of the family. Special long services followed by the Holy Qurbana are conducted during the Pesaha eve in the churches. The tradition of Pesaha was established among the Saint Thomas Syrian Christian community by the Jewish Knanaya community, an endogamous subgroup among the Saint Thomas Syrian Christians.[102][103]

The Samaritan religion celebrates its own, similar Passover holiday, based on the Samaritan Pentateuch. Samaritanism holds that the Jews and Samaritans share a common history, but split into distinct communities after the time of Moses.[104] Passover is also celebrated in Karaite Judaism,[105] which rejects the Oral Torah that characterizes mainstream Rabbinic Judaism, as well as other groups claiming affiliation with Israelites.[106]

In Christianity, the celebration of Easter (not to be confused with the pre-Christian Saxon festival from which it derives its English name) and its date in the calendar finds its roots in the Jewish feast of Passover, when, according to Christian interpretation, Jesus was crucified as the Passover Lamb.[107][108][109] The coincidence of Jesus’ crucifixion with the Jewish Passover led some early Christians to make a false etymological association between Hebrew Pesach and Greek pascho (“suffer”).[110]

Quartodeciman Christians continued to end the Lenten fast in time to observe Passover as a Christian holiday, which occurs before the Lord’s day, as the two are not mutually exclusive. However due to intense persecution from Nicene Christianity after the Easter controversy, the practice had mostly died out by the 5th or 6th century, and only re-emerged in the 20th century.[111]

Some Christians, including Messianic Jews, also celebrate Passover itself as a Christian holiday.[112]

In the Sunni sect of Islam, it is recommended to fast on the day of Ashurah (10th of Muharram) based on narrations attributed to Muhammad. The fast is celebrated in order to commemorate the day when Moses and his followers were saved from Pharaoh by God by creating a path in the Red Sea (The Exodus). According to Muslim tradition, the Jews of Madinah used to fast on the tenth of Muharram in observance of Passover. In narrations recorded in the al-Hadith (sayings of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad) of Sahih al-Bukhari, it is recommended that Muslims fast on this day. It is also stipulated that its observance should differ from the feast of Passover which is celebrated by the Jews, and he stated that Muslims should fast for two days instead of one, either on the 9th and 10th day or on the 10th and 11th day of Muharram.[113][failed verification]

See also

Jewish holiday of the second Passover

Pesach Sheni Many eat matzo on Pesach Sheni in remembrance of the Korban Passover. Official name Hebrew: פסח שני Also called translation: “Second Passover”. Celebrations Some Hasidic Jews hold a Seder similar to a Passover Seder Date 14th day of Iyar Date 2021 Sunset April 25 –

Nightfall, April 26, 2022 Date Sunset, May 14 –

Nightfall, May 15, 2023 Date Sunset, May 4 –

Nightfall, May 5, 2024 Date Sunset, May 21 –

Nightfall, May 22 Related to Passover

Pesach Sheni (Hebrew: פסח שני, trans. Second Passover) occurs on the 14th of Iyar every year. This is exactly one month after Nisan 14, the day before Passover, the prescribed day for bringing the Korban Passover (“Easter sacrifice”, i.e. Passover lamb) in anticipation of that holiday.[2] As described in the source text of this mitzvah (Numbers 9:1-14), the Israelites were about to celebrate Passover a year after leaving Egypt.

The offering of the Korban Passover was the focus of this celebration. However, “certain men”[3] were ritually unclean from contact with human corpses and therefore were not eligible to attend the Korban Passover. Faced with the conflict between being required to attend the Korban Passover and being ineligible because of impurity, they turned to Moses and Aaron for instructions, which led to the transmission of the Passover Sheni law.[4]

Temple-time observance[edit]

Eligibility[edit]

As described in Numbers 9:9-13, a Jew may bring the Korban Passover on Passover Sheni if ​​he/she was ritually unclean due to contact with a corpse or was on a “distant journey.” As explained in Mishna Pesahim (9:1-4)[5] and his Gemara:[6]

The definition of “long-distance travel” for this purpose is generally interpreted broadly.

All types of ritual defilements are generally included, not just those caused by contact with a human body.

In effect, anyone who is inevitably prevented from offering the Korban Passover on the Passover can do so on the Pesach Sheni, provided that most of the nation was clean and brought the first Passover. However, one must not intentionally postpone the Korban Passover if it is in his/her power to offer it on the Passover.

Similarities and differences compared to Passover[edit]

The Mishnah (9:3)[5] and Gemara[7] outline the following similarities and differences in the laws of the Korban Passover when offered on Passover Sheni compared to Passover:

The same thing:

The details of the sacrifice itself – what animals can be used, that it must be roasted, that it must be eaten with matzo and bitter herbs, that its bones must not be broken, that it be eaten by midnight, that all leftovers must be burned.

Hallel is recited during his offering, the offering overrides the Shabbat prohibitions, only those previously “registered” before the slaughter are allowed to participate.

Different:

The only restriction regarding chametz (leavened food) is that it cannot be eaten with korban Passover. Otherwise, it is permissible to possess and see in the sunlight, unlike Passover.

(leavened food) is that it cannot be eaten with. Otherwise, it is permissible to possess and see in the sunlight, unlike Passover. In general, the full seven-day HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread)—the holiday now commonly referred to as Passover—is not observed in conjunction with Passover Sheni.

(Feast of Unleavened Bread) – the holiday now commonly referred to as Passover – is not observed in conjunction with Passover Sheni. Hallel is not recited at mealtimes when consuming the Korban Passover, unlike Passover.

consumed, unlike on Passover. Rabbi Moses Sofer held that the Korban Pesach Sheni was slaughtered before the Tamid, in contrast to the Korban Pesach, which was slaughtered after the Korban Tamid (the two-day daily sacrifice).[8] His opinion is contrary to what is written in the Tosafot, which claims that Pesach Sheni is also slaughtered after Tamid.[9]

Observation in modern times[edit]

Because of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jews cannot perform the Passover sacrifice on either Passover or Passover Sheni. Some have a custom of eating matzo during Pesach Sheni in remembrance of the sacrifice.[10] Others say that the reason for eating matzo is that the 14th of Iyar was the day when the matzo brought out of Egypt was ready.[11] Some have the custom of omitting Tahanun from the daily prayer service,[12] although this custom is not universally followed.[13]

In Hasidism[edit]

Pesach Sheni is relatively prominent in both Chabad and Hasidic thought. A frequently expressed theme for this holiday is second chances.[10][14][15] In several Hasidic groups, the Rebbe performs a Tish an Pesach Sheni.

The Rebbes of Nadvorna and related groups host a table with four cups of wine, matzo, and maror in the manner of a Seder.

See also[edit]

Chol HaMoed, the days between Passover and Sukkot.

Isru Chag refers to the day after each of the three pilgrimage festivals.

Mimouna, a traditional North African Jewish festival that takes place the day after Passover.

Purim Katan is when during a Jewish leap year Purim is celebrated during Adar II, so the 14th of Adar I is then called Purim Katan.

Shushan Purim falls on the 15th of Adar and is the day on which Jews in Jerusalem celebrate Purim.

Yom Kippur Katan is a practice observed by some Jews on the day before each Rosh Chodesh, or new moon day.

Yom tov sheni shel galuyot refers to the observance of an extra day of Jewish holidays outside the Land of Israel.

Jewish holiday

This article is about the Jewish holiday. For other uses, see Passover (disambiguation)

Passover, also called Passover (;[2] Biblical Hebrew: חַג הַפֶּסַח‎, romanized: Ḥag haPesaḥ), is a major Jewish holiday celebrating the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt,[3] which falls on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nisan , the first month of Aviv or Spring. The word Passover or Passover can also refer to the Korban Pesach, the Paschal Lamb, which was sacrificed when the Temple stood in Jerusalem; the Passover Seder, the ritual meal on Passover night; or the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Passover, one of the biblically prescribed three pilgrimage festivals, is traditionally celebrated for seven days in the Land of Israel and for eight days among many Jews in the Diaspora based on the concept of yom tov sheni shel galuyot. In the Bible, the seven-day holiday is known as Chag HaMatzot, the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Mazzoh).[4]

According to the Book of Exodus, God commands Moses to tell the Israelites to mark the blood of a lamb over their doors so that the angel of death will pass over them (i.e. that they will not be saved from the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn). After the death of the firstborn pharaoh, the Israelites were commanded to go and take what they wanted, and Moses was asked to bless him in the name of the Lord. The passage goes on to say that the Passover sacrifice commemorates the time when God “passed by the houses of the Israelites in Egypt.”[5] This story is told at the Passover meal in the form of the Haggadah, in fulfillment of the commandment “And you shall tell your son (Higgadata) on that day, saying: It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt out.”[6]

The wave offering of barley was offered in Jerusalem on the second day of the festival. Counting the sheaves will be practiced for seven more weeks leading up to the Feast of Weeks on the 50th day, the holiday of Shavuot.

Today, along with the biblical prohibition on possessing leavened food for the duration of the holiday, the Passover Seder is one of the most widespread rituals in Judaism.

etymology

Hebrew פֶּסַח is rendered as Tiberian [pɛsaħ] () and Modern Hebrew: [ˈpesaχ] Pesah, Pesakh. The verb pasàch (פָּסַח) is first mentioned in the Torah account of the Exodus from Egypt[7] and there is some debate as to its precise meaning. The common belief that it means “He passed over” (פסח), in reference to God “passing over” (or “skipping over”) the houses of the Hebrews during the finale of the Ten Plagues of Egypt, comes from the translation provided in of the Septuagint (Ancient Greek: παρελευσεται, romanized: pareleusetai in Exodus 12:23, [7] and εσκεπασεν, eskepasen in Exodus 12:27.) we-yēḥôs) “he had pity”, comes from the Hebrew root חסה, meaning “pity have”.[8] Related languages ​​yield similar terms with different meanings, such as “soften, appease, soothe” (Akkadian passahu), “reap, commemorate, blow” (Egyptian), or “sever” (Arabic fsh).[9]

The term Passover (Hebrew: פֶּסַח‎, Pesaḥ) can also refer to the lamb or goat referred to as the Passover sacrifice (called the Korban Passover in Hebrew). Four days before the Exodus, the Hebrews were commanded to set aside a lamb[10] and examine it daily for blemishes. During the day of Nisan 14, they were to slaughter the animal and use its blood to mark their lintels and doorposts. Before midnight on Nisan 15 they were to eat the lamb.

It is known that the English term “Passover” was first recorded in English in William Tyndale’s translation of the Bible[11] and later also appeared in the King James version. It is a literal translation of the Hebrew term.[12] The King James Version says in Exodus 12:23:

For the LORD will go through to strike the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the doorstep and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass by the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.

origins

It is generally believed that the Passover ritual has its origins in an apotropaic rite unrelated to the exodus to ensure the protection of a family home, a rite performed entirely within a clan.[14] Hyssop was used to smear the blood of a slaughtered sheep on the lintels and door jambs to ensure that demonic forces could not enter the house.[15]

Another hypothesis holds that after the promulgation of the priestly code, the Exodus narrative took on a central function, as the apotropaic rite was arguably merged with the Canaanite agricultural spring festival, which was a ceremony of unleavened bread associated with the barley harvest. As the Exodus motif grew, the original function and symbolism of these dual origins was lost.[16] Several motifs repeat features associated with the Mesopotamian Akitu festival.[17] Other scholars, John Van Seters, J.B. Segal, and Tamara Prosic, disagree with the merged two festivals hypothesis.[18]

Biblical narrative

In the Book of Exodus

In the book of Exodus, the Israelites are enslaved in ancient Egypt. Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, appears to Moses in a burning bush and commands Moses to face Pharaoh. To demonstrate his power, Yahweh inflicts a series of 10 plagues on the Egyptians, culminating in the 10th plague, the death of the firstborn.

This is what the Lord says: “At midnight I will pass through Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh who sits on the throne to the firstborn son of the slave woman who is at her hand in the mill and all the firstborn of the cattle. There will be loud wailing throughout all Egypt—worse than ever before or ever again.”—Exodus 11:4-6

Before this final plague, Yahweh commands Moses to tell the Israelites to mark the blood of a lamb over their doors so that Yahweh will pass them by (meaning that they will not be touched by the death of the firstborn).

Biblical regulations for observing the feast require that all leaven be disposed of before the beginning of Nisan 15.[19] An unblemished lamb or goat, known as the Korban Passover or “Easter Lamb”, is said to be separated on Nisan 10[10] and slaughtered at dusk when Nisan 14 ends in preparation for Nisan 15 if eaten thereafter will be roasted.[20] The literal meaning of the Hebrew is “between the two evenings.”[21] It is then said to be eaten “this night,” the 15th of Nisan,[22] roasted without removing the internal organs[23] with unleavened bread known as matzo and bitter herbs known as maror.[22] None of the sacrifice on which the sun rises on the morning of Nisan 15 may be eaten, but must be cremated.[24]

The biblical injunctions, which apply to the original Passover only at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, also include how the meal was to be eaten: “Gid up your loins, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hands; and ye shall eat it hastily: it is the Passover of the LORD.”[25]

The biblical requirements of slaughtering the Paschal lamb in the individual homes of the Hebrews and smearing the lamb’s blood on their doors were celebrated in Egypt. However, when Israel was in the wilderness and the tabernacle was in operation, a change was made to both of these original requirements.[26] Passover lambs were to be sacrificed at the door of the tabernacle and no longer in the homes of the Jews. Therefore blood was no longer allowed to be smeared on doors.

The Passover in other Bible passages

Referred to in the Hebrew Bible as the “Feast [of] Matzo” (Hebrew: חג המצות ḥag ha-matzôth), the commandment to keep the Passover is recorded in the book of Leviticus:

In the first month, the fourteenth day of the month at sundown is the Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to the LORD; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day ye shall have a holy assembly; you shall not do slave labor. And seven days you shall bring an offering made by fire to the LORD; on the seventh day is a holy assembly; you shall not do slave labor. Leviticus 23:5–8 (1917 JPS version)

The sacrifices are to be performed only in a specific place ordained by God. For Judaism, this is Jerusalem.[27]

The biblical commandments of Passover (and the Feast of Unleavened Bread) emphasize the importance of remembering the following:

Exodus 12:14, regarding God’s sparing of the firstborn from the tenth plague, commands: “And this day shall be a memorial to you, and you shall keep it to the LORD; ye shall keep it in your generations a feast by decree forever.” [28]

; ye shall keep it as a feast throughout your generations.” Exodus 13:3 repeats the command to remember: “Remember that day, when you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, for by power the hand of the LORD brought you out of this place.” [29]

brought you out from this place.” Deuteronomy 16:12: “And you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall keep these statutes and do them.”[30]

In 2 Kings 23:21-23 and 2 Chronicles 35:1-19, King Josiah of Judah restores the Passover feast[31] to a standard not seen since the days of the judges or the days of the prophet Samuel became. [32]

Ezra 6:19-21 records the celebration of the Passover by the Jews who returned from exile in Babylon after the temple was rebuilt.[33]

In extra-biblical sources

Some of these details can be confirmed and partially supplemented in extra-biblical sources. The removal (or “sealing”) of the leaven is referred to in the Elephantine Papyri, a 5th-century B.C. Aramaic papyrus. BC, Elephantine in Egypt.[34] The slaughter of the lambs on the 14th is mentioned in the Book of Jubilees, a Ptolemaic-era Jewish work, and by the Herodian-era writers Josephus and Philo. These sources also indicate that “between the two evenings” meant the afternoon.[35] Jubilees states that the sacrifice was eaten that night,[36] and together with Josephus states that nothing was left of the sacrifice until morning.[37] Philo states that the banquet included hymns and prayers.[38]

Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan, which usually falls in March or April on the Gregorian calendar. The 15th day begins the evening after the 14th day, and that evening the Seder meal is eaten. Passover is a spring festival, so the 15th day of Nisan usually begins on the night of the full moon after the northern vernal equinox.[39] Because of leap months that fall after the vernal equinox, Passover sometimes begins on the second full moon after the vernal equinox, as in 2016.

To ensure that Passover did not begin before spring, tradition in ancient Israel stipulated that the lunar new year, the first day of Nisan, would not begin until the barley was ripe, which was the test of spring’s onset. [40] When the barley was not ripe or various other phenomena[41] indicated that spring was not yet imminent, a leap month (Adar II) was added. However, since at least the 4th century intercalation has been established mathematically according to the Metonic cycle.[42]

In Israel, Passover is the seven-day holiday of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, with the first and last days being celebrated as public holidays and as holy days with holiday meals, special prayer services, and refusal to work; The days in between are known as Chol HaMoed (“Weekdays [of the] Festival”). Jews outside the Land of Israel celebrate the festival for eight days. Reform and Reconstruction Jews typically celebrate the holiday over seven days.[43][44][45] Karaites use a different version of the Jewish calendar, differing from that of the modern Jewish calendar by a day or two.[46] The Samaritans use a calendar system that uses a method different from that used in Jewish practice to determine the timing of their feast days.[47] For example, in 2009, the 15th of Nisan in the Jewish calendar of Rabbinic Judaism corresponds to April 9th. In the Karaite and Samaritan calendars, the 15th of Abib or Aviv (as opposed to “Nisan”) corresponds to April 11, 2009. The Karaite and Samaritan Passover lasts one day each, followed by the six-day Feast of Unleavened Bread—for a total of seven days. [48]

Passover sacrifice

According to Judaism, the main entity at Passover is the sacrificial lamb.[49] During the existence of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem, the Passover sacrifice (Hebrew: korban Passover), also called the Easter lamb, was the focus of the Passover feast, eaten during the Passover Seder on Nisan 15. Every family large enough to completely consume a young lamb or wild goat was required to make an offering in the Jewish temple on the afternoon of Nisan 14[50] and eat it that night, Nisan 15. [51] When the family was too small to eat the entire offering in one sitting, an offering was made for a group of families. The sacrifice was not to be offered with anything leavened[52] and had to be roasted without removing the head, feet or internal organs[53] and eaten with unleavened bread (matze) and bitter herbs (maror). Care had to be taken not to break bones from the offering,[54] and none of the flesh was left until morning.[55]

Because of the Passover sacrifice’s status as a sacred offering, only those who were obligated to make the offering were allowed to eat. Among those who could not offer or eat the Passover lamb were an apostate,[56] a servant,[57] an uncircumcised man,[58] a person in a state of ritual uncleanness, except when the majority of the Jews were in a is in such a condition,[59] and a Gentile. The offer had to be made before a quorum of 30.[60] In the temple, the Levites sang Hallel while the priests performed the sacrificial service. Men and women were equally obligated in relation to sacrifice (Pesahim 91b).

Today, in the absence of the Temple, when no offerings are made or eaten, the Korban Passover mitzvah is celebrated in the Korban Passover Seder, a series of scriptures and rabbinic passages dealing with the Passover sacrifice and usually after the Mincha (afternoon prayer) service on Nisan 14,[61] and in the form of the zeroa, a symbolic food placed (but not eaten) on the Passover Seder plate, which is usually a roasted thigh bone (or a chicken wing or -neck) is. . Eating the Afikoman replaces eating the Korban Pesach at the end of the Seder (Mishna Pesachim 119a). Many Sephardic Jews have a custom of eating lamb or goat meat during the Seder to commemorate the Korban Passover.

Remove all leavens (chamez).

Washing Dishes for Passover (1657)

Burning chametz in the morning before the start of Passover

Leaven, in Hebrew chametz (Hebrew: חמץ ḥamets, “leaven”) is made from one of five grains[62] that are combined with water and left to stand for more than eighteen minutes. The consumption, keeping and possession of chametz is forbidden during Passover. Yeast and fermentation itself are not prohibited, as is the case with wine, for example, which is required rather than permitted. According to Halakha, possession of such chametz is also forbidden.[63]

Chametz does not contain baking powder, baking powder or similar products. Although these are called leavening agents in English, they acidify by chemical reaction, not biological fermentation. Bagels, waffles and pancakes made from baking soda and matzo flour are acceptable, while bagels made from sourdough and pancakes and waffles made from yeast are prohibited.[64]

The Torah commandments regarding chametz are:

To remove all chametz from one’s house, including things made with chametz, before the first day of Passover [65]. It can simply be used up, thrown away (historically destroyed by incineration), or given away or sold to non-Jews.

from home, including things made with chametz, before the first day of Passover. It can simply be used up, thrown away (historically destroyed by incineration), or given away or sold to non-Jews. Not to eat chametz or mixtures containing chametz during Passover. [66]

or mixtures included during Passover. Not having chametz in one’s area (i.e. home, office, car, etc.) during Passover.[67]

Observant Jews spend the weeks leading up to Passover in a barrage of thorough housecleaning to remove every morsel of chametz from every part of the house. Jewish law requires the removal of olive-sized or larger quantities of leaven from one’s possessions, but most household practices go beyond this. Even the joints of kitchen worktops are thoroughly cleaned to remove even the smallest traces of flour and yeast. Any containers or implements touched by chametz are kept and not used during Passover.[68]

Some hotels, resorts, and even cruise ships in America, Europe, and Israel are also undergoing thorough house cleaning to make their premises “kosher for Passover” to accommodate devout Jews.[69]

Interpretations for sourdough or yeast abstinence

Some scholars suggest that the commandment to abstain from leavened food or yeast suggests that sacrifices offered to God involve the offering of objects in “their least altered state”, that of the manner in which they were originally made by God.[49][70] According to other scholars, the absence of leaven or yeast means that leaven or yeast symbolize corruption and depravity.[49][71]

There are also variations with restrictions on eating matzah before Passover, so there is an increased appetite for it during Passover itself. Especially among the Chabad Hasidim there is a custom not to eat matzo (flatbread) in the 30 days before the start of Passover.[72] Others have the custom of not eating matzah from Rosh Chodesh Nissan, while halacha merely prohibits one from eating matzah the day before Passover.[73]

Selling sourdough

Chametz foods that cannot be bought in a Jerusalem supermarket during Passover Foods that cannot be bought in a Jerusalem supermarket during Passover

Sourdough or chametz can be sold rather than discarded, particularly in the case of relatively valuable forms such as spirits distilled from wheat, with the products then being bought back. In some cases, they may never leave home but are officially sold while remaining in a locked cupboard with the original owner until they can be bought back after the holiday. Modern observance can also include sealing cabinets and drawers containing “chametz” which are taped shut, serving a similar purpose to a lock but also showing evidence of tampering. Although the practice of selling “chametz” dates back many years, it is viewed with contempt by some reform rabbinic authorities – since the putative “new owner” never actually takes possession of the goods.[74]

The sale of chametz can also be done collectively through a rabbi who becomes the “representative” for all Jews in the community through a halachic process called kinyan (acquisition). Each householder must put all the chametz he sells in a box or cupboard, and the rabbi makes a contract to give all the chametz to a non-Jew (who is not obligated to keep the commandments) at a small discount sell payment (e.g. $1.00), the remainder due after Passover. This sale is considered fully binding according to Halakha, and the buyer can come to take or share his property at any time during the holidays. The rabbi then buys back the goods for less than they were sold at the end of the holiday.[75]

Look for sourdough

On the night of Nisan 14, the night before the Passover Seder (after dark on the evening before Passover eve), Jews conduct a formal search, known as bedikat chametz, of their homes for any remaining leaven (chametz). The sages of the Talmud instructed that chametz should be searched for in every home, workplace, or place where chametz may have been taken during the year.[76] If the first Seder is on a Saturday evening, the search will be conducted on the preceding Thursday evening (Nisan 13), since chametz cannot be burned during Shabbat.

The Talmud in Pesahim (p. 2a) deduces from the Torah that the search for chametz is done by the light of a candle and therefore occurs at night, and although the final destruction of the chametz (usually by burning it in a small campfire) occurs next morning, the blessing occurs at night because the quest is both preparation and part of the commandments to remove and destroy all chametz from one’s possessions.[76]

Blessings for finding chametz and chametz annulment

Before the quest begins, there is a special blessing. If multiple people or family members are helping in the quest, only one person, usually the head of that family, recites the blessing to include everyone present:[76]

Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to remove chametz.

In Hebrew:

ברוך אתה י-הוה א-להינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על בעור חמץ

(berūkh otah, Adoynoy E-lohaynū, melekh ha-‘ôlam, eser qedesh-nū be-mitsūtayu we-tsewinū ‘al be-ôr ḥamets)

The search is then usually carried out by the head of household with his family and children under the supervision of the parents.

It is customary to turn off the light and conduct the candlelight search with a feather and a wooden spoon: candlelight effectively illuminates corners without casting shadows; the pen can dust crumbs from their hiding places; and the wooden spoon that collects the crumbs can be burned with the chametz the next day. However, most contemporary Jewish Orthodox authorities allow the use of a flashlight, while some strongly recommend it due to the danger involved in using a candle.

Since the house is believed to have been thoroughly cleaned the night before Passover, there is some concern that if nothing is found, a blessing on seeking chametz will be in vain (bracha l’vatala). Traditionally, 10 pieces of bread or cereal smaller than the size of an olive are hidden around the house to ensure some chametz is found.

Upon completion of the search, after all the small pieces have been safely packed and placed in a bag or place to be burned the next morning, the following is said:

Any chametz or leaven in my possession that I have not seen, removed, or know of, should be annulled and abandoned like the dust of the earth.

Original explanation recited in Aramaic:[76]

”

Morning of the 14th of Nisan

Note that if the 14th is Nisan Shabbat, many of the events listed below are celebrated on the 13th instead due to Shabbat restrictions.

Fasting of the firstborn

The day before the first Passover seder (or the Thursday morning before the seder if the first seder falls on Motza’ei Shabbat), firstborn sons are commanded to celebrate the firstborn’s fast, which commemorates the salvation of the Hebrew firstborn. According to Exodus 12:29, God struck down all the Egyptian firstborn, while the Israelites were unaffected.[77] However, it is customary for synagogues to hold a siyum (ceremony marking the completion of a section of Torah study) immediately after morning prayers, and the celebratory meal that follows lifts the firstborn’s obligation to fast.

Burning and lifting of leaven

On the morning of Nisan 14, any leaven products still in the possession of the householder are burned (s’rayfat chamez) along with the 10 loaves of bread from the previous night’s search. The head of household repeats Biyur Chametz’s statement, declaring any chametz that may not have been found null and void “like the dust of the earth”:

Any chametz or leaven in my possession that I have not seen, removed, or know of, should be annulled and abandoned like the dust of the earth.

Original explanation recited in Aramaic:[76]

”

If more chametz is actually found in the house during the Passover holiday, it must be burned as soon as possible.

Unlike chametz, which can be eaten any day of the year except during Passover, kosher Passover foods can be eaten year-round. They do not have to be incinerated or disposed of in any other way after the holiday.

The historic Passover sacrifice of the “Easter Lamb” (Korban Passover) was discontinued after the Romans destroyed the Second Jewish Temple some two thousand years ago, and as such is still not part of the modern Jewish holiday.

At the time when the Jewish temples were in place, the lamb was slaughtered and cooked on Passover eve and fully eaten before morning as described in Exodus 12:3-11.[78]

Separate kosher for Passover utensils and crockery

Passover glass, interwar period

Because of the Torah’s injunction not to eat chametz (leaven) during Passover,[65] faithful families typically own complete sets of serveware, glassware, and flatware (and in some cases even separate dishwashers and sinks) that they never touch Chametz, only for use during Passover. Some chametz utensils may be dipped in boiling water (Hagalat keilim) to cleanse any traces of chametz that may have accumulated over the year. Many Sephardic families thoroughly wash their year-round glassware and then use it for Passover, as the Sephardic position is that glass does not hold enough traces of food to pose a problem. Similarly, ovens can be used for Passover either by setting the self-cleaning function to its highest level for a period of time, or by shining a blowtorch on the interior until the oven glows red hot (a process called Libun gamur). [79]

matzah

Shmura Matza Machine made

A symbol of Passover is matzo, an unleavened flatbread made solely from flour and water, which is constantly worked from mixing to baking to keep it from rising. Matzo can be made by machine or by hand. The Torah contains an instruction to eat matzo, especially on the first night of Passover, and to eat only unleavened bread (matzo in practice) throughout the entire Passover week.[80] Consequently, eating matzo plays a prominent role in the Passover Seder. There are several explanations for this.

The Torah says this is because the Hebrews left Egypt in such a hurry that there was no time to prove baked bread; such is flat unleavened bread, matzo, a reminder of the swift departure of the Exodus.[81] Other scholars teach that matzo was often baked for the purpose of travel around the time of the Exodus because it was durable and easy to carry (making it similar to hardtack), suggesting that matzo was made intentionally for the long journey ahead was baked.

Matzo was also called Lechem Oni (Hebrew: “bread of poverty”). There is an accompanying statement that matzo serves as a symbol to remind Jews what it is like to be a poor slave and to encourage humility, valuing freedom and avoiding the inflated ego symbolized by more luxurious sourdough bread. [82]

Shmura Matzo Handmade

Shmura matzo (“watched” or “guarded” matzo) is the preferred bread for the Passover Seder in Orthodox Jewish communities. Shmura matzah is made from wheat that is protected from contamination by leaven (chametz) from the summer harvest[62] until it is baked into matzo five to ten months later.

In the weeks leading up to Passover, matzo is prepared for holiday consumption. In many Orthodox Jewish communities, men traditionally gather in groups (“chaburas”) to bake handmade matzo for the Seder, with the dough being rolled by hand, resulting in a large and round matzo. Chaburas also collaborate in machine-made matzo factories that produce the typical square-shaped matzo sold in shops.

Baking matzo is labor-intensive, with less than 18 minutes between mixing flour and water to completing baking and removing it from the oven. Consequently, only a small number of matzos can be baked at a time, and Chabura members are required to constantly work the dough to prevent it from fermenting and rising. Just before baking, a special cutting tool is passed over the dough to poke bubbles that could bloat the matzo;[83] this creates the well-known dotted holes in the matzo.

After the matzos come out of the oven, the entire work area is scrubbed and swept to ensure no old, possibly leavened bits of dough are left behind, as any stray bits are now chametz and can contaminate the next batch of matzo.

Some machine-made matzo are ready within 5 minutes of kneading.[62]

Passover Seder

Table set for the Passover Seder

It is traditional for Jewish families to gather on the first night of Passover (the first two nights in Orthodox and Conservative communities outside of Israel) for a special dinner called the Seder (Hebrew: סדר seder – derived from the Hebrew word for “order” or “arrangement”) , referring to the very specific order of the ritual). The table is set with the finest china and cutlery to reflect the importance of the meal. During this meal, the story of the Exodus from Egypt is retold using a special text called the Haggadah. During the A total of four cups of wine are drunk during the recitation of the Haggadah.The Seder is divided by the Haggadah into the following 15 parts:

Kadeish/ Qadēsh קדש – reciting the Kiddush blessing and drinking the first cup of wine Urchatz/ Ūr ḥats/ Ūr ḥaṣ ורחץ – washing hands – without blessing Karpas כרפס – immersing the Karpas in salt water Yachatz/ Yaḥats/ Yaḥaṣ יחץ – breaking the middle matzo; The larger piece becomes the Afikoman, which is later eaten during the ritual of Tzafun Maggid/Maggiyd מגיד – retold the Passover story including reciting the “Four Questions” and drinking the second cup of wine Rachtzah/ Raḥ tsah/ Raḥ ṣah רחצה – second washing of hands – with blessing Motzi/ Môtsiy’/ Môṣiy’ מוציא – traditional blessing before eating bread products Matzo/ Maṣo מצה – blessing before eating matzo Maror מרור – eating the Maror Koreich/ Korēkh כורך – eating from a sandwich of matzo and maror Shulchan oreich/ Shūl ḥan ‘ôrēkh שולחן עורך – lit. “set table” – the serving of the holiday meal Tzafun/ Tsafūn/ Ṣafūn צפון – eating the Afikoman Bareich/ Barēkh ברך – blessing after eating and drinking the third cup of wine Hallel הלל – recitation of Hallel, traditionally recited at festivals; Drinking the fourth cup of wine Nirtzah/ Niyr tsah/ Niyr ṣah נירצה – Completion

These 15 parts correspond to the 15 steps in the Temple in Jerusalem on which the Levites stood during the Temple service and those in the 15 Psalms (Nr. ma’alôth, “Songs of Ascent”).[84]

The Seder is full of questions, answers, and unusual practices (e.g., reciting the kiddush not immediately followed by the blessing over the bread, which is the traditional process for all other holiday meals) to stimulate children’s interest and curiosity to wake up The table. The children are also rewarded with nuts and sweets for asking questions and participating in the discussion about the Exodus and its aftermath. Likewise, they are encouraged to search for the afikoman, the piece of matzo eaten last at the Seder. Audience participation and interaction is the rule, and many family seders last well into the night with lively discussions and singing. The Seder ends with additional songs of praise and faith reprinted in the Haggadah, including Chad Gadya (“One Little Kid” or “One Little Goat”).

marble

Maror (bitter herbs) symbolizes the bitterness of slavery in Egypt. The following verse from the Torah underscores this symbolism: “And they embittered (Hebrew: וימררו ve-yimareru) their lives with hard toil, with mortar and with bricks, and with all kinds of work in the field, every work they put on them was with hard work” (Exodus 1:14).

Silver Seder Plate

Four cups of wine

There is a rabbinic injunction that four cups of wine must be drunk during the Seder meal. This applies to both men and women. The Mishnah says (Pes. 10:1) that even the poorest man in Israel is obliged to drink. Each cup is associated with a different part of the Seder: the first cup is for Kiddush, the second cup is associated with the narration of the Exodus, drinking the third cup concludes Birkat Hamazon, and the fourth cup is associated with Hallel. A fifth cup of wine is poured toward the end of the Seder for Eliyahu HaNavi, a symbol of future salvation that remains untouched.[85]

The four questions and children’s participation

Children play a very important role at the Passover Seder. Traditionally, the youngest child is encouraged to ask questions at the Passover Seder, beginning with the words Mah Nishtana HaLeila HaZeh (Why is this night different from all other nights?). The questions encourage the assembly to discuss the meaning of the symbols in the meal. The child’s questions are:

Why is this night different from all other nights? All other nights we eat either unleavened or leavened bread, but tonight we only eat unleavened bread? Every other night we eat all kinds of vegetables, but today we only eat bitter herbs? All other nights we don’t dip [our food] once, but tonight we dip twice? All other nights we eat either sitting or lying down, but tonight only lying down?

Often, while eating, the leader of the Seder and the other adults use prompted answers from the Haggadah, which states, “The more one talks about the Exodus from Egypt, the more praiseworthy he is.” Many readings, prayers and stories are used to tell the story of the Exodus. Many households add their own commentary and interpretation, and often the story of the Jews is linked to the theme of liberation and its global implications.

Afikoman

14th century Haggadah

The afikoman – an integral part of the Seder itself – is used to stimulate children’s interest and excitement at the table. During the fourth part of the Seder, called Yachatz, the leader breaks the middle piece of matzo in two. He puts aside the larger part as Afikoman. Many families use the afikoman as a means of keeping children awake and alert during the Seder by hiding the afikoman and offering a price for its return.[62] Alternatively, the children are allowed to “steal” the Afikoman and demand a reward for returning it. In any case, the Afikoman must be consumed during the twelfth part of the Seder, Tzafun.

Closing Songs

After the hallel, the fourth glass of wine is drunk and the participants recite a prayer ending with “Next year in Jerusalem!”. This is followed by several lyrical prayers expounding God’s mercy and goodness and giving thanks for the survival of the Jewish people through a history of exile and hardship. “Echad Mi Yodea” (“Who Knows One?”) is a playful song that will test the general knowledge of children (and adults). Some of these songs, like “Chad Gadya”, are allegorical.

Counting the Omer

Beginning on the second night of Passover, Nisan 16,[86] the Jews begin the practice of counting the Omer, a nightly reminder of the approach of Shavuot in 50 days. Each evening after the evening prayer service, men and women recite a special blessing and then enumerate the day of the Omer. For example, on the first night they say: “Today is the first day in (or to) the Omer”; on the second night: “Today is the second day in the Omer.” The count also includes weeks; thus the seventh day is commemorated: “Today is the seventh day, which is a week in the Omer.” The eighth day is marked “Today is the eighth day, this is a week and a day in the Omer” etc.[87]

When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, on the second day of Unleavened Bread, a sheaf of freshly cut barley was presented before the altar. Josephus writes:

On the second day of unleavened bread, that is, the sixteenth, our people partake of the harvest which they have reaped, which hitherto has not been touched, and think fit first to worship God, to whom they owe the glory of the kingdom these offerings, they bring him the firstfruits of barley in the following manner. After roasting and crushing the small sheaf and cleaning the barley for grinding, they bring an Assaron to God to the altar, and after throwing a handful of it on the altar have left the rest for the priests. After that, everyone, publicly or individually, may begin harvesting.[88]

Since the destruction of the Temple, that sacrifice has been made in words rather than deeds.

One explanation for counting the Omer is that it shows the connection between Passover and Shavuot. The physical freedom the Hebrews gained at the Exodus from Egypt was just the beginning of a process that culminated with the spiritual freedom they gained at the delivery of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Another explanation is that the newborn nation that arose after the Exodus needed time to learn their new responsibilities to Torah and mitzvot before embracing God’s law. The distinction between the Omer offering – a measure of barley, typically animal feed – and the Shavuot offering – two loaves of wheat bread, human food – symbolizes the transitional process.[89]

Chol HaMoed: The Intermediate Days of Passover

In Israel, Passover lasts seven days, with the first and last days being important Jewish holidays. In Orthodox and Conservative communities there is no work on these days, applying most of the rules regarding Shabbat observance.[90]

Outside Israel, in Orthodox and Conservative communities, the holiday lasts eight days, with the first two days and the last two days being major holidays. Necessary work can be carried out in between days. Reform Judaism observes Passover over seven days, with the first and last days being major holidays.

Like the Sukkot holiday, the intervening Passover days are known as Chol HaMoed (Festive Weekdays) and have a semi-celebratory status. It’s a time for family outings and picnic lunches of matzo, hard-boiled eggs, fruits and vegetables, and Passover treats like macaroons and homemade sweets.[90]

Passover cake recipes call for potato starch or passover cake flour made from finely granulated matzo instead of regular flour, and a large quantity of eggs to achieve a fluffy consistency. Cookie recipes use matzo farfel (broken pieces of matzo) or ground nuts as the base. For families of Eastern European background, borscht, a beet soup, is a Passover tradition.[91]

A Passover brownie cake baked in a miracle pot

While kosher-packaged Passover goods are available in stores, some families choose to cook everything from scratch during the Passover week. In Israel, families who don’t clad their ovens can cook pies, casseroles, and even meat[92] on the stovetop in a Miracle Pot, an Israeli invention that consists of three parts: an aluminum pot shaped like a Bundt pan, a lid with Hood perforated with ventilation holes and a thick, round metal disc with a hole in the center that is placed between the miracle pot and the flame to disperse the heat.[93]

Seventh day of Passover

Shvi’i shel Passover (שביעי של פסח) (“seventh [day] of Passover”) is another full-fledged Jewish holiday with special prayer services and festive meals. Outside the Land of Israel, in the Jewish diaspora, Shvi’i shel Passover is celebrated on both the seventh and eighth days of Passover.[94] This holiday commemorates the day the Children of Israel reached the Red Sea and witnessed both the miraculous “Parting of the Sea” (Red Sea Passage) and the drowning of all the Egyptian chariots, horses and soldiers pursuing them. According to the Midrash, only the pharaoh was spared to witness the miracle that had taken place.

Hasidic Rebbes traditionally hold a table on the night of Shvi’i shel Passover and place a cup or bowl of water on the table in front of them. They take this opportunity to talk to their disciples about the cleavage of the sea and to sing praises to God.[95]

Second Passover

The “Second Passover” (Pesach Sheni) on Ijar 14 in the Hebrew calendar is mentioned in the Book of Numbers of the Hebrew Bible[96] as a catch-up day for people who could not offer the Passover sacrifice on time due to ritual impurity or distance from Jerusalem. As on the first night of Passover, it is forbidden to break bones from the second Easter offering or leave flesh until morning.[97][98]

Today, Pesach Sheni on Iyar 14 has the status of a very minor holiday (so much so that many Jews have never heard of it, and it essentially does not exist outside of Orthodox and traditionally conservative Judaism). There are actually no specific prayers or customs that are considered Jewish law. The only change in the liturgy is that in some congregations tachanun, a penitential prayer omitted on holidays, is not said. It is customary, but not Jewish law, to eat only a piece of matzo that evening.[99]

Traditional food

Because the house is free of leaven (chametz) for eight days, the Jewish household typically eats a variety of foods during Passover week. Some include:

Ashkenazi food

Matzah brei – matzo soaked in milk or water and fried with egg and fat; served either savory or sweet

– Matzo soaked in milk or water and fried with egg and fat; Serves either savory or sweet matzo ball – A ball of matzo instead of pasta

Charoset – A sweet mix of fruits, fresh, dried, or both; Nuts; Spices; Honey; and sometimes wine. The charoset is a symbol of the mortar used by the Israelites to build while enslaved in Egypt (see Passover Seder).

– A sweet mix of fruits, fresh, dried or both; Nuts; Spices; Honey; and sometimes wine. The charoset is a symbol of the mortar used by the Israelites to build while enslaved in Egypt (see Passover Seder). Chrain – Horseradish and turnip relish

– Horseradish Beet Relish Gefilte Fish – Poached fish patties or fish balls made from a mixture of ground, boneless fish, usually carp or pike

Chicken Soup with Matza Balls (Kneydlach) – Chicken soup served with matzo dumplings

) – chicken soup with matzo dumplings Passover noodles – noodles made from potato flour and eggs, served in soup. Batter is fried like thin crepes that are stacked, rolled up, and cut into ribbons.[100]

Sephardic foods

Kafteikas di prasa – Fried balls of leek, meat and matzo flour

– Fried balls of leek, meat and matzo flour. Leg of Lamb or Chicken – A symbol of God’s strong hand and Korban Passover

Mina (pastel di pesach) – a meat pie made from matzo

(pastel di pesach) – a meat pie with matzo Spring green vegetables – artichoke, broad beans, peas

Sermons, liturgy and singing

The story of Passover, with its message that slaves can be set free and that the future may be better than the present, has inspired a number of religious sermons, prayers and songs – including Spirituals (what used to be called “Negro Spirituals”). ), within the African American community.

Rabbi Philip R. Alstat, an early leader of Conservative Judaism known for his fiery rhetoric and forceful oratory, wrote and spoke in 1939 about the power of the Passover story during the rise of Nazi persecution and terror:[101]

Perhaps the advice of our Talmudic sages may seem superfluous in our generation, for today the story of our enslavement in Egypt is kept alive not only by ritual symbolism but even more so by tragic realism. We are the contemporaries and witnesses of its daily repetition. Aren’t our hapless brothers in the German Reich eating “the bread of need”? Isn’t their life embittered by total disenfranchisement and forced labor? Aren’t they mercilessly whipped by brutal guards behind the walls of the concentration camps? Are not many of their men murdered in cold blood? Isn’t the ruthlessness of the Egyptian pharaoh matched by the sadism of the Nazi dictators?

And yet, even in this hour of catastrophe and humiliation, it is still helpful to “imagine yourself among those who came out of Egypt.” It gives stability and balance to the mind. Only our alienated kinsmen, the assimilated and the de-Judaized, diverge under the force of the blow… But those who imagine among the groups that have emerged from the successive Egypts of our history never lose their minds of perspective, nor will they overwhelmed by confusion and despair… It is this belief, born of racial experience and wisdom, that gives strength to the oppressed to outlive the oppressors and endure until the day of final triumph when we shall “pass from bondage to liberty, from sorrow to joy, from sorrow to feast, from darkness to great light, and from bondage to redemption.

Related celebrations in other religions

Saint Thomas Syriac Christians commemorate Maundy Thursday as Pesaha, a Malayalam word derived from the Aramaic or Hebrew word for Passover (Pascha, Pesach, or Pesah), to commemorate the Korban Passover and Jesus Christ’s Last Supper during Passover celebrations in Jerusalem. The tradition of consuming pesaha appam after the service is followed by the entire congregation under the leadership of the head of the family. During the eve of Pesaha, special long services are held in the churches, followed by the Holy Qurbana. The tradition of Pesaha was established in the Saint Thomas Syriac Christian community by the Knanaya Jewish community, an endogamous subgroup among the Saint Thomas Syriac Christians.

The Samaritan religion celebrates its own similar Passover based on the Samaritan Pentateuch. Samaritanism holds that Jews and Samaritans share a common history but split into distinct communities after the time of Moses.[104] Passover is also celebrated in Karaite Judaism,[105] which rejects the oral Torah that characterizes mainstream rabbinic Judaism, as well as other groups that claim to be associated with the Israelites.[106]

In Christianity, the celebration of Easter (not to be confused with the pre-Christian Saxon festival from which it takes its English name) and its date in the calendar finds its roots in the Jewish feast of Passover, when, according to the Christian interpretation, Jesus was crucified as the Passover lamb.[107][ 108][109] The coincidence of Jesus’ crucifixion with the Jewish Passover led some early Christians to make a false etymological association between the Hebrew Passover and the Greek pascho (“to suffer”).[110]

Quartodeciman Christians continued to end Lent in time to celebrate Passover as a Christian holiday that occurs before the Lord’s Day, as the two are not mutually exclusive. However, due to intense persecution by Nicene Christianity after the Easter controversy, the practice had mostly died out by the 5th or 6th century, only reappearing in the 20th century.

Some Christians, including Messianic Jews, also celebrate Passover itself as a Christian holiday.[112]

In the Sunni sect of Islam, it is recommended to fast on the day of Ashura (10th Muharram) based on traditions attributed to Muhammad. The fast is celebrated to commemorate the day Moses and his followers were saved by God from Pharaoh by making a way in the Red Sea (The Exodus). According to Muslim tradition, the Jews of Medina fasted on the tenth of Muharram to celebrate Passover. In narrations recorded in the al-Hadith (sayings of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad) by Sahih al-Bukhari, it is recommended that Muslims fast on this day. It also states that its observance should be distinct from the Passover celebrated by the Jews, and he stated that Muslims should fast for two days instead of just one, either on the 9th and 10th days or on the 10th and 11th days by Muharram.[113][failed verification]

See also

Passover begins on Nisan 15 in the Hebrew calendar and lasts 7 or 8 days, usually in April. It celebrates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery and their exodus from Egypt over 3000 years ago as recounted in the Haggadah (Haggadah).

©iStockphoto.com/dra_schwartz

what are people doing

During Passover, followers of the Jewish faith are forbidden to eat, drink, or possess chametz or (chometz) — foods made from grains (barley, oats, rye, spelt, or wheat) and water, and allowed to rise. In order not to come into contact with chametz, people thoroughly clean their apartments and living spaces. Items that cannot be cleaned or destroyed before Passover are usually put into storage or temporarily sold to someone who is not Jewish. They will then be redeemed after the end of Passover.

In Israel, Passover lasts 7 days. However, in other countries, people can watch it for 7 or 8 days. The first and last day of this period are particularly important. People recite special blessings or prayers, attend their synagogue, listen to Torah readings, and eat a ceremonial meal centered around the Seder plate and red wine or red grape juice.

What is open or closed?

None of the Passover days is a public holiday in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom or the United States. However, many Jewish businesses and organizations close or have restricted hours during this time. Jews may also choose to take part of their annual leave at this time.

background

The story of the origin of Passover is also the story of the life of Moses. For a time, the Israelites lived in peace and prosperity among the Egyptians, until a new pharaoh saw them as a threat to his power. He enslaved them and ordered all their sons to be killed at birth to prevent a new leader from emerging.

According to the story, a mother could hide the birth of her son Moses. When she could no longer hide him, she hid him among the rushes. Pharaoh’s daughter noticed the baby and decided to adopt him. She sent Moses’ sister to find an Israelite woman to nurse him so that he could be reunited with his mother. When Moses was older, he moved to the palace where Pharaoh’s daughter raised him as her own son.

As a young man, Moses noticed the suffering of the Israelites and his retaliatory actions forced him to leave Egypt to become a shepherd. God appeared to Moses one day in the form of a burning bush and commanded him to return to Egypt to lead his people to freedom with the help of his brother Aaron. Although Moses and Aaron repeatedly pleaded with Pharaoh to deliver the children of Israel, they were unsuccessful. As punishment, God inflicted 10 plagues on the Egyptians. After the 10th plague, in which all the firstborn of the Egyptians died, Pharaoh agreed to free all the Israelites and allow them to leave Egypt with their possessions. Since they had to leave in a hurry, they didn’t have time to leaven the bread, so they baked unleavened bread known as matzo (plural matzo) for the journey.

Passover is historically linked to the Christian Easter and the Islamic day of Ashura.

symbols

Many aspects of Passover have symbolic meaning. Cleaning the house to remove chametz with a candle, feather, wooden spoon and paper bag symbolizes removing selfishness and spiritual coarseness from life. The matzo represents the haste in which the Israelites left Egypt and the red wine or grape juice represents the blood of sacrifices and male circumcision. The special Passover meals use special cooking utensils and the Seder plates.

The Seder plate consists of 3 matzos stacked on top of each other on a plate or clean cloth and then covered with another plate or cloth. Next, small pieces of symbolic food are placed on top. The foods are: zeroa, a roasted thigh bone or chicken neck; Beizah, a hard-boiled egg; Maror, freshly grated horseradish or romaine lettuce; charoset, a mixture of chopped apples, nuts and wine; Karpas, a non-bitter vegetable, like an onion or a boiled potato; and chazeret, more horseradish or romaine lettuce. A dish of salt water and wine accompanies the Seder plate. Each item on the plate represents a different aspect of the Passover story and is eaten in a specific order and combination during the ceremonial meal.

Jewish holidays last longer outside of Israel

In the Jewish diaspora — Jewish communities outside of Israel — an extra day is usually added to religious celebrations, with the exception of Yom Kippur, which lasts just one day worldwide, and Rosh Hashana, which is celebrated over two days in both Israel and the United States becomes diaspora.

This custom has its roots in antiquity, when the beginning of the month in the Jewish calendar depended on the sighting of the crescent moon after a new moon.

The beginning of a new month was determined by the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of ancient Israel in Jerusalem. As soon as the date was published, messengers were dispatched to spread the news among Jews living abroad. Since this process took time, it was decreed that Jews outside of ancient Israel should observe each holiday for two days to ensure that the rules and customs specific to each holiday were observed on the correct date. This rule is still observed today.

930769258 Pesah Celebration Concept Jewish Passover Holidays. Traditional Passover plate text in Hebrew: Pesach, Egg, photovs/Getty Images Passover celebration concept Jewish Passover holiday. Traditional Passover plate text in Hebrew: Passover, egg,

What is Passover?

Passover is the Jewish festival celebrating the liberation of the Jews from slavery and flight from Egypt. Though traditions vary around the world, the basics are as follows: the holiday lasts a total of seven or eight days (depending on where it is celebrated), and the first night of Passover begins with a ceremonial dinner called a seder, where the die Story of the Exodus is told.

The food and wine customs of a particular Seder are elaborate and differ between regions and families, but some factors remain constant.

Each Seder attendee drinks four cups of wine at designated points throughout the evening for the four promises of salvation associated with the Exodus story.

The most important dietary restriction during Passover week is the prohibition of leavened bread or chometz. Chometz is a bread made from (wheat, oat, spelt, rye or barley flour) that has been in contact with water for more than 18 minutes and therefore had the opportunity to rise. Before Passover, the house is traditionally cleaned by Chometz.

87862285 Seder plates at a Passover dinner. Dave Le/Getty Images

What are the six items on the Seder plate?

Fundamental to the Seder table is the Seder plate on which the following items are placed. If you’re looking to buy a beautiful Seder plate, check out our story 10 Beautiful Seder Plates for Passover.

Zeroah, a lamb bone symbolizing the ancient Passover sacrifice Beitzah, a fried egg symbolizing temple sacrifice and the ongoing cycle of life Haroset, a paste of fruit and nuts symbolizing the mortar used to build the Pyramid of the Pharaohs Build Mar’or, a bitter herb (like horseradish) to represent the bitterness of slavery Karpas, a green vegetable (usually parsley) representing spring. A bowl of salt water for immersing the karpas, symbolizing the tears of the slaves

Some traditions also include chazeret, a second bitter herb, usually the roots of romaine lettuce. Also required are three matzahs ​​(unleavened bread symbolizing the haste of the flight from Egypt – there was no time for the bread to rise), either wrapped in a cloth or covered and broken and eaten at designated points throughout the evening.

1204753218 Pack of matzah or matzah and red kosher wine on vintage background. Jewish Passover holiday composition Vlad Fishman/Getty Images

What do you serve at a Passover Seder?

The actual Seder meal is also very variable. Traditions among Ashkenazi Jews generally include gefilte fish (poached fish dumplings), matzo ball soup, brisket or fried chicken, potato ball (something like a casserole), and tzimmes, a carrot and plum stew, sometimes with potatoes or sweet potatoes.

Passover Seder Recipes Classic Braised Brisket This is a brisket worthy of a celebration. Most Passover briskets are prepared using only the flat. Ours is a whole cut (which includes the flat and the tip) braised in white wine and chicken broth with a mixture of sweet onions, leeks and pearl onions. The result is super tender meat with an almost French onion soup sauce that’s perfect for a crowd. A fresh salad of raw shallots, spring onions, parsley, mint and a sprinkling of vinegar finishes off the roast, providing a bright counterpoint to the richness of the slow-cooked onions and meat. Matzo Ball Soup This is a classic matzo ball soup. The use of chicken fat from the broth and seltzer results in incredibly light and fluffy matzo balls. The crystal clear broth has a strong chicken flavor. This stew is a perfect side dish, but leftovers keep well and can stand on their own. Mozzarella and Spinach Matzo Brei Matzo Brei is one of Molly Yeh’s all-time favorite dishes! It is usually eaten on Passover as it is customary to avoid leavened bread. Matzo, a cracker-like unleavened bread, becomes soft and chewy when soaked and scrambled with eggs in this traditional dish. Some people like sweet matzo porridge sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, but this one is savory — filled with spinach and melty cheese, and served with hot sauce.

Roast Chicken with Spring Vegetables Instead of roasting a whole chicken, you can speed things up by cooking chicken quarters — which stay moist and juicy while developing crispy skin. Potatoes, radishes, spring onions and carrots roast alongside the bird, sucking up all of its delicious juices. This dish is rounded off with a squeeze of lemon and fresh dill. Gefilte Fish with Peppers and Olives Philly chef and restaurateur Mike Solomonov presents a recipe without live fish. Then there are the quickly pickled carrots, which pair perfectly with the soft texture of the gefilten fish. And finally the flavor base. So far, the filtered fish has always stood alone or at least as a mostly tasteless vehicle for matzo and horseradish. Mike starts with a sofrito (think sautéed onions, peppers and tomato paste) and then directly bakes the fish in the delicious sauce. It has a rich, moist texture and complex flavor thanks to ground cinnamon, orange peel, vanilla extract, dates and bittersweet chocolate. A shower of toasted walnuts completes the presentation.