Passover, Hebrew Pesaḥ, or Pesach, is a holiday commemorating the Hebrews’ liberation from slavery in Egypt and the “passing over” of the forces of destruction, or the sparing of the firstborn of the Israelites, when the Lord “smote the land of Egypt”
on the eve of the Exodus. The Holiday thus marks the first and most momentous event in Jewish history.
Passover begins with the 15th and ends with the 21st (or, outside of Israel and among Reform Jews, the 22nd) day of the month of Nisan (March or April). On these seven (or eight) days, all leaven, whether in bread or other mixture, is prohibited, and only unleavened bread, called matzo, may
be eaten. The matzo symbolizes both the Hebrews’ suffering while in bondage and the haste with which they left Egypt in the course of the Exodus.
Why is Passover celebrated?
Passover commemorates the Biblical story of Exodus — where God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The celebration of
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 incorporates themes of springtime, a Jewish homeland, family, remembrance of Jewish history, social justice and freedom — including recognizing those who are still being oppressed today. All of these aspects are discussed, if not symbolically represented, during the Passover
seder.
The holiday is often celebrated for eight days (seven in Israel), and incorporates themes of springtime, a Jewish homeland, family, remembrance of Jewish history, social justice and freedom — including recognizing those who are still being oppressed today. All of these aspects are discussed, if not symbolically represented, during the Passover seder.
The Hebrew word “seder” translates to “order,” and the Passover seder is a home ritual blending religious rituals, food, song and storytelling. Families hold a seder on the first and sometimes second night of Passover.
It is fundamentally a religious service set
around a dinner table, where the order in which participants eat, pray, drink wine, sing, discuss current social justice issues and tell stories is prescribed by a central book called the Haggadah.
What are some key symbols of the Passover seder?
On Passover seder tables, you may see a partitioned plate containing small amounts of specific food.
This is the seder plate, and each food is symbolic for an aspect of Passover: A roasted shank bone represents the Pescah sacrifice, an egg represents spring and the circle of life, bitter herbs represent the bitterness of slavery, haroset (an applesauce-like mixture with wine, nuts, apples, etc.) represents the mortar used by the
Jews in Egypt, karpas (or greens, often parsley) to represent spring.
Also placed on the table are three pieces of matzah — a cracker-like unleavened bread — that represent the bread the Israelites took with them when they fled Egypt, and salt water to represent the tears of the slaves. At your seat, you may see a specific wine glass (or kiddish cup). The Torah commands that (at least) four symbolic cups of wine be consumed during the Passover
seder.
There may also be one or two extra kiddiush cups at your table: One is a cup of wine for the prophet Elijah whose spirit visits on passover. In some families, a cup of water is set out for Moses’s sister Miriam. This new feminist tradition symbolizes Miriam’s Well, which provided water for the Israelites in the desert; it also symbolizes the importance of women during the Exodus.
On the chairs, you
may see pillows. This is because on Passover you are supposed to recline at the table as a symbol of being free.
Don’t worry if you can’t keep this all straight. Because Passover is a retelling of a story to new generations, and due to the seder’s prescribed order, the Haggadah does a pretty good job explaining many key elements and symbols as you read along. There is even a specific section of the seder called the four questions, where the youngest
person at the table asks about the different Passover symbols and the elders explain.
In addition to eating the foods represented on the seder plate (with the exception of lamb, which is not eaten) a Passover meal — that breaks up the two halves of the seder — is served.
The meal’s menu will differ depending on family tradition. Traditional dishes include matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, beef brisket, chicken and potatoes. Traditional Sephardic (Mediterranean and Spanish) Passover foods reflect a Mediterranean spin on the Passover dinner.
Why don’t Jews eat leavened bread during Passover?
Not featured during the meal are leavened foods made of grain known as “chametz.” Chametz is prohibited during Passover, so you won’t find any pasta, cookies, bread or cereal at the seder. (More traditional Jews will completely clean out any foods containing chametz from their home.)
This has to do with the story of Passover: After the killing of the first born, the Pharaoh agreed to let the Israelites go. But in their haste to leave Egypt, the Israelites could not let their bread rise and so they brought unleavened bread. This specific dietary requirement is spelled out in Exodus 12:14, “You shall eat nothing 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 prohibited from eating 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 will be made by combining matzoh meal, some sort of fat, and eggs to remain kosher for Passover.
The Story of Pessach
At the end of the biblical book of Genesis, Joseph brings his family to Egypt.
Over the following centuries, the descendants of Joseph's family (the Hebrews) become so numerous that when a new king comes to power he fears what might happen if the
Hebrews decide to rise against the Egyptians. He decides that the best way to avoid this situation is to enslave them (Exodus 1). According to tradition,these enslaved Hebrews are the ancestors of modern day Jews.
Despite Pharaoh's attempt to subdue the Hebrews they continue to have many children. As their numbers grow, pharaoh comes up with another plan: he will send soldiers to kill all newborn male babies who were born to Hebrew mothers. This is
where the story of Moses begins.
Moses
In order to save Moses from the grisly fate pharaoh has decreed, his mother and sister put him in a basket and set it afloat on the river. Their hope is that the basket will float to safety and whomever finds the baby will adopt him as their own. His sister, Miriam, follows along as the basket floats away. Eventually it is discovered by none other than pharaoh's
daughter. She saves Moses and raises him as her own, so that a Hebrew child is raised as a prince of Egypt.
When Moses grows up he kills an Egyptian guard when he sees him beating a Hebrew slave. Then Moses flees for his life, heading into the desert. In the desert he joins the family of Jethro, a Midian priest, by marrying Jethro's daughter and having children with her. He becomes a shepherd for Jethro's flock and one day, while out tending the sheep,
Moses meets God in the wilderness. The voice of God calls out to him from a burning bush and Moses answers: "Hineini!" ("Here I am!" in Hebrew.)
God tells Moses that he has been chosen to free the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt. Moses is not sure he can carry out this command. But God reassures Moses that he will have help in the form of God's aide and his brother, Aaron.
The Ten Plagues
Soon afterward, Moses returns to Egypt and demands that pharaoh release the Hebrews from bondage. Pharaoh refuses and as a result God sends ten plagues upon Egypt:
1. Blood - The waters of Egypt are turned to blood. All the fish die and water becomes unusable.
2. Frogs - Hordes of frogs swarm the land of Egypt.
3. Gnats or Lice
- Masses of gnats or lice invade Egyptian homes and plague the Egyptian people.
4. Wild Animals - Wild animals invade Egyptian homes and lands, causing destruction and wrecking havoc.
5. Pestilence - Egyptian livestock is struck down with disease.
6. Boils - The Egyptian people are plagued by painful boils that cover their
bodies.
7. Hail - Severe weather destroys Egyptian crops and beats down upon them.
8. Locusts - Locusts swarm Egypt and eat any remaining crops and food.
9. Darkness - Darkness covers the land of Egypt for three days.
10. Death of the Firstborn - The firstborn of every Egyptian family is killed.
Even the firstborn of Egyptian animals die.
The tenth plague is where the Jewish holiday of Passover derives its name, because while the Angel of Death visited Egypt it "passed over" Hebrew homes, which had been marked with lambs blood on the doorposts.
The Exodus
After the tenth plague Pharaoh relents and releases the Hebrews. The quickly bake their bread, not
even pausing for the dough to rise, which is why Jews eat matzah (unleavened bread) during Passover.
Soon after they leave their homes Pharaoh changes his mind and sends soldiers after the Hebrews, but when the former slaves reach the Sea of Reeds the waters part so that they can escape. When the soldiers try to follow them, the waters crash down upon them. According to Jewish legend, when the angels began rejoicing as the Hebrews escaped and the
soldiers drowned God reprimanded them, saying: "My creatures are drowning, and you're singing songs!" This midrash (rabbinic story) teaches us that we should not rejoice in the sufferings of our enemies. (Telushkin, Joseph. "Jewish Literacy." pgs 35-36).
Once they have crossed the water, the Hebrews begin the next part of their journey as they search for the Promised Land. The story of Passover recounts how the Hebrews gained their freedom and became
the ancestors of the Jewish people.
Passover Songs - Pessah Songs
MA NISHTANA
(WHY IS THIS NIGHT DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER NIGHTS?)
Ma Nishtana, halaila hazeh, mikol ha'leilot? mikol ha'leilot?
(1) She bechol ha'leilot, anu ochlim - CHAMETZ U'MATSAH; CHAMETZ U'MATSAH
Ha'laila hazeh, ha'laila hazeh - KOO'LOH MATSAH, KOO'LOH MATSAH.
(2) She bechol ha'leilot, anu ochlim - SHE'AR YERAKOT; SHE'AR YERAKOT
Ha'lailah hazeh, ha'lailah hazeh - KOO'LOH MA'ROR; KOO'LOH MA'ROR.
(3) She bechol ha'leilot, ein anu matbilim - AFILU PA'AM ECHAT; AFILU PA'AM ECHAT
Ha'laila hazeh, ha'laila hazeh - SHE'TEI PE'A'MIM; SHE'TEI PE'A'MIM.
(4) She bechol ha'leilot, anu ochlim - BEIN YOSHVIN U VEIN MESUBIN, BEIN YOSHVIN U VEIN MESUBIN
Ha'laila hazeh, ha'laila hazeh - KOOLANU MESUBIN, KOOLANU MESUBIN.
AVADIM HAYINU (WE WERE SLAVES, NOW WE ARE FREE)
Avadim hayinu, ha-yi-nu. Atah b'nei chorin, b'nei chorin.
Avadim, ha-a-yinu, Atah, Atah, b'nei chorin.
Avadim, ha-a-yinu, Atah, Atah, b'nei chorin, b'nei chorin.
V'HEE SHE'AMDAH (AS GOD HAS STOOD WITH US)
Ve'hee she'amdah, ve'hee she'amdah, la-avoteinu vela-nu (x2)
Shelo - echad - bil'vad, a'mad aleinu le'chaloteinu (x2)
Ela, she bechol dor va dor, omdim aleinu le'chaloteinu (x2)
Vehakadosh barooch hoo, matzileinu mi-yadam (x2)
DAYEINU (IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH!!)
Ilu hotsi - hotsiyanu, mimitzrayim hotsiyanu - velo asah bahem shvatim - Dayenu.
Chorus:
Dai-dai-yenu (x3) Dai-yenu, dai-yenu, dayeinu! Dai-dai-yenu (x3) Dai-yenu, dai-yenu!
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