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PesachThe
ABC's of Passover
Adapted from Rabbi Shraga Simmons Passover (Pesach
in Hebrew) is also known as the "holiday of freedom" because it commemorates
the Jewish Exodus from Egypt following 210 years of slavery. Passover is regarded
as the official "birth" of the Jewish nation, and its lessons of struggle
and identity continue to form the basis of Jewish consciousness 3,300 years after
the event. The Exodus was essentially an account of Moses' prodding Pharaoh
to "let my people go - in order that we may serve the Almighty." His
heart hardened by God, Pharaoh needed a lot of convincing -- Ten Plagues in all
– but eventually the Jews walked out of Egypt with the Egyptians, themselves,
urging them on. Seven days later, the Red Sea split, allowing the Israelites to
walk into freedom while the pursuing Egyptian army drowned. Then, 50 days after
the Exodus, the entire Jewish nation stood at Mount Sinai to experience divine
revelation and receive the Torah. Passover is an eight-day holiday (in Israel,
seven days). It is marked by the eating of Matzoh (unleavened bread) and by the
celebration of an elaborate Seder on the first two nights (in Israel, on the first
night only). The Seder is designed to give each Jew the experience of "going
from slavery unto freedom." The Seder includes telling the Exodus story as
recorded in the Haggadah, eating of "slavery symbols" like bitter herbs
(Marror), recounting the Ten Plagues, and drinking four cups of wine - which correspond
to the four stages of redemption as recorded in the Biblical book of Exodus. At
the heart of the Seder is the eating of Matzoh as part of a festive meal. The
name "Passover" derives from the fact that during the final plague,
God passed through the land and smote every firstborn Egyptian -- but made sure
to "pass over" the Jewish houses, sparing their firstborn.
All About Matzoh During the entire week of Passover, Jews
are forbidden to eat or possess any chametz -- leavened grain. For this reason,
we dispose of (or sell) all our bread, cookies, pasta, beer, etc. -- and purchase
only products that are labeled "kosher for Passover." To avoid any problems
of residual chametz, many Jews also have special sets of dishes and pots for Passover. Matzoh
is the main staple of the Passover week. The Bible gives two reasons for eating
Matzoh. The most commonly known is that on the morning of the Exodus, the Jews
were so rushed in getting out of Egypt that the bread didn't have time to rise
-- hence they ate it unleavened. In addition, the Bible (Exodus 12:8) states
that the Jews also ate Matzoh the night before the Exodus -- at that first Passover
Seder. That is because is puffed up and represents arrogance; Matzoh is simple
and humble. To come close to the Almighty, which is the ultimate pleasure in life,
one must remove his own personal arrogance. Thus we remove chametz from our homes,
and likewise work to increase our humility. On the evening before Passover,
there is a careful search of the home for chametz. This is done by candlelight
and is a memorable experience for the whole family. Any remaining chametz is either
burned the next morning (in a ceremony called Sray'fat Chametz), or is sold to
a non-Jew for the week of Passover. The sale must be serious and legally binding,
and therefore should be done only through the assistance of a qualified rabbi.
Any food that is sold must be put in a closed cabinet and taped shut. |
Rabbinical Assembly Pesach Guide Click
Here |
