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Passover
(Hebrew: פסח; transliterated as pesach or
pesah) is a Jewish holiday beginning on the
fifteenth day of Nisan which commemorates
the Exodus and freedom of the Israelites
from ancient Egypt. Passover marks the
"birth" of the Jewish nation, as the Jews
were freed from being slaves of Pharaoh and
allowed to become servants of God instead.
also see:
Passover Recipes
Passover is one of the three pilgrim
festivals (Shalosh Regalim) that mark the
three times during the year that the entire
Jewish populace made a pilgrimage to
Jerusalem in the days of the Holy Temple.
In Israel, Passover is a 7-day holiday, with
the first and last days celebrated as a full
festival (involving abstention from work,
special prayer services and holiday meals).
Outside Israel, the holiday is celebrated
for 8 days, with the first two days and last
two days celebrated as full festivals. The
remaining days are known as Chol HaMoed
(festival weekdays).
The primary symbol of Passover is the matzo,
a flat, unleavened bread which recalls the
bread that the Israelites ate after their
hasty departure from Egypt. According to
Halakha, this bread is made from a dough of
flour and water only, which has not been
allowed to rise for more than 18-22 minutes.
Religious Jews will observe the positive
Torah commandment of eating matzo on the
first night, as well as the negative Torah
commandment of neither eating nor owning any
leavened products, such as bread, cake,
cookies, or pasta — anything whose dough has
been mixed with a leavening agent or which
has been left to rise more than 18-22
minutes.
Origins of
the feast
The term Pesach is first mentioned in the
Torah account of the Exodus from Egypt
(Exodus 12:23). There it refers to the way
God "passed over" the houses of the
Israelites during the final plague of the
Ten Plagues of Egypt, the killing of the
first-born. On the night of that plague,
which occurred on the 15th day of Nisan, the
Jews smeared their lintels and doorposts
with the blood of the Passover sacrifice and
were spared.
The term
Pesach also refers to the lamb which was
designated as the Passover sacrifice (called
the korban Pesach in Hebrew). Four days
before the Exodus, the Jews were commanded
to set aside a lamb (Exodus 12:3) and
inspect it daily for blemishes. On the night
of the 15th of Nisan, they were to slaughter
the lamb and use its blood to mark their
lintels and doorposts. Before midnight, each
family (or group of families) gathered
together to eat a meal that included the
meat of the korban Pesach while the Tenth
Plague ravaged Egypt.
In future years, during the existence of the
Tabernacle in the desert and the Temple in
Jerusalem, the korban Pesach was eaten
during the Passover Seder on the 15th of
Nisan. However, following the destruction of
the Temple, no sacrifices may be offered or
eaten. The story of the korban Pesach is
therefore retold at the Passover Seder, and
the symbolic food which represents it on the
Seder Plate is usually a roasted lamb shank
bone, chicken wing, or chicken neck. |
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 The English term "Passover" came into the
English language through William Tyndale's
translation of the Bible, and later appeared
in the King James Version as well.
Although the term Pesach is not mentioned
until the Book of Exodus, there are
indications that at least parts of the feast
were observed in earlier times. For example,
Genesis 19:3 refers to the "matzos" which
Lot served his angelic guests. According to
Rashi, quoting Talmud Yoma 28b, the
Patriarchs and their families intuited the
celebration of all the Jewish holidays, as
well as the mitzvot which God would command
in the future through the giving of the
Torah, and kept the mitzvot voluntarily.
Passover Korban
When the temple was standing every Jew was
required to partake of one (Numbers 9:11)
paschal sacrifice on the night of the 15th
of Nissan (Exodus 12:6). It could not be
slaughtered while one is in possession of
leaven (Exodus 23:18). It must be eaten
roasted (Exodus 12:9) with matzah and marror
(Exodus 12:8). One must be careful not to
break any bones from the offering (Exodus
12:46). The offering cannot be left over
until morning (Exodus 12:10, 23:18).
Only Jews were permitted to partake of the
paschal Lamb. An apostate could not eat from
it (Exodus 12:43) nor a hired worker (Exodus
12:45). An uncircumcised male is also
restrained from eating from it (Exodus
12:48).
If one missed the opportunity to slaughter
the Passover offering he or she can make it
up one month latter on the night of the 15th
of Iyar (Numbers 9:11). Just like the first,
one must not break any bones from the second
paschal offering (Numbers 9:12) or leave
meat over until morning (Numbers 9:12).
Matzah
All Jews must eat at least one olive-sized
amount of Matzah on the first night of
Passover. According to halacha this law
applies even though the Temple was
destroyed.
Chametz
Chametz (חמץ) is the Hebrew term for
"leavened", the opposite of matzah. Jewish
law prohibits one from owning, eating or
benefiting from any chametz during Passover.
Jews clean and remove all or much of their
chametz. Where this is not practical they
sell their chametz to a non-jew; most
synagogues have a system to make this
possible.
Maror
Maror, or bitter herbs, must be eaten at
both Passover Seders when the hagaddah
(guide book) says it is the proper time.
This applies even though there is no temple.
Recounting the Exodus
On the first night of Passover one must
recount The Exodus. This is done during the
Passover Seder
Four Cups
There is a Rabbinic obligation to drink four
cups of wine (or pure grape juice) during
the Seder. 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
is for Kiddush, the second is at recounting
the story, the third is for Birkat Hamazon
and the fourth is for Hallel.
Observances
Removal and sale of chametz
In accordance with the mitzvah of not eating
or owning leavened products during Passover,
religious Jewish families typically spend
the weeks before the holiday in a flurry of
housecleaning. The object is to remove every
morsel of leavened food (called chametz)
from all the cupboards and corners in the
home. The search for chametz is often a
thorough one, as children's rooms and
kitchens are cleaned from top to bottom.
Although many ensure that not even a crumb
of chametz remains, the Halakha only
requires the elimination of olive-sized
quantities of leavening from one's
possession.
After dark on the 14th of Nisan, a formal
search for leavened products (bedikat
chametz) is conducted. The head of the house
goes from room to room and cupboard to
cupboard to make sure that no crumbs remain
in any corner. There is a custom to turn off
the lights in the room being searched and
conduct the search using candlelight, a
feather and a wooden spoon. Candlelight
effectively illuminates corners without
casting shadows; the feather can dust crumbs
out of their hiding places; and the wooden
spoon which collects the crumbs can be
burned the next day with the chametz.
Chametz that has a high monetary value (such
as liquor which is made from wheat) may be
sold rather than discarded. This sale of
chametz is conducted via the community
rabbi, who becomes the "agent" for all the
community's Jews through a halakhic
procedure called a kinyan (acquisition). As
the agent, the rabbi will sell all the
chametz to a non-Jew for a price to be
negotiated after the holiday. In the
meantime, the non-Jew is asked to put down a
small down payment (i.e. $1.00), with the
remainder due after Passover. As soon as the
holiday ends, the rabbi will contact the
non-Jew, to buy the community's chametz back
from him.
This sale is considered completely binding
according to Halakha, to the point that each
householder must put aside all the chametz
he is selling into a box or cupboard and
assume that at any time during the holiday,
the non-Jewish buyer may come to take or
partake of his share. Similarly, Jewish
store owners who stock leavened food
products sell everything in their storeroom
to a non-Jew with full knowledge that the
new "owner" can claim his property. In the
Eastern European shtetls, the Jews, who were
often tavern keepers, would sell their
chametz in this way to neighboring gentiles,
and risk having the non-Jews enter their
cellars to drink all the liquor during the
holiday—which they often did.
Burning the chametz
In the morning, any leavened products that
were found during the search is burned (biur
chametz), and the head of the household
declares any chametz that may not have been
found to be null and void "as the dust of
the earth." Should chametz actually be found
in the house during the Passover holiday, it
must be burnt.
The weeks before Passover are also the time
for the baking of the matzos which will be
eaten during the holiday. In Orthodox Jewish
communities, men traditionally gather in
groups (chaburas) to bake a special version
of hand-baked matzo together, called shmurah
matzo ("guarded matzo", referring to the
fact that the wheat is guarded from
contamination by chametz from the time it is
cut in the summer until it is baked into
matzos for the following Passover). Chaburas
also work together in machine-made matzo
factories, which produce the typically
square-shaped matzo sold in stores.
Matzo by-products, such as matzo farfel
(broken bits of matzo) and matzo meal
(finely-ground matzo) are used as flour
substitutes in the baking of Passover cakes
and cookies.
Passover Dishware
Due to the strict separation between matzo
products and chametz during Passover,
families typically own complete sets of
serving dishes, glassware and silverware
that are reserved for use during Passover
only. Ashkenazic families who purchase new
pots or silverware for the holiday will
first immerse them in boiling water to
remove any traces of chametz-based oils or
materials that may have touched them. Some
Sephardic families have the custom of using
the same glassware for Passover as they do
during the year, but will wash the glasses
thoroughly first.
Fast of the Firstborn
On the morning before Passover, the fast of
the firstborn takes place. This fast
commemorates the salvation of the Israelite
firstborns during the Plague of the
Firstborn (according to the Book of Exodus,
the tenth of ten plagues wrought upon
ancient Egypt prior to the Exodus of the
Children of Israel), when, according to
Exodus (12:29): "...God struck every
firstborn in the Land of Mitzrayim (ancient
Egypt)...." In practice, however, most
firstborns only fast during the morning
prayer service in synagogue. This is due to
the widespread custom for a member of the
congregation to conduct a siyum (ceremony
marking the completion of a section of Torah
learning) right after services and invite
everyone to partake in a celebratory meal.
According to widespread custom, partaking of
this meal removes one's obligation to fast.
The Passover Seder
It is traditional for a Jewish family to
gather on the first night of Passover (first
two nights outside the land of Israel) for a
special dinner called a Seder (סדר—derived
from the Hebrew word for "order", referring
to the very specific order of the ritual).
The table is set with the finest china and
silverware to reflect the importance of this
meal. During this meal, the story of the
Exodus from Egypt is retold using a special
text called the Haggadah. Four cups of wine
are consumed at various stages in the
narrative. The Haggadah divides the night's
procedure into these 15 parts:
- Kadesh
קדש (Recital of Kiddush blessing and
drinking of the First Cup of Wine)
- Ur'chatz
ורחץ (The washing of the hands)
- Karpas
כרפס (Dipping of the Karpas in salt water)
- Yachatz
יחץ (Breaking the middle matzah which
becomes the afikomen)
- Maggid
מגיד (Retelling the Passover story,
including the recital of the "Four
Questions" and drinking of the Second Cup
of Wine)
- Rachtzah
רחצה (Second washing of the hands)
- Motzi /
Matzo מוציא / מצה (Recital of the blessing
over matzo)
- Maror
מרור (Eating of the maror)
- Korech
כורך (Eating of a sandwich made of matzo
and maror)
- Shulchan
Orech שולחן עורך (Lit. "set table"—the
serving of the holiday meal)
- Tzafun
צפון (Eating of the afikomen)
- Barech
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
נירצה (Conclusion)
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 Afikomen, the piece of matzo which is
the last thing eaten at the Seder. The child
or children who discover the hiding place of
the afikomen are rewarded with a prize or
money. Audience participation and
interaction is the rule, and many families'
Seders last long into the night with
animated discussions and much singing. The
Seder concludes with additional songs of
praise and faith printed in the Haggadah,
including Chad Gadya ("One Kid Goat").
An example of a traditional Passover seder
plate (circa 1948) upon which the symbolic
foods of the Passover seder are placed.
The holiday week
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 maccaroons and
homemade candies.
The prohibition against eating leavened food
products and regular flour during Passover
results in the increased consumption of
potatoes, eggs and oil in addition to fresh
milk and cheeses, fresh meat and chicken,
and fresh fruit and vegetables. To make a
"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 (8 and
over) 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
drink made from fermented beets, is a
Passover tradition.
Some hotels, resorts, and even cruise ships
across America, Europe and Israel also
undergo a thorough housecleaning and import
of Passover foodstuffs to make their
premises "kosher for Pesach", with the goal
of attracting families for a week-long
vacation. Besides their regular
accommodations and on-site recreational
facilities, these hotels assemble a package
of lectures, children's activities, tours
and a "rabbi in residence" to entertain
Passover guests. Each meal is a
demonstration of the chefs' talents in
turning the basic foodstuffs of Passover
into a culinary feast.
Counting of the Omer
Beginning on the second night of Passover,
the 16th day of Nisan, 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.
When the Holy Temple stood in Jerusalem, the
Omer was an actual offering of a measure of
barley, which was offered each day between
the 16th of Nisan and the eve of Shavuot.
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 is shows the connection between
Passover and Shavuot. The physical freedom
that the Israelites 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.
Seventh day of Passover
Shvi'i shel Pesach (the seventh day of
Passover) is another full holiday, with
special prayer services and festive meals.
(Outside the land of Israel, Shvi'i shel
Pesach is celebrated on both the seventh and
eighth days of Passover). This holiday
commemorates the day the Israelites reached
the Red Sea and witnessed both the
miraculous "Splitting of the Sea" and the
drowning of all the Egyptian chariots,
horses and soldiers that pursued them.
According to the Midrash, only 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. |
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