Passover Holiday: The Exodus of the Jews
Whether we are aware of it or not, most of us are somewhat familiar with the Jewish holiday of Passover. The story behind the holiday is not only well-known and well-documented (in films and television specials, for instance), but it is also quite an exciting tale.
The Old Testament Tale
Passover begins a few thousand years ago, in the biblical Old Testament times. The Jews were slaves to the Egyptian Pharaoh, and (in case you don’t already know) Moses is called upon by God to free the Jews. Moses initially demands that the Pharoah let his people go, and when the Pharaoh does not comply, he is warned by Moses that God will send ten punishments down upon Egypt. The key punishment here is the final one: the slaying of the first born. An angel was to descend upon the city and slay all of the first born children. However, God warns his people to paint their doors with lamb’s blood, which will cause the angel to pass over their house. Needless to say, the Pharaoh loses his first born son and finally complies to Moses’ demands.
The story of passover ends with the Pharaoh and his army chasing down the freed Jews. At the Red Sea, when the Jews fear that they are trapped, God opens up the sea and allows the passage. When the Pharaoh and his army follows the sea closes and drowns them in its waters.
This story, which comes from Exodus in the Bible, is the basis for the Jewish holiday. The name for the holiday is believed to have come from the angel’s act of passing over the home’s displaying lamb’s blood. FYI: There is also an interesting theory that since the Hebrew name for the holiday (Pesach) is used to describe a lamb’s skipping, that too may be an origin for the name Passover.
Celebration
Passover is an eight-day holiday that begins on the 14th day of Nisan (equivalent to varying times throughout April and May) and ends on the 21st day.
Preparation
Before the holiday even begins, the home must be freed of all leavened food (“hametz” in Hebrew). Leavening refers to the yeast in foods, or the agent which makes the foods rise. The obvious example of the this in bread, and according to the religious myth, the Jews were so quick to leave the city that they did not have enough time to allow their bread to rise. This leavened food is usually eaten before the holiday or sold.
The Seder(s)
The seders occur on the first two nights of Passover, and they are essentially feasts that highlight the holiday. (Note: In Israel, the Seder is only held on the first night) They are extremely elaborate feasts, and everything from the eating utensils to the food itself is vital.
The five significant foods are haroseth, parsley, egg, bone, and bitter herbs. The haroseth is a mixture of foods that is made to represent mortar used in assembling bricks. Parsley is dipped in salt water to represent the sorrow of the Jews. The egg symbolizes springtime (when the Exodus events occured), and the bone represents the lamb that was sacrified. Lastly, the herbs symbolize the bitterness of slavery. Matzah is the most important food of Passover, and it is broken and eaten in a special ritual. Four servings of wine are also poured during the course of the feast, with a fifth being placed on the table as an offering.
Passover officially begins before the feast, when festival candles (Yom Tov candles) are lit. The first cup of wine is drank, and hands are washed. The symbolic parsley is then eaten as an appetizer and the matzah which lies in the middle of the table is broken into two halves. Preceding the telling of the Passover story, the participants invite those in need to join the Seder. After the elaborate telling of the Passover story (divided into four tellings, each of which consists of something different), they drink the second cup of wine. The hands are washed a second time, the matzah is blessed, and a sandwich made of matzah and the bitter herb is eaten. Finally (!), the prepared meal of the feast is eaten. The feast is still not completed, as a piece of hidden matzah (called afikomen) is eaten, and grace is said. The third cup of wine is eaten, and a cup is offered to the prophet Elijiah. A song of praise is sung, and the final cup of wine is drank.
Why are the Seders so important? The Seders are essentially a re-enactment of the Exodus tale. In addition to the actual telling, the elaborate aspects of the feasts are symbollic of the many parts of the Jewish struggle during that time. Although the holiday lasts a long eight days, it is still these first two (or first, in the case of Israelites) that embody the history of Passover.
