Understanding the Jewish Passover
Celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Nisan (which corresponds to April on Christian calendars), Passover is a family holiday. Pesach is a major holiday for anyone who professes the Jewish faith. The observance lasts for eight days. Jews who live outside Israel (often called Diaspora Jews) hold two special meals or Seders on the first two evenings of Pesach.
In ancient Egypt, Israelites had been enslaved for generations when Moses, Hebrew born to slaves but raised as a Prince of Egypt, confronted the Pharaoh to insist that his people be released from slavery. The hardhearted ruler refused and the Lord visited several plagues on Egypt. These are detailed within the Book of Exodus in any Christian Bible. Because Pharaoh would not grant Moses’ request, the Lord decreed that the first born of each house would die. Hebrews were told to mark their homes with an offering of blood so that their first born children would be spared. As the Lord’s pestilence passed through Egypt, Hebrew first born children were spared or passed over, thus the name of the observance.
Pesach may also have roots in other ancient festivals that honored a bountiful harvest for farmers, one for crops, one for livestock.
Three key rules apply to the observance of Passover. One is eating matzo or unleavened bread. The second is that eating foods made with a leavening is forbidden and the third is the retelling of the Exodus led by Moses.
The Seder is a special meal during which the story of Exodus is shared. Bitter herbs are included in the meal as a reminder of the past bondage of the Israelites and unleavened bread must be eaten because when the Israelites fled Egypt, there was no time to allow bread to rise.
Tradition dictates that the youngest member present at the Seder asks “Why is this night different from all other nights?” and the answer comes from an elder, “Because on this night we were delivered from slavery.” Four cups of grape wine are drunk and a cup is filled at an empty place at the table for Elijah. Matzo is eaten and there must be three matzos. During the Seder, the center matzo is broken in half and the smaller half placed with the set of three matzos.
The Seder Plate is set in the middle of the table. It includes the symbols of Pesach or Passover. There is a roasted shank bone from a Pascal lamb (Z’roa) to represent the offerings at the temple of Jerusalem. There is a roasted egg (Beitzah) that stands for the second offering given at the temple in Jerusalem on Pesach, Savuot, and Sukkot. A green, leafy vegetable (Karpas) that can be celery, parsley, or lettuce represents spring and also a dish of Charoset (chopped fruit, nuts, and wine) that represents the mortar used as slaves. A dish of bitter herbs (maror) reminds of the bitterness of slavery.
Other customs include the recollection of the Four Sons. The word “seder” means order and so the Seder meal is a ritual as well as meal. Specific actions and prayers must be taken in the traditional order to mark Pesach.
Diaspora Jews, including those in the United States, normally have a Seder on the first two evenings of Pesach while in Israel only the first night is observed.
Before Pesach begins, all practicing Jews will remove all food with leavening from the home. This can include all breads, flours, grains, foods made with flour or grains, legumes oats, and anything that can be used to bake bread. Jewish Law requires the removal of even olive sized portions of leavening so tradition dictates a search even for those who have removed all traces of leavening from their homes.
The Christian observance of Easter coincides with Passover because Christ was crucified at Pesach time. Jesus’ Last Supper is believed to have been a Seder supper or a meal on the eve of Passover.
Pesach or Passover is a religious observance that commemorates events that occurred centuries ago when the Israelites were delivered from bondage but it is also a family holiday steeped in tradition and fun.
