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Jewish Times Asia April 2012
Passover
T
Understanding the significance of Pesach
he holiday of Pesach / Passover begins on 15 Nissan and marks the anniversary of the birth of the Jewish nation.
Apart from its historical significance it also has agricultural importance and represents the beginning of the harvest season in Israel. The festival lasts for seven days (eight days outside of Israel). The first and last days of the holiday (first two and last two outside of Israel) are days on which no work is allowed. The intermediate days on which work is permitted are referred to as Chol Ha-Mo’ed. The primary observances
of Pesach are related to the Exodus from Egypt after generations of slavery. The name Pesach literally means to pass through, to pass over. It refers to the fact that G-d “passed over” the houses of the Jews when he was slaying the firstborn of Egypt.
The holiday is also known as Chag Ha Aviv (the Spring Festival), Chag Ha-Matzot, (the Festival of Matzahs), and Z’man Cheiruteinu, (the Time of Our Freedom.
The most significant observance related to the festival involves the removal of chametz from our homes. This commemorates the fact that the Jews leaving Egypt were in a hurry, and did not have time to let their bread rise. It includes anything made from the five major grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt) that has not been completely cooked within 18 minutes after coming into contact with water. Ashkenazic Jews also avoid rice, corn, peanuts, and legumes (beans) as if they were chametz. All of these items are common-
ly used to make bread, thus use of them was prohibited to avoid any confusion. Such additional items are known as kitniyot.
All chametz, including utensils used to cook chametz, must either be disposed of or sold to a non-Jew (they can be repurchased after the holiday). The process of cleaning the home of all chametz in preparation is an enormous task and spend several days scrubbing and covering all surfaces that come into contact with food. The morning before the Seder, a formal search of the house for chametz is undertaken, and any remaining chametz is burned.
The festival is marked 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 into freedom.” The text of the Pesach Seder is written in a book called the Haggadah, that tells the story of the Exodus and explains some of the practices and symbols of the holiday. We recount the Ten Plagues. We eat symbols of slavery and freedom, and partake in a festive meal. The day before the festival is the Fast of the Firstborn, a minor fast for all firstborn males, commemorating the fact that the firstborn Jewish males in Egypt were not killed during the final plague. During the holiday we eat symbolic food such as Matzah, which is unleavened bread, made simply from flour and water and cooked very quickly. This is the bread that the Jews made for their flight from Egypt. The Seder is comprised of 15 sequential steps. Supplied by Judaism 101 website: www. jewfaq.org
THE SEDER
KADESH: To begin we make Kiddush and sanctify the day. URCHATZ: Wash our hands without a blessing. KARPAS: We take a green vegetable and bless G-d for creating fruits from the ground. YACHATZ: We break the middle matzah, and put it aside. MAGGID: The power of speech given to humanity. RACHTZAH: We wash our hands. MOTZI: We make a blessing to thank G-d for bread. MATZAH: We eat the unleavend bread. MARROR: We eat the bitter herbs in combination with matzah. KORECH: The Hillel Sandwich “bricks-and-mortar:” SHULCHAN ORECH: A festive meal. TZAFUN: The last thing we eat is the Afikoman. BARECH: Grace After Meals. HALLEL : We recite Hallel. NIRTZAH: Conclusion