Celebrating Passover ...Dedicated To My WMN :)h

Passover: An Overview

The holiday of Passover (in Hebrew, Pesach) is the first of the three major festivals in the Jewish calendar. It begins on the night of the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, this year at sundown on April 16, and ends, outside of Israel, 8 days later, at sundown on April 24. In Israel, the festival lasts only 7 days. On the first two and the last two days of the holiday (in Israel, only the first and last days), we are proscribed from doing work, while on the intermediate days, known as Chol Hamoed, work is permitted.



The festival of Pesach commemorates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and the birth of the Jews as a nation, led by Moshe, over 3000 years ago. It marks both our physical liberation from bondage and the foundation of our spiritual freedom.



The most significant observances associated with Pesach are the removal of chametz, leavening, and the eating of matzah. Chametz includes anything that has been leavened from the five major grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt). Ashkenazi Jews have adopted the custom of not eating rice, corn, peanuts and legumes, as well. These items are referred to as kitniot. Leavening is considered to have occurred when the grain comes into contact with moisture and is not completely cooked within 18 minutes. Contact with hot or salted water causes instantaneous fermentation.



The concept of chametz originated at the time of the exodus, when the Jews left Egypt in haste, not have finished preparing bread for their journey. Paroah had changed his mind several times about liberating the Jews, and the Jews had hesitated about leaving their homes. Finally, when the tenth plague struck and he again released them, the Jews did not waver. They took the dough that had not yet risen and ceased the opportunity to leave.



There is deep symbolism associated with chametz and matza, as well. While they contain some of the same ingredients, the difference between them involves the time factor. From this we learn not to procrastinate, not to miss a window of opportunity as it presents itself. Yeast, the ingredient that is missing from matzah, has also come to symbolize arrogance, the evil inclination. When kept under control, yeast is a positive catalyst, the medium which allows bread to ferment and rise above the level of matzah; however, when left unchecked, it can turn bread sour. So, too, our instinctual forces of desire and ambition allow us to be dynamic and creative, improving ourselves and contributing in a positive way to society. Those same character traits, however, when not kept in check, can lead to destructive behavior, discontent and corruption.



We are specifically commanded to eat matzah on the first night of Pesach. This matzah, ironically, can only be made from a mixture of water and one of the five grains. The process by which it is made is, however, rigorous, the main goal being to prevent moisture from coming in contact with the wheat until the prescribed moment and ensuring that it is fully cooked within 18 moments from the moment of contact. In other words, the flour must be mixed, kneaded, rolled and fully cooked with the water, all within 18 minutes; otherwise it is transformed from being the object of a mitzvah to the object of a Torah prohibition!



One of the highlights of Pesach is the unique ceremony of the Seder, performed on the first two nights of the festival (in Israel, only on the first night). At the seder, which literally means ?order? because of the step by step order of what is recited and performed throughout the evening, we, in essence, reenact the exodus from Egypt. We recite a brief history of the Jews leading up to the time of their bondage, starting with our forefather Avraham and his discovery of monotheism, through the initial descent of the children of Yaacov to Egypt, the trials and tribulations of the resulting bondage, and the plagues and the other great miracles that G-d performed upon the exodus of His people. We give praise to G-d at the seder and sing the traditional Pesach songs. The seder also includes a festive meal which is eaten in addition to matzah and bitter herbs (maror) and the drinking of the four cups of wine at specified points. To demonstrate our status as a free people, we are instructed to recline during several parts of the seder. The latter part of the seder looks forward, anticipating the Messianic era.



Pesach, literally meaning to "pass over" (hence the English name, Passover, for the holiday), refers to the fact that G-d spared the firstborn Jewish males during the final plague when their Egyptian counterparts were slain. Pesach also refers to the sacrificial lamb that was brought in the Temple on the morning of the 14th, the eve of Passover. There are three other names associated with the festival, as well. It is referred to as "Chag Ha'Aviv" (Spring Festival), Chag HaMatzot (Festival of Matzah), and Z?man Cherutainu (The Time of Our Freedom).



The prohibition regarding chametz is not limited to eating it, but extends also to owning it, deriving benefit from it and even feeding it to one's animals. Even utensils that have come into contact with chametz are prohibited from being in one's possession. There is a further prohibition of eating or otherwise deriving benefit from chametz that was owned by another Jew during the week of Pesach. In order to avoid the financial hardship of disposing of all of the chametz in one's possession, particularly one whose business involves the use or sale of chametz and its derivatives, the rabbis established a procedure by which Jews can transfer ownership of their chametz to non-Jews and repurchase it at the conclusion of the holiday.



There are several traditions associated specifically with Pesach eve, which falls this year on April 16. There is the Fast of the Newborn, a minor fast for all firstborn males above the age of 13, commemorating their being spared from the final plague. Instead of fasting, a popular custom has developed whereby someone, usually a first born, completes the study of a tractate in the Talmud, and the seudat mitzvah, the celebratory meal, that follows preempts the need to fast. It is also the day that the pascal lamb was brought in the time of the Temple, and, in memorial, we stop eating chametz by a specified time in the morning.



While the first part of Pesach is, in essence, a vibrant historical reenactment, the latter part, like the latter part of the seder, is integrally linked to looking ahead to the future and our fervent hope for the final redemption. Thus, in many communities it has become traditional to eat an extra holiday meal, a "seudat mashiach", on the last day of Pesach to emphasize this special dimension to the day.

Much Love,I Remain In Spirit,Heart And Soul, GGramma Linda

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