However, strangely enough, none of this taking of responsibility gets done without groaning. [11] Other scholars, John Van Seters, J.B.Segal and Tamara Prosic disagree with the merged two-festivals hypothesis.[12]. The Torah contains an instruction to eat matzo, specifically, on the first night of Passover and to eat only unleavened bread (in practice, matzo) during the entire week of Passover. The holiday celebrates when Jews were freed from slavery in Ancient Egypt. Some of these details can be corroborated, and to some extent amplified, in extrabiblical sources. In the times when the Jewish Temples stood, the lamb was slaughtered and cooked on the evening of Passover and was completely consumed before the morning as described in Exodus 12:3–11. However, once Israel was in the wilderness and the tabernacle was in operation, a change was made in those two original requirements (Deuteronomy 16:2–6). Some people avoid leavened foods for the month before Passover. Thus, bagels, waffles and pancakes made with baking soda and matzo meal are considered permissible, while bagels made with sourdough and pancakes and waffles made with yeast are prohibited.[41]. The most important kosher for Passover restriction is that leavened bread cannot be consumed. He sets aside the larger portion as the afikoman. Likewise, they are encouraged to search for the afikoman, the piece of matzo which is the last thing eaten at the seder. Jews avoid any leavened bread or foods that might include leavening ingredients during the entire week of Passover. Ezra 6:19–21 records the celebration of the passover by the Jews who had returned from exile in Babylon, after the temple had been rebuilt. ( not a sin sacrifice) The Hebrews killed and ate a representative of one of their gods in front of all Egypt and put the very life force of their false god on the door and death passed over them and punished the firstborn of Egypt instead. Many households add their own commentary and interpretation and often the story of the Jews is related to the theme of liberation and its implications worldwide. Primarily among Chabad Chassidim, there is a custom of not eating matzoh (flat unleavened bread) in the 30 days before Passover begins. According to Halakha, the ownership of such chametz is also proscribed. Many Sephardi Jews have the custom of eating lamb or goat meat during the Seder in memory of the Korban Pesach. Bold indicates major holidays commonly celebrated in the United States, which often represent the major celebrations of the month. During the day on the 14th of Nisan, they were to slaughter the animal and use its blood to mark their lintels and door posts. Passover is a festival of freedom.. Before this final plague Yahweh commands Moses to tell the Israelites to mark a lamb's blood above their doors in order that Yahweh will pass over them (i.e., that they will not be touched by the death of the firstborn). Due to the Torah injunction not to eat chametz (leaven) during Passover (Exodus 12:15), observant families typically own complete sets of serving dishes, glassware and silverware (and in some cases, even separate dishwashers and sinks) which have never come into contact with chametz, for use only during Passover. Thereafter all are permitted, publicly or individually, to begin harvest.[59]. Cleaning the house to remove chametz, using a candle, a feather, a wooden spoon, and a paper bag, symbolizes the removal of egotism and spiritual coarseness from life. Men and women were equally obligated regarding the offering (Pesahim 91b). [47], Leaven or chametz may be sold rather than discarded, especially in the case of relatively valuable forms such as liquor distilled from wheat, with the products being repurchased afterward. [71] Passover is also celebrated in Karaite Judaism, which rejects the Oral Torah that characterizes mainstream Rabbinic Judaism, as well as other groups claiming affiliation with Israelites. Pesach marks the birth of the Jewish people as a nation led by Moshe (Moses) over 3000 years ago. In the intermediate days necessary work can be performed. There is an attendant explanation that matzo serves as a symbol to remind Jews what it is like to be a poor slave and to promote humility, appreciate freedom, and avoid the inflated ego symbolized by more luxurious leavened bread.[54]. How Do I Search for Chametz Before Passover. It gives stability and equilibrium to the spirit. This is a as much a celebration of our spiritual freedom as the physical liberation from slavery. This is followed by several lyric prayers that expound upon God's mercy and kindness, and give thanks for the survival of the Jewish people through a history of exile and hardship. This custom is said to derive from the part of the Passover story in which the Hebrew slaves fled Egypt so quickly that their bread didn't have time to rise. In Hebrew … Passover, also called Pesach (/ˈpɛsɑːx, ˈpeɪ-/;[2] Hebrew: פֶּסַח‎ Pesaḥ), is a major Jewish holiday that occurs in the spring on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan. Passover noodles – Noodles prepared from potato flour and eggs, served in soup. A special cutting tool is run over the dough just before baking to prick any bubbles which might make the matza puff up;[55] this creates the familiar dotted holes in the matzo. Jesus is our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7; Revelation 5:12). [28] If the barley was not ripe, or various other phenomena[29] indicated that spring was not yet imminent, an intercalary month (Adar II) would be added. However, due to leap months falling after the vernal equinox, Passover sometimes starts on the second full moon after vernal equinox, as in 2016. [42], Some hotels, resorts, and even cruise ships across America, Europe, and Israel also undergo a thorough housecleaning to make their premises "kosher for Pesach" to cater to observant Jews. However, since at least the 4th century, the date has been fixed mathematically. And because things like corn syrup and cornstarch can be found in many unexpected foods, the easiest way to avoid inadvertently violating the rules of kashrut during Passover is to only use food products that are specifically labeled "Kosher for Passover.". Reform Judaism observes Passover over seven days, with the first and last days being major holidays. Passover is celebrated for seven days in Israel and for Reform Jews around the world, and for eight days for most other Jews in the Diaspora (those outside of Israel). The etymology is disputed, and hypotheses are divided whether to connect it to psh (to protect, save) or to a word meaning "limp, dance with limping motions". Passover is a feast that commemorates the Lord passing over the Israelites when He struck all the firstborn of Egypt with death. Answer 2 Passover celebrates the release of the Israelite people from their exile in Egypt. Many readings, prayers, and stories are used to recount the story of the Exodus. Passover, Hebrew Pesaḥ, or Pesach, in Judaism, holiday commemorating the Hebrews’ liberation from slavery in Egypt and the “passing over” of the forces of destruction, or the sparing of the firstborn of the Israelites, when the Lord “smote the land of Egypt” on the eve of the Exodus. [8] Hyssop was employed to daub the blood of a slaughtered sheep on the lintels and door posts to ensure that demonic forces could not enter the home. Are not their lives embittered by complete disenfranchisement and forced labor? The offering had to be made before a quorum of 30 (Pesahim 64b). 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