Showing posts with label Passover. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Passover. Show all posts

27 March 2012

Pesach - Passover

Pesach (Passover) 2012, April 7—15 Nissan, 5772, 1st day of Pessach begins after sunset, 6th April. 
The Passover is an eight-day Festival (seven in Israel) commemorating the Exodus from Egypt and the liberation of the Israelites from slavery.

For the duration of Passover, no leavened bread is eaten for which reason it is also called Chag HaMatzot - The Festival of the Unleavened Bread.

"In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month between the two evenings is the L-RD'S Passover.
And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the L-RD; seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work. And ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto the L-RD seven days; in the seventh day is a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work." - (Leviticus 23:5)


"And this day shall become a memorial for you, and you shall observe it as a festival for the L-RD, for your generations, as an eternal decree shall you observe it. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove the leaven from your homes ... you shall guard the unleavened bread, because on this very day I will take you out of the land of Egypt; you shall observe this day for your generations as an eternal decree." - Exodus 12:14-17

- When the Temple in Jerusalem was standing, the focus of the Passover festival was the Korban Pesach (lit. "Pesach sacrifice," also known as the "Paschal Lamb"). Every family large enough to completely consume a young lamb or Wild Goat was required to offer one for sacrifice at the Jewish Temple on the afternoon of the 14th day of Nisan,and eat it that night, which was the 15th of Nisan.

- Today, in the absence of the Temple, the mitzvah of the Korban Pesach is memorialized in the Seder
Korban Pesach, recited in the afternoon of Nisan 14, and in the form of symbolic food placed on the
Passover Seder Plate, which is usually a roasted shankbone. Source: Wikipedia

- The name "Pesach" (PAY-sahkh) comes from the Hebrew root Peh-Samech-Chet , meaning to pass through, to pass over, to exempt or to spare. It refers to the fact that G-d "passed over" the houses of the Jews when he was slaying the firstborn of Egypt. In English, the holiday is known as Passover. "Pesach" is also the name of the sacrificial offering (a lamb) that was made in the Temple on this holiday. The holiday is also referred to as Chag ha-Aviv , (the Spring Festival), Chag ha-Matzoth , (the Festival of Matzahs), and Z'man Cherutenu, (the Time of Our Freedom).

16 April 2011

Pesach - The Celebration Of Freedom

The Pesach (The Jewish Passover) has different meaning of Easter Christian.

The eight-day festival of Pesach (Passover) will commence either just after sunset or just after nightfall on Monday, April 18th, 2011, concluding either at sunset or at nightfall on Monday, April 25th, 2011 (From 15th to the 22nd of Nissan, 5771 in the Jewish calendar).

It commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. And, by following the rituals of Passover, we have the ability to relive and experience the true freedom that our ancestors gained.

After many decades of slavery to the Egyptian Pharaohs, during which time the Israelites were subjected to back-breaking labor and unbearable horrors, Gd saw the people's distress and sent Moses to Pharaoh with a message: "Send forth My people, so that they may serve Me." But despite numerous warnings, Pharaoh refused to heed Gd's command. Gd then sent upon Egypt ten devastating plagues, afflicting them and destroying everything from their livestock to their crops.

At the stroke of midnight of Nissan 15 of the year 2448 from creation (1313 BCE), Gd visited the last of the ten plagues on the Egyptians. While doing so, Gd spared the Children of Israel passing over their homes - hence the name of the holiday.

The Pharaoh's resistance was broken, and gave up chasing his ex-slaves. The Israelites left Egypt in such a hurry that the dough prepared for the journey did not go up, that is not fermented, so it is traditional eat Matza Lechem Oni (bread of poverty), bread without fermentation. That day began the journey to Mount Sinai and birth as the Chosen People of Gd.

The Seder (The Holiday Meal)
- The seder table should already be set before nightfall, with the seder plate, matzot, cups etc.
- The seder plate should contain - starting from top going clockwise - an egg lightly roasted, a piece of meat, charoset (usually made of grated apple, ground walnuts, cinnamon, red wine and dates), chazeret (a vegetable), karpas (potato, parsley etc.) and in the middle maror (the bitter herb - horseradish or romaine lettuce). A bowl of salt water should be placed on the table but not on the plate.

- Three whole matzot shmura should be placed under or in front of the plate. They should be covered and separated from each other by a napkin or cloth. Matzot shmura are matzot that were made for the sake of the mitzvah and from wheat that was protected from moisture from the time of its harvest. They are the matzot that one should use for the commandments of the seder.

- Everyone should have a cup that holds at least 86 cc. And there should be enough wine to fill four cups for each person at the seder. Red wine is preferable but white wine may also be used. Children and pregnant women or people who for health reasons cannot drink wine, may fulfill the obligation with grape juice (preferably, with a little wine mixed in). The cups should be filled to the brim for each of the four cups of wine.

Seder is concluded with the singing of the traditional songs (Echad Mi Yodea, Chad Gadya, Adir Hu, etc.)

To learn more, click.

30 March 2010

Ma Nishtana - Popular Song Passover



Ma Nishtana

Chorus
Ma nishtana halayla hazeh
mikol haleylot?
Verse 1
Sheb'chol haleylot anu ochlin
chametz, u-matza,
halayla hazeh,
kulo matza.
Verse 2
Sheb'chol haleylot anu ochlin
shear yerakot,
halayla hazeh,
kulo maror.
Verse 3
Shebachol haleylot ein anu matbilin
afilu p'am echat
halayla hazeh,
sh'tei p'amim.
Verse 4
Shebachol haleylot anu ochlin
beyn yoshvin u-bein m'subin
halayla hazeh,
kulanu m'subin.

Why is this night different
from all other nights?

On all other nights we may eat
chametz and matza,
but on this night,
only matza.

On all other nights we may eat
many vegetables
but on this night,
only bitter herbs.

On all other nights, we do not dip
even once,
but on this night,
twice.

On all other nights we may eat
either sitting or reclining,
but on this night,
we all recline.