PESACH/PASSOVER HOLIDAY
Pesach is the eight day festival of freedom. It begins on 15 Nisan. Pesach this year begins Monday night, March 25 and ends Tuesday, April 2. Pesach celebrates the miraculous redemption of the Jewish people from their oppressive slavery in Egypt
Before Passover
It is forbidden to eat Chametz-all leavened foods that contain wheat, barley, oats, rye or spelt-on Passover. So put products containg Chametz in a designated place. Then Spring clean for remaining Chametz.
Chametz for Sale Because it is even prohibited to "own" Chametz during Passover, lock your Chametz away and arrange to have it sold to a non-Jew by filling out a form. Sound complicated? It is, so ask your local Rabbi to make the arrangements.
Search for all Chametz The night before Pesach, search the house for Chametz (blessing 1). Traditionally, we use a candle to light the way, a spoon (as a shovel), feather (as a broom) and a paper bag to collect any Chametz found. In the morning burn all the Chametz found during the previous night's formal search.
Making Something Into Nothing After cleaning the house, and selling and burning the Chametz, the head of the household says the appropriate prayers (blessing 2), verbally disowning any Chametz that might have been overlooked.
Prepare to Celebrate
To build an appetite for the Seder abstain from eating any Seder plate foods today, especially Matza.
The Three Matzot Combine intellectual and emotional slavery with Divinely inspired faith, and you have the spiritual recipe for matzot. The mixture inspired our ancestors to follow G-d into the desert with such haste that there wasn't time for the bread that would nourish them to rise. At least one ounce is eaten during the Seder. The three matzot represent the entire Jewish people-Cohen, Levi and Israel.
Seder No. 1 The first night candles are lit (blessings 3 and 4). At nightfall the Seder begins with 4 cups of wine, 4 questions, matzah, the Pesach story and bitter herbs.
And No. 2 Before the second Seder begins candles are lit at sunset from a pre-existing flame (blessings 3 and 4). Tonight we begin to count the Omer, which lasts for 49 days. In the Holy Temple the Omer was an offering of barley taken from the first grain of the new crop. We count seven weeks, from the bringing of the first Omer offering (Passover) until the day we received the Torah (the Festival of Shavuot). The 49 days between Passover and Shavuot represent the 49 steps of mystical self-purification and preparation our people went through between leaving Egypt (Passover) and receiving the Torah (Shavuot).
On the Seventh Day Light candles the seventh night (blessing 3).This day marks the Miracle of the Splitting of the Sea and our total liberation from Egypt. In commemoration, we stay up all night studying Torah.
At Last After nightfall light candles from a pre-existing flame (blessing 3). This day, the final day of Passover, emphasizes an even higher level of freedom. It is dedicated to our imminent and final redemption.
The Blessings 1 Bo-ruch A-toh Ado-noi E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ho-olom A-sher Kideshanu Be mitz-vo-sov Vi-tzi-vo-no Al Bi-ur Chametz.
2 Kol Chah-mirah Va-chah-me-ah Deeeka Bir-shusee Dachazee-tay U'delo Cha-zee-tay Da-cha-mee-tay U'de Lo Cha-mee-tay D'bee-artay U'delo Bee-artay Lee-batail V'lee-hevay Hefker K'afra D'arah.
3 Bo-ruch A-toh Ado-noi E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ho-olom A-sher Ki-de-sha-nu Be-mitz-vo-sov Vitzi-vo-no Le-had-lik Ner Shel Yom Tov.
4 Bo-ruch A-toh Ado-noi E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ho-olom She-heh-che-yoh-nu Vi-kiye-mo-nu Vehe-ge-o-nu Lazman Ha-zeh. |