Passover (Pesach)

NOTE: Some of the Jewish traditions associated with Passover are steeped in Kabbalah beliefs.  More information on the Kabbalah aspects of Passover can be found here at Chabad.org.

Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread

In the Jewish mindset, the period of time from the Passover through till the end of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is all part of the “Passover”.   As such, they refer to all the days, from the 14th day of the 1st month through the 21st day of the 1st month, as the “Passover”, rather than referring to it as the “Feast of Unleavened Bread”.

The Days of Passover

For Jewish people in Israel, the 14th day of the 1st month and the 21st day of the 1st month are Shabbats of rest and no work may be done.

For Jewish people outside of Israel (the diaspora), the 14th day and the 15th day of the 1st month, as well as the 21st day and the 22nd day of the 1st month, are all Shabbats of rest and no work may be done.

The days in-between, called Chol Hamoed, are treated as “quasi-holy days” and most work is permitted on those days.

Chametz (Leavened Grain)

According to Biblical understanding, “chametz” means “leavened grain”. 

Any food or drink that contains even a trace of wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt or their derivatives, and which wasn’t guarded from leavening or fermentation, according to their strict food guidelines (kosher), is considered to be chametz.  This includes bread, cake, cookies, cereal, pasta, and most alcoholic beverages. 

In fact, most Jewish people assume that almost any processed food or drink is chametz, unless rabbinically certified otherwise (certified kosher).  Even food normally considered to be free of leaven (matzah, for instance) is not to be consumed unless it has been certified “kosher for Passover”.

Matzah (Unleavened Bread)

During the Passover, the Torah instructs we are to eat matzah (flat unleavened bread).  According to Jewish tradition, it is only required to partake of the matzah on the two Seder nights, while during the rest of the Passover it is optional. It is encouraged to use only handmade “shmurah” matzah, which has been guarded against moisture from the moment it was harvested.

A Week Before the Passover

These rituals in the week leading up to Passover (and subsequently, the Feast of Unleavened Bread) are centered around removing all the chametz from one’s home. This removal of chametz includes:

• Selling or giving away (to non-Jewish people not celebrating Passover) any chametz you may have.
• Cleaning each room of the house to be certain no chametz is found, leaving the kitchen and dining area until the end of the week so as to allow the opportunity to continue to eat chametz up until the start of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The Day Before Passover – Fast of the Firstborn

The Fast of the Firstborn is an ancient Jewish custom whereby the firstborn of a family will fast on the day before Passover, commemorating the miracle which spared the firstborn Jewish sons from the plague against the firstborn sons of the Egyptians.

Some maintain that every firstborn, male and female, whether the firstborn is that of the mother or of the father, must fast.  Others maintain that the obligation to fast applies only to firstborn males.

If there are no children, then the oldest member of the household must fast, based on the fact that there was no Egyptian household that was spared from the plague and every Egyptian family lost someone that night.

More details on the Fast of the Firstborn can be found here at Chabad.org.

The Night Before Passover

The night before Passover (sundown on the 13th day of the 1st month heading into the 14th day of the 1st month), the family invites their children to help conduct a special search (Bedikat Chametz) for any remaining chametz in the house.   

The items used in the Bedikat Chametz tradition include:

• Using a candle to illuminate the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies.
• Using a feather to sweep up the small crumbs that are found.
• Using a wooden spoon to hold the chametz and facilitate its burning.
• Using a paper bag to hold all of the above items.

The Day of the Passover Meal

Once the chametz has been gathered up from the Bedikat Chametz, a special “Burning of the Chametz” ceremony is held the next morning (the 14th day of the 1st month), one “seasonal hour” before midday. 

After all your chametz has been burned up (or sold), a nullification statement is made to renounce ownership of the chametz (as well as any chametz you might have missed in your search)…

• All leaven and anything leavened that is in my possession, whether I have seen it or not, whether I have observed it or not, whether I have removed it or not, shall be considered nullified and ownerless as the dust of the earth.

In addition to reciting this nullification statement on the morning of Passover, some families also recite it after the Bedikat Chametz the night before.

The Seder

NOTE: Some of the Jewish traditions associated with the Seder are steeped in Kabbalah beliefs.  More information on the Kabbalah aspects of the Seder can be found here at Chabad.org.

The Seder, a special meal,  is observed as part of the Passover meal on the evening of the 14th day of the 1st month.  The Seder is also observed the following evening (the 15th day of the 1st month), on the evening of the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The Seder is meant to invoke the feeling of going out of Egypt. The meal begins with the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and recounts the Jewish people’s descent into Egypt, recalling their suffering and persecution. The story continues as YHVH sends the 10 plagues to punish Pharaoh and his nation, and then follows the Israelites as they leave Egypt and cross the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds). The participants of the Seder witness the miraculous hand of YHVH as the waters part, allowing the Israelites to pass, only to return to destroy the Egyptians. 

Throughout the meal, the participants are to recline (lean) on their left side.  This is meant to remind them that they are a free people. In ancient times, only free people had the luxury of reclining while eating.

Preparation of the Seder

The following is needed for the Seder meal:

• 4 cups of kosher wine.
• Vegetables (traditionally an onion or potato).
• Saltwater for dipping.
• Matzah.
• Bitter herbs – often horseradish (without additives) and romaine lettuce.
• Charoset – a paste of nuts, apples, pears and wine.
• Cooked eggs.
• Roasted chicken bones.
• Additional traditional foods such as chicken soup and gefilte fish.
• A platter called a “ka’arah” or Seder plate. There may be one ka’arah for the entire Seder, or several.
• A book called a Haggadah. Traditionally, the text of the Haggadah is in Hebrew (with some Aramaic), however it is perfectly acceptable to read the Haggadah in translation if Hebrew is not understood.
• A special cup meant for Elijah the prophet.

The 4 cups of wine are based on the 4 expressions of freedom or deliverance in connection with Israel’s liberation from Egypt, as the scriptures say…

• Exo 6:6 Therefore, say to the sons of Israel, I am YAHWEH, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of Egypt, and will deliver you from their slavery. And I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.
• Exo 6:7 And I will take you for Myself for a people, and I will be for you a Elohim. And you shall know that I am YAHWEH your Elohim, the One bringing you out from under the burdens of Egypt.

Some rabbis connect the 4 cups of wine with the four great merits the children of Israel are believed to have had in exile:

• They did not change their Hebrew names
• They continued to speak their own language, Hebrew
• They remained highly moral
• They remained loyal to one another

The Seder plate is arranged in the following clockwise order:

• The zeroa (usually a chicken bone or other meat bone) represents the Passover lamb at the top of the plate.
• A hard-boiled egg that represents the pre-holy day offering (chagigah) that was brought to the Temple in ancient times.
• Bitter herbs (maror) or vegetables (chazeret) to represent the bitterness of the slavery of the Israelites in Egypt. Traditionally, this is fresh grated horseradish and romaine lettuce (or endives).
• Charoset, a mixture of apples, pears, nuts and wine, which represents the mortar and brick made by the Israelites when they were slaves to Pharaoh.
• Karpas (parsley) represents the backbreaking work of the Israelites as slaves in Egypt.  Traditionally, Jewish people in the diaspora use an onion or potato.

Finally, 3 pieces of matzah (matzot) are placed on top of each other, on a plate or napkin, and then covered. It is traditional to separate the matzot from each other with interleaved plates or napkins.

There are 3 pieces of matzah so that 1 piece may be broken (as a slave would do) and the other 2 can be kept whole for reciting the Hamotzi blessing (blessing over bread).

The 3 pieces of matzah are symbolic of the 3 groups of Jews – Priests, Levites and Israelites. The 3 pieces of matzah also remind the Jewish people of the 3 measures of fine flour that Abraham told Sarah to bake into matzah then they were visited by the 3 angels on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18.

The Stages of the Seder

Seder Stage 1 – Kadesh (Benediction)

The Kiddush, a blessing of sanctification, is made proclaiming the holiness of the day. The Kiddush is said while holding the 1st of the 4 cups of wine (details on the Kiddush can be found here at Chabad.org).

Normally, only 1 person recites the blessing over the wine, but during the Seder all the participants are to recite the entire blessing…

• Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam borei pri hagafen.
• Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.

Seder Stage 2 – Urchatz (Washing)

Jewish law specifies that certain wet foods be eaten with a utensil or that one’s hands be purified first by washing.  Washing of the hands is chosen, as a one of a series of acts, meant to arouse the curiosity of any children present for the Seder.

Seder Stage 3 – Karpas (Appetizer)

A blessing is made over the vegetables for the Seder…

• Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam borei pri ha-adamah.

• Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe who creates the fruit of the earth.

Then, a small piece of vegetable (the karpas) is dipped into salt water and eaten. Traditionally, this is an onion or boiled potato. Dipping the karpas in salt water is also meant to attract the attention of any children present at the Seder.

The Hebrew word karpas (parsley), when read backwards, alludes to the backbreaking labor performed by the 600,000 Jews in Egypt. The last letter (samech) has the numerical equivalent of 60, representing 60 times 10,000, while the remaining three Hebrew letters spell “perech” (hard work).

Seder Stage 4 – Yachatz (Breaking the Matzah)

The middle matzah on the Seder plate is broken in 2 pieces. The smaller part of the middle matzah (the bread of poverty) is returned to the Seder plate to remain visible as the story of Exodus is told (Stage 5 – the Maggid), and will be eaten shortly thereafter. The larger piece is put aside for later use as the afikoman (desert, Stage 12 – the Tzafun). The action of breaking the matzah not only attracts the child’s attention, but also recalls YHVH’s splitting of the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds) to allow the children of Israel to cross on dry land.

Seder Stage 5 – Maggid (Haggadah)

At this point, the poor (the children) are invited to join the Seder. The Seder tray is moved aside, a 2nd cup of wine is poured, and the children present are to ask the traditional questions:

• “Mah nishtanah ha-lailah hazeh mikol ha-leilot?”

• “Why is this night different from all other nights?”

Why only matzah? Why the dipping? Why the bitter herbs? Why are we relaxing and reclining as if we were kings?

The child’s questions trigger the reading of the Haggadah, which tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The answer given to them includes…

• A brief review of history
• A brief narrative of how how Abraham rejected idolatry and entered a covenant with YHVH
• A description of the suffering imposed upon the Israelites
• A listing of the plagues visited on the Egyptians
• A listing of the miracles performed by YHVH to redeem His people

The Haggadah is then conclude by thanking YHVH for having set the children of Israel free from Egypt, and a prayer for the final redemption of Israel.

At this time, the blessing over wine is recited again…

• Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam borei pri hagafen.

• Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.

After the blessing, the 2nd cup of wine is drunk, relaxing.

Seder Stage 6 – Rachtzah (Washing Before the Meal)

After concluding the first part of the Haggadah, the hands are washed again, this time with the customary Hamotzi blessings done before eating bread.

• Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam, asher kideshanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu al netilat yadayim.

• Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.

Seder Stages 7 & 8 – Motzi Matzah (We Eat the Matzah)

After taking hold of the 3 matzot (with the 1 broken matzah between the 2 whole ones), the Hamotzi blessing is recited, again.

• Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam, asher kideshanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu al netilat yadayim.

• Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.

Then, while carefully letting the bottom matzah drop back onto the plate (so as not to break it), and holding the top whole matzah with the broken middle matzah, the following blessing is recited:

• Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav, v’tzivanu al achilat matzah.

• Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who hallows us with mitzvot, commanding us regarding the eating of Matzah.

After that, the participants are to break off a bit of the upper matzah, and at least 1 ounce from the middle matzah (ideally 1 ounce from each), and eat the 2 pieces of matzah together while reclining.

Seder Stage 9 – Maror (Bitter Herbs)

Next, at least 1 ounce of the bitter herbs is taken, dipped in to the charoset, and shaken it off.  The following blessing is then recited while the participants are not reclining…

• Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav, v’tzivanu al al achilat maror.

• Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who hallows us with mitzvot, commanding us regarding the eating of maror.

Seder Stage 10 – Korech (Hillel Sandwich)

In keeping with the practice of the Talmudic sage, Hillel, a sandwich of matzah and maror is eaten. Breaking 2 pieces off the bottom matzah (which should be at least 1 ounce together), the participants take at least 1 ounce of bitter herbs and dip them in the charoset (and then shake them off). This is placed between the 2 pieces of matzah followed by reciting the blessing…

• Zeicher l’mikdash k’hileil. Kein asah hileil bizman shebeit hamikdash hayah kayam. Hayah koreich pesach, matzah, u-maror v’ocheil b’yachad. L’kayeim mah shene-emar. “Al matzot um’rorim yochlu-hu.”

• Eating matzah, maror and haroset this way reminds us of how, in the days of the Temple, Hillel would do so, making a sandwich of the Pashal lamb, matzah and maror, in order to observe the law “You shall eat it (the Pesach sacrifice) on matzah and maror.”

The sandwich is then eaten while reclining.

Seder Stage 11 – Shulchan Orech (Passover Feast)

The Passover meal is now served. The mealis begun by eating the hard-boiled egg dipped into salt water. Traditionally associated with mourning, the egg ir a reminder that the meal lacks the sacrificial lamb.

Note: The zeroa (chicken leg or other meat bone on the Seder plate), is not eaten at the Seder.

Seder Stage 12 – Tzafun (Out of Hiding)

After the meal, the 1/2 piece of matzah that had been “hidden” and set aside for the afikoman (dessert) is taken out and eaten. It symbolizes the Paschal lamb, which the Israelites ate at the end of their Passover Seders.

Each participant should eat at least 1.5 ounces of matzah, reclining, before midnight. After eating the afikoman, nothing is eaten or drank except for the 2 remaining cups of wine.

Seder Stage 13 – Berach (Blessings After the Meal)

A 3rd cup of wine is filled and Grace After Meals (a blessing of thanksgiving) is recited.  After that, the blessing over wine is recited…

• Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam borei pri hagafen.

• Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.

Then, the participants drink the 3rd cup of wine while reclining.

After the 3rd cup of wine is finished, the cup set aside for the Prophet Elijah is filled and the 4th cups of wine are filled. The door is opened (for Elijah to enter) and the passage inviting the Prophet Elijah, the harbinger of Messiah (Yeshua), is recited.

Seder Stage 14 – Hallel (Songs of Praise)

Songs of praise are sung to YHVH. When the singing has ended, the blessing over wine is recited again…

• Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam borei pri hagafen.

• Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.

After that, the 4th cup of wine is drunk while reclining.

Seder Stage 15 – Nirtzah (Acceptance)

Once the Seder service has been properly carried out, and the Jewish people believe that their service has been well received by YHVH, they recite…

• Leshanah haba’ah b’Yerushalayim

• Next year in Jerusalem

More details on the Jewish traditions surrounding the Seder can be found here at Chabad.org.

More details on the Jewish traditions surrounding the Passover can be found here at Chabad.org.