Passover

Passover, also calledPesach(/ˈpɛsɑːx,ˈpeɪ-/;Biblical Hebrew:חַג הַפֶּסַח‎,romanized:Ḥag hapPesaḥ,lit.'Pilgrimageofthe Passing Over'), is a majorJewish holidayand one of theThree Pilgrimage Festivals. It celebratesthe Exodusof theIsraelitesfrom slavery inEgypt.
According to theBook of Exodus,GodcommandedMosesto tell the Israelites to slaughter a lamb and mark their doorframes with its blood, in addition to instructions for consuming the lamb that night. For that night, God would send theAngel of Deathto bring about thetenth plague, in which he wouldsmite all the firstborn in Egypt. But when the angel saw the blood on the Israelites' doorframes, he wouldpass overtheir homes so that the plague should not enter (hence the name.) The story is part of the broader Exodus narrative, in which the Israelites, while living in Egypt, are enslaved en masse by the Pharaoh to suppress them; when Pharaoh refuses God's demand to let them go, God sendsten plaguesupon Egypt. After  the tenth plague, Pharaoh permits the Israelites to leave.Scholars widely believe that the origins of Passover predate the biblical Exodus, with theories suggesting it evolved from earlier semi-nomadic or pre-Israelite rituals and was later transformed through religious and cultic traditions.
This story is recounted at thePassover Sederby reading theHaggadah. The Haggadah is a standardized ritual account of the Exodus story, in fulfillment of the command "And thou shalt tell [Higgadata] thy son in that day, saying: It is because of that which the LORDdid for me when I came forth out of Egypt."
Pesach starts on the 15th day of theHebrew monthofNisan, which is considered the first month of the Hebrew year. The Rabbinical Jewish calendar is adjusted to align with the solar calendar in such a way that 15 Nisan always coincides with Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday. The Hebrew day starts and ends at sunset, so the holiday starts at sunset the day before. For example, in 2024, 15 Nisan coincides with Tuesday, April 23. Therefore, Pesach starts atsundownon Monday, April 22.
Biblical Hebrew:פֶּסַחis rendered asTiberian[pɛsaħ], andModern Hebrew:[ˈpesaχ]Pesaḥ, Pesakh. The verbpāsaḥ(פָּסַח) is first mentioned in theTorah's account of the Exodus,and there is some debate about its exact meaning. The commonly held assumption that it means "He passed over" (פסח), in reference to God "passing over" (or "skipping") the houses of the Hebrews during the final of the Ten Plagues of Egypt, stems from the translation provided in the Septuagint (Ancient Greek:παρελεύσεται,romanized:pareleusetaiin Exodus 12:23,andἐσκέπασεν,eskepasenin Exodus 12:27.)TheTargum Onkelos, written inJewish Babylonian Aramaic, translatespesachasHebrew:וְיֵחוֹס,romanized:wəyēḥos,lit.'he had pity', coming from the Hebrew rootחסה, meaning "to have pity".Cognate languages yield similar terms with distinct meanings, such as "make soft, soothe, placate" (Akkadianpassahu), "harvest, commemoration, blow" (Egyptian), or "separate" (Arabicfsh).
Pesach may also refer to thelamborgoatwhich was designated as the Passover sacrifice. Four days before the Exodus, the Hebrews were commanded to set aside a lamb,and inspect it daily for blemishes. During the day on 14th Nisan, they were to slaughter the animal and use its blood to mark theirlintels and door posts. Before midnight on 15th Nisan, they were to consume the lamb.
The English termPassoveris first known to be recorded in theEnglish languageinWilliam Tyndale's translation of the Bible,later appearing in theKing James Versionas well. It is a literal translation of the Hebrew term.In the King James Version, Exodus 12:23 reads:
The Passover ritual is "a mitzvah commanded by Torah (rather than of rabbinic origin)."
The Passover ritual is thought by modern scholars to have its origins in anapotropaic riteunrelated to the Exodus to ensure the protection of a family home, a rite conducted wholly within a clan.Ezovwas 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.
A further hypothesis maintains that once thePriestly Codewas promulgated, the Exodus narrative took on a central function, as the apotropaic rite was, arguably, amalgamated with theCanaaniteagricultural festival of spring which was a ceremony ofunleavened bread, connected with thebarleyharvest. As the Exodus motif grew, the original function and symbolism of these double origins was lost.Several motifs replicate the features associated with theAkituspring festival ofancient Mesopotamian religion, which celebrates the sowing of barley.ScholarsJohn Van Seters,Judah Segal, andTamara Prošićdisagree with the merged two-festivals hypothesis.
In theBook of Exodus, the Israelites are enslaved in ancient Egypt.Yahweh, the god of the Israelites, appears to Moses in aburning bushand commands Moses to confrontthe Pharaoh. To show his power, Yahweh inflicts a series often plagues on the Egyptians, culminating in the plague of the death of the firstborn.
Before this final plague, Yahweh commands Moses to tell the Israelites to mark alamb's blood above their doors so God will pass over them and the plague of the death of the firstborn will not afflict them.
The biblical regulations for the observance of the festival require that allleaveningbe disposed of before the beginning of the 15th of Nisan according to Exodus 13:7 An unblemished lamb or goat, known as thePassover sacrificeor "Paschal Lamb", is to be set apart on 10th Nisan,and slaughtered at dusk as 14th Nisan ends in preparation for the 15th of Nisan when it will be eaten after being roasted.The literal meaning of the Hebrew is "between the two evenings".It is then to be eaten "that night", 15th Nisan,roasted, without the removal of its internal organswith unleavened bread, known as matzah, and bitter herbs known asmaror.Nothing of the sacrifice on which the sun rises by the morning of the 15th of Nisan may be eaten, but must be burned.
The biblical regulations of the original Passover at the time of the Exodus only also include how the meal was to be eaten: "your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly: it is a passover offering toיהוה."
The biblical requirements of slaying the Paschal lamb in the individual homes of the Hebrews and smearing the blood of the lamb on their doorways were celebrated in Egypt. However, once Israel was in the wilderness and theTabernaclewas in operation, a change was made in those two original requirements.Passover lambs were to be sacrificed at the door of the Tabernacle and no longer in the homes of the Jews. No longer, therefore, could blood be smeared on doorways.
Called the "festival [of] the unleavened bread" (Biblical Hebrew:חג המצות,romanized:ḥaḡ ham-maṣoṯ) in theHebrew Bible, the commandment to keep Passover is recorded in theBook of Leviticus:
The sacrifices may be performed only in a specific place prescribed by God. For Judaism, this is Jerusalem.
The biblical commandments concerning the Passover (and the Feast of Unleavened Bread) stress the importance of remembering:
In 2 Kings 23:21–23 and 2 Chronicles 35:1–19, KingJosiahofJudahrestores the celebration of the Passover,to a standard not seen since the days of thejudgesor the days of theprophetSamuel.
Ezra 6:19–21 records the celebration of the passover by the Jews who had returned fromexile in Babylon, after thetemple had been rebuilt.
Some of these details can be corroborated, and to some extent amplified, in extrabiblical sources. The removal (or "sealing up") of the leaven is referred to in theElephantine papyri and ostracain anImperial Aramaicpapyrus letter from the5th century BCEfromElephantine, Egypt.The slaughter of the lambs on the 14th is mentioned inJubilees, a Jewish work of thePtolemaic period, and by theHerodian-erawritersJosephusandPhilo. These sources also indicate that "between the two evenings" was taken to mean the afternoon.Jubileesstates the sacrifice was eaten that night,and together with Josephus states that nothing of the sacrifice was allowed to remain until morning.Philo states that the banquet included hymns and prayers.
The Passover begins on the 15th day of the month ofNisan, which at present falls between March 26 and April 25 of theGregorian calendar.The 15th day begins in the evening, after the 14th day, and the seder meal is eaten that evening. Passover is a spring festival, so the 15th day of Nisan typically begins on the night of afull moonafter the northernvernal equinox.However, due toleap monthsfalling after the vernal equinox, Passover sometimes starts on the second full moon after vernal equinox, as in 2016.
To ensure that Passover did not start before spring, the tradition in ancient Israel held that thelunar new year, the first day of Nisan, would not start until the barley was ripe, being the test for the onset of spring.If the barley was not ripe, or various other phenomenaindicated that spring was not yet imminent, an intercalary month (Adar II) would be added. However, since at least the 4th century, the intercalation has been fixed mathematically according to theMetonic cycle.
InIsrael, Passover is the seven-day holiday of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, with the first and last days celebrated as legal holidays and as holy days involving holiday meals, special prayer services, and abstention from work; the intervening days are known asChol HaMoed("Weekdays [of] the Festival"). Jews outside of Israel celebrate the festival for eight days.ReformandReconstructionistJews usually celebrate the holiday over seven days.
Karaitesuse a different calendar; they rely on visual identification of ripe barley and the date of Passover cannot be determined before this.Some modern Karaites follow the Rabbinical calendar in modern Israel because of social pressure.
TheSamaritansuse a calendrical system that uses a different method from that current in Rabbinic practice; it sometimes is the same date on the solar calendar, sometimes two days later, and sometimes an entire month later.In 2024, Rabbinical Passover begins at sunset on 22 April. On the calendar used by the Samaritans, 22 April 2024 is also the day of the Passover sacrifice. Karaite and Samaritan Passovers are each one day long followed by the six-day Festival of Unleavened Bread, for a total of seven days.
The main entity in Passover according to Judaism is the sacrificial lambDuring the existence of theTabernacleand later theTemple in Jerusalem, the focus of the Passover festival was the Passover sacrifice, also known as the Paschal lamb, eaten during the Passover Seder on the 15th of Nisan. 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.If the family was too small to finish eating the entire offering in one sitting, an offering was made for a group of families. The sacrifice could not be offered with anything leavened,and had to be roasted, without its head, feet, or inner organs being removedand eaten together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (maror). One had to be careful not to break any bones from the offering,and none of the meat could be left over by morning.
Because of the Passover sacrifice's status as a sacred offering, the only people allowed to eat it were those who had the obligation to bring the offering. Among those who could not offer or eat the Passover lamb were anapostate,a servant,anuncircumcised man,a person in a state ofritual impurityexcept when a majority of Jews are in such a state,and aGentile. The offering had to be made before aquorumof 30.In the Temple, theLevitessangHallelwhile thepriestsperformed the sacrificial service. Men and women were equally obligated regarding the offering (Pesahim91b).
Today, in the absence of the Temple, when no sacrifices are offered or eaten, themitzvahof the sacrifice is memorialized in theSeder Korban Pesach, a set of scriptural and Rabbinic passages dealing with the Passover sacrifice, customarily recited after theMincha(afternoon prayer) service on the 14th of Nisan,and in the form of thezeroa, a symbolic food placed on thePassover Seder Plate(but not eaten), which is usually a roastedshankbone(or a chicken wing or neck). The eating of theafikomansubstitutes for the eating of the sacrifice at the end of the Seder meal (Mishnah Pesachim119a). ManySephardic Jewshave the custom of eating lamb or goat meat during the Seder in memory of the sacrifice.
Leaven, in Hebrewchametz(Hebrew:חמץḥamets, "leavening") is made from one of five types of grainscombined with water and left to stand for more than eighteen minutes. The consumption, keeping, and owning ofchametzis forbidden during Passover. Yeast and fermentation are not themselves forbidden as seen for example by wine, which is required, rather than merely permitted. According to Halakha, the ownership of suchchametzis also proscribed.
Chametzdoes not includebaking soda,baking powderor like products. Although these are defined in English as leavening agents, they leaven by chemical reaction, not by biological fermentation. Thus, bagels, waffles and pancakes made with baking soda and matzah meal are considered permissible, while bagels made with sourdough and pancakes and waffles made with yeast are prohibited.
The Torah commandments regardingchametzare:
Observant Jews spend the weeks before Passover in a flurry of thorough housecleaning, to remove every morsel ofchametzfrom every part of the home.Jewish lawrequires the elimination ofolive-sized or larger quantities of leavening from one's possession, but most housekeeping goes beyond this. Even the seams of kitchen counters are thoroughly cleaned to remove traces of flour and yeast, however small. Any containers or implements that have touchedchametzare stored and not used during Passover.
Somehotels,resorts, and evencruise shipsacrossAmerica,Europe, andIsraelalso undergo a thorough housecleaning to make their premises "kosher for Pesach" to cater to observant Jews.
Some scholars suggest that the command to abstain from leavened food or yeast suggests that sacrifices offered to God involve the offering of objects in "their least altered state", that would be nearest to the way in which they were initially made by God.According to other scholars the absence of leaven or yeast means that leaven or yeast symbolizes corruption and spoiling.
There are also variations with restrictions on eating matzah before Passover so that there will be an increased appetite for it during Passover itself. Primarily amongChabadChassidim, there is a custom of not eating matzah (flat unleavened bread) in the 30 days before Passover begins.Others have a custom to refrain from eating matzah from Rosh Chodesh Nissan, while thehalachamerely restricts one from eating matzah on the day before Passover.
Kitniyot(Hebrew: קִטְנִיּוֹת,qitniyyot; literally "small things") refers to legumes, rice, maize, and other foods that are similar to grains.Ashkenazi Jewshistorically refrain from eating kitniyot on Passover, despite there not being a clear commandment to include them in the category of chametz.Since the 19th century, theReform movementhas permitted eating kitniyot, and in 2015 theConservative movementfollowed suit.Sephardi Jewshave always permitted eating kitniyot on Passover.
Gebrochts (Yiddish: געבראקטס,lit.'broken', also known asHebrew: מצה שרויה,romanized:matzah shruya,lit.'soaked matzah') refers tomatzahthat has absorbed liquid. SomeHasidic Jewsavoid gebrochts as well, to avoid the possibility that a clump of flour that was never properly mixed with water (and thus is still susceptible to leavening) may come into contact with the liquid.
Leavenorchametzmay be sold rather than discarded, especially in the case of relatively valuable forms such asliquordistilledfrom wheat, with the products being repurchased afterward. In some cases, they may never leave the house, instead being formally sold while remaining in the original owner's possession in a locked cabinet until they can be repurchased after the holiday. Modern observance may also include sealing cabinets and drawers which contain "Chametz" shut by using adhesive tape, which serves a similar purpose to a lock but also shows evidence of tampering. Although the practice of selling "Chametz" dates back many years, some Reform rabbinical authorities have come to regard it with disdain – since the supposed "new owner" never takes actual possession of the goods.
The sale ofchametzmay also be conducted communally via arabbi, who becomes the "agent" for all the community's Jews through a halakhic procedure called akinyan(acquisition). Each householder must put aside all thechametzhe is selling into a box or cupboard, and the rabbi enters into a contract to sell all thechametzto a non-Jew (who is not obligated to celebrate the commandments) in exchange for a smalldown payment(e.g.$1.00), with the remainder due after Passover. This sale is considered completely binding according to Halakha, and at any time during the holiday, the buyer may come to take or partake of his property. The rabbi then re-purchases the goods for less than they were sold at the end of the holiday.
On the night of the fourteenth ofNisan, the night before thePassover Seder(after nightfall on the evening before Passover eve), Jews do a formal search in their homes known asbedikat chametzfor any possible remaining leaven (chametz). TheTalmudicsages instructed that a search forchametzbe made in every home, place of work, or any place wherechametzmay have been brought during the year.When the first Seder is on a Saturday night, the search is conducted on the preceding Thursday night (thirteenth of Nisan) aschametzcannot be burned during Shabbat.
TheTalmudinPesahim(p. 2a) derives from theTorahthat the search forchametzbe conducted by the light of a candle and therefore is done at night, and although the final destruction of thechametz(usually by burning it in a small bonfire) is done on the next morning, the blessing is made at night because the search is both in preparation for and part of the commandments to remove and destroy allchametzfrom one's possession.
Before the search is begun there is a specialblessing. If several people or family members assist in the search then only one person, usually the head of that family recites the blessing having in mind to include everyone present:
Hebrew:ברוך אתה י-הוה א-להינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על בעור חמץ,romanized:bāruḵ attā aḏonāy Elohēnu meleḵ hāʿolām ʾəšer qiddəšānu bəmiṣwāṯāw wəṣiwānu ʿal bəʿor ḥāmeṣ
The search is then usually conducted by the head of the household joined by his family including children under the supervision of their parents.
It is customary to turn off the lights and conduct the search bycandlelight, using a feather and a wooden spoon: candlelight effectively illuminates corners without casting shadows; the feather can dust crumbs out of their hiding places; and the wooden spoon which collects the crumbs can be burned the next day with the hametz. However, most contemporary Orthodox authorities permit using a flashlight, while some strongly encourage it due to the danger coupled with using a candle.
Because the house is assumed to have been thoroughly cleaned by the night before Passover, there is some concern that making a blessing over the search for hametz will be in vain (bracha l'vatala) if nothing is found. Thus, 10 morsels of bread or cereal smaller than the size of an olive are traditionally hidden throughout the house to ensure that some 'hametz will be found.
Upon conclusion of the search, with all the small pieces safely wrapped up and put in one bag or place, to be burned the next morning, the following is said:
Note that if the 14th of Nisan isShabbat, many of the below will be celebrated on the 13th insteaddue to restrictions in place during Shabbat.
On the day preceding the first Passover seder (or on Thursday morning preceding the seder, when the first seder falls onMotza'ei Shabbat), firstborn sons are commanded to celebrate theFast of the Firstbornwhich commemorates the salvation of the Hebrew firstborns. According to Exodus 12:29, God struck down all Egyptian firstborns while the Israelites were not affected.However, it is customary for synagogues to conduct asiyum(ceremony marking the completion of a section ofTorah learning) right aftermorning prayers, and thecelebratory mealthat follows cancels the firstborn's obligation to fast.
On the morning of the 14th ofNisan, any leavened products that remain in the householder's possession, along with the 10 morsels of bread from the previous night's search, are burned (s'rayfat chametz). The head of the household repeats the declaration ofbiyur chametz, declaring anychametzthat may not have been found to be null and void "as the dust of the earth":
The original declaration, as recited inAramaic, is:
כל חמירא וחמיעא דאכא ברשותי דלא חמתה ודלא בערתה ודלא ידענא לה לבטל ולהוי הפקר כעפרא דארעא
Should morechametzactually be found in the house during the Passover holiday, it must be burnt as soon as possible.
Unlikechametz, which can be eaten any day of the year except during Passover, kosher for Passover foods can be eaten year-round. They need not be burnt or otherwise discarded after the holiday ends.
The historic Passover sacrifice has not been brought following the Romans'destruction of the Second Templeapproximately two thousand years ago, and it is therefore still not part of the modern Jewish holiday.
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.
Even matzot that are kosher for Passover cannot be eaten all day on during the daylight hours before Passover eve.Some even practice this up to 30 days before.
Due to the Torah injunction not to eatchametz(leaven) during Passover,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 withchametz, for use only during Passover. Under certain circumstances, somechametzutensils can be immersed in boiling water (hagalat keilim) to purge them of any traces ofchametzthat may have accumulated during the year. ManySephardicfamilies thoroughly wash their year-round glassware and then use it for Passover, as the Sephardic position is thatglassdoes not absorb enough traces of food to present a problem. Similarly, ovens may be used for Passover either by setting the self-cleaning function to the highest degree for a certain period, or by applying ablow torchto the interior until the oven glows red hot (a process calledlibun gamur).
A symbol of the Passover holiday ismatzah, an unleavened flatbread made solely from flour and water which is continually worked from mixing through baking, so that it is not allowed to rise. Matzo may be made by machine or by hand. The Torah contains an instruction to eat matzah, specifically, on the first night of Passover and to eat only unleavened bread (in practice, matzah) during the entire week of Passover.Consequently, the eating of matzah figures prominently in thePassover Seder. There are several explanations for this.
The Torah says that it is because the Hebrews left Egypt with such haste that there was no time to allow baked bread to rise; thus flat, unleavened bread, matzah, is a reminder of the rapid departure of the Exodus.Other scholars teach that in the time of the Exodus, matzah was commonly baked to travel because it preserved well and was light to carry (making it similar tohardtack), suggesting that matzah was baked intentionally for the long journey ahead.
Matzo has also been calledLechem Oni(Hebrew: "bread of poverty"). There is an attendant explanation that matzah 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.
Shmura matzah("watched" or "guarded" matzah), is the bread of preference for the Passover Seder in Orthodox Jewish communities. Shmura matzah is made from wheat that is guarded from contamination by leaven from the time of summer harvestto its baking into matzot five to ten months later.
In the weeks before Passover, matzot are prepared for holiday consumption. In many Orthodox Jewish communities, men traditionallygather in groupsto bake handmade matzah for use at the Seder, the dough being rolled by hand, resulting in a large and round matzah. Groups also work together in machine-made matzah factories, which produce the typically square-shaped matzah sold in stores.
The baking of matzah is labour-intensive,as less than 18 minutes is permitted between the mixing of flour and water to the conclusion of baking and removal from the oven. Consequently, only a small number of matzot can be baked at one time, and the group members are enjoined to work the dough constantly so that it is not allowed to ferment and rise. A special cutting tool is run over the dough just before baking to prick any bubbles which might make the matza puff up;this creates the familiar dotted holes in the matzah.
After the matzot come out of the oven, the entire work area is scrubbed down and swept to make sure that no pieces of old, potentially leavened dough remain, as any stray pieces are now hametz and can contaminate the next batch of matzah.
Some machine-made matzot are completed within five minutes of being kneaded.
It is traditional for Jewish families to gather on the first night of Passover (first two nights inOrthodoxandConservativecommunities outsideIsrael) for a special dinner called aseder(Hebrew:סדרseder– derived from theHebrewword for "order" or "arrangement", referring to the very specific order of the ritual). The table is set with the finest china and silverware to reflect the importance of the meal. During this meal, the story of the Exodus from Egypt is retold using a special text called theHaggadah. A total of four cups of wine are consumed during the recitation of the Haggadah. The seder is divided by the haggadah into the following 15 parts:
These 15 parts parallel the 15 steps in theTemple in Jerusalemon which theLevitesstood during Temple services, and which were memorialized in the 15Psalms(#120–134) known asShir HaMa'a lot(Hebrew:שיר המעלותshiyr ha-ma'alôth, "Songs of Ascent").
The seder is replete with questions, answers, and unusual practices (e.g. the recital ofKiddushwhich is not immediately followed by the blessing over bread, which is the traditional procedure for all other holiday meals) to arouse the interest and curiosity of the children at the table. The children are also rewarded with nuts and candies when they ask questions and participate in the discussion of the Exodus and its aftermath. Likewise, they are encouraged to search for theafikoman, the piece of matzah which is the last thing eaten at the seder. Audience participation and interaction is the rule, and many families' seders last long into the night with animated discussions and singing. The seder concludes with additional songs of praise and faith printed in the Haggadah, includingChad Gadya("One Little Kid" or "One Little Goat").
Maror(bitter herbs) symbolizes the bitterness of slavery inEgypt. The following verse from theTorahunderscores that symbolism: "And they embittered (Hebrew: וימררוve-yimareru) their lives with hard labor, with mortar and with bricks and with all manner of labor in the field; any labor that they made them do was with hard labor" (Exodus1:14).
There is a Rabbinic requirement that four cups of wine are to be drunk during the seder meal. This applies to both men and women. The Mishnah says (Pes. 10:1) that even the poorest man in Israel must drink. Each cup is connected to a different part of the seder: the first cup is for Kiddush, the second cup is connected with the recounting ofthe Exodus, the drinking of the third cup concludesBirkat Hamazonand the fourth cup is associated with Hallel. A fifth cup of wine is poured near the end of the seder for the prophetElijah, a symbol of the future redemption, which is left un-touched.
Children have a very important role in the Passover seder. Traditionally the youngest child is prompted to ask questions about the Passover seder, beginning with the words,Mah Nishtana HaLeila HaZeh(Why is this night different from all other nights?). The questions encourage the gathering to discuss the significance of the symbols in the meal. The questions asked by the child are:
Often the leader of the seder and the other adults at the meal will use prompted responses from the Haggadah, which states, "The more one talks aboutthe Exodus from Egypt, the more praiseworthy he is." Many readings, prayers, and stories are used to recount the story of the Exodus. 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.
Theafikoman– an integral part of the Seder itself – is used to engage the interest and excitement of the children at the table. During the fourth part of the Seder, calledYachatz, the leader breaks the middle piece of matzah into two. He sets aside the larger portion as theafikoman. Many families use theafikomanas a device for keeping the children awake and alert throughout the Seder proceedings by hiding theafikomanand offering a prize for its return.Alternatively, the children are allowed to "steal" theafikomanand demand a reward for its return. In either case, theafikomanmust be consumed during the twelfth part of the Seder,Tzafun.
After the Hallel, the fourth glass of wine is drunk, and participants recite a prayer that ends in "Next year in Jerusalem!". 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. "Echad Mi Yodea" ("Who Knows One?") is a playful song, testing the general knowledge of the children (and the adults). Some of these songs, such as "Chad Gadya" are allegorical.
During Passover, the recitation ofHallela collection ofPsalmspraising and thanking God, is an integral part of the daily prayer service. On the initial day(s) of Passover, it is recited in its entirety, similar to the practice observed onShavuotand throughoutSuccot. However, for the subsequent days of the Passover holiday, only half of the Hallel is recited. This traditional practice is widely observed by adherents of the Jewish faith as a way of expressing gratitude and celebrating the significance of Passover, while maintaining variations in the recitation of Hallel based on specific days within the festival.
Beginning on the second night of Passover, the 16th day of Nisan,Jews begin the practice of theCounting of the Omer, a nightly reminder of the approach of the holiday ofShavuot50 days hence. Each night after theevening prayer service, men and women recite a special blessing and then enumerate the day of the Omer. On the first night, for example, they say, "Today is the first day in (or, to) the Omer"; on the second night, "Today is the second day in the Omer." The counting also involves weeks; thus, the seventh day is commemorated, "Today is the seventh day, which is one week in the Omer." The eighth day is marked, "Today is the eighth day, which is one week and one day in the Omer," etc.
When theTemple stood in Jerusalem, a sheaf of new-cut barley was presented before the altar on the second day of Unleavened Bread (Passover).Josephuswrites:
Since the destruction of the Temple, this offering is brought in word rather than deed.
One explanation for the Counting of the Omer is that it shows the connection between Passover and Shavuot. The physical freedom that the Hebrews achieved at the Exodus from Egypt was only the beginning of a process that climaxed with the spiritual freedom they gained at the giving of the Torah atMount Sinai. Another explanation is that the newborn nation which emerged after the Exodus needed time to learn their new responsibilities vis-a-vis Torah andmitzvotbefore accepting God's law. The distinction between the Omer offering – a measure of barley, typically animal fodder – and the Shavuot offering – two loaves of wheat bread, human food – symbolizes the transition process.
InIsrael, Passover lasts for seven days with the first and last days being majorJewish holidays. InOrthodoxandConservativecommunities, no work is performed on those days, with most of the rules relating to the observances ofShabbatbeing applied.
Outside Israel, inOrthodoxandConservativecommunities, the holiday lasts for eight days with the first two days and last two days being major holidays. In the intermediate days necessary work can be performed.Reform Judaismobserves Passover over seven days, with the first and last days being major holidays.
Like the holiday ofSukkot, the intermediary days of Passover are known asChol HaMoed(festival weekdays) and are imbued with a semi-festive status. It is a time for family outings and picnic lunches of matzah, hardboiled eggs, fruits and vegetables, and Passover treats such asmacaroonsand homemade candies.
Passover cake recipes call forpotato starchor Passover cake flour made from finely granulated matzah instead of regular flour, and a large amount of eggs to achieve fluffiness. Cookie recipes usematzah farfel(broken bits of matzah) or ground nuts as the base. For families withEastern Europeanbackgrounds,borsht, a soup made withbeets, is a Passover tradition.
While kosher for Passover packaged goods are available in stores, some families opt to cook everything from scratch during Passover week. InIsrael, families that do notkashertheir ovens can bake cakes, casseroles, and even meaton thestovetopin aWonder Pot, an Israeli invention consisting of three parts: analuminiumpot shaped like aBundt pan, a hooded cover perforated with venting holes, and a thick, round, metal disc with a center hole which is placed between the Wonder Pot and the flame to disperse heat.
Shvi'i shel Pesach(שביעי של פסח, 'seventh [day] of Passover') is another fullJewish holiday, with special prayer services and festive meals. Outside theIsrael, in theJewish diaspora,Shvi'i shel Pesachis celebrated on both the seventh and eighth days of Passover.This holiday commemorates the day theChildren of Israelreached theRed Seaand witnessed both the miraculous "Splitting of the Sea" (Passage of the Red Sea), the drowning of all the Egyptian chariots, horses and soldiers that pursued them. According to theMidrash, only thePharaohwas spared to give testimony to the miracle that occurred.
HasidicRebbestraditionally hold atishon the night ofShvi'i shel Pesachand place a cup or bowl of water on the table before them. They use this opportunity to speak about the Splitting of the Sea to their disciples, and sing songs of praise to God.
The "Second Passover" (Pesach Sheni) on the 14th of Iyar in theHebrew calendaris mentioned in theHebrew Bible'sBook of Numbersas a make-up day for people who were unable to offer the pesach sacrifice at the appropriate time due toritual impurityor distance fromJerusalem. Just as on the first Pesach night, breaking bones from the second Paschal offering or leaving meat over until morning is prohibited.
Today, Pesach Sheni on the 14th of Iyar has the status of a very minor holiday (so much so that many of the Jewish people have never even heard of it, and it essentially does not exist outside ofOrthodoxand traditionalConservative Judaism). There are not really any special prayers or observances that are considered Jewish law. The only change in the liturgy is that in some communitiesTachanun, a penitential prayer omitted on holidays, is not said. There is a custom, though not Jewish law, to eat just one piece of matzah on that night.
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Because the house is free of leaven (chametz) for eight days, the Jewish household typically eats different foods during the week of Passover. Some include:
Ashkenazi foods
Sephardi foods
Some see in Passover an important ecological lesson important to the contemporary situation with different ecological threats likeclimate change. For example, RabbiYonatan Neril, founder and executive director of theInterfaith Center for Sustainable Development, compares the impact of climate change to thePlagues of Egyptand the refusal of modern society to change its way of thinking to the refusal of thePharaohto free the Jewish slaves.Scientists discovered evidence for climatic change at the end of the rule ofRamesses II, which could potentially impact the flow of the Nile, leading tored algae bloom.  This could explain what is described as the ten plagues. According to Neril: "The Egyptians were very happy to have a free source of labor in the form of Israelite slaves. When God said this needs to stop, they were reluctant to change…Fossil fuels, in the past 150 years, have replaced slave labor as the key driver of human society. There's a Pharaoh within us that wants to continue to do something that's not right."