Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-04-06
Pes.ach, or Feast of Passover.


o'clock on this (Monday) evening, and con-
tinues until six o'clock Friday evening
Passover is defined a passing over, sparins
or protection. The Passover, like the Sab
bath, and other institutions, had two
fold reference-historical and typical. AS
commemorative institution, it was de-
signed to preserve amongst the Hebrews a
grateful sense of their redemption from
Egyptian bondage, and of the protection
granted to their first born on the memora-
BILE night when all the tirst-born OF the
Egyptians were destroyed. (See Exodus
XII, 27) The word Passover has three gen.
eral acceptations in Scripture. First, it
denotes the yearly solemnity celebrated on
the 14th day of Hison, or Abile,
which was strictly the passover of the
Lamb; for on that day the Israelities were
commanded to roast the lamb, and eat it in
their own houses. 81. 1t signifies that
yearly festivity celebrated on the 10Th OF
Hison, which is called the Feast of Pass
over. deuteronomy xvi. 2) 1t denotes
the whole solemnity commencing on the
14th and ending on the 2lst day of Hisan /;
though, in strictness of speech. the Passover
and the Feast of Unfermented Things are
distinct observances. The ceremonies
practiced at the eating of the Pascal Sup
per. as described in the books and rituals of
the Jews, are as follows-and we give it in
the language of Rev. Mr.. Blum, of this city,
who furnished it at our instance:
Since the destruction of Jerusalem, we
can not sacrifice the paschal lamb, and we
can only observe the parts of the Feast
which relate to the bread, herbs. and wine
After the Paschal supper is prepared, and
the usual qualifications at feastS are per-
formed, the master of the family proceeds
to the giving of thanks. Sitting down
with the company, he takes cup of wine
in his right hand, with which he begins the
conservation, saying. blessed be Thou, o
Lord. our God, the King of the Universe,
Who has created the fruit of the wine. He
then drinks the first cup OF wine; and his
example is followed by each person pre-
sent. This thanksgiving is called The
Blessing of the Wine. He then
blesses the washing of hands, and washes.
A furnished table is next brought in, hav-
lug on it bitter herbs, unleavened bread,
and sauce called chas1tscth. together with
the body of the Paschal lamb, or feast
offering, which is for the 18th day of Hisan.
Then the master of the house blesses God,
who created the fruit of the earth; taking
an herb, and first dipping it in the sauce or
paste, eats it in company with all who are
lying down at the table; none eating less
than the size of an olive. The table is then
removed from before him, only, who makes
the declaration Haggaah, or showing forth
of the deliverance out of Egypt, as COM
mlnded in Exodus XII. II; XIII, S.
Then the second cup of wine is filled,
and the son or other young person asks.
according TO Exodus XII, 26, What mean
We by this service?" He who presides will
then respond, according to a prescribed
form of liturgy. How different is this
night from all other nights For all other
nights we wash but once, but this night
twice. All other niyhts we eat leavened
bread. or unleavened, but these nights un-
fermented only. All other nights we eat
ofany other herbs, but this night only bitter
herbs. All other nights we eat either sit
ting or lying, but this hight lying only"
Then the table is again placed before him.
and he says: "This Passover. which
we eat in remembrance that the
Lord passed the houses of our
fathers in Egypt" Then holding
up the bitter herbs, he says, '.These Bit
ter herbs that we eat are in remembrance
that the Egyptians made the lives of our
fathers bitter in Egypt. "Then holding up
the unleavened bread in his hand he says:
"This unleavened bread which we eat in
respect that the dough of our fathers had
not time to be leavened, when the Lord
appeared unto them and rescued them out
of the land of the enemy; and they baked
unleavened cakes of the dough which they
brought out of Egypt" Then he says:
Therefore we are bound to confess, TO
praise, to laud to glorify, to honor, to ex-
tol, to magnify and to ascribe victory to
Him who did unto our fathers and
unto us all these signs, and who
brought us forth from servi-
tude to freedom, from sorrow to Joy, from
darkness to marvellous light; and we say
before him-Halleluiah !" Psalms CXIII.
CXIv. are then repeated. Then they bless
the Lord who has redeemed them and their
fathers out of Egypt, and to preserve them
unto that night, to eat unleavened bread
and bitter herbs, &C., Sc. The third cup
is then filled, and the ceremonies continued
until the fourth cupis filled. and the praise
and song pronounced. This is all Thy
work. praise Thee, o Lord!" Psalm CXLv.
And in this way the night is spent in sing
ing hymns, and in pray er and praise, by all
the Israelites in the world, in commemnra-
tiOn that the Lord has always been their
safeguard rom all the evil until the pres
ent time.