Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-04-14
THE JEWISH PASSOVER.

THE JEWISH PASSOVER.
Commemorstion OF the Deliverance From
Egyptian Bondage.
New York Truth.
The Jewish Passover commenced last
evening at 6 o'clock. There is a vast deal
Of negative information in regard to the
Jewish Passover, and few precise remarks
will not be in apropos The term has two
significances. 1t is called the passover
and also the time of unleavened bread
It is an eight days session of glory-a
hallelujah time-which commemorates the
deliverance from Egyptian bondage of
the Israelitish tribes. The particular
title Passover" alludes to the instruc-
tions given to the angel of death at the
time Of the destruction Of the first-born of
the Egyptians. That was one of the ten
plaques visited upon Pharaoh's people. In
pursuance Of information conveyed to his
followers by Moses, mystic marks were
made on the door posts Of the houses in
which the 1sraelites lived. These marks
were traced in the blood of lamb. In
looking for the first-born the angel of
death passed over the houses thus desig-
nated-hence the name Passover The
audacity, if We may SO express it, OF the
selection of the animal slaughtered is
found in the fact that the Egyptians re-
garded the lamb idolatrOusly. just pre-
vious to the visitation of the angel Of
death tho 1sraelites had asked PharaOh's
permission to retire iatO the wilderness to
pray to their God This was previous to
the terrible visitation upon the first-born.
which was Immediately followed by the
expulsion of the Jews.
They were pursued in few days and
Overtaken at tn Red Sea. No description
is needed of what there occurred. The
Old Testament speaks eloquently of the
horror, the CONSERVATION, the despair Of
the Egyptian mothers who found that in
the night the noiseless wings of Deaths
messenger had brushed their first born
darlings. After such treatment Of the
theme it would be almost impious to diiate
upon it.
Saturday was what is called "grcat Sab
bath" in Jewish parlance. At o clock last
night, vaguely called sundOwn. the first
moment OF the eight days of /" Passover -
began. On this day all !eavened bread
must be out Of the house by 10 o'clock
a. m. There is a peculiar formula with
reference to the expulsion of any leavened
thing, which is rs follows "Thc master
of the establishment searches every nook
and corner of his mansion. He accuinu-
lates by this procedure all leavened ar
ticles that he discovers gathering them.
he says something to this effect All
manner Of leaven Oh my premises which
has not been found by me, the same as
that which have just burned, has my
blessing upon it and is annuled. | have
done my duty"
From this on nothing of leaven is brought
into the house during the eight days of
the Passover and great care is taken
that no utensils used in tho preparation of
leavened food are used in the composition
of the specific dishes prescribed for the
festive season. These dishes are four in
number. Special allusiOn is made to tie
feast which begins this evening after the
synagogue observances. The Passover
terminates Tuesday night of next week at
o'clock. The first two and the last two
nights of the eight are the most important.
Last night and tonight will be had the
celebration OF the ''narrative.'' A table is
spread with four dishes as mentioned
above. The first contains three thick
Passover cakes the second has the
shank bone of a lamb with Il hard boiled
egg accompanying it in the third platter
are parsley and bitter herbs.
This is called the "IIagad.l,,' which
means 4 narrative" In German par
lance it IS the /" Sedar" possessing the
same significance. On the fourth dish
there are horse -radish and mixture called
"charoset, (which is composed Of almonds,
raisins, nuts and spices 1t is supposed to
symbolic the materials used in the making
Of the bricks, which industry was the
vocation of the Israelitcs during their
captivity. The bitter herb in the third
dish it in commemOI alton Of the lsraclitish
lives that were cmbitteredby the bondage.
The unleavened broad has more or less re-
mote allusion to the fact that the Jewish
dough did not have time to rise, and that
it was baked. more frequently than other
wise, while being carried Oh the backs Of
people exposed to broiling sun. The egg
typifes the festive Offering made at the
temple in Jerusalem.
At the commencement of the :: narra-
tive' tho master of the house breaks the
centre of the three cakes in the first disl,
in halves, one of which is called '' AticG-
men," and part Of which is given to each
individual present ut the dish of the ''nar
rative.' This is in the nature Of tles-
sert, and is supposed TO be the last thing
eaten that night. The entire affair de
clares the whole history Of the .leliverance
from Egypt, and is 4 gastrOnOmic legend
of most peculiar Importance.
The head Of the family addresses idcalis-
tically four filial elements: ''Thc wise
child" " the wicked child,' the simple
child,' and the Zone who knows not what
to ASK The wise one says !: "What are
the statuettcs - For an answer he 10
ceives I" This is in accordance with ira
dition, and you must not eat anything to-
night after the AfcOmcn.' The wicked
one queries :' What is this to me - He
is settled with the remark cit is moth
ing to you. If you had been there in
Egypt there would have been no rcdemp-
ton for you.' AS to the simple one lie
says "What is this ?" To which is re-
spOndel " This is in comncmoration Of
the act of God Almighty liberating our
people from bondage" To the one who
does not know enough t. ;.sk, an explana-
tion is made something like this "We
were commanded to tell it to our children
that We were brought oat of Egypt by
Him who has called us His chosen people.
This occasion is memory Of His act -
The rites arc very exclusive 50 far as
outsi le religious faiths are concerned, but
to Jews every Israeli.ish household is sup
posed to be open during the first two days
Of the eight. This is almost Masonic
idea, and has its poetical import in that
any stranger Jew sajouorning within the
gates Of any city where the Passover is