El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-04-23
Feast Of the Passover
GREAT JEWISH FEAST ON SUNDAY.

each person must drink four cups.
There is also a cup for each person
present, and an extra cup for Elijah
the Prophet
The head of the family begins the
ceremony by saying the prayer for the
evening, the Kiddush, after which he
pours water on his hands to qualify
himself as the priest of the occasion
He then dips the parsley into the salt
water and hands 1t to each person, this
action sgnifying the dipping of the
hyssop I'm the blood of the lamb, to be
sprayed on the door posts on that
dreadful night In Egypt He then takes
one Of the cakes, breaks il in half
| and lays one-half aside. He then tells
TO the children the story OF the Pass
OYER, Haggada- The children ask
! questions at the end of the story. and
when everything is explained, all per-
ing the bread and chant in unison:
This is the bread Of affliction which
our fathers ate in the land of Egypt;
whoever is hungry, come and eat; who
ever is in need come and make the
Passover with us; this year here. next
year in the holy land; this year as sub
jects, next year as free men,"
The 'Feast."
Then they all wash their hands. and
the two whole cakes are broken Then
the horseradish tops are eaten, in COM
memoratiOn of the bitter herbs upon
which the children OF Israel were
forced to live. The head OF the house
hold then takes the matzo and makes
sandwiches with the sliced horseradish
root. which are eaten during a cere-
monial chant Then the regular sup
per is brought in and eaten. After
everyone has finished the hidden half
cake is brought out and eaten
Then the third cup OF wine. the cup
Of blessings" is handed round, and
the benediction is said Then comes
the singing Of the Hallel. This is the
hymn which Jesus and his disciples
sang on the night of the Last Supper
1t is composed of the 18th to the I1Sth
Psalms. inclusive, and the 136th Psalm.
After this the fourth cup is drunk and
the feast is brought formally TO an
end
Abstain From All Labor
On the day Of the Passover the Jews
abstain from labor, but this inhibition
does not extend to the rest of the
week, although nothing but the unIeav-
ened bread is eaten. In the United
States there are three grades of matzo
IN use, the square natz0 used for the
Sedar service. the tea and coffee matzo
and a large cracker known as the egg
matzo, in which beaten eggs are used
instead OF water to make the dough
Recipes for this egg matzo or rnatzah
aschirah, have been known in Europe
for many centuries. one being set forth
In great detail in book published in
London 600 years ago.
The feature of the Passover Feast
which has been most developed among
the Jews Of the Ashkenazim rite. is
the story telling This has been re-
formed, and in late years good Jews
frown upon the Introduction of poet
ries" into this part of the service BooLE
containing properly prepared stories Of
the Passover with English and Hebrew
texts. fully illustrated. may be obtain
ed at any Jewish book store for %
cents A sample Of one of the Haggada
"poetries," however. is quite interesting.
and christians unacquainted with Jew
ish religious rites will be surprised 70
find in this instance the origin of a
familiar nursery tale
The Passover Feast.
Says the head of the household at
the story telling time in the services
Of the Passover Feast: Then came the
Holy and Blessed God and killed the
Angel of Death. who killed the butcher.
who slaughtered the OK, who drank
up the water, which quenched the fire.
that burnt the stick, which beat the
dog, that bit the cat, that ate the kid.
which my father bought for two shill-
ings, one kid one kid,''
This is an allegorical poem which
originated during the reign of the Latin
| kings in Jerusalem, and it's meaning
was quite clear and simple TO every
Jew OF that period. Our Father in
Heaven he III
blood of the circumcision and with the
blood Of the Passover. The kid was
eaten by the cat Egypt, which in turn
was conquered by the dog Babylon.
which was beaten by the stick of the
Modes and Persians, which was con-
sumed by the fire of Alexander the
Great The Macedonian fire was
quenched by Rome, which overspread
the world like water.
The Saracenic Ok.
Rome was supplanted in Palestine by
the Saracenic OK The butcher of the
alIegory was the Crusaders. The Angel
of Death was only hoped for that he
might end the cruelties practiced bv
the Crusaders. Then the Lord was to
destroy Death and reunite Israel in the
Promised Land.
To the Jews this feast is of tremen-
dous Importance. for IL signifies the pc
culiar relations of the Children of Is
rael to Jehovah as the chosen people
1t commentaries their deliverance from,
the bondage in Egypt, and therefore
Is ever a promise to the Orthodox that
He again will deliver His children. 1t
has also great Significance to the
christian. for Jesus was presiding at
just such a supper table as this when
He instituted the great sacrament of
His church.
children. Complaint had been made that
| Ind LIZ. l.