The Denver Jewish news., 1923-03-28


Born" '''The Festival
of the Offering of the First Sheaf,
"Thc Festival of the Unleavened
Bread" 1.-THE Festival of Passover
The reasons for some of these names
are very well known; others need
calculation. The name, 1.-The Festival
OF the Offering of the First Born
reaches back to the practice of shep-
herds of early times when leaving
quarters and going forth in the early
spring to pasture their flock and herds.
bringing one of the first born of those
as II sacrificial Offering to obtain the
favor of God in the form of bOuntiful
increase.
When Israel changed their pastoral
pursuit for that of agriculture they
naturally changed the Offering Of the
First Born of Flocked Hudfor the
First Sheaf of the Harvest. For this
reason Passover is called, 1.-The Festi-
val of the First Sheaf''
OF deeper Significance are the names,
THE Festival of Liberation from Egyp-
tian Bondage" THE Festival of the
rnleavcned Bread, ana the Festival of
Passover" As it is quoted in the
Bible" That on the night of the last
of the ten plaques which afflicted
Egypt when the land was full of vic
Tins OF the deadly scourage, the Angel
OF Death who wrought terrible havoc in
the homes of the Egyptians, passed the
homes of the Israclites without injury
10 any of them. This is one of the
many miracles God had shown to the
Isruclitcs through Moses. The modern
historian who does not believe in Mir
aclcs takes it for an historic fact.
Egypt rs II low lying land saved by the
river Nile from being II parched and
desert. That river over.
flows its banks in the spring of the
year. and fertiliZes the land to the
right and left of ID. When. after a time
The waters recede they leave behind
large stretches of refuse and decaying
animal matter. which. under the burn
ing rays ofthe Egyptian sun. breed
disease and pcstilence. 1t is these put
rifactions which caused the IAagues IN
ancient times. and the annual recur-
renee of them still causes much disease
in Egypt The Israeiitcs however. most
likely knew the cause of the plaques,
and must have taken great precaution
against them. They must have follow
I'd Il rigid course of diet and sanitation
and in consequence. the plaques passed
over them without harm or injury to
any one. This also proves that the
Jewish nation eNccls every other nation
in sanitation.
The Festival of Unlcavened Bread
is name that recalls to our minds
the memory of the manner in which
our ancestors baked their bread when
hey fled from Egypt. When Moses
rallcd unto them to flee with him they
were willing and ready to undergo all
to eat bread baked in tire
sun and to expose themselves to all
dangers in the wilderness for the sake
Of Liberty This spirit of our ancestors
also prevails among the Chalutim Of
today wkU are leaving their homes and
are going forth into Palestine to live
upon bread and water to build up the
land of Israel.
1.-The Festival of Liberation from
Egyptian Bondag needs little eNplana
tion AS the name alone signifies the i'm
portancc. .Zman Charaseinu. the days
( our Liberty, was not only the redemp-
tion of people from physical slavery
but it was also the dedication of that
people to spiritual ideal. But the
task that Moses had before him was
not as simple as ii seems. The people
at that time had become so accustomed
to their slavery that they did not feel
it amy more. They were common, un-
taught laborcrs and really did not live
but merely existed. 1t required an in-
mcnsc amount of courage to leave their
homes and expose themselves to an
adventurous life. The spirit oil most ot
these common people having been
crushed under the heavy yoke of Egypt
and having been inexperienced i'll wei
fare these people considered it i'm
possible to prevail against IL nation
raised i'm freedom Moses could not even
avow TO them the purpose of his mis-
ion. He had to make them believe that
the only purpose for taking them into
the wilderness was to hold II sacrificia
festival there.
The leaders of the Zionist movement
today are in the same predicunent as
was Moses centuries ago. Thcre are
people even today who do not under
stand the reason for having II land that
can be called their own. Let us hope