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Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday commemorating their exodus from Egypt as cited in the Old Testament. This category is about the conceptual significance of Passover which is central to the understanding of Judaism.
937 Questions
What does Passover mean to reformed Jews?
There is no such thing as a "reformed" Jew. It is called "reform Jew".
Reform Jews celebrate passover as a commoration of the exodus of the ancestors of the Jews from Egypt and into freedom, which is the same meaning passover has to Conservative and Orthodox Jews.
The first seder happened on the eve of the Exodus from Egypt. Tradition puts the date at 1312 BCE.
How many glasses of wine do Jews drink during the seder meal?
There are 4 cups used during the Seder.
The red wine at the seder symbolises HaShem's four statements of redemption in the Torah:
- "I took you out"
- "I rescued you"
- "I liberated you"
- "I took you to Me for a people"
The wine represents redemption while the colour of the red wine reminds us of the blood of the children killed for the Pharaoh.
Actually I think it's a terrible name of the holiday which, in Hebrew, is Pesach (פסח) pronounced "Pay-sach" in Ashkenazic Hebrew and "PESS-ach" in Sefardic Hebrew, (with a gutteral ch at the end). Why? Because the Hebrew name is far more broad in its meaning on the one hand, and far more specific on the other.
[Note: The Hebrew word Pesach is a contraction of the words 'peh sach' which means 'the mouth speaks'. The reason for this name is because we are commanded to retell the story of Pesach every year so that we don't forget it.]
Spring in the Middle East is a time of rebirth just as it is for many areas of the northern hemisphere when winter comes to an end and there is new life -- one reason why Shavuot, the spring harvest festival, is celebrated 50 days afterwards.
Prior to the Jewish holiday, the concept of a spring festival was known to other regional peoples, and one of the central rites was the sacrifice, roasting and eating of a young ("Spring") lamb, which is in fact what the word Pesach also means and was adopted as a Hebrew word as such.
It therefore makes sense that Torah recalls that G-d instructed Moses to tell the Hebrews in Egypt to smear lamb's blood on the doorposts of their houses so that when God inflicted the final plague (death of the first born) leading to the liberation of the people from slavery, the angel would avoid (PASS OVER) the homes of the Hebrews and spare them from the plague. This followed earlier traditions and adapted it to become a Hebrew/Jewish tradition.
[Note: The actual significance of slaughtering lambs and using their blood was that the Egyptians worshiped lambs as one of their gods. By so publicly slaughtering lambs, after having the lambs tied outside of their homes for three days, the Israelites were literally showing their rejection of the Egyptian gods by killing one of them.]
Actually there were more instructions, being in total the fundamentals of the first Pesach meal (a specially selected lamb, roasted whole, with "unleavened bread" and if one was too poor neighbors were to share, and the special meal in Torah is called "Lord's Pesach" ("paysach hoo l'adonai", Exodus 12:11).
[You would think that the angel would know who was whom, no? Well, to me the interesting thing is that Torah does not say anything about instructing the Hebrews to protect themselves from any of the other previous 9 plagues. At all! Instead, G-d distinguished between the Egyptians and the Hebrews in some cases, and in others the Torah says the entire land of Egypt was affected! So why? Because it was an action that G-d required of ALL the people to perform, to distinguish themselves from the Egyptians. It was perhaps the first step in the road to liberation - identifying oneself as a Hebrew.... Just something to think about.] (Please see the previous note for the significance of slaughtering lambs).
Most people translate the holiday name (and Torah word) "Pesach" as "passover" and to me at least the English word concentrates to heavily on the plague, the angel of death and protection of the Hebrew people) and whereas the Hebrew word places the emphasis on the meal as the central element of the action associated with identifying oneself as a Hebrew/Jew and the protecting of the home through personal actions, being smeared lamb's blood.
Are you allowed to use Black pepper and Bay leaves in Passover?
Both are fine but have to be certified kosher for Passover.
Baytzah is hard-boiled egg.
Baytzah is symbolic of the regular festival sacrifice brought in the days of the Temple. Some authorities have interpreted this as a symbol of mourning for the loss of the two Temples (the first was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E., the second by the Romans in 70 C.E.). With the Temples destroyed, sacrifices could no longer be offered. The egg symbolized this loss and traditionally became the food of mourners.
Well, there's the seder meal and the Jewish families sing and pray and the mother of the family lights the candles and there's a game that the children play which is where the father hides the matzah and whoever finds it gets a reward.
Were the ten plagues of Egypt a legend?
Since the time of Joshua the Jewish people have been celebrating the Passover and recounting the same exact stories including the story of the ten plagues. Thus it is considered by the Jewish people to be truth, not legend. Historically, scholars have ignored Jewish dating for historical events, instead determining their own dates for events. However, recent archaeological finds in the Sinai support the story of the Exodus based on Jewish dating for this event. At this point, there appears to be basis for at least some of the plagues.
Here are a couple of places to consult and consider: -- Exodus 12:19 -- Deuteronomy 16:3-4
What is the feast celebrating the andel of death sparing the Jewish people?
The feast is called Passover or Pesach, but it actually celebrates much more than that. It celebrates our exodus from Egypt and into freedom.
What is the name of the thing Jews put on the outside of the door at Passover?
Most likely it is some blood. To remember Moses days.
Another AnswerNowadays, no one does that. That was only during the Exodus from Egypt.I think the questioner is referring to the Mezzuzah which Jewish people put on the right hand side of their doorposts, not just at Passover but always.
What does the bone at the Passover Seder mean?
The seder plate typically holds 5 or 6 items symbolic of the Passover meal:
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The shankbone of a lamb, a reminder of the Passover sacrifice (a chicken bone or a beet can be substituted).
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Bitter herbs, for the commandment that you shall eat it with matzah and bitter herbs.
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Charoset, a relish made of fruit, nuts and wine, symbolic of the mortar used by the Israelite slaves.
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A green vegetable, usually parsley, symbolic of spring and intended to dip in salt-water symbolic of the slaves' tears.
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A roasted egg, a symbol of the festival burnt offering (as distinct from the Passover sacrifice).
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(optional) a second bitter herb because there are two points in the Seder when bitter herbs are consumed.
Why can't you eat mustard during passover?
Mustard seeds are kitniyot so Ashkenazi Jews aren't supposed to eat mustard. Some Sephardi and Mizrachi groups will eat mustard though.
Can you wear black to a seder meal?
There are no restrictions on what may be worn to a Seder, but it is a joyous celebration, and people usually dress up.
Why do you brake the middle of the matza?
Breaking the middle matzah and hiding half is a `modern`addition to the Passover seder. Breaking off the piece called the afikomen (meaning dessert) and hiding it was added as a way to keep the interest of the children during the second half of the seder.
What would be a good bible verse for the Passover day?
Passover is a 7 day holiday in Israel and 8 day holiday outside of Israel. On the first night in Israel and first two nights outside of Israel, Jews read the story of the Exodus from the Haggadah.
