Congregation
Kneseth Israel
...proudly serving the Jewish community of Anne Arundel County since 1906
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...proudly serving the Jewish community of Anne Arundel County since 1906
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Q & A on Passover
Q: Where is the name "Passover" derived from? A: In Exodus 12:23-24, Hashem smote the firstborn of Egyptian, and He "passed over" the houses of the Israelites. The Israelites had smeared the doorposts of their home with the blood of the lamb that was slaughtered as a sacrifice, which served as a sign that the home of an Israelite. This sacrifice was also significant because the lamb was worshipped by the Egyptians. The Hebrew word for "passed over" is pasah, and hte sacrifice offered on the first evening of Passover was also referred to as the pesah sacrifice. Q: What is the significance of Shabbos Hagadol? A: This is the Shabbos that immediately precedes Passover. It commemorates the sacrifice of the Pascal lamb. This is a service in which the rabbi usually provides a lengthier sermon, to teach the laws of Passover just before the holiday begins the next week. Q: What are some other names for Passover? A: There are three other names for the festival: Chag he-Aviv (the Spring festival) since this is the time of the year this occurs, Chag ha-Matzot (Festival of Matzot), which it is referred to in the Torah and in the prayers, and Zeman Cherutenu (Festival of our Freedom), since we commemorate the miracle of the Exodus as our redemption from Egypt. Q: When is Passover observed and for how long? A: Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan. By Torah law, it lasts seven days, but outside of Israel it lasts eight days. Q: Why is matzah eaten during Passover, and bread is forbidden during this time? A: This law is clearly stated in the Torah in Exodus 12:15: "Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread; on the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses". After the firstborn Egyptian sons were killed, the Israelites were driven out of Egypt. In their haste in departing, they did not allow the dough that they were baking enough time to rise. In commemoration of the momentous occasion of the Exodus from Egypt and the establishment of the Jewish people as a nation, Jews were required to eat matzah, a mixture of flour and water that is baked immediately without allowing it to ferment or rise (by Jewish law it's baked for no longer than 18 minutes). Some of our sages derived a symbolic meaning to this law; leavened bread had time to rise is a sign of pride and haughtiness. However, matzah symbolizes modesty and humility. During the festival of Passover, a Jew must not only rid himself/herself of all traces of leaven (chametz) from their home, but must also remove all traces of spiritual leaven - pride - from his/her heart, and must be humble before G-d. Q: What is the significance of searching for chametz and how is it done? A: On the night before the first Seder, the Jewish home should be completely free of leaven, or chametz except for the amount needed for the last meals. At nightfall, and extensive search for chametz takes place which involves the entire family. The search is done with a candle (various authorities have indicated that a flashlight is permissible). Before the search begins, a blessing is chanted (al be'ur chametz; Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and has commanded us concerning the removal of chametz). Any chametz that is found is gathered together and burned the next morning. When the search is completed, the head of the household makes the following declaration: "Any chametz or leaven that is in my possession which I have not seen, have not removed and do not know about, should be annulled and become ownerless like the dust of the earth." Also, keep in mind that Jews are obligated to remove chametz from their office or place of work, their cars, and any other homes that they own. Q: What happens if a person has a large amount of chametz which must be disposed of? A: There are many situations in which the disposal of chametz will result in a financial loss, to which a halacha (law) offers a solution. One is permitted to sell his chametz to a non-Jew for the duration of Passover, which will legally and figuratively mean that the chametz does not belong to him/her. Usually, this is arrangement is made with the rabbi, and a contract is signed (you can print a contract from this Web site for Congregation Kneseth Israel). Proceeds of the sale is donated to a charity. The chametz must be locked and stored in a specific space in the home, and that space must be rented to a non-Jew during Passover. Q: What is the "Fast of the Firstborn"? A: On the morning before the first Passover seder, the firstborn Jewish males are required to fast in commemoration of the fact that during the Exodus from Egypt, the Egyptian first born were killed but the Israelites were spared. Although the fast is from dawn to nightfall, there is an option to avoid the fast. After the shacharit (morning) prayer service, the rabbi or a learned member of the community completes a tractate of the Talmud which one has studied for months before Passover. This individual recites the last few lines and teaches those attending. At the conclusion of the learning, there is a cause for celebration called a siyum, where refreshments are served and the fast of the firstborn Jewish male can be ended. Q: What is the Passover seder? A: The seder is the traditional meal eaten on the first two night of Passover, except in Israel where only the first seder is observed. The word seder means "order", because of the lengthy family service and festive meal that takes place. The seder begins with Kiddush, and the service is followed in a book called the Haggadah. Q: What is the Haggadah? A: The Haggadah is a book that contains the entire service that is recited and discussed at the Passover seder. When following the service, we are trying to bring to mind the miracle of the Exodus. It's ironic that the name of Moses is not mentioned once in the Haggadah, since the emphasis of the miracle of the redemption from slavery and the Exodus from Egypt is attributed to the Almighty. Q: What is the basic structure of the seder? A: The seder as a whole can be broken into two distinctive part; the ritual and the recital. Here is a summary of the seder: 1. Kiddush - blessing over the wine and ushering in the holiday. This is the first of four cups of wine (or grape juice) that will be dranken during the seder. The four cups represent the four times in the Torah (Exodus 6:6-7) that G-d promised to deliver the Israelites from slavery ("I will bring you out.."; "I will free you from your bondage"; "I will redeem you with an outstretched arm"; "I will take you to Me for a people"). 2. Urchatz - washing the hands without a blessing. 3. Karpas - eating a vegetable dipped in salt water . 4. Yachatz - breaking the middle matzah, hiding the larger part for the afikomen (the "dessert", this symbolizes the Passover offering). 5. Maggid - reciting the Haggadah, telling the story of Passover. This includes the following: Four Questions (Mah Nishtanah) - recited by the youngest person participating in the seder. These questions point out the distinction that this night of Passover has over all other nights during the year. The Four Sons - a passage is recited that describes four sons, one wise, one wicked, one simple, and one that is too young to form any opinion. Exodus from Egypt Reciting of the Ten Plagues - spilling a drop of wine at the mention of each plague. 6. Reciting of Hallel. 7. Rochatz -washing of the hands with a blessing. 8. Motzi Matzah - performing the mitzvah of eating the matzah with two blessings. 9. Maror - eating the bitter herbs, symbolizing the bitterness of slavery. 10. Korech - eating the bitter herbs and matzah together (the matzah and bitter herbs are essential ingredients of the Passover meal). 11. Shulchan Orech - eating (and enjoying) the delicious festive meal. 12. The Afikomen - a custom of hiding the afikomen and asking the young children to find it. This keeps the children aroused and interested at this stage of the seder. The afikomen is symbolic of the Paschal Lamb which was eaten at time of the Temple. 13. Birkath Hamazon (Grace after the meal) followed by Hallel. 14. Shefokh Hamatecha - a prayer recited with the front door open as a symbol of our trust for G-d. In this prayer, we ask G-d to punish those who refuse to acknowledge Him. 15. Various prayers which praise G-d and celebrate the miracle of the Exodus. The seder concludes with the declaration of "Leshana ha-ba-'ah bi-Yerushalayim" "This coming year in Jerusalem". 16. Concluding songs, ending with Chad Gadya ("One little kid"). |
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