by Birte Edwards

Created on: April 09, 2009

Passover

The holiday of Passover is the celebration by Jews of the Exodus out of Egypt, out of slavery and into a life as free men. It is the first of the three major Jewish holidays to be explained to Moses by god, even while the Israelites are still in Egypt, in preparation for the last of the ten plagues. (beginning Exodus 12:1)

The Biblical Injunction
In this first passage (Exodus 12:1) god tells Moses to instruct the people on how to take an unblemished animal and slaughter it, and make sure that there is only enough for all to eat. If however there are leftovers, these must be burned, and not taken with them the following day. The blood from this animal is to be collected and then used to mark the door posts and lintel, to be the sign for the angel of death to pass over these homes and not slay the firstborn.

It is from here that the holiday derives its name.

God also instructs Moses that this holiday is to be a day of remembrance and to be celebrated as a festival for all generations to honor God (Exodus 12:14)

Passover is also known as the holiday of unleavened bread (Exodus 12: 15). Unleavened bread means unyeasted bread. This holiday is to be kept for seven days beginning with a thorough cleaning of the home to free it from all leavened foods. God also instructs the Israelites through Moses that both on the first and the last day of the feast they are to hold sacred gatherings.

Implementation of the Injunction
From the very beginnings of Judaism this holiday has been celebrated within the Biblical injunctions. It should be said that later generations have added to this basic injunction and imbued the holiday with additional meanings, but always keeping the spirit of these commandments, even adding to them.

For observant Jews the preparations for the holiday begin weeks in advance with a thorough cleaning of the house. Everything is turned inside out to remove all vestiges of leavened food from the house. The last to be cleaned is the kitchen where all daily crockery, utensil, pots and pans will be exchanged with the same that is only used for the Passover holiday.

As with all Jewish holiday Passover begins in the evening, and what self-respecting tradition will not start with a good meal known as the Seder (the order) meal. The order - that all things have to be done in the right order.

This meal is the main celebration of the Passover. When all are gathered around the festive table, the reading of the Hagada (The Story) begins. Almost the very first sentence

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