We all know a little something about this biblical holiday. But what do we actually do in passover? What do we eat? What is matza? Let's talk about it :)
But first, we would like to wish you and your families a Happy Passover (חַג פֵּסַח שָׂמֵחַ)!
Passover And It's Many Names Passover or Pesach (פֵּסַח) as we say it in hebrew, has many other names - Freedom holiday ( חַג הַחֵירוּת hag hac’herut) The spring holiday ( חַג הָאָבִיב hag haaviv) The Matzah holiday ( חַג הַמַצוֹת hag hamatzot ) As you might have guessed, it occurs at spring, symbolizes freedom, and we eat matzah which is an integral element of the holiday cuisine.
A famous Hebrew quote:
אַבִיב הֵגִיע, פֵּסַח בַּא
Spring arrived, Passover came :)
Three Pilgrimage Festivals שְׁלוֹשׁ הָרְגָלִים
Passover is a seven day holiday, one of the three major festivals in judaism - the Three Pilgrimage Festivals ( שְׁלוֹשׁ הָרְגָלִים Shlosh Ha'Regalim), along with Shavuot (שָׁבוּעוֹת) and Sukot (סוּכּוֹת).
The Mitzvahs הַמִצווֹת
1. Eating matzah ( מַצָה) . Why? When the Hebrews left Egypt, they were in such haste that they could not wait for their bread dough to rise. Therefore the bread, when baked, was matzah. Matzah is an Unleavened bread: a breads which is not prepared with raising agents such as yeast 2. The Prohibition of eating leaven (חָמֵץ hametz)
3. Telling the story of the exodus from Egypt at the first night of the holiday (לֵיל הַסֵּדֶר leil haseder)
Seder or Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual and a holiday meal on the first night of Passover. It is to recite the events of the Exodus from Egypt by reading the Passover Haggadah ( הַגָּדָה שֶׁל פֶּסַח hadaga shel pesah)
The Hagada הַהָגַדַה
Hagada is a text “book” which was created in order to be read from at the seder evening and to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. This is a jewish mitzva - “to tell to your son” (וְהִגַדְתָ לְבִנְךָ vehegadeta lebenha), for it to pass from generation to generation , and to not be forgotten.
The Seder הַסֶדֶר
The Seder Plate: A traditional symbolic dish that is usually placed on the table at the Seder, where six foods representing ideas related to the Passover Seder and the Exodus from Egypt are displayed to help illustrate the story of the Haggadah.
Egg - בֵּיצָה beitza Haroset - חֲרוֹסֶת Herb - עֵשֶׂב esev Bitter herb - מָרוֹר maror Celery - כַּרְפַּס carpas
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