The Jewish holiday Pesach is similar to Orthodox Easter. The celebrations also last for a week. How is the Jewish Passover calculated? It occurs on the fourteenth day of the holy month of Nisan, which corresponds to March-April in the Gregorian calendar. This holiday is considered the most important and holy for the Jews, it marks the beginning of the birth of the Jewish people. How did this holiday come about? What traditions correspond to it? How to properly observe the rituals and celebrate Passover?
Date of Passover in 2019
The period of celebration of the main celebration of the Israelis is approaching. In 2019, Jewish Passover falls between April 19 and 27. The main night is considered to be from April 19 to April 20, then - six days of holidays and the last, seventh day, a day off.
History of the holiday
According to traditional beliefs, Pesach is celebrated as a sign of the exodus of the Jews from Egyptian captivity. A detailed account of the ordeals of the Jewish people is set forth in the second book of Moses, the Book of Exodus. This is the second of the five volumes of the Torah.
The very word "Passover" is translated as "to jump over". According to another version - "go ahead." What is Pesach? The history of the Jewish people begins with the time of Jacob. He settled with his family in the land of the pharaohs and lived richly and happily. But the years passed, the rulers of Egypt changed, new laws were written and new rules were established. People who arrived from other countries began to be harassed. Gradually Jacob's family turned from peaceful settlers into slaves.
Meanwhile, miracles of the Lord appeared to Moses. And God ordered him to follow into the lands of Egypt and free the Jewish people. He sent miracles as a sign of his intention and blessing. Moses appeared before Pharaoh, but he refused to let the Jews go. Then the Lord sent ten plagues on him. Terrible disasters seized Egypt: pestilence swept through the country and killed herds of livestock, the entire crop was gone.
Despite the impending famine and devastation, the pharaoh did not agree to let the slaves go. And the time has come for the most terrible tenth execution. The Lord cursed the people in the land of the Egyptians and said that in one night all the firstborn in every house would be killed. God gave Moses a warning. For the protection of the Jews and their children, it was necessary to put a mark on every house where they lived. In the evening, before the onset of the bloody night, the Jews slaughtered a lamb and painted a security sign on each door with its blood. The angel of death saw the mark and bypassed the Jewish families. And on the night of the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan, an angel killed everyonethe firstborn of the Egyptians, and the firstborn of the Hebrews remained unharmed. It is this sign that is called "Pesach" (from Hebrew - "pass by"). Only after that Pharaoh released the Jewish people with Moses. So the fourteenth day of Nisan was marked by the liberation of the Jewish people from the yoke of the Egyptians. And all the children of the Jews were saved.
The meaning of the holiday for the Jews
The theme of the Exodus permeates the entire religion of the Jews. The events following it are connected with the arrival on the land of Israel and the creation of a separate state. In ancient times, the holiday was marked by festivities, divine services and a solemn meal with the ritual killing of a lamb.
The celebration of the exodus of the Jews from the Egyptian land coincided with the holiday of the arrival of spring. Therefore, the celebration has a number of similar names. Pesach is the main name, the meaning of the ritual action in honoring the Jewish people as a sign of liberation and independence.
The second option is Chag a-Matzot, from the word "matza". The name of the holiday appeared due to the fact that, leaving Egypt, the exhausted Jews were in such a hurry that they did not have time to take almost nothing with them. They also had no food, bread had to be prepared on the go from what was available. This is how matzah appeared - unleavened bread. Interesting rituals of the modern Pesach celebration are associated with it.
Another option is Chag HaAviv, translated as the holiday of spring. This is a traditional spring holiday among many peoples, including the Jews. It marks the beginning of the sowing, the joy and the new birth of nature.
Fourth option -Chag a Herut, the holiday of freedom. The meaning also refers to the exodus of the Jews. Pesach, according to Jewish beliefs, is celebrated as a time of liberation and justice. There is a whole set of laws for celebrating Pesach, its name is Psakhim.
Preparing for the celebration
Prior to the celebration of general cleaning. Its peculiarity is that the owner or mistress of the house must take out and destroy what is capable of fermenting (leavened). All bakery products, cereals and cereals, sauces and much more fall into this category. These products can be eaten before the holiday or taken to the house of people of a different faith for storage. Leavened products are called chametz.
It is desirable that the entire Jewish family take part in the process of preparing for the holiday. So the cleaning is more thorough, because it is forbidden to find even a crumb of chametz in the dwelling. All available utensils are washed with hot water, cleaning from food debris. Before the first day of the Jewish holiday of Passover, traditionally the owner of the house with a candle in his hand goes around all the rooms. He should have a pen and a spoon in his hands. This process symbolizes the search for chametz in the house. Found must be destroyed immediately.
The Kabbalistic teaching says that the fermentation of dough symbolizes pride in a person - what he thinks about when someone hurt him, offended him. The destruction of chametz directs the believers to subdue their pride. Passover revives the divine in the soul. Therefore, it is necessary to sweep out of it all the excess that has fermented.
Rituals
The only bread allowed in the JewishEaster, it's matzah. It symbolizes the haste with which the Jews broke free from slavery. Matzo is a flatbread made from dough that hasn't risen yet. Matzah is ready in no more than eighteen minutes. A special cake is prepared for the holiday, it is called shmura.
For the first night of Passover, three matzahs are made and laid one on top of the other. All family members prepare for the first dinner. The best tablecloth is laid on the table and beautiful dishes are placed. If there are silverware, then it is allowed to use them. Particularly believing families keep a separate set of dishes for the celebration. Bitter greens are served on the table as a sign of the bitterness endured by the people of Israel, and wine. Drinks for the celebration must be prepared only by a Jew, otherwise the juice or wine will be considered non-kosher.
There is a separate set of rules for the Jewish holiday of Pesach - Haggadah. Before the start of the celebration, the hostess of the house lights candles, there must be at least two of them. If Pesach fell on the night from Friday to Saturday, then the candles are used the same as for Shabbat. They are lit eighteen minutes before the sun sets below the horizon. Prayers and blessings are read on the candles.
When Passover falls on Saturday, candles are placed a maximum of fifty minutes after sunset. On other days of the week, they are brought in just before the start of the celebration, but from a fire that was kindled before sunset. Such subtleties are connected with the belief that on Holy Saturday one should not touch what fire gives. And on holidays you can’t create a flame, but there is permission to transmit it from oneperson to another, lighting a candle from another candle, for example. In this way, the holiday is separated from everyday life, sanctified by the flame.
Seder Passover
On the first evening of the holiday, Jews gather at a rich table. This evening is called the Seder. Its essence boils down to the fact that the Jews remember the Exodus from Egypt (it is forbidden to commemorate in Judaism, therefore, every Seder Jewish families re-live the liberation). First of all, a special dish is placed on the table. Kosher food is located on it in a strictly defined order. Each cooked product has its own meaning and symbolism. Even his place on the platter was chosen for a reason. There is a certain order of actions (the word Seder itself is translated as “order”) in the process of celebrating the first evening of Passover. It consists of several stages:
1. Kadesh. At this stage, a prayer of three blessings is said. Its name is Kiddush. This action gives a blessing for the celebration. They drink their first glass of wine. It is recommended for these purposes to start with a small container in order to drink the whole thing without stopping.
2. Urhats. Hand washing. During the ritual, the head of the family sits at the beginning of the festive table. Items for the procedure are presented to him by the rest of the family.
3. Karpas. This word refers to a dish consisting of vegetables. For its preparation, potatoes, celery are used. It is a symbol of the hard work that the Jews did on Egyptian soil. Before eating, karpas is dipped in water with dissolved s alt, a symbol of tears, they readprayer-blessing.
4. Yachats. Prepared for a solemn meal, the middle matzah is broken into several pieces. The largest slice is wrapped in a napkin and hidden in the house. The child who finds this piece will receive a gift. The name of this slice of matzah is afikoman. The remaining pieces are hidden between two other matzos.
5. Magid. At this stage, the legends of the Haggadah, the stories of the exodus of the Jews, and how Pesach was born are recounted. Initially reproduced in Hebrew and, if necessary, later translated for guests. Next, the youngest child asks the head of the family four questions about how Pesach night differs from others, whether there is anything to be ashamed of the Jews, why Hebrew and the history of the Israelis are forgotten, and about respect for the Jews. The essence of the questions boils down to the fact that the people were a slave, and now they have freed themselves and can remember their history and live openly, with their heads held high. Dialogue is built in every family, this tradition is unique and is central to the ritual of the Seder. After this speech, a second glass of wine is emptied.
6. Matzo. Prayer is performed over the second matzah. The upper one is broken into a number of pieces equal to the number of those present at the celebration. You need to eat this piece in a relaxed position, reclining on pillows, as a symbol of newfound freedom and independence.
7. Maror. The next dish, for which the celebrants are taken, symbolizes all the bitterness of the Jews in slavery. Maror is mountain greens or mixture with horseradish, it is dipped in charoset (a kind of sauce). You can combine foods, for example, make a matzo and maror sandwich. It is calledcoreh.
8. Shulkhan-nut. The stage at which the feast begins. You can eat everything that the owners of the table are rich in. Serve soup, baked meat or fish.
9. Tzafun. The process of eating a found piece of matzah. It is divided among all those present and combined with the matzah that is on the table. This is the final meal, it is forbidden to eat after it.
10. Barech. Final moment. They say a prayer and empty the third glass of wine.
Before drinking the fourth glass, they open the door and "let in" the prophet Elijah. He informed the Jews about the coming deliverance from slavery and is considered a harbinger of the coming of the Savior. His glass remains on the table untouched. All those present finish their fourth glass of wine, accompanying this action with prayers. At the end of the festive evening, songs on the theme of the Jewish Passover are sung. All participants in the meal communicate on theological topics and traditions of the celebration. The elders share worldly wisdom (below in the photo - Pesach in a Jewish family).
What should be on the festive table?
Before the beginning of the Seder evening, the Jews determine which seat at the table will go to each of the guests. Dishes that will be served are distributed in a similar way.
The only possible bread, as already mentioned, is matzah. From unleavened flour, Jews make pies, dumplings for soup, sandwiches, add to salads and make pancakes. The taste of unleavened matzah returns the memory of their ancestors to the Jews, symbolizes the hardships and grief that this people had to endure. Of lamb on the boneprepare a special dish - zroa. You can use chicken instead of lamb. This dish symbolizes the lamb sacrificed to the Savior, with the blood of which the Pesach signs were applied on the doors of Jewish homes.
Beytsa is a hard-boiled egg. In Judaism, it means rebirth and a happy life. Maror - bitter herbs (lettuce, horseradish, basil). Karpas - coarse vegetables (often boiled potatoes) as a symbol of the overwork of slaves on Egyptian soil. Charoset sauce is the personification of the liquid mixture for the construction of the pyramids in ancient Egypt. It was used by Jewish slaves. The composition includes: apples, wine, spices and walnuts. There are many recipes for its preparation. On the table, as a rule, there are additional nuts and fruits.
For drinks, kosher homemade wine or grape juice is used. A single wine glass represents four obligations that the Lord announced to the Jews at the end: “And I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians…”, “And I will deliver you…”, “And I will save you…”, “And I will receive you…”.
Jews are forbidden to work on the first day of the celebration. It is customary to attend the synagogue, pray, follow the traditions. Priests bless the people on Pesach.
Holiday weekdays
The Jewish Passover continues for the next six days. There will be no more feasts like the Seder. Pious Jews work less during Passover, or don't work at all. It is a mistake to think that the entire period of the celebration is filled with prayers and the absorption of food. On the second day, it is customary to visit relatives, relax with them andrelax. On Pesach, no one should be forgotten. Lonely people are invited to the table by neighbors or acquaintances. Israel is filled with a single spirit, community. Jews communicate a lot with each other, visit relatives whom they have not seen for a long time.
Seventh day
This day marks the passage of the Jews led by Moses of the Red Sea. Having asked the Lord for help on the seashore, the leader of the Jews received it. The sea split into two halves and a road along its bottom opened up before those present. On the seventh day of the Jewish Passover holiday, festivities are planned. People dance and sing in the streets. And at night they put on a performance with an imitation of a passage through the depths of the sea.
Passover and Easter
Despite the obvious similarity in name, these two holidays have completely different roots. Pesach chronologically happened before Easter, so it traditionally takes place on earlier dates. Unlike the Jews, who celebrate the liberation from slavery on Pesach, Easter is the Resurrection of Christ. The holidays are not connected in any way, although their names are similar.
On Easter it is customary to set a rich table using traditional dishes (colored eggs, Easter cakes, Easter). But the spiritual content of the celebrations is completely different, and they have nothing to do with each other. Catholic and Jewish Easter are also very different, although the dates of celebration often coincide. Catholics, like Christians, celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord.
Interesting facts
Pesach was the first holiday that the Jews began to celebrate. All Jewish celebrations begin in the evening, so on the days of theirall institutions are closed earlier, and the Jews go to celebrate. Passover is no exception. During the celebration, bread disappears not only in houses, but also on the shelves, in order to exclude temptation. Since the date of the beginning of the festival is calculated according to the Jewish calendar, the date of its beginning changes every year.
Matzoh as a symbol of the Jewish Passover holiday has several names. In the Torah, it is called "poor bread" or "unfortunate bread." Although its composition does not differ in variety, a special matzah is baked on Pesach. This is not a high-calorie product, only 111 calories in one piece. In everyday life, apple juice, berries, eggs, and so on are added to matzah. In the Seder, eating such bread is prohibited, only unleavened and without additives is allowed. In 1838, A. Singer invented a device for the production of matzo, but Orthodox Jews try to cook it at home. This bread should not be eaten for a whole month before Passover, in order to better feel its taste later. The day before the arrival of the holiday, the first-born males in the family must fast.
Three matzahs on the table on the evening of the Seder - the personification of Kohanim, ordinary Jews and Levites. A month after Pesach, those Jews who could not celebrate for some reason celebrate Pesach-Sheni. On this day, lamb or chicken can be cooked, and matzah can be eaten without destroying the chametz.
In conclusion
What is Pesach? It awakens in people the desire for unity. Prayers and theological conversations encourage the rejection of criticism of others. Prohibited during celebrationsto be envious and to condemn one's neighbor. The lonely will be surrounded by care, the hungry will be fed. The main idea of the whole celebration is to think not only about yourself, but also about others, selflessly help.
The salvation of the Jewish people by crossing the desert is not confirmed by historical information. From this, experts conclude that the outcome probably happened earlier, and they could not fix it. Kabbalah interprets the essence of Pesach differently. In a metaphorical sense, the Jews got rid of the oppression of tyrants, and this contributed to the establishment of Israel as a separate state. And yet, celebrations in honor of the liberation of the Jews from slavery are held everywhere, the joy of gaining freedom still does not subside in the blood of the Jews. It is said that the Seder meal is an amazing phenomenon. Indeed, for hundreds of centuries, every Jewish family repeats the same scenario of holding a festive dinner every year. Today in Israel, schools and kindergartens are closed on Pesach, children are with their parents all day. Israelis say it's hard to go outside during this period because it's so crowded.
Passover is an ancient Jewish holiday, one of the most revered. The Ten Commandments of Moses, who wandered with the Jews in the desert for forty years, formed the basis of universally recognized moral values.
