24 APRIL 6, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM What is the meaning of Passover? People of the Jewish faith will celebrate the eight-day festival of Passover beginning at sundown on Monday, April 10. The festival commemorates the Israelites’ freedom from slavery in ancient Egypt. This holy time is commemorated with Seder meals that feature four cups of wine, matzah and bitter herbs, and the retelling of the story of the Exodus. In Hebrew, Passover is known as Pesach (meaning to pass over), as God passed over the Israelites’ homes when killing the Egyptian fi rstborn on the very fi rst Passover night. According to scripture, God sent the prophet Moses to the Egyptian pharaos demanding that the Israelites, who had been subjected to many decades of slavery, be freed. When the Pharaoh refused, God sent upon Egypt nine devastating plagues that destroyed the land. Still, the Pharaoh would not yield. Finally, in the Jewish year 2448, God sent the tenth plague, killing the fi rstborn of Egypt. In doing so, the Israelites were spared, as the plague “passed over” their homes. This plague caused the Pharaoh to virtually chase the Israelites out of Egypt. The Israelites left in a hurry, bringing with them unleavened bread. More than 600,000 men, women and children left Egypt and began the trek to Mount Sinai. In ancient times, Passover was observed with the sacrifi ce of a paschal lamb that was roasted and eaten at the Seder on the fi rst night of the festival. However, this practice was largely ended aft er the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in the fi rst century. Today, the fi rst two days and the last two days of Passover (the latter commemorating the parting of the Red Sea) are observed holidays. Candles are lit at night, and kiddush and holiday meals are enjoyed. The middle four days are called Chol Hamoed, semi-festive “intermediate days,” when most forms of work are permitted. To commemorate the unleavened bread that the Israelites ate when they left Egypt, we don’t eat—or even retain in our possession—any chametz from midday of the day before Passover until the conclusion of the holiday. Chametz means leavened grain—any food or drink that contains even a trace of wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt or their derivatives, and which wasn’t guarded from leavening or fermentation. This includes bread, cake, cookies, cereal, pasta, and most alcoholic beverages. Moreover, almost any processed food or drink can be assumed to be chametz unless certifi ed otherwise. Before Passover, Jewish homes must be rid of chametz, either disposing of leavened products or giving them away to those who aren’t Jewish. Some Jewish sects burn any chametz on the morning before Passover. Instead of chametz, Jews eat matzah—fl at unleavened bread. The highlight of Passover is the Seder, observed on each of the fi rst two nights of the holiday. The Seder is a 15-step family-oriented tradition and ritual-packed feast. The focal points of the Seder are: eating matzah, eating bitter herbs—to commemorate the bitter slavery endured by the Israelites, drinking four cups of wine or grape juice to celebrate freedom, and the recitation of the Haggadah, a liturgy that describes in detail the story of the Exodus from Egypt. EASTER & PASSOVER
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