Pesach

Goodnight Sh'ma Counting the Omer: A Daily Devotional Toward Shavuot

Rejoice in Your Festivals A Mountain of Blintzes

Pesach or Passover is a Jewish festival which commemorates the Exodus and the freedom of the Israelites from ancient Egypt. It is the day before the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag Hamatzot), although the entire period is commonly referred to as Passover. Pesach falls on the 14th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, which starts at nightfall in accordance with Jewish custom. The festival continues until the eighth day, 23 Nisan.

While the Temple in Jerusalem was still standing, Pesach (or Paysokh) was the day when the lamb which had been selected four days before was sacrificed at the Temple to be eaten at the evening meal, after the sun had set and the new day had started. Before the sacrifice could be made, every scrap of fermented food had to be completely removed from the house. Even today, during the period of the feast, only unleavened bread (Matza or Matzo, which actually looks and tastes like a very large water biscuit) may be eaten. Jewish law states that matzo may be made from barley, wheat, spelt, oat or rye flour, with the addition of water only, and must be allowed to rise for no more than 22 minutes before baking, as otherwise natural fermentation will take place, even without the addition of any raising agent.

Just before Passover many Jewish families clean their homes from top to bottom to remove any "leaven" (which means anything that can ferment grain products, such as yeast) and any food containing leaven, just as they have done since the first Pesach more than 4,000 years ago.

Pesach is one of the three pilgrim festivals, during which the entire Jewish population made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem (at the time when the Temple was standing). The other two are: Shavuot and Sukkot.

Pesach commemorates the flight of the Jews from Egypt, which is described in Exodus chapter 12. The story of Passover, when the avenging Angel of the Lord "passed over" the houses of the Children of Israel (which had been marked with the blood of the Passover lamb) is the story of the birth of the Nation of Israel.

Strangely, in Israel the Passover celebration is shorter than among the diaspora, lasting seven days, the first and last of which are full festival days when no work is carried out. Outside Israel, some reformed Jews also celebrate for only seven days, but amongst traditionalists the celebration takes place over eight days, four of which are full festivals (the two at the start and the two at the end).

The Counting of the Omer begins on the second day of Passover (the 16th of Nisan).