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Passover Traditions

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Passover is a holiday that commemorates the escape of the Hebrews from enslavement in Egypt. The ritual is an ancient one and, therefore, has built up many traditions. These customs aid in the remembrance of that extremely important event in Jewish history, and they are held in reverence. Since the holiday is so old, many of its traditions have been held for centuries.

Removing the Chametz

According to commandments found in the Torah, all chametz must be removed from one's home before the first day of Passover. Chametz refers to any substance that is fermented or can cause fermentation. These could include breads, most alcoholic beverages, some types of cakes as well as yeast, sourdough, and high fructose corn syrup.

The practice of removing the chametz is meant to be a reminder of God's command to the Hebrews to only eat unleavened (without chametz) bread on the night they left Egypt.

The removal of all the chametz from the home often takes the form of a spring-cleaning. Prior to Passover, observant Jews will clean out every part of the house to ensure that no chametz is left behind. Any appliance or implement that has come into contact with chametz is cleaned as well. For example, the kitchen counters would be scrubbed and the oven would be cleaned with heat (either by running it in "clean" mode or by cleaning it with boiling water).

Ideally, chametz must be discarded, but selling it is permitted for those who are in desperate financial situations or for particularly valuable items like liquor products. After all the leavened products have been gathered, they are burned together. If any additional leavened products are found during Passover, they are to be discarded in the same way as soon as possible.

Matzo

Matzo (also spelled matzoh, matza, matze, matzah) is unleavened bread that is eaten during Passover. It's a substitute for traditional bread, since chametz is not allowed, but it also serves a more important purpose as well.

While matzo can be eaten all throughout the holiday, it is a necessary part of the Passover Seder. At times, matzo is made with extra ingredients like eggs or fruit juice; however, it's traditional to have Matzo made with only water and flour at the Passover Seder.
There are several explanations for the meaning behind matzo:
  • Since the Hebrews left Egypt very quickly, they didn't have time to wait for bread to rise, so they made matzo as a quick substitute that they could eat on their journey.
  • Some scholars teach that matzo was already common for traveling during the time, as it kept longer and was light for carrying.
  • Another teaching is that matzo, sometimes called Lechem Oni, meaning "poor man's bread" in Hebrew, is a reminder of what it was like for the Hebrews to be poor slaves under Egyptian rule.
The Fast of the Firstborn

According to the book of Exodus, God sent Moses to ask Pharaoh of Egypt to let his people (the Hebrews) go. Each time Pharaoh refused, God sent a plague over the land (ten in all). The final and most terrible plague is known as "the death of the firstborn." God sent an angel to take the lives of all the firstborn sons in Egypt, including Pharaoh's own son. God, however, spared the Hebrews from this plague.

To celebrate this miracle, there is the "fast of the firstborn." Firstborn sons of practicing Jewish families that have reached the age of Bar Mitzvah must fast on the morning before Passover. Traditionally, if the son has not yet had his Bar Mitzvah, the responsibility of the fast falls to the father.

The Passover Seder
The Passover Seder is perhaps the most important part of the Passover celebration. This traditional dinner is held on the first night of the holiday. Special sets of china and silverware are used just for Passover. This is done to ensure it has not come into contact with chametz.

The meal is split into 15 parts and retells the story of the exodus from Egypt. A special Hebrew text called the Haggadah is used to narrate the ritual, with four cups of wine being drunk, and other actions taking place throughout the 15 parts. The 15 parts of the meal represent the 15 steps in the Temple of Jerusalem. The Hebrew priests (called Levites) would stand on these steps during temple services.


One of the major goals of the Passover Seder is to teach children about the events surrounding the Exodus. The meal incorporates questions and unusual practices as a means of piquing the interest of the children. They receive candy and other rewards for asking questions and being a part of the discussion.

The afikoman is an important part of the Seder. When the leader of the meal breaks the middle section of Matzo into two pieces during the fourth step of the Seder, the larger of the two pieces becomes the afikoman. Sometimes the afikoman is hidden and children are presented with a reward for finding it. Other times the children can "steal" it and insist on a reward for returning it. The afikoman is finally eaten during the 12th part of the Seder.

Other Traditions

There are many other traditions associated with this holiday. Here are a couple more:
  • Counting of the Omer - This ritual begins on the second night of Passover. It is a nightly reminder of the approach of Shavuot, which is a celebration of the day God gave the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai.

  • Seventh day of Passover - This day is filled with prayer services and special meals as a celebration of the day the Hebrews reached the Red Sea and saw the miracle of its parting.
These traditions are well developed and serve an integral role in the celebration of Passover. They add much depth to the event and also serve as a means of bringing people together for discussion, in addition to celebration.

Patrick Hanan  Posted by Patrick Hanan on March 31, 2010

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