First Night of Passover

First Night of Passover

Hereโ€™s to a meaningful seder and a Happy #Passover

Passover, also calledย Pesachย (/หˆpษ›sษ‘หx,ย หˆpeษช-/;ย Biblical Hebrew:ย ื—ึทื’ ื”ึทืคึถึผืกึทื—ย แธคag hapPesaแธฅ), is a majorย Jewish holidayย that celebrates theย exodusย of theย Israelitesย from slavery inย Egypt,ย which occurs on the 15th day of theย Hebrew monthย ofย Nisan, the first month ofย Aviv, or spring. The wordย Pesachย orย Passoverย can also refer to theย Korban Pesach, the paschal lamb that was offered when theย Temple in Jerusalemย stood; to theย Passover Seder, the ritual meal on Passover night; or to the Feast ofย Unleavened Bread. One of the biblically ordainedย Three Pilgrimage Festivals, Passover is traditionally celebrated in theย Land of Israelย for seven days and for eight days among many Jews in theย Diaspora, based on the concept ofย yom tov sheni shel galuyot.ย In the bible the seven-day holiday is known as Chag HaMatzot, the feast of unleavened bread (matzoh).

According to theย Book of Exodus, God commandsย Mosesย to tell the Israelites to mark a lamb’s blood above their doors in order that theย Angel of Deathย will pass over them (i.e., that they will not be touched by theย tenth plague,ย death of the firstborn). After the death of the firstborn Pharaoh orders the Israelites to leave, taking whatever they want, and asks Moses to bless him in the name of the Lord. The passage goes on to state that the Passover sacrifice recalls the time when the LORDย “passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt”.ย This story is recounted at the Passover meal in the form of theย Haggadah, in fulfillment of the command “And thou shalt tell (Higgadata) thy son in that day, saying: It is because of that which the LORDย did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.”

The wave offering of barley was offered at Jerusalem on the second day of the festival. The counting of the sheaves is still practiced, for seven weeks until the Feast of Weeks on the 50th day, the holiday of Shavuot.

Nowadays, in addition to the biblical prohibition of owningย leavened foodsย for the duration of the holiday, theย Passover Sederย is one of the most widely observed rituals inย Judaism. (wikipedia)

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Rod Washington

Rod is a blogger, writer, filmmaker, photographer, daydreamer who likes to cook. Rod produces and directs the web series, CUPIC: Diary of an Investigator. He is also the editor, producer and administrator of STM Daily News, a part of the TNC Network.