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The Passover And Other Feasts

Jews and Catholics share many traditions. Passover celebrates the Jewish people’s Exodus from Egypt, the liberation from slavery and their entrance into freedom. Easter celebrates Jesus’ life and resurrection which brings freedom from sin to grace for Christians.

We will briefly share the deep religious roots of Jews and Catholics as they celebrate their sacred holy days. Hopefully, each will see how much they share.

The Passover Celebration
Passover (pesah) is the most important feast on the Jewish calendar being rivaled only by the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). No other feast inspires the religious themes of life and death, rebirth and gratitude. Passover recalls the significant event of Jews escaping the slavery of the Egyptians and continues to remind all Jews of the importance of continuing the battle of freedom in every generation.

Passover is the oldest Jewish festival and begins the yearly calendar. This holiday has other names, such as Hag Aa-aviv, the spring holiday which follows winter with a new life, and Zeman heiruteinu, which means the seasons of liberation.

In Biblical times, Passover is observed for seven days. Outside of Israel, Orthodox and Conservative Jews observe this holiday for eight days while most reformed Jews observe it seven days. The holiday begins on the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Nisan. Passover began and remains a family holiday to remind all Jews of the Exodus Biblical story. The Bible commands that Passover be observed for seven days. After the Jews were exiled from Palestine in 70 C.E., Jews living in other countries added an extra day. The Additional day was necessary because of the uncertainty of the calendar. The Jewish (Lunar) calendar information could be transmitted erroneously at times from the source in Jerusalem to distant lands, an extra day was added to the feasts of Passover, Sukkoth, and Shavout. This extra day would avoid possible desecration of the holiday.

On the two nights of Passover, there are seders (the Passover Meal). Seder literally means “order”. It has its own prayer book, a Haggadah that tells the story of the Passover. Four glasses of wine are drunk during the Seder, and there are rituals of eating Matzoh, bitter herbs, Hillel’s sandwich, and afikomen (the half piece of Matzoh). This Afikomen is the last thing eaten and the Seder cannot continue until it is found. The children hold the Afikomen for ransom and are given a reward for returning it. This is one way children are involved in the Seder. Children play an important part of the Seder, the youngest child asks the traditional four questions. One of the questions is: “Why is this night different from the other nights?” What is the meaning of the items at the Seder?

Wine is necessary for the four cups, which make people rejoice on as happy occasion.

Matzos — at least three of them to remind Jews of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Karpas — a green vegetable (such as parsley) symbolizing spring.

Haroset — a mixture of chopped apples, nuts, wine and spices symbolizing the mortar that slaves made for bricks in Egypt.

Maror — bitter herbs, symbol of bitterness of slavery.

Zeroah — a roasted bone, usually a shank bone, symbol of the Paschal Lamb.

Beitzah — a roasted egg, symbol of a festival sacrifice brought in the days of the Great Temple.

Salt Water — symbol of tears of Jewish ancestors who cried for God’s help and was answered.

A Special Cup — for the prophet Elijah who will appear to announce the ultimate redemption and the coming of the Messiah.

The Haggadah — the book read during the Passover Seder. Telling the story of the Passover from the Bible.

Finally, the process of this meal is to commemorate personal and social freedom through the world.