Judaism and Passover
* This essay will describe Passover a Jewish Holy Days. This essay will discuss the time of the year of the holy day(s), the historic origin of the holy day(s), and the religious practices associated with the day(s). This essay will also identify the theological or cultural differences that may lead to differences in the observance of the holy day by the various branches of Judaism. * Passover is a Jewish holidays, best known maybe because Christian history, the Last Supper was said to be a Passover meal. The last and greatest of the plagues is the death of the first-born sons of the Egyptians.
The Israelite’s son weren’t killed because they have followed Yahweh’s warning and have marked the doors of their homes with the blood of a substitute - a sacrificial lamb (Exod. 12:13). Because God has “passed over” Egypt, the event is thereafter called the Passover or Pesach, and its yearly memorial has become one of the major Jewish festivals. Passover begins on the 15th day of Nissan (Nissan is 30 days between March-April). Passover is the first of the three major holidays (Passover, Shavu’ot and Sukkot) with both historical and agricultural significance.
Historically Passover observes the Exodus from Egypt after many years as slave to the Egyptians, as told in Exodus. Agricultural receives little attention, it is the beginning of the harvest season in Israel. The weeklong holiday of Passover starts on the first lunar month and may have originally begun as a renewal springtime nature day. It recalls the Hebrew’s escape from Egypt slavery. Placing lamb blood from the Passover meal, as told in Book of Exodus, over the doors of the Hebrews, keeps the angel of death from killing their first born sons and the power of God “passed over” Egypt.
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The Passover Meal is a memorial meal, the Seder or order, at which Jews eat several symbolic foods (bread, a meal, salad of nuts and fruits). The bread, a thin flat bread called matzah, does not have yeast. Matzah shows how there was no time for bread to rise in the Hebrews’ rush to leave Egypt. This is also refer to as chametz (leaven; sounds like "hum it's" with that Scottish “ch”), it symbolizes a way of removing the “puffiness, arrogance, pride” from their souls. Chametz includes anything made from the five major grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats, and spelt) that have not been completely cooked within 18 minutes after coming into contact with water” (Judaism 101). A shank bone of lamb or other animal is in the meal, symbolizing the sacrificial lamb. A salad of nuts and fruits, or haroseth, symbolizes the mortar used by the Hebrews in their forced labor. To remember the suffering of the Hebrews during their oppression, diners dip parsley in saltwater and eat bitter herbs. During the meal the story of Moses, and the Israelites is retold.
A place and cup of wine is set up at the table for the prophet Elijah, “actions representing the hope that he will return to earth to announce the coming of the Messiah. A delicious meal follows the ritual part of the supper. Today many Jews invite non-Jews to share in their Seder and celebration of Jewish customs” (Molloy (2010)). The text of the Passover seder is written in a book called the Haggadah. “Orthodox Jews of Ashkenazic background also avoid rice, corn, peanuts, and legumes (beans) as if they were chametz.
All of these items are commonly used to make bread, thus use of them was prohibited to avoid any confusion. Such additional items are referred to as kitniyot” (Judaism 101). * In conclusion this essay described Passover. The essay discussed the time of the year of the holy day(s), the historic origin of the holy day(s), and the religious practices associated with the day(s). This essay also identified the theological or cultural differences that may lead to differences in the observance of the holy day by the various branches of Judaism.
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