Passover, the Jewish feast where the miraculous exodus from Egypt is commemorated. For Noahides, this is a feast to learn about the Exodus story and to learn what the feast means for the Jewish people.
April 3, 2023 / 12 Niesan 5783
What is Passover for the Jewish people?
Passover is an 8-day feast celebrated in early spring in the Hebrew month of Nissan.
On Passover, the Jewish people commemorate the liberation from slavery from Egypt.
With Passover, sourdough/yeast (Chametz) is avoided and the highlight of the celebration is with the seder meal where 4 cups of wine (or grape juice) is drunk, the eating of matzah and bitter herbs and the Exodus story of Exodus is told.
The word Passover, meaning "passing over," is used because HaShem passed over the Jewish homes when He killed the firstborn on the first Passover night.
Passover story in short
The people had endured many decades of slavery at the hands of the Egyptian Pharaoh, which consisted of grueling labor and unbearable situations. HaShem saw the people suffering and sent Moshe rabeinu to Pharaoh with a message and the assignment to lead the people out of Egypt.
Pharaoh would not let the people go; he stubbornly clung to his power over the people. After ten plagues swept over Egypt, Pharaoh let the people go.
The last plague was the worst of all in which the firstborn in Egypt died.
When the people left Egypt, Pharaoh changed his mind, causing the Egyptian army to chase the people all the way to the Red Sea and trapping the people.
Then another miracle happened. Moshe stretched his stick across the water and the waters of the Red Sea split in two. This allowed the people to get across safely. What about the army? The soldiers drowned when HaShem closed the water behind the people.
The Jewish people were finally free from slavery after 400 years.
The people had to travel through the desert for another 40 years and experienced several miracles.
Once they arrived at Mount Sinai, HaShem gave the ten commandments to Moshe. The commandments were written on two large stone tablets. According to Jewish teaching, on Mount Sinai Moses not only received the 10 commandments but the entire Torah was revealed to him there.
And by accepting the commandments, the Jewish people were born.
Passover traditions
The Shabbat before Passover is called Shabbat HaGadol, the Great Shabbat.
On that day, the Jewish people received their first commandment that applied only to that Shabbat, but not to future generations: "On the tenth day of this month (Nissan) each man must take one lamb for the household, one lamb for each house" (Exodus 12:3).
Many miracles were performed for the Jewish people on this first Shabbat haGadol. The Torah commanded the people to sacrifice lambs for the Shabbat. When they did so, the Egyptians saw this and asked what the lamb was for.
They replied that it was to be slaughtered as a Passover offering as HaShem had commanded them.
The Egyptians, for whom the lamb was a god, became enraged but could make no protest.
Had it not been a Shabbat, miracles to save them would not have been necessary either.
For the Feast of Passover, the entire house is also stripped of Chametz. Chametz is risen dough products such as bread, cookies and cakes.
There is hard work and cleaning to get the whole house clean. 2 nights before Passover, a search is made with candlelight and a feather for chametz in the smallest corners of the house. Chametz still found is burned the day before Passover.
It is also possible to sell risen dough products to get rid of Chametz.
Seder night is the first night of the eight-day Passover celebration which consists of a tradition with the Seder dish, reading Haggadah, drinking 4 glasses of wine (or grape juice), children asking questions and a festive Seder meal.
It begins with a kiddush (wine) to inaugurate the holiday and this is continued with the traditions of the Sedersch dish.
On the Seder plate are 6 different products:
Zeroa: Lamb or chicken bone
Beetsa: a boiled/roasted egg
Maror: bitter herb
Charoset: a sweet mixture of apple, raisins and spices
Karpas: vegetables, usually parsley or romaine lettuce
And Chazeret: radish.
The lamb bone is in memory of the Passover sacrifice, the lamb that was sacrificed. The blood of the lamb was used to mark the doors. This was as a sign for the people to HaShem.
The radish is to let the child ask questions and the egg represents the sacrifices that were cooked and symbolizes "the longer it cooks, the harder it becomes. As the people received more torment, the stronger they became and are not exterminable.
On the table are 4 matzot among which 1 is used as the afikoman. This piece of matzah serves as dessert after a meal and it is a custom to hide it and let children look for it.
Passover is celebrated in family circles, something different from Hanukkah, which is instead celebrated publicly. When Passover is over, it is about taking humility with you and being clear about what you stand for and what HaShem asks of you.
Passover and improving yourself
Passover is full of symbolism and deeper layers.
One of the deeper layers that speaks to me is that Passover is also about the exodus within yourself. The word Egypt in Hebrew is מִצְרָיִם, Mitzrayim. Mitzrayim means borders and the exodus from Egypt also means moving away from your own borders.
Growth in humans has no end but sometimes we get stuck with certain habits. Think of something you find scary to do or a certain character trait that is unpleasant such as quick irritation.
Breaking bad habits or, on the contrary, growing in good deeds.
It's about improving yourself.
We as Noahides can learn a lot from this, from the traditions and customs but also from the deeper layers. Although the Passover traditions are not necessarily addressed to us and we do not have to participate in them as an obligation, there is something new to learn every year toward a more conscious "me."
Sources used:
- https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/shabbat-hagadol/
- https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1692/jewish/Shabbat-Hagadol.htm
- https://www.vraaghetderabbijn.nl/pesach/#:~:text=Met%20Pesach%20wordt%20het%20einde,farao’s%20rond%201500%20v%20Chr.
Written by Sarah Bakker
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