First among the Jewish holidays, Passover is our link in the chain of Jewish history and tradition, as we share the bitter experiences of oppression and taste the joys of freedom.

Passover preparations are based on: Getting rid of the Chametz, and bringing in the Matzah.

"Chametz" includes breads, cookies, cakes, pastries, noodles, macaroni, whiskey or liquor. Basically, it refers to wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt that came into contact (for 18 minutes or more) with liquid. Eating Chametz on Passover is as severe a violation as eating on Yom Kippur.

The Chametz prohibition applies even to minute particles of Chametz, such as:

A. Food containing any Chametz, or food processed in utensils once used to process food containing Chametz. All processed foods must have a reliable Kosher for Passover Supervision.

B. We are not allowed to derive any benefit from Chametz. Example: We cannot buy, sell, or give Chametz as a gift, or use Chametz as pet food for dogs, birds, or fish. If there is no Kosher for Passover alternative, the pet must be transferred to non-Jewish ownership.

C. Any Chametz left in the house, store, or car, etc., must be transferred to gentile ownership before Passover.

In addition to wheat, similar grains like rice, kasha, peas, lentils, beans, and corn, including corn starch, corn oil, peanuts, soy flour, etc. are prohibited. Sephardic Jews are permitted to eat kitniyos.

A thorough housecleaning before Passover removes leftover cookies, cereal or crumbs etc. from closets, drawers, etc

It is advisable to first clean a room to store the new Passover supplies.

Nothing is placed in the kitchen until it is thoroughly kosherized for Passover. Passover dishes or cutlery are reserved exclusively for Passover. (Certain metal utensils can be kosherized for Passover following rabbinic instructions). Every room in the house or office is cleaned for Passover. Following is a suggested checklist of areas to clean: The car, including the trunk, must be thoroughly cleaned and vacuumed; seats are removed and cleaned. Prayerbooks & 'benchers' used at the table year round should be sold with the Chametz.

Pre-Passover cleaning focuses on the kitchen. All surfaces or counters used year round for Chametz must be scrubbed and covered with aluminum foil or other covering.

The stove is thoroughly cleaned. Preferably, stove parts that have direct contact with pots, such as the grates, should be new for Passover. It is advisable to cover the stove area with heavy aluminum foil.

To bake on Passover, the oven must be thoroughly cleaned, and a special insert placed in the oven. If an oven insert is not available, consult your Rabbi.

The sink is thoroughly cleaned and lined with a plastic or tin insert. Steel sinks (not ceramic) may be kosherized.

The refrigerator is scrubbed, and preferably lined inside with paper or foil, with perforations to allow circulation of the refrigerator's cool air.

Closets, tables and chairs must be thoroughly scrubbed. Cabinet shelves should be lined with paper or plastic before placing Passover dishes there. A child's highchair, crib, stroller and car seat should be scrubbed well.

Searching and Burning the Chametz Tuesday night before Passover (March 26) we do 'Bedikas Chametz,' a formal,

thorough search for any Chametz through the house (and office and car) in all rooms, closets, shelves, behind furniture, etc. The head of the household begins by reciting a blessing for all adults participating in the search.

Ten little pieces of bread are carefully wrapped (to prevent crumbs), and placed through the house to be "found" during the search. It is advisable to write down a list of the chametz hiding places, in case we forget their location. The search is conducted by a candle (use flashlight under beds etc.) with a feather, wooden spoon and paper bag to collect the Chametz found.

After the search, we recite Kol Chamirah to verbally disown any Chametz we have overlooked. If you don't understand the original Aramaic, say it in a familiar language. Following is the English translation of Kol Chamira:

"All types of leaven in my domain which I did not see or did not remove, or have no knowledge of same, shall be null and void as the dust of the earth."

All chametz found during the search, and all Chametz left from breakfast, must be burned in the (late) morning (Wednesday, March 27), followed by this declaration annulling all Chametz:

"All manner of leaven in my possession which I have seen or have not seen, which I have removed or have not removed, shall be null and void as the dust of the earth."

Check your calendar for the exact deadline for eating & burning Chametz the morning before Passover for your area.

Note: Any chametz found in the house during Passover must be burned immediately, unless it is on Yom Tov (1st, 2nd, 7th, or 8th day) or on Shabbos, in which case it should be covered, and burned later during the intermediate Chol Hamoed days, or after Passover.

 

To avoid owning Chametz on Passover, we sell any remaining chametz to a gentile through the rabbi.

The gentile buyer gives a deposit, and the balance is considered a loan. The Chametz sale is legally binding, but the option of paying the balance is up to the buyer, who may return it to the seller and retrieve his deposit.

Place all Chametz utensils in the room or closet(s) to be sold. These designated places should be sealed with tape or locked, not to be opened until after Passover.

The prohibition against Chametz also applies to all Chametz owned by any Jew during Passover. It is advisable to patronize only bakeries or groceries owned by Jews who sold their Chametz, or to buy from non-Jewish owned stores. Consult a Rabbi regarding buying Chametz after Passover from supermarket chains with Jewish ownership.

After the Chametz deadline on Erev Pesach morning, only kosher for Passover foods may be used. However, we do not eat Matzah, which should be relished for the first time at the Seder. Other Seder items such as wine, romaine lettuce, horseradish and endives are also restricted. Some people also abstain from eating the Charoset ingredients: apples, pears, and nuts before the Seder. Fast of the First Born

When the Egyptian first-born were stricken before the Exodus, the Jewish first born were spared. In gratitude, Jewish first-born sons are supposed to fast the day before Passover (Wednesday March 27).

One is exempt from this fast by participating in a Mitzvah meal, i.e. a Siyum celebrating the conclusion of a Talmudic tractate, usually held in the synagogue on Erev Passover morning.

Once the house is clean of all Chametz, we are ready to usher in Passover.

Matzah is a basic mixture of flour and water that did not rise, reminding us how Israel left Egypt in great hurry, with no time for their dough to rise. Matzah relives Israel's flight from slavery to freedom.

Note: Not all Matzah is kosher for Passover. Read labels carefully. Egg Matzah is permitted only in case of illness.

All Kosher for Passover Matzah are supervised during baking. Shmura Matzah is a special Matzah, preferably hand baked, whose grains were supervised from the harvesting of the wheat.

The special Shmura Matzah should be used at least for the first ounce Matzah eaten at the Seder. The minimum requirement is a little more than a half of one round hand baked Shmura Matza Some people refrain from eating "Gebroks"- which means Matzah or Matzah meal mixed with water or liquid, to avoid any possibility of leavened dough.

It is customary, however, for everyone to eat Gebroks on 'Achron Shel Pesach,' the last day of Passover (Thursday, April 4). On this day we read the Haftarah about Moshiach. It is customary to celebrate at a special Seudat Moshiach meal, looking forward to the Final Redemption in our times.

Romaine lettuce, endives, fresh horseradish, or a combination of these fulfill the Mitzva of eating the Bitter Herbs, so we get a taste of the bitter life suffered during Egyptian slavery.

(The minimum amount eaten is 1 ounce; Romaine lettuce or endives covering a 12x10 inch area).

The Maror is dipped into Charoset, a mixture of crushed nuts, wine, pears and apples symbolizing the mortar and cement used by the Jews to make bricks during the Egyptian bondage.

The Seder centerpiece consists of 3 matzos, covered by a plate or cloth arranged with the following items: In the upper right hand corner, a roasted shankbone or neck bone symbolizes the paschal offering. (This item is not eaten).

In the upper left corner, a hard boiled egg symbolizes the Festive offering. The egg is later dipped in salt-water and eaten at the start of the meal.

The Charoset is placed on the bottom left, the Karpas vegetable is on the bottom right, with the Maror in the center. Some Seder plates also have a second Maror at the bottom center. Seder Plates may be elaborate works of art of china, silver or embroidered cloth, but a napkin or cloth suffice. Children usually make Seder plates at Hebrew School as an art project.

It is a Mitzvah to recline (to the left side) at the Seder, as a relaxed feeling of freedom and royalty.

We recline when drinking the Four cups of Wine, and when eating the Matzah, the Korech, and the Afikoman (but we do not recline when eating the Bitter Herbs).

Each participant at the Seder should drink four Cups of Wine.

We drink the First Cup at Kiddush, the Second Cup after reading the Haggadah, the Third Cup after saying Grace after the meal, and the Fourth Cup concludes the Seder.

The cup should contain at least 3.5 ounces. If it is difficult to drink wine, grape juice may be used.

Korech= The Matzah & Maror Sandwich

We eat a Matzah and Maror combination, as Hillel the Elder ate Matzah, Maror and Paschal lamb together in the holy Temple.

This sandwich consists of 1 ounce of bitter herbs placed within two pieces of Matzah (1 ounce).

The Afikoman, the last Matzah eaten before concluding the meal, should be eaten by midnight of the first Seder Night. During the second Seder, it may be eaten past midnight.

Cup of Elijah / Opening the Door

Toward the culmination of the Seder, we open the door for Elijah. As we recall our Redemption from Egypt in the past, we look forward to the future Redemption with Moshiach, exclaiming "Next Year In Jerusalem!" at the end of the Seder.

Our belief in Moshiach isn't just wishful thinking. It is a Divine promise that a descendant of King David will inspire all Jews with Torah and Mitzvot. Ushering in universal peace and changing the world for good, he will redeem Israel and eliminate all misery, fulfilling the purpose of creation.

The original Haggadah is in Hebrew, but it is important that the story be understood in plain English (or any other language).

Suggestion: The Seder 'leader' should not monopolize the reading. Involve everyone by dividing various paragraphs of the Haggadah to all at the Seder. For variety, ask someone who knows a foreign language (Russian, French, Spanish, etc,) to read aloud a paragraph in their language.

We don't read the Haggadah merely by rote, for "it is praiseworthy to expand the story of the Exodus." We enhance the Seder with our personal commentary, experiences, thoughts and insights.

Historically, Matzah reminds us how the Jews left Egypt in a rush that their dough had no time to rise. But there is also a moral dimension to Chametz and Matzah, representing different human characteristics. Chametz is arrogant and egoistic: it keeps rising, puffing up, swelling bigger and bigger. But Matzah's low humble profile has no pretensions of appearing greater than it really is.

Chametz and Matzah, the two opposites of Passover, are made from the same ingredients of flour and water. The only difference between Chametz and Matzah is the time factor: bread is left to rise, while Matzah dough is made in a rush.

A Matzah bakery hums with the movement of hands, rolling pins, perforators, shovels and dough, into the oven and out. Nothing stands still for a moment from when the flour touches the water until the finished Matzah comes out of the oven.

What is time but fleeting moments, here today and gone tomorrow? Time may seem intangible and abstract, yet time makes all the difference. Not only on Passover, but all the time.

The Hebrew spelling of Matzah and Mitzva relates the rush of baking the Matzah to the observance of a mitzva in general.

Just as we are quick with Matzah, we be prompt and energetic in observing all Mitzvot. Abraham, our Patriarch, is praised for "rising early in the morning" to serve G-d. If we don't seize the opportunity immediately, it may be lost when we finally get around to it.

"Do not say when I will have time I will study, for you may not have the time." (Ethics of our Fathers 2) Good timing enhances a Mitzva. Even if it finally gets done later, it's just not the same, for "a mitzva is best at the right time" (Talmud).

Procrastination shows a lack of appreciation.

A Mitzva is certainly better late than never, but it loses its taste; like a cup of hot tea that stood around, a can of soda that lost its fizz and gone flat, or dough that passed the 18 minute deadline and became Chametz.

Sometimes, it's best not to rush, but with a Mitzva we should try to strike while the iron is hot. Why wait till next year, or for retirement, to learn Torah, go Kosher, or wear Tefillin? The time is ...NOW.

All items at the Seder commemorate the Exodus.

The question arises: why must we go through all the motions? Why don't we close our eyes and reflect in our minds on the concept of freedom?

The Seder teaches us that the best way of learning is by doing. Judaism always blends the spiritual with the physical, encouraging us to express lofty ideals in physical ways.

The Seder is rich in symbols that fill our senses; allowing us to see, taste, touch, and feel the concepts. The horseradish chokes us with bitterness, the Charoset looks and feels like mortar. Eating Matzah allows us to internalize freedom and absorb it into our system.

Rather than just express freedom in flowery phrases, we drink four cups of wine. And we don't just reenact the past, for Elijah's Cup represents our future Redemption.

Good intentions may be vague and abstract; they become real and concrete only in a physical Mitzva involving not only the mind, but also our body. A Mitzvah's thought and action complement each other like body and soul.