Passover Laws and Customs

First and foremost among all the Jewish holidays, Passover is our link in the long chain of Jewish history and tradition. The whole family gathers to share this experience and to taste the freedom. Like all good things, Passover requires a lot of work and preparation, which revolve around two basics: Getting rid of the Chametz, and bringing in the Matzah.

Chametz is a Hebrew word that includes all kinds of bread, cookies, cakes, pastries, noodles, macaroni, whiskey or liquor. Basically, it refers to any kind of wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt, that came into contact (for 18 minutes or more) with liquid.

The prohibition against eating chametz on Passover is as severe as the prohibition of eating on Yom Kippur and applies even to minute particles of Chametz, such as:

A. Food containing the slightest trace of Chametz, or food processed in utensils once used to process food containing Chametz. Any processed food sold commercially must have a reliable Kosher for Passover Supervision.

B. We are not allowed to derive any pleasure or benefit from Chametz. The use of Chametz, even if not eaten, is forbidden. Example: We cannot buy, sell, or give Chametz as a gift, or to 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. The Passover laws prohibit us from owning any Chametz on Passover. Chametz left in the house, store, or car, etc., must be disowned before Passover by transferring it to a gentile through the agency of a Rabbi.

We do a thorough housecleaning before Passover, checking closets, drawers, etc. to remove any leftover cookies, cereal or crumbs etc.

It is advisable to first clean a room to store our new Passover supplies. Nothing is placed in the kitchen until it is thoroughly kosherized for Passover.

All Passover dishes or cutlery must be reserved exclusively for Passover. (Certain metal utensils can be kosherized for Passover following rabbinic instructions).

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

The stove is thoroughly cleaned. Preferably, all stove parts that have direct contact with the 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 on how to kosherize the oven.

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

The refrigerator must be 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.

Fast of the First Born

When the Egyptian first-born were stricken during the Tenth plague before the Exodus, the Jewish first born were spared. In gratitude, Jewish first-born sons are supposed to fast the day before Passover (this year on Thursday, April 5)

One is exempt from this fast by participating in a mitzvah meal, such as a Siyum celebrating the conclusion of a Talmudic tractate, which is usually held in the synagogue early on Erev Passover morning.

This year, on the Thursday night before Passover (April 5) we do 'Bedikas chametz', a formal, thorough search for chametz throughout the house (and office and car) in all rooms, closets, shelves, behind furniture, etc.

This ceremony begins when the head of the household recites a blessing for all adults who will participate 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 all pieces of Chametz that are found.

After the search, we recite Kol Chamirah, to verbally disown any Chametz we may 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."

Check your calendar for the exact deadline for eating & burning chametz on 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 days of Chol Hamoed, or after Passover.

We cannot own any Chametz on Passover, so we sell any chametz remaining in our possession to a gentile through the rabbi. The gentile buyer is told the value of the chametz and its location. He 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, and are not to be opened until after Passover.

After the Chametz deadline on Erev Pesach morning, only kosher for Passover foods may be used. However, we do not eat matzah, which we reserve to be eaten and relished for the first time at the Seder. Also restricted are wine, romaine lettuce, horseradish and endives, items that are used at the Seder. Some people also abstain from eating the charoses: ingredients: apples, pears, and nuts before the Seder.

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

The highlight of Passover, Matzah is a simple mixture of flour and water that did not rise, reminding us how Israel left Egypt in great hurry, that left no time for their dough to rise. We eat matzah to relive Israel's flight from slavery to freedom.

Note: Not all Matzah is kosher for Passover. Read the labels carefully. Consult a Rabbi regarding egg Matzah, which is permitted to be eaten only in case of illness.

All Kosher for Passover Matzah is carefully watched during baking. Shmura Matzah is a specially made Matza, 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 that is eaten at the Seder. The minimum requirement is approximately a little more than a half of a round hand baked Shmura Matza

Some people have a custom to 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 the last day of Passover (Sunday, April 15), known as 'Achron Shel Pesach.' On this day we read the Haftarah about Moshiach and the final Redemption. It is customary to eat a special meal known as Seudat Moshiach, as we eagerly look forward to the Final Redemption in our times.

Romaine lettuce, endives, fresh horseradish, or a combination of these are used to fulfill the mitzva of eating the Bitter Herbs, by which we remember and get a taste of the bitter life we suffered during Egyptian slavery.

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

The Seder Centerpiece consists of 3 matzos, covered by a plate or cloth on which the following five (or six) items are arranged:

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.

Some Seder Plates are elaborate works of art, made from china, silver, or embroidered cloth, but any napkin or cloth will suffice. Children usually make Seder plates at Hebrew School as a Passover art project.

Each participant at the Seder should drink 4 Cups of Wine. We drink the First Cup at Kiddush, the Second Cup after reading the Haggadah, the Third Cup after saying the Grace after the meal, and the Fourth Cup concludes the Seder.

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

Toward the culmination of the Seder, we open the door for Elijah. As we recall our Redemption from Egypt in the past, we also 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 the observance of Mitzvot. He will usher in a period of universal peace, and change the world for good. He will redeem Israel and eliminate misery in the world, bringing all of creation to fulfillment.

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

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

Chametz and Matzah represent the opposites of good and evil. Historically, the Matzah reminds us how the Jews left Egypt in such a rush that their dough had no time to rise. But there is also a moral dimension to Chametz and Matzah. Chametz and Matzah represent different human characteristics. Chametz is arrogant and egoistic: keeps rising, puffing up, swelling bigger and bigger. But Matzah keeps a low profile, suggesting humility with no pretensions of appearing greater than it really is.

Chametz and Matzah, the two opposites of Passover, are basically 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 constant rush and 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.

Time? 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.

This quick movement recalls the rush in which our forefathers left Egyptian bondage. 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, so should we be prompt and energetic with the observance of all mitzvos. 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 interest and appreciation. A mitzva is certainly better late than never, but it loses its taste. It is like a cup of hot tea that's been standing around, a can of soda that lost its fizz and gone flat, or dough that has passed the 18 minute deadline and became Chametz.

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

We observe all the items at the Seder so we can remember the Exodus. So 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 digest, 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 in the middle of the table represents our Redemption in the future.

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. Mitzvos combine thought and action that complement each other like body and soul.


	Send to a friend

	To: (e.g. yourfriend@yahoo.com)

	Your Email:

	Your Name: