All
About the Pesach
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Passover.
This
is the Biblical holy day
that commemorates the birth
of the nation of Yisr’ael.
It marks the liberation
of the people from the bondage
of slavery. Passover. This
feast reminds Yisra’el of
the death angel “passing
over” the homes that had
the blood of a lamb on their
doorposts. It is also the
exact time that Messiah
Yahshua gave His life as
a sacrifice for all mankind.
It is to be celebrated every
year by all Bible believers.
But how?
How
should you keep Passover?
There are many way and many
wonderful traditions. Each
congregation or family must
choose how do so as instructed
by the Rabbi, yet this teaching
will express just a few
suggestions. This short
overview of Pesach is just
that – a short review of
the holy day. Enjoy! (This
teaching is in no way exhaustive
on the rituals and customs
of this special time.)
Now
understanding and celebrating
Pesach is as easy as A,B,C…
A
- All about the festival,
a simple overview
B
- Biblical references concerning
the holy day
C
- Celebration information
on how to make the day special
A
All about the festival
v
Pesach is the most celebrated
of the Biblical holy days
by Jews and Christians.
It commemorates the exodus
of the Yisraelites from
the bondage of slavery to
Pharoah.
v
This feast is usually called
“Passover” which is the
English translation of the
Hebrew Pesach. This is the
Strong’s Exhaustive definition
of the word: çñ—t, pesÖahÖ,
from paôsÖahÖ, “to pass”
or “spring over” or “to
spare” (Ex 12:13, 23, 17;
compare Isa 31:5) Other
conjectures connect the
word with the “passing over”
into a new year, with assyr
pasúaòhÕu, meaning “to placate,”
with Hebrew paôsÖah, meaning
“to dance,” and even with
the skipping motions of
a young lamb.”
v
According to the Bible,
a memorial of this day is
to be observed as an ordinance
forever (Ex 12:14, 24) during
the first Biblical month
of Aviv.
v
Pesach is the first of the
three annual festivals that
include Shavuot and Yom
Teruah. Again, this day
commemorates the final plague
on Egypt when the firstborn
of the Egyptians died and
the Israelites were spared
because of the blood smeared
on their door posts (Ex.
12:11, 21, 27, 43, 48).
v
According to the Bible,
Passover takes place on
the fourteenth day (at evening)
of the first month (Lev.
23:5).
v
To commemorate the Passover,
the Yisraelites were to
take a lamb or kid to be
slain on the tenth day of
the month (Ex. 12:3) and
slaughtered on the fourteenth
day and then eaten (Deut.
16:7). None of the animal
was to be left over on the
following morning (Ex. 34:25).
The uncircumcised and the
hired servant were not permitted
to eat the sacrifice (Ex.
12:45-49). This meal has
evolved into the modern-day
“seder” in Judaism.
v
Seder is the Hebrew word
for “order” and the seder
is an orderly service that
teaches the story and meaning
of Pesach.
v
The Passover is also called
the feast of unleavened
bread (Ex. 23:15; Deut.
16:16) because only unleavened
bread was eaten during the
seven days immediately following
Passover (Ex. 12:15-20;
13:6-8; Deut. 16:3-8). Technically
this is a separate feast
to Yahweh that happens to
occur during the Passover
season.
v
Unleavened bread reflected
the fact that the people
had no time to put leaven
in their bread before their
hasty departure from Egypt.
It was also apparently connected
to the barley harvest (Lev.
23:4-14).
v
Leaven is often a word picture
of sin in the Bible. So
by eating bread without
leaven, the Hebrews can
reflect on how their lives
should be lived without
sin.
v
A special book is used during
the Passover season called
a “haggadah.” Haggadah literally
means “the telling.” The
Haggadah is a book of instructions,
prayers, blessings, and
stories that lay out the
order and information for
Pesach.
v
In the traditional Pesach
Haggadah all Yisra’el is
called to experience the
miracle of Yahweh. It says,
"In every generation,
each person must feel as
if he personally had come
out of Mitzrayim (Egypt),
as the Torah says: "You
should tell your child on
that day, 'When I left Mitzrayim,
Yahweh did miracles for
me…”
v
Pesach has been celebrated
in the same traditional
manner for hundreds, if
not thousands, of years
by Yisra’el.
v
The ten plagues that were
unleashed upon Egypt by
Yahweh were:
1.
10.
Slaying of the First Born
v
A detailed account of the
institution of this feast
is given in Shemot (Exodus)
12 and 13 and many of the
verses recorded below.
v
Passover is a family time.
It is a time to come before
Yahweh to remember the great
miracle of the Exodus. It
is also a special time to
remember the work of Yahshua
and His death and resurrection.
v
During New Testament times
large crowds gathered in
Jerusalem to observe this
annual celebration.
v
Yahshua the Messiah was
crucified during the Passover
event. He and His disciples
ate a Passover memorial
meal together on the eve
of His death. During this
meal Yahshua said, “This
is my body,” and “this cup
is the new testament in
my blood” (Luke 22:7, 19-20).
v
The Bible records that the
Passover celebration should
include the use of wine
(Luke 22:17, 20), a sauce
with the bitter herbs (John
13:26), unleavened bread,
the roasted lamb, and songs
of praise.
v
Although Yahshua would die
at Pesach as the ultimate
ransom for sins, this does
not alter the eternal commandments
in the Torah to keep the
Pesach. In fact, Yahshua
said to do Passover “in
remembrance of me.”
v
This is a quote about Pesach
from Geikie’s book The Life
of Christ, “The city itself
and the neighbourhood became
more and more crowded as
the feast approached, the
narrow streets and dark
arched bazaars showing the
same throng of men of all
nations as when Jesus had
first visited Jerusalem
as a boy. Even the temple
offered a strange sight
at this season, for in parts
of the outer courts a wide
space was covered with pens
for sheep, goats, and cattle
to be used for offerings.
Sellers shouted the merits
of their beasts, sheep bleated,
oxen lowed. Sellers of doves
also had a place set apart
for them. Potters offered
a choice from huge stacks
of clay dishes and ovens
for roasting and eating
the Passover lamb. Booths
for wine, oil, salt, and
all else needed for sacrifices
invited customers. Persons
going to and from the city
shortened their journey
by crossing the temple grounds,
often carrying burdens...
Stalls to change foreign
money into the shekel of
the temple, which alone
could be paid to the priests,
were numerous, the whole
confusion making the sanctuary
like a noisy market.”
B
Biblical references
v
“ And Yahweh said to Mosheh,
“Now see what I do to Pharaoh,
for with a strong hand he
is going to let them go,
and with a strong hand he
is going to drive them out
of his land.” And Elohim
spoke to Mosheh and said
to him, “I am Yahweh.” “And
I appeared to Avraham, to
Yitshaq, and to Ya’aqob,
as El Shaddai. And by My
Name, Yahweh, was I not
known to them? “And I also
established My covenant
with them, to give them
the land of Kena’an, the
land of their sojournings,
in which they have sojourned.
“Say, therefore, to the
children of Yisra’el, ‘I
am Yahweh, and I shall bring
you out from under the burdens
of the Mitsrites, and shall
deliver you from their enslaving,
and shall redeem you with
an outstretched arm, and
with great judgments, and
shall take you as My people,
and I shall be your Elohim.
And you shall know that
I am Yahweh your Elohim
who is bringing you out
from under the burdens of
the Mitsrites. ‘And I shall
bring you into the land
which I swore to give to
Abraham, to Yitshaq, and
to Ya’aqob, to give it to
you as in inheritance. I
am Yahweh,’” Shemot 6:1-8
v
“Speak to all the congregation
of the children of Yisra’el,
saying, ‘On the tenth day
of the month each one of
them is to take for himself
a lamb, according to the
house of his father, a lamb
for a household.’” Shemot
(Exodus) 12:3
v
“And this is how you eat
it: Your loins girded, your
sandals on your feet, and
your staff in your hand.
And you shall eat it in
haste. It is the Passover
of Yahweh.” Shemot (Exodus)
12:11.
v
“Seven days you shall eat
unleavened bread. Indeed,
on the first day you cause
leaven to cease from you
houses,” Exodus 12:15.
v
"And I will harden
Pharaoh's heart, and multiply
My signs and My wonders
in the land of Egypt...
that I may lay My Hand upon
Egypt... and the Egyptians
shall know that I am Yahweh,
when I stretch forth My
Hand upon Egypt." Exodus
7:3-5
v
“For seven days no leaven
is to be found in your houses,”
Exodus 12:19.
v
“Unleavened bread is to
be eaten the seven days;
and whatever is leaven is
not to be seen with you,
and leaven is not to be
seen with you within all
your border,” Exodus 13:7
v
“And this day shall become
to you a remembrance. And
you shall observe it as
a festival to Yahweh throughout
your generations - - observe
it as a festival, an everlasting
law.” Shemoe (Exodus) 12:14.
v
“And you shall guard this
word as a law for you and
your sons forever.” And
it shall be, when you come
to the land, which Yahweh
gives you, as He promised,
that you shall guard this
service. Shemot (Exodus)
12:25.
v
“And it shall be, when your
children say to you, ‘What
does this service mean to
you?’ “Then you shall say,
‘It is the Pesach slaughtering
of Yahweh, who passed over
the houses of the children
of Yisra’el in Mitsrayim
when He smote the Egyptians
and delivered our households.’”
Shemot 12:26, 27.
v
“So Moshe told the Israelites
to celebrate the Passover,
and they did so in the Desert
of Sinai at twilight on
the fourteenth day of the
first month. The Yisraelites
did everything just as Yahweh
commanded Moshe,” Bamidbar
(Numbers) 9:4-5.
v
On the evening of the fourteenth
day of the month, while
camped at Gilgal on the
plains of Jericho, the Israelites
celebrated the Passover,”
Yah’hoshua (Joshua) 5:10.
v
“In the first month (Aviv),
on the fourteenth day of
the month, you have the
Pesach, a festival of seven
days, unleavened bread is
eaten. And on that day the
Prince shall prepare for
Himself and for all the
people of the land a bull
for a sin offering. And
during the seven days of
the festival He prepares
a burnt offering to Yahweh,
seven bulls and seven rams,
perfect ones, daily for
seven days, and a mail goat
daily for a sin offering.”
Yehezqel (Ezekiel) 44:21-23.
v
“The king gave this order
to all the people: “Celebrate
the Passover to Yahweh your
Elohim, as it is written
in this Book of the Covenant.”
Not since the days of the
judges who led Yisra’el,
nor throughout the days
of the kings of Yisra’el
and the kings of Judah,
had any such Passover been
observed. But in the eighteenth
year of King Josiah, this
Passover was celebrated
to Yahweh in Jerusalem,”
2 Melekhim (Kings) 23:21-24
v
“ This is my body which
is given for you: This do
in remembrance of me,” Luke
22:19.
v
“And you will sing as on
the night you celebrate
a holy festival; your hearts
will rejoice as when people
go up with flutes to the
mountain of Yahweh, to the
Rock of Yisra’el. Yahweh
will cause men to hear his
majestic voice and will
make them see his arm coming
down with raging anger and
consuming fire, with cloudburst,
thunderstorm and hail,”
Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 30:30.
v
“Not by might nor by power,
but by my Ruach (Spirit),
says Yahweh of hosts,"
ZekarYah 4:6
v
“On the fourteenth day of
the first month, the exiles
celebrated the Passover.
The priests and Levites
had purified themselves
and were all ceremonially
clean. The Levites slaughtered
the Passover lamb for all
the exiles, for their brothers
the priests and for themselves.
So the Yisraelites who had
returned from the exile
ate it, together with all
who had separated themselves
from the unclean practices
of their Gentile neighbors
in order to seek Yahweh,
the Elohim of Yisra’el.
For seven days they celebrated
with joy the Feast of Unleavened
Bread, because Yahweh had
filled them with joy by
changing the attitude of
the king of Assyria, so
that he assisted them in
the work on the house of
Elohim, the Elohim of Yisrael,”
Ezra 6:20-23.
v
“Hezekiah sent word to all
Yisra’el and Judah and also
wrote letters to Ephraim
and Manasseh, inviting them
to come to the temple of
Yahweh in Jerusalem and
celebrate the Passover to
Yahweh, the Elohim of Yisra’el.
The king and his officials
and the whole assembly in
Jerusalem decided to celebrate
the Passover in the second
month. They had not been
able to celebrate it at
the regular time because
not enough priests had consecrated
themselves and the people
had not assembled in Jerusalem,”
2 Chronicles 30:1-4
v
“This will be a day for
you to remember and celebrate
the festival to Yahweh from
generations to generations
you are to celebrate it
by a perpetual regulation.
When your children ask you,
“What do you mean by this
ceremony? say, it is the
sacrifice of Yahweh’s Pesach
because Yahweh passed over
the house of Yisra’el in
Egypt, when He killed the
Egytians, but spared our
houses,” The people of Yisra’el
bowed their heads and worshipped,”
Exodus 12:14, 26, 27.
v
“Get rid of the old hametz
(leaven) so that you can
be a new batch of dough,
because in reality you are
unleavened. For our Pesach
lamb, the Messiah has been
sacrificed. So let us celebrate
the seder not with leftover
hametz the hametz of wickedness
and evil, but with the matzah
of purity and truth,” 1
Corinthians 5:7,8.
v
““Let us rejoice and be
glad let us give him the
glory! For the time has
come for The wedding of
the Lamb, and the bride
has prepared Herself fine
linen, bright and clear
has been given her to wear.
(“fine linen,” means the
righteous deeds of Yahweh’s
people) The Angel said to
me “ Write: How blessed
are those who have been
invited to the wedding Feast
of the Lamb…” Then he added,
“ These are Yahweh’s very
words,” Revelation 19:7-9.
v
“For as often as you eat
this bread and drink this
cup, you proclaim the Master's
death till He comes. Therefore
whoever eats this bread
or drinks this cup of the
Sovereign in an unworthy
manner will be guilty of
the body and blood of the
King. But let a man examine
himself, and so let him
eat of the bread and drink
of the cup. For he who eats
and drinks in an unworthy
manner eats and drinks judgment
to himself, not discerning
the King's body. For this
reason many are weak and
sick among you, and many
sleep. For if we would judge
ourselves, we would not
be judged. But when we are
judged, we are chastened
by the King, that we may
not be condemned with the
world,” 1 Corinthians 11:26-32.
v
“A little leaven leavens
all the lump,” Galatians
5:9
v
“Now the Passover of the
Yehudim was near, and many
went from the country up
to Yerushalayim before the
Passover, to set themselves
apart,” Yochanan [John]
11: 55.
v
“And Yahshua said to them,
"Mind! And beware of
the leaven of the Pharisees
and the Sadducees."
And they reasoned among
themselves, saying, "Because
we brought no bread,” Mattitiyahu
16: 6-7.
v
“Do not think that I came
to destroy the Torah, and
the Prophets. I did not
come to destroy (or modify,
or change), but (only) to
fulfill.” Mattithyahu 5:17.
v
“On the first day of the
Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples came to Jesus
and asked, “Where do you
want us to make preparations
for you to eat the Passover?”
He replied, “Go into the
city to a certain man and
tell him, ‘The Teacher says:
My appointed time is near.
I am going to celebrate
the Passover with my disciples
at your house.’” So the
disciples did as Yahshua
had directed them and prepared
the Passover. When evening
came, Yahshua was reclining
at the table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating,
he said, “I tell you the
truth, one of you will betray
me.” They were very sad
and began to say to him
one after the other, “Surely
not I, master?” Yahshua
replied, “The one who has
dipped his hand into the
bowl with me will betray
me. The Son of Man will
go just as it is written
about him. But woe to that
man who betrays the Son
of Man! It would be better
for him if he had not been
born,” Matthew 26:17-24,
v
“On the first day of the
Feast of Unleavened Bread,
when it was customary to
sacrifice the Passover lamb,
Yahshuas’ disciples asked
him, “Where do you want
us to go and make preparations
for you to eat the Passover,”
Mark 14:12.
v
“And Yahweh brought us out
of Egypt with a strong hand,
a stretched out arm, with
great terror, and with signs
and wonders,” Devarim (Deuteronomy)
26:8
v
“Every year his parents
went to Jerusalem for the
Feast of the Passover. When
he was twelve years old,
they went up to the Feast,
according to the custom.
After the Feast was over,
while his parents were returning
home, the boy Yahshua stayed
behind in Jerusalem, but
they were unaware of it,”
Luke 2:41-43.
v
“Then came the day of Unleavened
Bread on which the Passover
lamb had to be sacrificed.
Yahshua sent Kefa (Peter)
and Yochanan (John), saying,
“Go and make preparations
for us to eat the Passover.”
“Where do you want us to
prepare for it?” they asked,”
Luke 22:7-8
v
“When it was almost time
for the Jewish Passover,
Yahshua went up to Jerusalem,”
John 2:13
v
“And you shall count for
yourselves from the morrow
of the Shabbat, from the
day that you bring the omer
[offering] that is raised,
seven complete weeks there
shall be until the morrow
of the seventh week you
shall count fifty days,”
Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:15,
16.
v
“The Jewish Passover Feast
was near. When Yahshua looked
up and saw a great rowd
coming toward him, he said
to Philip, “Where shall
we buy bread for these people
to eat?” He asked this only
to test him, for he already
had in mind what he was
going to do,” John 6:4.
v
"This annual festival
will be a visible reminder
to you, like a mark branded
on your hands or your forehead.
Let it remind you always
to keep Yahweh's instructions
in your minds and on your
lips. After all, it was
Yahweh who rescued you from
Egypt with great power."
Ex 13:9
v
"For indeed Messiah,
our Passover, was sacrificed
for us." I Cor 5:7
v
“Then the Jews led Yahshua
from Caiaphas to the palace
of the Roman governor. By
now it was early morning,
and to avoid ceremonial
uncleanness the Jews did
not enter the palace; they
wanted to be able to eat
the Passover. So Pilate
came out to them and asked,
“What charges are you bringing
against this man,” John
18:28-29,
v
“Let no one therefore judge
you in eating or in drinking,
or in respect of a Festival
or a new moon or Sabbaths
– which are a shadow of
what is (yet) to come –
but the Body of Messiah
(meaning, “Let no one but
the Body of Messiah judge
you),” Colossians 2:16-17.
v
“By faith he (Moshe) kept
the Passover and the sprinkling
of blood, so that the destroyer
of the firstborn would not
touch the firstborn of Israel,”
Heb 11:28,
v
Here are a few Passovers
in the Bible:
1. The death angel Passover
in Egypt (Ex. 12:21).
2. The first Passover in
the Promised Land (Josh.
5:10).
3. The Passover in Hezekiah’s
time (2 Chron. 30:2).
4. The Passover in Josiah’s
time (2 Ki. 23:22).
5. The first Passover by
the returning remnant (Ezra
6:19).
6. The Passover attended
by Yahshua at age twelve
(Lk. 2:41, 42).
7. The cleansing of the
Temple Passover (Jn. 2:13).
8. The feeding of the 5,000
Passover (Jn. 6:4).
9. The raising of Lazarus
Passover (Jn. 11:55).
10. The upper room Passover
(Mt. 26:19).
11. The Passover associated
with the death of James
(Acts 12:4).
12. The future Passover
in the millennium (Ezek.
45:21).
C
Celebration information
v
Pesach is celebrated in
many different ways by different
groups. The most popular
way to celebrate Pesach
is through the “seder” or
commemorative meal held
in the month of Aviv.
v
Judaism teaches that the
Seder should include 15
steps that properly keep
the festival. All 15 of
these events are not found
necessarily in the Scriptures,
so when keeping this feast
consult your Rabbi or Bible
teacher for proper halakha
on the various aspects of
Pesach.
v
Just like most Biblical
holy days this is a special
time for children to learn
all about their heritage
and their faith.
v
Pesach is more than just
a day or just a meal. It
is a season of joy a month
long time to celebrate the
great miracle of Yahweh
and His deliverance.
v
This festival lasts for
eight days. The first day
and the last day are Shabbatons
on which no work is permitted
according to the Bible.
v
Also according to the Bible
no leaven or “chametz” can
be eaten during this feast
time. What is eaten is called
“matzah” or unleavened flat
bread. Matzah is simply
made from water and flour
and is usually cooked very
quickly. You can also purchase
matzah at most grocery stores
during Passover. Chametz
that should not be eaten
includes leavening agents
found in many foods.
v
The prohobition against
leaven also includes owning
or possessing chametz during
Pesach.
v
One web site defines chametz
as “including anything made
from the five major grains
(wheat, rye, barley, oats
and spelt) that has not
been completely cooked within
18 minutes after coming
into contact with water.
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.”
v
In preparation for Pesach,
the home is to be cleaned
and scrubbed to remove all
chametz Some people even
use special kitchen utensils
and dishware at this time.
By the way, this is were
the term “spring cleaning”
comes from.
v
Pesach cleaning usually
begins two weeks before
Pesach and can include riding
the home of minute traces
of leaven. Some people buy
new toasters while others
even have special countertops
just for Pesach.
v
Professor Yona Amitai, a
senior toxicologist at Hadassah
University Hospital in Jerusalem
notes that studies show
that “accidential poisonings
of children from cleaning
fuild triples during the
two or three weeks before
Passover in Jewish homes.”
v
Many foods that are made
without chametz havea label
on them that says, "Kosher
L'Pesach” which means, “kosher
for Passover."
v
To celebrate a Pesach Seder
usually requires a special
Seder Plate. These plates
can be very decorative and
beautifull yet you can also
use any plate to hold the
elements of the evening.
v
The Seder is a ritual banquet
which reenacts the Exodus,
conducted sometimes on both
the first and second evenings
of Passover.
v
Four cups of wine are consumed
during the course of the
Seder to commemorate the
redemption of the Jewish
people, the sanctity of
the holiday and events related
in the Haggadah. The Seder
is a traditional occasion
for Jewish families to gather
together to reinforce their
ties to Judaism
v
It is tradition to commemorate
the removal of all chametz
from the home on the night
before Pesach with a thorough
search of the home to ensure
that no chametz remains.
Of course all chametz should
have already been removed,
but families can do this
by hiding pieces of bread
or cereal throughout the
house and allow the children
to have candles or flashlights
to find the chametz and
brush it away into a small
bag. After the search game
the chametz is usually burned
and the following decleration
is spoken: “Any chametz
(leavened bread) or leaven
which is in my possession
and which I have not seen,
nor disposed of, nor did
I know of it, may it be
considered as null and as
ownerless like the dust
of the earth." This
burning is sometimes done
on the following morning.
v
On the day before Pesach,
Erev Pesach, is the fast
of the firstborn. This is
an extra-Biblical tradition
that commemorates the fact
that the firstborn Hebrew
males in Mitzrayim were
"passed over "
(spared) during the final
plague while the first-born
sons of the Egyptians were
killed. The first born male
of the womb is to fast on
this day and then break
the fast with a festive
meal right before Pesach
begins.
v
A new tradition to the Pesach
seder is Kos Miryam or Miriam’s
cup. This is a cup that
sits on the table and is
filled with water instead
of wine. This symbol honors
the Talmudic story of Miriams’s
Well which brought water
to the Yisraelites as they
traveled in the dessert.
Special actions can further
be taken with this cup.
v
Another tradition of Pesach
is celebrating the Shabbat
before the Seder. One web
site had this to say about
this special day, “The Shabbat
before Pesach is called
Shabbat HaGadol (the Great
Shabbat) because it was
the day when the Jews were
to take the sheep (which
the Egyptians worshipped)
to be used for the Korban
Pesach (Pascal offering)
four days later. (This means
that the first Pesach was
on a Wednesday). After nine
plagues, the Egyptians were
powerless to react to the
slaughter of one of their
gods. The Israelites, of
course, didn't know this,
and therefore displayed
tremendous faith in Hashem
prior to Yetziat Mitzrayim
(the Exodus). We remember
this event with a special
Haftorah (reading from the
prophets) where again great
faith and trust in Hashem
is emphasized. The Haftorah
concludes with the call
to remember the teachings
of Moshe and informs us
that Hashem will send Eliyahu
Hanavi (Elijah the Prophet)
to herald the great and
awesome day when Bnei Yisroel
(the Children of Israel)
will again experience redemption.
This is yet another possible
reason for the name Shabbat
HaGadol, - that "great
day" mentioned in the
Haftorah. Traditionally
on Shabbat HaGadol the Rabbi
lectures about the observance
and meaning of Pesach to
his congregation, teaching
the laws of Pesach, so that
the families can prepare
properly for the Yom Tov.
Which leads to another interpretation
of Shabbat HaGadol - "the
Shabbat of the Leader"
or of the Rabbi. A more
novel explanation is that
the people returning from
the synagogue later than
usual on this Shabbat because
of the unusually long speech
that was customary on this
day. Thus this Shabbat seemed
"great," i.e.,
longer than the other Shabbatot.
Whatever the reason for
the name, it is customary
to recite part of the Haggadah
on Shabbat HaGadol.”
v
It seems the activities
of Pesach never end, especially
when you consider the counting
of the omer. Counting the
omer is a Biblical command
that commemorates the time
between the Passover and
the giving of the Torah.
The days between Pesach
and Shavuot is a special
time of anticipation because
it was on Shavuot that the
Torah was given to Yisra’el.
v
Here are the listed dates
of the Jewish calendar for
Pesach:
