Pesach, improving yourself
- Jan 13
- 4 min read
Pesach, the Jewish holiday commemorating the miraculous exodus from Egypt. For Noahides, this is a holiday to learn about the Exodus story and to learn what the holiday means to the Jewish people.
What is Passover for the Jewish people?
Passover is an eight-day holiday celebrated in early spring during the Hebrew month of Nissan. With Passover, the Jewish people commemorate their liberation from slavery in Egypt.
During Passover, leaven/yeast (Chametz) is avoided, and the highlight of the celebration is the Seder meal, during which four cups of wine (or grape juice) are drunk, matzah and bitter herbs are eaten, and the story of the Exodus is told.
The word Pesach, which means “to pass over,” is used because HaShem passed over the Jewish homes when He killed the firstborn on the first night of Pesach.
Pesach story in brief
The people had endured many decades of slavery under the Egyptian Pharaoh, which consisted of grueling labor and unbearable conditions. HaShem saw the people suffering and sent Moshe rabeinu to the Pharaoh with a message and the command to lead the people out of Egypt.
The Pharaoh did not want to let the people go; he stubbornly clung to his power over them. After ten plagues had swept over Egypt, Pharaoh let the people go. The last plague was the worst of all, killing the firstborn sons in Egypt.
When the people left Egypt, Pharaoh changed his mind, causing the Egyptian army to pursue the people to the Red Sea, trapping them. Then another miracle happened. Moshe stretched out his staff over the water and the waters of the Red Sea split in two. This allowed the people to cross safely. And the army? The soldiers drowned when HaShem closed the waters behind the people. After 400 years, the Jewish people were finally free from slavery.
The people had to travel through the desert for another 40 years and experienced various miracles. Once they arrived at Mount Sinai, HaShem gave Moshe the Ten Commandments. The commandments were written on two large stone tablets. According to Jewish teaching, Moses not only received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, but the entire Torah was revealed to him there. And by accepting the commandments, the Jewish people were born.
Pesach traditions
The Shabbat before Pesach is called Shabbat HaGadol, the Great Shabbat. On that day, the Jewish people received their first commandment, which applied only to that Shabbat, but not to future generations: “On the tenth day of this month (Nissan), every man shall 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 sacrifice, as HaShem had commanded them. The Egyptians, for whom the lamb was a god, were furious but could not protest. If it had not been Shabbat, miracles to save them would not have been necessary.
Before the Passover festival, the entire house is also cleared of chametz. Chametz is leavened dough products such as bread, cookies, and cakes. People work hard and clean to get the whole house clean. Two evenings before Passover, they search for chametz in the smallest corners of the house by candlelight and with a feather. Any chametz that is found is burned the day before Passover. It is also possible to sell leavened dough products in order to get rid of chametz.
Seder night is the first night of the eight-day Passover holiday, which consists of a tradition with the Seder plate, reading the Haggadah, drinking four glasses of wine (or grape juice), children asking questions, and a festive Seder meal.
It begins with a Kiddush (wine) to inaugurate the holiday, followed by the traditions of the Seder plate.
There are six different items on the Seder plate:
Zeroa: lamb or chicken bone, Beetsa: a boiled/roasted egg, Maror: bitter herb, Charoset: a sweet mixture of apple, raisins, and spices, Karpas: vegetable, usually parsley or romaine lettuce, and Chazeret: radish. The lamb bone is a reminder of the Passover sacrifice, the lamb that was sacrificed. The blood of the lamb was used to mark the doors. This was a sign to the people of HaShem.
The radish is to encourage children to ask questions, and the egg represents the sacrifices that were cooked and symbolizes “the longer it cooks, the harder it becomes.” The more the people were tormented, the stronger they became and the more impossible it was to exterminate them.
There are four matzot on the table, one of which is used as the afikoman. This piece of matzah serves as dessert after the meal, and it is customary to hide it and let the children search for it.
Pesach is celebrated within the family circle, which is different from Hanukkah, which is celebrated publicly. When Pesach is over, it is about taking modesty with you and being clear about what you stand for and what HaShem asks of you.
Pesach and improving yourself
Pesach is full of symbolism and deeper layers. One of the deeper layers that appeals to me is that Pesach is also about the exodus within yourself. The word Egypt in Hebrew is מִצְרָיִם, Mitzrayim. Mitzrayim means boundaries, and the exodus from Egypt also means moving away from your own boundaries. Human growth is endless, but sometimes we get stuck in certain habits. Think of something you find scary to do or a certain character trait that is unpleasant, such as being easily irritated. Breaking bad habits or 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. Even though the Passover traditions are not necessarily directed at us and we are not obliged to participate in them, every year there is something new to learn towards a more conscious “I.”
Sources used:
Written by Sarah
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