5 Key Facts about Pesach
- Pesach (פֶּסַח) begins on the 15th of Nissan and lasts 7 days in Israel (8 days outside of Israel). Pesach commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, and it is the practice of many Jews to eat matzah (מַּצָּה) or unleavened bread on Pesach to recall the matzah that was eaten by Bnei Yisrael as they left Egypt.
- In addition to eating matzah on Pesach, the Torah (Shemot 12:15) demands that all Jews rid their homes of chametz (חַמֵּץ), which means any leavened food. Given this, many Jews expend great energy cleaning their homes of chametz prior to Pesach. On the night of the 14th of Nissan – the night before Pesach – it is customary to perform Bedikat Chametz (בְּדִיקַת חָמֵץ), literally ‘the search for Chametz’. The next morning, they destroy the chametz, often by burning it.
- The highlight of Pesach is Leil Haseder (לֵּיל הַסֵּדֶר) or Seder night, which takes place on the night of the 15th of Nissan, the anniversary of the Exodus from Egypt. On Leil Haseder we tell the story of the Exodus while eating special symbolic foods recalling the slavery in Egypt. These include: Bitter Herbs (Marror or מָּרוֹר ) which is a bitter tasting vegetable such as horseradish or lettuce that symbolizes the bitterness of slavery & Charoset (חֲרֹסֶת), which is a sweet paste of fruits and nuts that symbolizes the mortar used by the Israelite slaves in Egypt.
- During Leil Haseder, we follow the order of the Hagaddah (הַגָּדָה) and tell the story of the Exodus. The Sages state that the story of the Exodus should be conveyed through questions and answers. They therefore included the Four Questions known as the Mah Nishtana (מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה) in the Hagaddah for this purpose. It is customary for the youngest member of the household to read/sing the Mah Nishtana.
- In addition to the reading and singing of the Hagaddah and the eating of the symbolic foods, most notably the matzah, it is customary to drink four cups of wine on Leil Haseder which are said to represent the different stages of redemption experienced by Bnei Yisrael in Egypt. When recounting the fact that the Egyptian warriors died in the Red Sea, it is customary to remove some wine from the cup in order to demonstrate that loss of life – even of our enemy – is not a source of joy.
Source Sheet: www.sefaria.org/sheets/222016
