What is Passover (Pesach)?

The story

The Book of Exodus tells how the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, how God sent ten plagues, and how on the night of the tenth – the death of the firstborn – He “passed over” the Israelite houses marked with the blood of the Passover lamb. Pharaoh let the people go, and they left in such haste that their dough had no time to rise. The Torah commands: “This day shall be to you one of remembrance… you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord throughout your generations” (Exodus 12:14).

The seder

On the first night families read the Haggadah, which retells the story through questions and answers – the youngest child asks the Four Questions. The Mishnah lists the essentials: “whoever has not mentioned these three things has not fulfilled his obligation: the Passover offering, matzah and bitter herbs.” Four cups of wine are drunk, matzah is eaten, bitter herbs (maror) recall the bitterness of slavery and charoset recalls the mortar.

No chametz

For the whole festival Jews do not eat, own or benefit from chametz – anything made from wheat, barley, oats, rye or spelt that has risen. Homes are cleaned, chametz is searched for by candlelight on the night before and burned or sold to a non-Jew in the morning. Ashkenazim also avoid kitniyot (rice, legumes, corn); most Sephardim eat them after checking.

Dates

Passover falls in March or April. Our Passover guide gives the dates for the coming years and the order of the seder.