Passover
Passover is the 8
day observance commemorating the freedom and exodus of the
Israelites (Jewish slaves) from Egypt during the reign of the
Pharaoh Ramses II.
A time of family gatherings and
lavish meals called Seders, the story of Passover is retold through
the reading of the Haggadah. With its
special foods, songs, and customs, the Seder is the focal point of
the Passover celebration. Passover begins on the 15th day of the
Jewish month of Nissan. As the Jewish day begins at sundown the
night before, for the year 2007, the first night of Passover will be
April 2nd.
Passover
commonly referred to as Pesach in Hebrew means to pass over. On this
auspicious night the 10th plague against Egypt was executed by God
himself. Although the almighty could have wiped out the Egyptians
within a breath so to speak, the creator of the world manifested the
ten plagues to show the Jewish nation and humanity as a whole that
there is a supreme ruler of every element in nature from the ground
to the heavens. The tenth plague specifically proved to humanity
that nothing is hidden from God. For every first born of
illegitimate unions were revealed that night.
Forever,
Peach is a time of redemption and on the 10th day of Nissan every
year there exists on this very day the awesome aspects of
redemption, where every Jew can tap into the special inherit divine
gifts of freedom and redemption. We
have a phrase in Judaism " there is no freedom except he who is
steeped in Torah study". To understand this phrase, we need to
understand that true redemption is not the poor translation known in
the English world. Once we truly acknowledge the creator, then we
recognize we do not live in a vacuum nor in a world we are free to
do what we please. For just as a parent understands the deeper
reasons why a child must eat, or must not cross the street, so does
the almighty who created us know what is best for our true
existence. If we were true to be then we would spend our days and
nights in complete prayer and service to the almighty. In it, the
soul which is the battery of life is recharged nurtured and grows.
No pleasure can be more fulfilling - pushing aside the useless natural
desires of man searching for mundane pleasures. Hence one
achieves true redemption.
Every Jew is called upon to awaken from under their covered eyes and
experience that the almighty was is and always will be watching and
caring for us. Then we have taken the first step to freedom. We all
experience a personal bondage, but from it, we grow leaps and bounds
forward and look back to say " Thank God we moved forward !"
Several new Passover seder rituals
are being adopted by Jewish families to honor the role of Miriam,
Moses's sister and the Prophetess in the Exodus, and to highlight
the contributions of women to Jewish culture, both past and present.
A second cup, called Miriam's Cup, is being added to the Passover
dinner table along with Elijah's Cup. Miriam's Cup is filled with
water and symbolizes the miracle of Miriam's well, which sustained
the Israelites during their long journey in the desert
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