Shalom!
Here’s a blog about the basic information about Passover:
The primary observances of Passover are related to the Exodus from Egypt after 400 years of slavery as told in the Book of Exodus.
Peh-sahkh פֶּסַח: The name “Passover” is derived from the Hebrew word Peh-sahkh פֶּסַח which is based on the root “pass over” and refers to the fact that G-d “passed over” the houses of the Jews when he was slaying the firstborn of Egypt during the last of the ten plagues. Passover is also widely referred to as Khag hah-ah-veev (the “Spring Festival”) חַג הָאָבִיב , Khag ha-Mah-tzoht (the “Festival of Matzahs”) חַג הַמַּצּוֹת , and Z’mahn Kheh-roo-teh-noo זְמַן חֵרוּתֵנוּ (the “Time of Our Freedom”).
Kha-metz חָמֵץ: Probably the most significant observance involves the removal of kha-hmetz (leavened bread) from homes and property. Kha-metz חָמֵץ includes anything made from the five major grains: wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt. The removal of khah-metz commemorates the fact that the Jews left Egypt in a hurry and did not have time to let their bread rise. It is also a symbolic way of removing the “puffiness” (arrogance, pride) from our souls.
Mah-tzah מַצָּה: The grain product we eat during Passover in place of khah-metz is called mah-tzah. Mah-tzah is unleavened bread made simply from flour and water and cooked very quickly. This is traditionally viewed as the bread that the Jews made for their flight from Egypt. Matzah is also referred to as Leh-khem Oh-nee לֶחֶם עֹנִי (“Bread of Affliction”) Lit: bread of porverty.
PREPARATIONS:
The process of cleaning the home of all khah-metz in preparation for Passover is an enormous task. To do it right, most Jews spend several days and even weeks to thoroughly clean every place and item in the house. Does Spring Cleaning ring a bell?
Bee-oor Khah-metz בִּעוּר חָמֵץ: The morning before Passover begins any remaining chametz in one’s possession must be burned, a commandment called Bee-oor Khah-metz (“Burning of Leavened Bread”) Lit: elimination/destruction of the leavened Bread. Today, many towns will establish a community site where a large bonfire is created and all the residents come to destroy their khah-metz.
The Seh-der: סֵדֶר The name of the Passover meal סֵדֶר
On the first night of Passover (first two nights outside of Israel), Jews are commanded to have a special family meal filled with rituals to remind us of the significance of the holiday. This meal is called the Seder, סֵדֶר which is a Hebrew root word meaning “order.” Why do we call it ‘Seder’? because it is not an ordinary holiday meal – there is a specific set of tasks that must be completed and information that must be covered in a specific order. To correctly follow the process, the text of the Passover seder is written in a book called the Haggadah הַגָּדָה which is a Hebrew root for ‘telling’.
The content of the seder is summed up in fourteen parts:
Kaddesh (Sancitifcation), Urechatz (Washing), Karpas (Vegetable), Yachatz (Breaking),
Maggid (The Story), Rachtzah (Washing), Motzi Matzah (Blessings),
Maror (Bitter Herbs), Korech (Sandwich), Shulchan Orech (Dinner),
Tzafun (Dessert), Barech (Grace), Hallel (Song), Nirtzah (Closing)
Now, what does that mean?
1. Kah-desh: Sanctification קָדֵשׁ
The word is derived from the Hebrew root ק.ד.ש, meaning holy. This is a blessing over wine in honor of the holiday. The wine is drunk, and a second cup is poured.
2. Urechatz: and Washing וּרְחַץ
A washing of the hands without a blessing, in preparation for eating the Karpas.
3. Kahr-pahs: Vegetable כַּרְפָּס
A vegetable (usually parsley) is dipped in salt water מֵי מֶלַח mehy meh-lahkh and eaten. The vegetable symbolizes the lowly origins of the Jewish people; the salt water symbolizes the tears shed as a result of our slavery. Parsley is a good vegetable to use for this purpose, because when you shake off the salt water, it looks like tears.
4. Yah-khahtz: Breaking into half יַחַץ
One of the three matzahs on the table is broken. Part is returned to the pile, the other part is set aside for the ah-fee-koh-mahn אֲפִיקוֹמָן (see below).
5. Mah-geed: Telling of The Story מַגִּיד
A retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt and the first Passover. This begins with the youngest person asking The Four Questions, a set of questions about the proceedings designed to encourage participation in the seder. The Four Questions are also known as Mah Nishtanah (Why is it different?), which are the first words of the Four Questions. The maggid is designed to satisfy the needs of four different types of people: the wise son, who wants to know the technical details; the wicked son, who excludes himself (and learns the penalty for doing so); the simple son, who needs to know the basics; and the son who is unable to ask, the one who doesn’t even know enough to know what he needs to know. At the end of the maggid, a blessing is recited over the second cup of wine and it is drunk.
6. Rahkh-tzah: Washing רַחְצָה
A second washing of the hands, this time with a blessing, in preparation for eating the matzah.
7. Moh-tzee Mah-tzah: The One Who Brings Forth a Mah-tzah מוֹצִיא מַצָּה
The ha-moh-tzee blessing, a generic blessing for bread or grain products used as a meal, is recited over the mah-tzah. A blessing specific to mah-tzah is recited, and a bit of matzah is eaten.
8. Mah-rohr: Bitter Herbs מָרוֹר
A blessing is recited over a bitter vegetable (usually raw horseradish; sometimes romaine lettuce), and it is eaten. This symbolizes the bitterness of slavery. The maror is eaten with khah-roh-set, a mixture of apples, nuts, cinnamon and wine, which symbolizes the mortar used by the Jews in building during their slavery.
9. Koh-rekh: The Sandwich כּוֹרֵךְ
Rabbi Hillel was of the opinion that the maror should be eaten together with matzah and the paschal offering in a sandwich. In his honor, we eat some maror on a piece of matzah, with some khah-roh-set (we don’t do animal sacrifice anymore, so there is no paschal offering).
10. Shool-khahn Oh-rekh: Dinner lit: setting the table שֻׁלְחַן עוֹרֵךְ
A festive meal is eaten. There is no particular requirement regarding what to eat at this meal (except, of course, that khah-metz cannot be eaten). Among Ashkenazic Jews, gefilte fish (stuffed fish) and matzah ball soup are traditionally eaten at the beginning of the meal.
11. Tzah-foon: The Afikomen צָפוּן lit: hidden
The piece of matzah set aside earlier is eaten as “dessert,” the last food of the meal. Different families have different traditions relating to the afikomen. Some have the children hide it, while the parents have to either find it or ransom it back. Others have the parents hide it. The idea is to keep the children awake and attentive throughout the pre-meal proceedings, waiting for this part.
12. Bah-rekh: Grace after Meals בַּרֵךְ lit: bless!
The third cup of wine is poured, and grace after meals is recited. This is similar to the grace that would be said on any Sabbath. At the end, a blessing is said over the third cup and it is drunk. The fourth cup is poured, including a cup set aside for the prophet Elijah ,אֵלִיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא eh-lee-yah-hoo hah-nah-vee, who is supposed to herald the Messiah, מָשִׁיחַ mah-shee-‘ahkh and is supposed to come on Passover to do this. The door is opened for a while at this point (supposedly for Elijah, but historically because Jews were accused of nonsense like putting the blood of Christian babies in matzah (the Blood Libel), and we wanted to show our Christian neighbors that we weren’t doing anything unseemly).
13. Hah-lehl: Praises הַלֵּל
Several psalms are recited. A blessing is recited over the last cup of wine and it is drunk.
14. Nirtzah: Closing נִרְצָה lit: was wanted; accepted willingly
A simple statement that the seder has been completed, with a wish that next year, we may celebrate Passover in Jerusalem (i.e., that the Messiah will come within the next year). This is followed by various hymns and stories.
I wish you a Happy Passover חַג פֶּסַח שָׂמֵחַ khahg peh-sahkh sah-meh’ahkh
Ruti Yudovich
Here is a link to all my books: