Passover recalls Jews' release from enslavement in ancient Egypt
DAYTONA BEACH — Most people have heard of Passover, but many may not really know what the religious holiday that began Friday at sundown is all about.
Here's some basic information about the springtime holiday also known as Pesach, the festival's name in Hebrew.
What exactly is Passover?
According to the Hebrew Bible, Jewish settlement in ancient Egypt first occurred when Joseph, a son of Jacob and founder of one of the 12 tribes of Israel, moved his family there during a severe famine in their homeland of Canaan.
For many years the Israelites lived in harmony in the province of Goshen, but as their population grew the Egyptians began to see them as a threat. After the death of Joseph and his brothers, the Bible story says a particularly hostile pharaoh ordered their enslavement and the systematic drowning of their firstborn sons in the Nile.
One of the doomed infants was rescued by the pharaoh’s daughter, given the name Moses and adopted into the Egyptian royal family.
When he became an adult, Moses learned of his true identity and the Egyptians’ brutal treatment of his fellow Hebrews. He escaped to the Sinai Peninsula and lived there as a shepherd for 40 years.
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Then one day Moses received a command from God to return to Egypt and free the Hebrews from bondage. Along with his brother Aaron, Moses approached the reigning pharaoh several times, explaining that the Hebrew God had requested a three-day leave for his people so they could celebrate a feast in the wilderness.
When the pharaoh refused, God unleashed 10 plagues on the Egyptians, including turning the Nile River red with blood, hailstorms, three days of darkness and the slaying of every firstborn son by an avenging angel.
The Israelites marked the door frames of their homes with lamb’s blood so that the angel of death would recognize and “pass over” each Jewish household.
Terrified of further punishment, the Egyptians convinced their ruler to release the Israelites, and Moses quickly led them out of Egypt.
How is Passover celebrated?
Passover is a weeklong celebration that usually takes place in March or April.
People recite special blessings and prayers, visit their synagogue, listen to readings from the Torah, and eat a ceremonial meal that's centered around the Seder plate and red wine or red grape juice. They also remove leavened products from their home and substitute matzo for bread.
The main event of the Passover holiday is the Seder, a festive meal in which the book of Exodus and related writings, together known as the Haggadah, are recited in a set order.
What do people eat at the Seder, and why?
Jews drink four cups of wine during the Seder, each cup at a specific time, to represent the four expressions of deliverance promised by God.
They eat bitter herbs, symbolizing the bitterness and harshness of the slavery which the Jews endured in ancient Egypt. Many people use freshly grated horseradish or whole horseradish root.
They also eat romaine lettuce, whose roots are bitter-tasting. Others eat different kinds of bitter lettuce such as endive, green onions, dandelion greens, celery leaves or curly parsley.
They also include in the Seder a sweet, brown, pebbly paste of fruits and nuts, representing the mortar used by the Jewish slaves to build the storehouses of Egypt. Some make apple-raisin based charoset, while others make date-based recipes that might feature orange, lemon or banana.
Other Seder foods include roasted lamb to remember the lamb sacrificed at the first Passover. Hard-boiled eggs are eaten and dipped in salt water to remember the tears of the ancient Israelites and destruction of the Temple.
You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Passover is a reminder of Jews' release from enslavement in ancient Egypt
