Passover Observances
Chometz is a general term for all food and drink made from wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt or their derivatives, which is forbidden on Pesach because it is leavened. Even a food that contains only a trace of chometz is prohibited and must be removed from our homes.
Getting rid of Chometz Obvious chometz--both food and utensils used throughout the year (and not koshered for Pesach)--should be stored in closets or in rooms which are locked or taped shut. This Chometz should be sold to a non-Jew. This sale should be handled by your rabbi (see below, Selling the Chometz)
Clean the entire house thoroughly to remove all crumbs and small pieces of food. Also check for chometz in the car, office, desks, drawers, clothes, pockets, pocketbooks and attache` cases. vacuum cleaner bags should be discarded or cleaned.
Searching for Chometz On Thursday Night, April 5th, make a formal search of the home for Chometz while holding a lit candle. It is customary to distribute ten small, individually wrapped pieces of chometz throughout the home before the search.
Hold the lit candle and search for Chometz in every room and area that may have chometz such as the basement, attic, garage or car.
Recite the following blessing before the search:
Bo-ruch A-toh A-do-noi E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ho-olom A-sher Ki-de-sha-nu Be-mitz-vo-sov Vi-tzi-vo-nu Al Be-or Cho-metz.
Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by His commandments, and has commanded us to remove the leaven.
When the search is completed, recite the following:
All leaven or anything leavened which is in my possession, which I have neither seen nor removed, and about which I am unaware, shall be considered naught and ownerless as the dust of the earth.
Then take all the chometz that was found in the search, cover it securely and place it in a conspicuous spot, to be burned in the morning. Food intended to sold or eaten later should similarly be carefully put aside.
Burning the Chometz On Friday morning, April 6, burn the Chometz that was found during the search. For your convenience and safety most Synagogues and Chabad houses perform this service.
Selling the Chometz Since it is prohibited to possess chometz on Pesach, we need to sell to a non-Jew all chometz that will not be eaten or burned before Pesach and all chometz utensils that will not be thoroughly cleaned by then. These are stored away in closets or rooms while preparing for Pesach. We lock or tape shut the closets or rooms, and they are leased to the non-Jew at the time of the sale.
Since there are many legal intricacies to this sale, only a competent Rabbi should be entrusted with its execution. The rabbi acts as our agent both to sell the chometz to the non-Jew on the morning before Pesach starts, and to buy it back the evening after Pesach ends.
Click here for "sale of Chometz" form
Fast of the First-born
When the Al-mighty took the lives of the first-born of Egypt, He spared the first-born of Israel. This is why all first-born sons, or fathers of first-born sons under 13 fast on the day before Passover. This year we fast on Friday, April 6th.
The custom, however, is to break this fast at the beginning of the day on Friday with a festive meal in celebration of the conclusion of a Talmudic tractate. We will have a siuym after morning services at the Chabad House at 7:30 AM.
Matzah Because they left Egypt in such a haste and there was no time to wait for the dough to rise, the Jewish people ate matzah, or unleavened bread. Our ancestors placed their complete trust in G-d to provide sustenance for an entire nation of men, women and children. To commemorate this act of faith, we are commanded to eat Matzah on the first two nights of Pesach.
Shmurah Matzah 'Shmurah' means watched. The wheat used for the Matzah is carefully protected from coming in contact with water from the moment of harvest, since water would cause leavening, and thus disqualify the wheat for use on Pesach.
These matzot are round in form, kneaded and shaped by hand, similar to the matzot baked by the Children of Israel on their way out of Egypt. They are baked under strict supervision. Shmurah Matzah should be used on each of the two Seder nights for the three matzot of the Seder plate.
The Four Cups of Wine correspond to the four expressions of freedom mentioned in the Torah (Exodus 6:6,7). Wine is used because it is a symbol of joy and happiness.
Why We Recline When drinking the four cups, and during most of the 'acts' of the Seder, we lean on our left side to accentuate the fact that we are free people. In ancient times, only free people would recline while eating.
Preparing the Seder Plate
Three Matzot are placed on the table, one on top of the other. They are symbolic of the three types of Jews: Kohen, Levi and Yisroel.
Place the following items on the cloth spread over the three matzot.
1. Hard Boiled Egg
2. Roasted Chicken Neck
3. Cooked Potato or Raw Onion
4. Horseradish and/or Romaine Lettuce stalks
5. Romaine Lettuce stalks
6. Charoset; Apple, Pear, Nut and Wine Mixture
1. 'Baytzah'--the hard boiled egg, symbolizes the
festival sacrifice brought at the Holy Temple, in
addition to the Pascal lamb.
'Z'roah'--the roasted chicken neck, symbolizes
the Pascal lamb brought at the Holy Temple on
the afternoon before Pesach.
3. 'Morror-the bitter herbs symbolize the bitter suffering
of the Jews in Egypt.
4. 'Charoset'--the mixture, symbolizes the mortar used by the Israelites to make bricks while enslaved in Egypt.
5. 'Karpas'--the cooked potato or raw onion.
6. 'Chazeret-more bitter herbs.
The Order of the Seder Service
Kadesh--the Benediction
The Seder service begins with the recitation of the Kiddush, proclaiming the holiness of the holiday. This is done over a cup of wine, and on this evening it is the first of four cups which we drink while reclining.
Ur'chatz--Purification
We wash our hands in the usual prescribed manner of washing before a meal, but without the customary blessing.
The next step in the seder, Karpas, requires dipping food into water. Such an act calls for purification of the hands by washing beforehand. This unusual observance is designed to arouse the child's curiosity.
Karpas--the Appetizer
A small piece of onion or boiled potato is dipped into salt water and eaten. Before eating, recite the blessing over the vegetables.
The dipping of this 'appetizer' in salt water further arouses the curiosity of the child. The salt water represents the tears of our ancestors in Egypt.
Yachatz--Breaking the Matzah
The middle matzah of the three placed on the Seder plate is broken in two. The larger part is put aside for use later as the Afikomen. The smaller part is returned to the seder plate. The broken matzah symbolizes humility and will be eaten later as the 'bread of poverty'. This unusual act once again attracts the attention of the child.
Maggid--the Haggadah
At this point, we invite the poor to join the Seder; we move the Seder tray aside; we pour a second cup of wine; and the child, by now bursting with curiosity, asks the time-honored question: Why is this night different from all other nights?
The child's questioning triggers the highlight of the Seder ceremony: the telling of the story of the exodus from Egypt. The answer includes a brief review of history, a description of the suffering imposed upon the Israelites, a listing of the plagues visited upon the Egyptians, and an enumeration of the miracles performed by G-d for the redemption of His people.
Rochtzoh--Washing before the Meal
After concluding the first part of the haggadah with the drinking of the second cup of wine while reclining, we wash our hands--this time with the customary blessings, as usually done before eating bread.
Motzie Matzah--Eating matzah
Take hold of the three matzot, the broken one between the two whole ones, recite the customary blessing before bread. Let the bottom matzah drop back on the plate, and recite the special blessing 'Al Ac-che-las Matzah'.
Morror--the Bitter Herbs
Take the bitter herbs, dip it into the charoset and make the blessing 'Al Ah-che-las Moror'. Eat without reclining.
Korech--the 'Sandwich'
In keeping with the custom instituted by Hillel, a great Talmudic Rabbi, we eat a sandwich consisting of matzah and moror.
Break off two pieces of the bottom matzah. Take the bitter herbs and dip them in the charoset, then place them between the two pieces of matzah, say "Kein ah-saw Hillel..." and eat the 'sandwich' while reclining.
Shulchan Oreich--the Feast
The holiday meal is now served. We begin the meal with a hard boiled egg dipped into salt water. Just as eggs get harder the more they are boiled, so too the Jews become stronger the more they are persecuted.
Tzofun--'Out of Hiding'
After the meal, before midnight and while reclining we eat the half matzah which had been set aside for the Afikomen --'dessert', symbolizing the Pascal lamb which was eaten at the end of the meal. After the Afikomen, we neither eat nor drink any more except for the two remaining cups of wine.
Bairach--Blessings after the Meal
We fill up the third cup of wine and recite Grace. After Grace, we recite the blessing of the wine and drink it while reclining.
We then fill the cup of Elijah and our own cups with wine. We open the door and recite passages, symbolically inviting Elijah the prophet, who is the harbinger of the coming of Moshiach.
Hallel--Songs of Praise
We sing G-d's praises as L-rd of the Universe. After reciting the Hallel, we again recite the blessing for wine and drink the fourth cup, reclining.
Nirtzoh--Acceptance
Having carried out the Seder properly we are confident that it has been well received by the Al-mighty. We conclude with: Leh-shah-na Hah-bah-ah Be-ye-ru-sha-lai-yim”- Next year in Jerusalem!
