A Basic Jewish Guide to Understanding Passover

Passover commemorates the children of Israel's passage to freedom from slavery in Egypt and the beginning of the Jewish nation.

The story of Passover is THE story of the Jewish nation. It tells us individuals who became a family who became a people. From Abraham, isaac and Jacob came a family of 70 who, due to a famine in Israel, were forced to migrate to Egypt. There this family grew and prospered to such an extent that they eventually came to be seen as a threat by their Egyptian hosts and were enslaved.

After 200 years of slavery and oppression, God intervened to liberate the Jewish nation. The generations of cruel and debilitating slavery under the ancient Egyptians profoundly influenced Jewish thought by making them more sensitive to other peoples' plights. Moses, God's spokesman, asked Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, to "Let my people go!" but his warnings went unheeded and resulted in a series of plagues that convinced both Pharaoh and the Jews of God's power. Pharaoh finally released the Jewish nation. The Jews then began their journey back to the land of Israel. However, before God would allow them to settle in their land, He gave this newly conceived nation the Torah, a set of laws to live by, at Sinai.

Passover is observed for 8 days, starting with an elaborate Seder, a celebratory meal. The Seder includes a retelling of the Jews' journey into freedom through the Haggadah, which is a vivid narrative of the Jews' liberation from slavery to the birth of the Jewish nation. It is designed to give each Jew the experience of "going from slavery unto freedom." Passover, with the Haggadah as its focus, tells every Jew three things: who you are, where you came from, and what you, and what you stand for. on passover, every Jew is obligated to see himself or herself as if he/she personally had gone out of Egypt. As the Seder ends, Jews look hopefully towards a better time, a time of peace and harmony. Jerusalem, which means City of Peace, is the symbol of that redemption. So, Jews the world over end the Passover Seder which the blessing and prayer "Next year in Jerusalem!"