What is Pesach?

Every year in the spring around the time of the Christian holiday known as Easter the movie "The Ten Commandments" starring Charlton Heston as Moses airs on one of the television networks. The story has absolutely nothing to do with Easter - the death of Jesus. It is the story of the Hebrew slaves in Egypt, their struggle for freedom,and their eventual escape. "The Ten Commandments" tells many stories from the Book of Exodus including that of Pesach or Passover.

To tell the story of Pesach one must first digress a bit back to the time of Moses' birth. Afraid that her son would be killed Moses was placed in a basket and placed in the Nile where he was found by Pharaoh's wife and raised as her own.

Adult Moses saw a slave driver treating one of the Hebrew slaves harshly and stepped in to aid the slave. Moses accidentally killed the slave driver and fled. While in the desert Moses was told that he must return to Egypt and free the slaves. Not quite sure he could stand up to the task Moses reluctantly returned to plead with Pharaoh to free the slaves. A battle of will ensued.

Moses proclaimed that 10 plagues would come down upon Pharaoh and his people if Pharaoh did not free the slaves. The last of these plagues was the death of the first born. In order to ensure no Hebrew was harmed during the night of death the Hebrews were instructed to paint the lentils of their doors with lamb's blood so that the plague of death would pass over them.

Among those who died in the night was the son of Pharaoh. As a result, Pharaoh ordered the release of the Hebrew slaves. There was no time for joy and celebration for there was much work to be done. The dough for bread had no time to rise - the Hebrew slaves baked the unleavened bread later known as matzo. Belongings and animals were quickly assembled in preparation for the exodus.

True to form shortly after the slaves had gone Pharaoh again changed his mind and sent his men to recover the slaves. The Hebrew people faced peril with the Red Sea in front of them and Pharaoh's men behind, but God took card of the people and parted the Red Sea long enough for the people to cross while Pharaoh's men perished in the sea.

Each year in the Hebrew month of Nissan for seven days the Jewish people celebrate their exodus from Egypt into freedom with Pesach. The week is begun with a seder that tells the story of the plagues and exodus. The seder is filled with foods and symbols that mark the events. Wine and special dishes are eaten and at the end of the seder participants proclaim next year in Israel! For the next week no leavened bread is eaten - only unleavened bread as a symbol of the struggle for freedom and the narrow escape from the clutches of Egypt's Pharaoh.