The Story of Passover

About three thousand years ago, the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians under the rule of the Pharaoh Ramses ll. According to the Book of Exodus- Moses, a simple Jewish shepherd, was instructed by G_d to go to the Pharaoh and demand freedom of his people.

Moses' plea of "let my people go" was ignored. Moses warned the Pharaoh that G_d would spend severe punishments to the people of Egypt if the Israelites were not freed. Again, the Pharaoh ignored Moses' request of freedom. In response, G_d unleashed a series of ten terrible plagues of Egypt.

1. Blood

2. Frogs

3. Lice (vermin)

4. Wild beasts (flies)

5. Blight (cattle disease)

6. Boils

7. Hail

8. Locusts

9. Darkness

10. Slaying of the first born

The holiday's name, Pesach, means " passing over " or " protection"  in Hebrew. It's derived from the instructions given to Moses by G_d. In order to encourage the Pharaoh to free the Israelites, G_d intended to kill the first-born both man and beast. To protect themselves, the Israelites were told to mark their dwellings with lamb's blood so that G_d could identify and " pass over " their homes.

The Pharaoh was unconvinced and refused to free the Jewish slaves...

Until the last plague;

When the Pharaoh finally agreed to freedom, the Israelites left their homes so quickly that there wasn't enough time to bake their breads. They had to pack the raw dough to take with them on their journey. As they fled through the desert, they would quickly bake the dough in the hot sun into hard crackers called matzohs. To commemorate this event, Jews today eat matzoh in place of bread during Passover.

Though the Jews were now free, their liberation was incomplete. The Pharaoh's army chased them through the desert towards the Red Sea. When the Jews reached the sea they were trapped, since the sea blocked their escape.

It was then that a miracle occurred. The waves of the Red Sea parted and the Israelites were able to cross to the other side. As soon as they all reached the other side, the sea closed trapping the Pharaoh's army.

Then ad the Israelites watched the waters of the Red Sea sweep away the Pharaoh's army, they realized that they were finally free.

Passover celebrates this history. The first two nights of the eight day holiday are celebrated with lavish meals called Seders, in which the stories and history of Passover are celebrated. Special foods, dishes and silverware are all a part of the seder.


haggadah Section: Maggid - Beginning