There are many mitzvot and customs concerning the Pesach Seder and
Chol HaMoed. However, there are five main mitzvot made up of
two biblical mitzvot and three rabbinical mitzvot ...
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Biblical Mitzvot:
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One: Eating matzah ...
In Exodus 12 v 18 G-d tells us, "In the first
month, on the fourteenth day of the months at evening,
you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first
day of the month at evening ..."
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Two: Telling the story of G-d's redemption of the
Jewish people from slavery in Egypt ...
In Exodus 13 v 8 G-d tells us, "And you shall tell
your son on that day, saying, 'It is because of what the
L-rd did for me when I came out of Egypt ...'"
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Rabbinical Mitzvot:
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Three: Drinking four cups of wine ...
Most people agree that we drink four cups of wine to
remind us that G-d promised to redeem the Jewish people
from Egypt in four ways:
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I will bring you out ...
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I will save you ...
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I will redeem you ...
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I will take you to Me as My nation ...
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Four: Eating bitter herbs ...
We eat bitter herbs to remind us of the bitterness of
life for the Jewish people when they were in slavery in
Egypt. We should 'taste' the bitterness of their
slavery.
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Five: Reciting the Hallel ...
The Hallel Psalms are Psalms 113 - 118. They are all
full of praise to G-d. It is traditional to recite them
on festivals. At Pesach we recite then with added
thankfulness to G-d, as we remember that we - unlike
our ancestors in Egypt - are free to sing His praises!
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In addition, the rabbis tell us that when we tell the story of G-d's
redemption of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, we must
explain three things ...
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Explanations:
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One: Pesach ...
In the final stage of the G-d's redemption of the Jewish
people from slavery, He passed through Egypt and all the
first-born sons died. However, He 'passed over' the
Jewish people. Therefore, we call the 'festival of
freedom' Pesach - or Passover.
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Two: Matzah ...
Because the Jewish people left Egypt in such a hurry,
they did not have time for their bread to rise. Instead,
they ate unleavened bread. Today we eat unleavened bread
at Pesach, just as they did.
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Three: Marror ...
While the Jewish people were still slaves, their lives
were made bitter by the ancient Egyptians. It is because
of the bitterness of slavery that the Jewish people cried
out to G-d for redemption. We remember the bitterness
each Pesach by eating bitter herbs ...
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Copyright J. E. Allen - MET
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