Sign up to access the complete lesson and track your progress!
Unlock This CoursePesach (Passover) is the Jewish festival of freedom. It remembers how the Israelites were set free from slavery in Egypt, led by Moses. Remember from the lesson on Moses, the Exodus and the Covenant at Sinai that Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go, even after Moses asked in the name of the Almighty. The Torah says that the Almighty then sent ten plagues on Egypt, such as blood in the river, frogs, darkness and hail. Each one made Pharaoh's refusal harder to defend.
The tenth plague was the death of the firstborn of Egypt. Before it came, the Israelites were told what to do (Exodus 12):
The Almighty "passed over" the houses marked with blood, and Israelite children were spared. This was the first Passover, and it is where the name Passover comes from. Pharaoh finally told the Israelites to leave. He then changed his mind and chased them with his army. The Israelites were trapped at the sea, but the water parted so that they crossed on dry ground. The water then closed over the Egyptian army. For Jews this is the moment of rescue, which shows that the Almighty keeps promises and saves the people.
Key terms:
The Torah says that no chametz may be eaten or kept in the home during Pesach. This reminds Jews of the bread that had no time to rise. Many also see it as a sign of getting rid of pride, because yeast makes dough puff up. Families therefore clean the whole house before the festival, turning out cupboards, pockets and bags. Food that is not allowed is eaten up, given away or sold before Pesach begins.
On the night before Pesach, the family carries out the search for chametz. The house is made dark and the family goes round by the light of a candle, often with a feather and a wooden spoon, to sweep up any crumbs that are left. Parents often hide a few small pieces so that children can find them. The crumbs are burned the next morning. The search shows how seriously Jews take the command and how much care they put into getting ready for the festival.
On the first night of Pesach (and in many communities the second as well) families and friends gather for the seder. Everything at the table is designed to help people remember and ask questions. The Haggadah is read aloud in order, so the family hears the whole story of the Exodus.
The plate holds foods that stand for the story. Maror (bitter herbs) is the bitterness of slavery. Charoset, a sweet paste of fruit and nuts, is the mortar the slaves used for building. Karpas, a green vegetable dipped in salt water, stands for spring and the tears of the slaves. The shank bone stands for the Pesach lamb, and the egg for new life and the festival offering.
Matzah is eaten instead of bread all through Pesach. It is the "bread of affliction" and a reminder that the Israelites left in a hurry. At the seder three pieces are placed together. One piece is broken in half and hidden as the afikoman. Children search for it and the meal cannot end until it is found.
Four cups of wine (or grape juice) are drunk during the seder. They are linked to the four promises of freedom that the Almighty made to the Israelites. Jews lean to one side as they drink, as free people did in the ancient world.
The youngest child who is able asks four questions, beginning "Why is this night different from all other nights?" The answers are the story of the Exodus. This makes sure the story is passed on from one generation to the next.
A cup of wine is also set aside for Elijah, the prophet whom tradition says will announce a future time of peace. The door is opened for him during the meal. The seder ends with the hope "Next year in Jerusalem".
The Haggadah means "the telling". It contains the story of the Exodus, prayers, blessings and songs, in the order they are used at the seder. Its aim is shown in a well-known teaching that in every generation a person must see themselves as if they personally came out of Egypt. Jews do not simply hear about a past event. They act it out by eating the bitter herbs and matzah, and so each generation feels part of the same story.
Pesach lasts seven or eight days. Orthodox Jews outside Israel keep eight days, and Jews in Israel and many Progressive Jews keep seven. Matzah is eaten and chametz avoided throughout. The first and last days are holy days.
Orthodox Jews follow all the rules strictly, with a thorough clean, separate Pesach dishes and the full seder. They believe the events happened as the Torah says and that the rules were commanded by the Almighty.
Many Progressive Jews keep the seder but are more flexible about the rules, and may read the plagues and the Red Sea as symbols. Some stress the modern message of freedom and care for people who are still oppressed. Some Jews who are not religious still attend a family seder.
Pesach matters to Jews today because it is a celebration of freedom and a reminder to help others who are not free. It also brings families together across the generations and links Jews around the world with their history.
Do not say Pesach celebrates the giving of the Torah or the Temple being rededicated. The first is a different festival, and the second is Chanukah. Do not just list the foods on the seder plate: say what each stands for. Do not write that all Jews keep Pesach in the same way.
(a) Outline two ways in which Jews celebrate Pesach. [4 marks]
(b) Explain why the Haggadah is important for Jews. [6 marks]
(c) "The seder meal is the most important part of Pesach." Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. In your answer you should include reference to teachings, other points of view and your own opinion. [10 marks]
(a) Jews remove all chametz from the home before Pesach (1), to remember the bread that had no time to rise (1). They hold a seder meal (1), where foods such as matzah and bitter herbs remind them of the Exodus (1).
(b) The Haggadah is the book used at the seder, which tells the story of the Exodus in order (1). It makes sure the story is passed down, because the youngest child asks the four questions and the Haggadah gives the answers (1). It teaches that each person must see themselves as if they came out of Egypt (1), so Jews feel the events belong to them and not only to the past (1). It explains the meaning of the foods on the seder plate, such as the bitter herbs for slavery (1). It also joins Jews around the world, who all read the same story on the same night (1).
(c) Plan. For: the seder brings the family together; it is the one night when the whole story is told, through the Haggadah, the four questions, the matzah and the bitter herbs; the teaching that each person must see themselves as having left Egypt is acted out there; many Jews who keep no other custom still attend a seder. Against: the Torah commands the removal of chametz and the avoidance of it for the whole festival, which takes up seven or eight days; the cleaning and the search for chametz show obedience to the Almighty before the meal begins; Progressive Jews may stress the message of freedom and helping others over the details of the meal. Possible conclusion: the seder is the heart of Pesach because it teaches the story, but the festival would be incomplete without the chametz rules that last all week, so it is the most important part but not the only one.
In a 4-mark "Outline two ways" question, give each way as a point plus a short reason or detail. Name the Pesach term, such as chametz, seder or matzah, so that the answer is clearly about this festival.