The 5 Most Important Things to Know About Passover

Our greatest contributions to the world summarized in five words: memory, optimism, faith, family, and responsibility.

by Rabbi Benjamin Blech

Scholars have long wondered why Jews who number less than one quarter of one percent of the world – as Milton Himmelfarb memorably put it, "The total population of the Jewish people is less than a statistical error in the annual birth rate of the Chinese people” – have had such a profound influence on almost every field of human endeavor.
What accounts for the remarkable fact that in the 20th century, Jews, more than any other minority, have been recipients of the Nobel Prize, with almost one-fifth of all Nobel laureates being Jewish?

Perhaps it all goes back to the very beginning of the birth of our people and the Passover holiday that we will shortly be celebrating. 

Passover conveys five major concepts that became our mantras for how to lead successful and productive lives. They are the five most important things to know about Passover, and to incorporate into every day of the rest of the year. Because we’ve absorbed them into our national psyche for the thousands of years since the Exodus, we’ve been privileged to fulfill in great measure our prophetically mandated role to become a light unto the nations.

They are our greatest contributions to the world and can be summarized in five words: memory, optimism, faith, family, and responsibility.

The Importance of Memory

The Irish Catholic writer Thomas Cahill was so overwhelmed by how the Jewish people literally transformed the world that he authored what proved to become an international bestseller, The Gifts of the Jews. One of the major gifts he credits to Jewish genius is the invention of the idea of history.

"Remember that you were strangers in the land of Egypt." "Remember that the Lord took you out of the bondage of slavery." Remember is a biblical mandate that had never seemed important to anyone else before the Jewish people came on the scene. It was the Passover story that initiated a commitment to memory.

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Ten Tips for a Great Seder

by Dr. Ron Wolfson

I don't know what the tradition is in your family, but in ours, Seder night is a dress-up affair. Suits and ties, dresses, new clothes for the kids - "Shabbes" clothes we call them. Imagine when our surprise when one year we arrived for Seder at the door of our friends David and Shira Milgrom-Elcott in our dressy clothes and they greeted us wearing the long, flowing robes of Beduins!

"Welcome to our Seder!" they exclaimed. "Please take off your shoes before you come in."

We dutifully took off our shoes and entered their home. On the right, we saw the formal dining room, the table set with fine china and crystal, seemingly ready for the Seder guests. David and Shira, however, led us right past the dining room, down the hall and into their large family room. We should have known what to expect from the desert garb worn by our hosts, but we were hardly prepared for the sight of that room.

Draped from the beams if the vaulted ceiling were large white bedsheets, forming a tent-like structure encompassing the center of the room. All the furniture had been taken out, except for some beanbag chairs and overstuffed pillows scattered around the floor, in the center of the "tent," on a low coffee table, was the Seder plate.

"Welcome to our home in the desert," David and Shira explained. "The Seder ceremony is a simulation of what really happened on that first night of the Exodus from Egypt, so we've decided to conduct our Seder in this tent. Please make yourselves comfortable -- take off your ties and jackets -- and recline with your kids on the floor."

Well, you can imagine what followed next! In a masterfully-led, fun-filled experience, the families in attendance enjoyed a delightful, relaxed telling of the Passover story. Once we completed the Maggid section of the Haggadah, we moved into the dining room for the Seder meal. After opening the door for Elijah, we returned to the tent to complete the Seder ceremony.

It was a Seder we'll always remember.

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When is Passover/Pesach in 2013?

Passover in 2013 or Pesach in 2013 will commence either just after sunset or just after nightfall on Monday, March 25, 2013, depending on the authoritative rabbinical opinion one follows. Nightfall is defined in Jewish law as being "the end of sunset", and occurs anytime from 20 minutes to 1 hour after sunset, depending on one's geographic latitude and where one is located. For Jews who celebrate Passover for 7 days (most Reform Jews, most Reconstructionist Jews, some Conservative Jews, and Jews living in Israel), Passover in 2013 will end either at sunset or at nightfall on Monday, April 1, 2013. For Jews who celebrate Passover for 8 days (some Reform Jews, some Reconstructionist Jews, most Conservative Jews, and Jews living outside Israel), Passover in 2013 will end either at sunset or nightfall on Tuesday, April 2, 2013 (Jews who live outside Israel are known as Diaspora Jews, where the word "diaspora" is derived from Greek and means either "dispersion" or "scattering". In Hebrew, the equivalent words are "Tefutzah", meaning "scattered", or "Galut", meaning "exile". Diaspora, Tefutzah, and Galut all refer to the Jewish people being dispersed among all the other nations outside of Israel). The exact time for when Passover in 2013 will begin either just after sunset or just after nightfall or anywhere from 15 minutes to a half-hour before sunset on March 25, 2013 depends on the geographic latitude and location of a person in the world. Similarly, the exact time for when Passover in 2013 ends also depends on the geographic latitude and location of a person in the world.

Passover 2013 - Pesach 2013 : Exact Starting Time

For those living where we are located - in Montreal, Quebec, Canada - Passover / Pesach in 2013 will commence at exactly 7:13:41 P.M. on Monday, March 25, 2013 (Sunset), and end at nightfall where nightfall is defined in Judaism according to the following two authoritative rabbinical opinions: either when 3 medium-sized stars appear first appear in the sky, or at 72 minutes after sunset. The first opinion occurs at exactly 8:08:59 P.M. (Nightfall = When 3 medium-sized stars first appear in the sky) and the second opinion occurs at 8:36:04 P.M. (Nightfall = 72 Minutes after sunset) on Saturday, April 14, 2012 (Source: MyZmanim.com).

Regarding when Passover in 2013 begins, although sunset or sundown ("shkiah ha'chama" in Hebrew) at sea level occurs at exactly 7:13:41 P.M. for Montreal (Source: MyZmanim.com), there is a custom among the majority of Jewish people to "extend" the "holiness" time of a Jewish festival or Jewish holiday by beginning a Jewish festival or Jewish holiday at least 18 minutes before sunset or sundown. This extended time can range from 15 minutes to a half-hour before sunset depending on one's custom but, as mentioned, the majority of Jewish people follow the custom to begin a festival or holiday at 18 minutes before sunset or sundown. Also, as just mentioned, the exact time for the beginning and ending of Passover varies with where one is located in the world; specifically, one's geographic latitude and where one is located.

Purim, Passover, and Miracles

The Jewish year begins with Passover, which is in the month of Nissan, the first month, and ends with Purim which is in Adar, the twelfth month. This peculiarity occurs because our New Year is in the seventh month, strange, but true! We didn't make up the calendar; G-d did, so he is to blame for the confusion.

Never the less, there is a profound point in Passover coming in the first month and Purim in the last month. Let us analyze this and we will come to a profound understanding of the nature of miracles.

Passover marks the beginning of the Jews becoming a people. It was a time that forged its national identity and values. We left Egypt amidst the most unbelievable miracles that could be imagined. Starting with the ten plagues, which included the Nile turning into blood and the slaying of all the first born of Egypt, it culminated with the miraculous splitting of the Red Sea, saving the Jewish people and killing the advancing armored Egyptian armies.

When we think of miracles, we reckon the splitting of the Red Sea as the magnus opus of the miracles. Here each individual saw a tremendous supernatural occurrence. From this exodus, our national character was formed. Our unswerving belief in the G-d of gods, the King of kings, was founded and has continued with each generation.

Passover was the time that our belief in G-d was developed beyond a mere intellectual concept. Through the open miracles that our forefathers witnessed, our national identity became firm and unyielding and our individual belief became unshakable.

All this was due to the massive occurrence of miracles during the time of the exodus from Egypt.

During the time of Purim, we also witnessed miracles. However the Talmud debates exactly what the miracle was. Was it that Achasverous could not sleep or that Esther made her wine feasts? It is not really clear what the miracle was. Certainly it was not a clear and open miracle. The name of G-d (the chief performer of miracles) is not even mentioned in the Migalah.

Why is this?

The answer is very simple, yet deep.

G-d unquestionably rules the world. He alone possesses the ability to change nature. He changes the hearts of kings and rulers. He is the ultimate cause; we only see the effects.

He possesses two ways to affect changes. One is through the suspension of nature; the other is within the natural process.

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Origins of the Purim Masquerade Custom

Have you ever wondered when the Purim masquerade custom began?

The honest truth is that it's embedded in the Book of Esther, but we'll get to that later. If we want to stick to global custom origins, the first recorded source of dressing up in costume on Purim is a 15th century German document discussing women wearing men's clothing, drunkenness and other related Purim issues.

Any other global connections? There is a school of thought connecting Purim masquerades with the Carnival of Venice which dates back to the 11th Century. By coincidence, the calendar date of this festival famous for superb leather, porcelain and glass Venetian masks is not all that far from Purim. Hmmm...many Jewish customs have been "borrowed" from Christian neighbors, so this sounds like a definite possibility.

Speculation aside, let's take a look at the Book of Esther -- a story chock full of disguises.

The most obvious example is Queen Esther herself, depicted in this mosaic. Hiding her Jewish identity by competing in and winning Achashverosh's beauty pageant was the biggest masquerade of all. Even the name Esther, possibly taken from the Persian name Ishtar, is part of the cover up. Esther's given Hebrew name? Hadassah -- as in the name of the women's organization.

The carnival of poses doesn't end with Esther. Let's take her husband, the mighty king Achashverosh. He wears the mask of a strong ruler when actually his advisors -- most notably Haman -- rule him. Mordechai hides behind the mask of a loving uncle when he really is a mastermind pulling strings in order to save the Jewish people.

Haman? Is he as smart as he presents himself to be? Indeed, the story of Purim is one big charade. Speaking of which, maybe a good old fashioned game of charades should be part of this year's Purim curricula or family Purim feast? Not only does it enhance the masquerade custom, it sets the stage for it.

What do you think?

Megillot From the Ages

 While most of the Jewish holidays are celebratory, there is none like the holiday of Purim. This smaller holiday, which often falls in March and occasionally in late February (such as this year), commemorates the victory of the Jewish population of Ancient Persia over Haman, the notorious anti-Semite and persecutor of Jews in the 4th century B.C.E. Haman, an advisor to the king, created a plot by which he planned to annihilate the Jewish population. Through the intervention of the Jewish hero Mordechai and his niece, Esther, Haman's plans were overturned and the evil plot quickly destroyed.

Purim is traditionally celebrated by partaking in a festive meal with family and friends, giving charity to the poor, dressing up in costume and sending food parcels to close friends and relatives. The main focus of the celebration, however, is the reading of the book of Esther, more commonly known in Hebrew as Megillat Esther, or the Megillah as it is known for short, in synagogue both in the evening before and the morning of the actual day of Purim.

The tale of Purim is not simply a piece of Jewish history, faith and storytelling; instead, because it is recorded by Jewish law on a scroll of vellum (also known as parchment), it has become part of the long Jewish tradition of beautifying religious objects. This tradition, which is known as hiddur mitzvah, the beautification of the good deed, is considered important because the beautification of religious objects is considered to enhance their holiness. This is particularly true when it comes to the megillah.

For centuries the tradition has evolved and today, the megillah is enclosed within a silver case. This case provides safety for the megillah as well as preserving it from decay. Most importantly, the case accomplishes hiddur mitzvah, the beatification of the scroll.

Continue reading and to see more pictures of Megillot.

Your Quick Purim Guide

Hear the Megillah!

Hear the complete story of how Mordechai and Queen Esther helped save the Jewish people from the hands of the wicked Haman. Once at night and a second time on Purim day.

Give Gifts of Food!

Purim is a day we show extra special friendship to our friends. Send your friends gifts of food that include at least two different types of food. For example: fruits and candies; cookies and a bottle of juice; etc.

Give Tzedakah (Charity)!

Give some money to two poor people (or more), or put at least two coins in your favorite charity box.

Eat and Rejoice!

Participate in a festive meal on Purim afternoon. Sit together with your family and friends, sing Jewish songs, tell the story of Purim, and be merry!