Can You Count to 49?
There is a commandment (Leviticus 23:15) to count the 49 days that immediately follow the first night of Passover and, on the 50th night, to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot. This period…
Four Cups of Wine
Like almost all festival meals, the Passover Seder begins with Kiddush, the sanctification of the day. On Passover, however, the first cup of wine is followed by three more…
Searching For Chametz
On Passover, Jews are commanded to get rid of all "chametz" (leaven) which may be in their possession. It is not unusual to begin cleaning and scrubbing the home weeks before the…
Passover 5780-2020
“The Essential lessons of Chametz and Matzah” (Updated and Revised from Passover 5763-2003) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week, the normal weekly Torah portion is preempted by…
Development of the Haggadah
On Passover night we are commanded "v'hee'ga'd'ta l'vincha" and you shall tell, the story of the Exodus to your children. (Notice the shared root of hee'ga'd'ta and Haggadah.) The…
The Great Shabbat
The Shabbat immediately preceding Passover is known as Shabbat HaGadol, the Great Shabbat. It is best known for being the Shabbat on which the rabbi of the community (or another…
Setting the Seder Table
Before beginning the Seder, it is important to make certain that everything necessary is available. No Seder table is complete without the following: 1) Three Unbroken Matzot (Kosher for…
Prepare for the Seder IV
Another critical educational method of imparting information is through visual aids. “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Seder night is chock full of visual aids, most notably the…
Drama At The Seder
While the basic text of the Haggadah and format of the seder is the same around the world, each community has its own unique customs. One such custom that is pervasive throughout the…
Why Laban is in the Haggadah
In honor of the upcoming holiday of Passover, it is time to review the important narrative featured in the Haggadah...the story of Laban. Many Jewish Treats readers are,…