What is the name of Passover among Jews? How is Passover celebrated?

Associated with one of the most important events, which is considered the beginning of the history of the Jewish people - the Exodus from Egypt and liberation from slavery. The entire system of Judaism is based on the memory of the Exodus and subsequent events associated with the acquisition of the Promised Land and the construction of its own independent state.

In biblical times, the celebration of Passover was accompanied by a pilgrimage to the Temple, sacrifices and a feast with the eating of the Passover lamb. It is believed that Passover brought together two ancient festivals - those of cattle breeders and farmers; during the biblical period it became associated with liberation from Egyptian slavery.

Tradition associates the name "Passover" with the fact that God "passed" (in Hebrew - "passover") past the houses of the Jews at the time when he was punishing the Egyptians for Pharaoh's refusal to let the Jewish people go. The Jewish prayer book (siddur) calls Passover “the time of our freedom”; The Torah calls it the “Feast of Unleavened Bread,” since the main feature of Passover is the commandment to eat unleavened bread (matzo) and the strictest prohibition not only to eat, but also to have leavened bread (chametz) in your home.

The holiday begins on the eve of the 15th day of Nisan (falls in March - April) according to the Jewish lunar calendar and lasts seven days in Israel and eight days in the Diaspora countries. The date of the holiday according to the Gregorian calendar is announced annually separately.

The year 2013 is Passover. It is forbidden to eat kvass from the fourth solar hour on March 25, and it is allowed to use it in any way for another solar hour.

The order of celebrating Passover is defined in detail in the Holy Scriptures (Torah). Throughout the days of Passover, the Torah prohibits the consumption of leaven in any form. This is the same food that the Jews did not have time to stock up on when they left Egypt. Also avoid those foods that can ferment. Malt liquors, beer and other yeast-based alcoholic beverages are prohibited.

The only bread allowed on Passover is matzo, an unleavened bread made from wheat flour that enslaved Jews ate in Egypt and during the exodus. The entire process of baking matzo from the moment of adding water to the flour should not exceed 18 minutes. Flour can be used from one of five grains: wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt.

Matzah is a reminder that the Jews, having finally received permission from Pharaoh to leave the country, left Egypt in such a hurry that they had to bake bread from dough that had not yet risen.

Before Passover, Jews clean the house, especially the kitchen. In all Jewish-owned territories, all leaven is collected and burned on the last morning before Passover (or sold to a non-Jew). Only chametz belonging to a Jew cannot be kept in his home, but chametz belonging to a non-Jew can be kept in a Jewish home, provided that it is not in plain sight. If the chametz could not be sold or destroyed, and it was in the possession of a Jew during Passover, it is prohibited to consume it after the holiday.

The culmination of Passover is the evening meal Seder ("order"), which is held on the first evening of the holiday (in the countries of the Diaspora - on the first two evenings). The Seder begins after returning from the synagogue; the whole family and guests gather around the table. During the Seder, the blessings established by the rules are pronounced, prayers are read and psalms are sung. One of the mandatory conditions is to invite all those in need to participate in the meal, as well as those who cannot celebrate the holiday with their family. The best dishes and silver, candles, kosher wine, three large pieces of matzo and a specially decorated cup for the prophet Eliyah (Elijah) are placed on the table. During the seder, the story of the Exodus is read in a certain sequence (usually from the book of Haggadah) and special symbolic dishes are eaten. This is matzah, which is eaten in fulfillment of the commandment of the Torah; bitter greens - maror (lettuce, basil and horseradish) and hazeret (grated greens), symbolizing the bitterness of Egyptian slavery; as well as a mixture of grated apples, dates, nuts and wine - charoset: its color resembles the clay from which the Jews made bricks while in Egyptian slavery. During the meal, the greens are dipped in salt water, symbolizing the tears shed by the Jews in slavery in Egypt and the sea they crossed during the Exodus.

All food is laid out on a kearah, a special dish used only for the Seder meal. Three symbolic dishes are placed on the kear that are not eaten: zroah - a fried piece of lamb with a bone, in memory of the Passover sacrifice in the Jerusalem Temple, beitza - a hard-boiled egg, as a memory of temple services, and karpas - a piece of any spring vegetable (Jews living in Europe, they replace it with boiled potatoes). Cooked foods are laid out on a dish in a certain way. Three whole matzos covered with a napkin are placed in front of the Seder leader. Before each participant in the meal, they place the Haggadah - a book containing the legend of the Exodus from Egypt and all the prayers and blessings necessary for the seder.

Plates of salt water are certainly placed on the festive table - a symbol of the tears of ancient Hebrew women, whose firstborns were taken away by order of Pharaoh, since, according to the prediction, a person was to be born in one of the Jewish families who would free people from slavery.

During the Seder, Jews go through five mitzvot (obligatory steps). The first is to eat matzo, the second is to drink four cups of wine, the third is to eat maror (usually between two pieces of matzo), the fourth is to read the Haggadah, and the fifth is to read psalms of praise. The Passover meal often includes chicken soup with matzah dumplings, gefilte fish (gefilte fish) and baked meat, as well as wine - a symbol of fun and joy.

During the meal, Jews drink four glasses of red wine, which symbolize the four promises given by the Almighty to the people of Israel: “And I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians...”; "And I will deliver you..."; "And I will save you..."; “And I will receive you...” According to tradition, it is customary to fill the fifth, special glass and leave it for the prophet Eliyah, who will return to earth on the eve of Passover to announce the coming of “the great and terrible day of the Lord.” This glass is not drunk, but left on the festive table. According to tradition, the prophet Eliyah is considered the herald of Moshiach, with whose arrival all Jews will return to Eretz Israel.

There is a custom to hide a piece of matzo (afikoman) during the Seder in order to entice children to look for it; the found afikoman is eaten at the end of the meal. The meal ends with the words of greeting: “Next year - in Jerusalem!”

On the first day of Passover, all types of work are prohibited. A solemn service is held in the synagogue. The five subsequent days are called “ordinary days of the holiday” and are considered working days. These days in Jerusalem, at the Western Wall, a ceremony of blessing of priests is held, in which only descendants of the priestly family of Levites take part.

The seventh day of Passover ends the celebrations of the holiday and is considered a non-working day. It is celebrated in a joyful atmosphere, with singing and dancing. At midnight, synagogues and religious schools hold a ceremony for the “dividing of the sea waters.” The eighth day of Passover is celebrated only in the diaspora regions, where the first two days and the final two days are holidays.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

For Jews, Passover is the most important day of the year. It was established back in Old Testament times in memory of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and their liberation from slavery. These events not only gave freedom to the Jewish people, but also marked the beginning of their national consciousness.

That is why the Jewish Passover, called Passover, is of great importance for all Israelis, regardless of the degree of their religiosity. On this day, they bake Jewish Passover bread and gather with the whole family at the festive table, where during the meal they tell the children the history of this great holiday.

The history of the Passover holiday, which is often called, goes back to ancient times, when there was no trace of such a nation as the Jews. Then the righteous man Abraham and his wife Sarah had a son, Isaac, who later had an heir, Jacob. The latter had a dozen sons, one of whom was Joseph.

Joseph tried to live in accordance with the righteous teachings of his father, and asked his brothers to also take the right path and abandon wicked deeds. But they did not heed his meek requests, but only became even more embittered and hated Joseph. They were afraid that he would rise above them and decided to kill him, but then they changed their minds and sold their righteous brother into slavery.

This is how Joseph ended up in Egypt. There he faced many trials, but with God's help he overcame all adversity and over time turned from a slave into an official close to the pharaoh himself. The ruler of Egypt greatly appreciated the intelligent and righteous Joseph. And when he predicted a great famine, and Pharaoh managed to make large supplies of food in time, Joseph won the love and respect of not only the ruler, but also the Egyptians.

And when a terrible famine began in all countries, Pharaoh allowed his beloved adviser to bring his father and brothers to Egypt. Joseph, who bore no grudges against his relatives, was very happy to be reunited with his family. While he was alive, the Israelites were honored guests in Egypt and did not need anything.

But time passed, one generation replaced another... The indigenous people gradually forgot that the Jews were guests of the Egyptians, and turned them into slaves. The Jews were forced to work for their masters for over 400 years and saw no salvation until one day God sent them Moses, whom he told to demand that Pharaoh free his people. The ruler refused to release his slaves, and then God sent nine terrible plagues to Egypt, but the pharaoh did not change his decision.

After which God told Moses that the next night the most terrible, tenth plague would come - the death of the firstborn. He ordered the prophet to warn Jewish families so that on the eve of this deadly night they would sacrifice lambs and smear their blood on the doors of their houses, and roast the meat and eat it before morning. That night, the angels brought death to many Egyptian children, but they did not touch only those kids who lived in houses whose doors were marked with the blood of lambs. After these terrible events, Pharaoh allowed the Jews to leave Egypt, which put an end to their long slavery.

In memory of the “liberation” night, the Jewish Passover was established - Passover, which is rightfully considered one of the most ancient celebrations and began to be celebrated one and a half millennia before the period of the earthly life of Jesus Christ.

Old Testament traditions of the Jewish Passover

The exodus from Egypt was the beginning of not only the free life of the Jewish people, but also formed the basis for the emergence of its distinctive national awareness. Therefore, Passover has been the main Jewish holiday for thousands of years. The name "Passover" is translated from Hebrew as "passed by" and means that the angel of death passed the houses of the Israelites.

Jews celebrate Passover annually on the 14th day of Nisan. According to the Jewish calendar, it is the first month of the biblical year, and it usually falls in March or April of the ordinary, “civil” calendar. The dates of the Jewish Passover, as well as the Christian Passover, are transferable.

In Old Testament times, one of the main traditions was the sacrifice of a lamb or kid. This was done in memory of the night when the blood of a sacrificial animal saved Jewish children from the angel of death punishing Egyptian families. The end to this custom was put by Jesus Christ when, during the Last Supper, he broke the festive bread and raised a symbolic glass of wine.

Initially, in ancient times, Passover - Jewish Passover - was celebrated over a week, where the first and last days were holidays and weekends. Also, throughout this period, it was customary to refuse hard work and unpleasant responsibilities.

Nowadays, almost all over the world, Passover is celebrated for 8 days, and in Israel - 7.

This custom is due to the fact that during the period of resettlement of the Jews there was not yet a clearly established unified calendar, and they, fearing to miss a memorable date, celebrated all holidays for two days. And in this case, the first two and last two days of the holiday period are the weekend.

Passover today: festive meal and other customs

Preparations for the holiday begin in advance.

1. Jews collect all leavened products throughout the house, which are burned before the onset of Passover, since during the entire holiday period they are forbidden to eat flour products made from fermented dough and can only eat unleavened bread.
2. Also, on the morning before the holiday, Jewish first-born men hold a symbolic fast. They make this sacrifice in memory of the miraculous salvation of Jewish babies during the deadly night preceding the exodus of the Jews from Egypt.

According to the Jewish calendar, the date change occurs not at midnight, but at sunset, so Jews begin to celebrate Passover in the evening. A special role here is played by the Seder - a special meal for which the whole family must gather, starting with the oldest members of the clan and ending with the kids.

The main attribute of the festive dinner is Jewish, which is baked in the form of flatbreads and called “matzo”. This dish is prepared in memory of the exodus from Egypt, when the Jews did not have time to wait for the dough to ferment, and they baked unleavened bread, which saved them from hunger during the journey.

In addition to matzo, the holiday dish must include such dishes.

Products	What do they symbolize?
Meat on the bone or chicken wing	Symbolizes the lamb sacrificed.
Boiled chicken egg.	It personifies the indestructible strength of spirit of the Jewish people, which only grows stronger from the trials it endures.
Maror (a type of bitter horseradish).	Served on the table in memory of the bitter life of the Jews during the period of slavery;
Haroseth.	This is a sweet, homogeneous mass of pureed fruits, nuts, cinnamon and wine. It symbolizes the clay from which the Jews made bricks during slavery.
Salt water in a wide bowl.	According to various interpretations, it symbolizes the tears of the Israelis shed during the torment in Egypt, or personifies the memory of the waters of the Red Sea, which first parted, letting the Jews through, and then closed, burying the Egyptian soldiers who were sent in pursuit of them.

During the Jewish Passover meal, Jews must taste all these dishes. At the same time, during dinner, the youngest member of the family asks the eldest four questions about the events of the memorable “liberation” night, and the head of the family answers them.

Despite their similar names, Jewish and Christian Easter are essentially two completely different holidays and are even celebrated at different times. On this day, Jews remember the liberation of their people from slavery and the birth of the Jewish nation, and among Orthodox Christians, Easter is an exclusively religious holiday in honor of the Holy Resurrection of Christ.

The first and seventh days (the first two days and the final two days in the diaspora) are holidays in the full sense ( Yom Tov), non-working days, like Saturday (but cooking is allowed); on other days - Khol x a-mo'ed(`holidays`) - work is allowed (with some restrictions).

Tradition associates the name “Passover” with the fact that God has passed ( passah) the houses of the Israelites, without touching them during the plagues of Egypt (Ex. 12:23–27). In ancient times, the word “Passover” was the name given to a one-year-old lamb or kid that was sacrificed on the eve of this holiday (Nisan 14 in the evening); it was roasted whole and eaten at a family holiday meal at night (Ex. 12:1–28, 43–49; cf. Deut. 16:1–8, where the calf is also mentioned). Anyone who, lacking ritual purity or being too far from the Temple, could not perform this rite on Nisan 14, could perform it a month later (Num. 9: 1–14); this is the second one ( Pesach Sheni), or little Passover, according to later terminology. Passover is also called hag x ha-mazzot('Feast of Unleavened Bread', see Mazza; Ex. 23:15; Lev. 23:6; Deut. 16:16), since on this holiday it is commanded to eat bread only from unleavened dough in memory of the fact that the Israelites, in Those who left Egypt in a hurry were forced to make bread from dough that did not have time to rise (Ex. 12:39).

The laws associated with Passover are formulated in the Talmudic treatise Psachim. Before the onset of Passover week, everything leavened (chametz) is collected in the house and in all other areas owned by a Jew and burned on the last morning before Passover (or sold to a non-Jew). According to rabbinic authorities, it is obligatory to eat matzah only on the first day of the holiday (the night of the 14th of Nisan), while on the remaining days of Passover week, according to the majority, it is only required not to eat leaven. Utensils used for chametz can be consumed on Pesach only after special treatment by immersion in boiling water (kh ha'ala); the dishes that are placed on the fire are heated red-hot; If the utensil cannot be treated in any of these ways, it is not used for Passover. Sometimes families keep special dishes for Passover.

On the first day of Passover, a prayer for dew is read in the synagogue ( tall) and completely - X allele (in the countries of dispersion, the X allele is read completely in the first two days, and on the remaining days of Passover - until the middle); on Saturday, which falls on one of the days of the holiday week, the Song of Songs is read in Ashkenazi synagogues; on the last day of Passover, H azkarat neshamot is read. This day is usually associated with the crossing of the Red Sea. In the synagogue liturgy, Passover is called the holiday of freedom ( hag x a-herut).

In Jewish communities it is customary to gather me'ot hittim(literally `money for wheat) or kimkha de fisha(in Aramaic, literally `Passover flour`); Initially, money was collected for flour for matzah, and later for the Passover table in favor of poor members of the community. In Talmudic times, anyone who lived a year in a given settlement was obliged to donate, and if he himself was poor, he could receive me'ot hittim. In medieval Europe, it was customary for the community's rabbi and seven prominent members to draw up a list of donors and recipients of charitable money.

According to some researchers, the holiday of Passover in its final form arose as a result of the merger of two originally independent holidays - the Passover ceremony itself and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It has been suggested that the Easter ceremony developed from rites performed by nomadic shepherds before moving from winter pastures in the desert to summer pastures in inhabited areas, and the custom of smearing doorposts with the blood of a victim - from a magical ritual to protect the herds. Initially, Passover was celebrated in the family circle (cf. Exodus 12:21) - first in tents, and with the settlement of the Israelites in Canaan - in permanent homes. After the centralization of the cult in the Jerusalem Temple by King Josiah, the celebration of Passover there became widespread (II Ts. 23:21-23; cf. Deut. 16:2,7). The custom of slaughtering a sacrificial animal, cooking and eating its meat at the Temple (II Chron. 30; 35:13–14; Jub. 49:16–20) apparently continued after the return from the Babylonian captivity. Later, when the number of participants increased, only the slaughter took place at the Temple, and the meal was served in private houses in Jerusalem (Ps. 5:10, 7–12, etc.). The Easter sacrifice at the Temple put an end to the ritual of smearing the doorframe with the blood of the victim: now it was sprinkled on the altar (II Chronicles 30:15–16; 35:11).

One of the oldest holidays, the history of which goes back thousands of years. The Jews themselves call it “Passover,” which translated from Hebrew means “to pass by” or “to pass by.” Answering the question of when the Jewish Passover is celebrated in Israel, it should be noted that it is celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Nisan, however, all dates of the Jewish calendar are floating, and therefore, according to the Julian style, the memorable event can fall on different dates, depending on the specific date. of the year.

Story: the holiday is associated with a historical event described in detail in the second book of the Torah, which in the Russian tradition is called “Exodus”. This is a biblical legend about the slave life of the Jews in Egypt, the persecution of a small people by the pharaoh and his priests, as well as the subsequent liberation. The concept of “passing by” is associated with God’s command to anoint the blood of the sacrificial lamb so that the angel of death could pass by the Jewish houses and kill only the firstborn of the Egyptians.

Researchers are convinced that the roots of Passover should be sought in two archaic and already forgotten agricultural holidays. One of them is associated with the new offspring of livestock, when the Jews had to sacrifice one lamb without visible defects, and the other with the first harvest. When collecting barley, people completely destroyed the old bread preserved in the house and baked flat cakes from the grains of the new harvest, which were called “matzo”.

The meaning of the holiday: holidays in Israel such as Passover have received not only a pronounced religious significance, but also another key point that modern Jews often forget about. Thus, in its essence, the Jewish Passover became a turning point in the formation of a separate nation and the subsequent national identification of Jews as a separate ethnic group.

Before the exodus described in the Torah, slaves were ordinary subjects of the pharaoh, although they retained some originality and religious specificity in relation to the rest of the inhabitants of Egypt. After leaving the territory of a powerful country, the Jews, led by leader Moses, became a real people with their own hierarchy and institutions, and after moving to the Promised Land they were able to found their own state, build the only temple to serve the Almighty and create the first royal dynasty in their history.

Celebration: Jewish Passover is traditionally celebrated over an eight-day period, and each day is characterized not only by certain religious rituals, but also by corresponding acts of believers. During the ceremony called the seder, each dish placed on the table symbolizes some episode associated with the exodus from Egypt. For example, matzah, baked in the form of thin and flat cakes, is associated with the unleavened dough that the Jews had to hastily take with them when they were forced to flee the pursuit of Pharaoh's troops.

Mandatory dishes include a mixture of nuts and apples, a cup of salt water, horseradish or bitter herb. They serve as a reminder of how the ancestors of modern Jews had to sculpt clay bricks during the construction of the pyramids, shed tears and experienced bitterness from a slave life and complete lack of rights. Jewish Passover is not only a feast; each meal is accompanied by a certain set of blessings and prayers, as well as the reading of psalms.

At the end of the ceremony, the phrase is heard every time: “Next year - in Jerusalem!”, which is associated with the completion of the “dispersion” among other nations and the return to the main religious rituals are carried out in synagogues, the rabbi reads the Song of Songs, and they are immersed in a joyful and festive atmosphere all the believers who should sing and dance, giving praise to the Almighty.

, 16 Nissan[d], 17 Nissan[d], 18 Nissan[d], 19 Nissan[d], 20 Nissan[d], 21 Nissan[d] And 22 Nissan[d]

Commandments

Kashrut for Passover

Chametz (leavened)

Such a “sale” is considered obligatory according to Halacha, with each owner having to put all the “chametz” he is selling into a box or box and assuming that at any time during the holiday a non-Jewish buyer can come and take or use his share. Likewise, observant Jewish shopkeepers sell all of their chametz to a non-Jew, fully aware that the new "owner" may claim his property. Jews sell all their chametz to their non-Jewish neighbors with the risk that the latter will not return it.

Formal search chametzah (« Bdikat chametz»)

After dark on the 14th of Nisan, a formal search for leaven is carried out (“ Bdikat chametz"). The head of the family reads a special blessing “on the elimination of chametz” (על ביעור חמץ - al biur chametz), after which he moves from room to room to check that there are no crumbs left anywhere. There is a custom to turn off the light in the room being searched and carry out the search using a candle, a feather and a wooden spoon: the candle effectively illuminates corners without casting shadows, the feather can sweep crumbs out of hard-to-reach places, and the wooden spoon used to collect crumbs can be burned together the next day With " chametz».

There is also a tradition before searching to hide ten pieces of bread carefully wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic film in the house. This ensures that the head of the family will find some chametz and his blessing will not be in vain.

Burning chametzah (« Biur chametz»)

The next morning, all leavened products found during the search are burned (“ Biur chametz»).

The head of the family announces any " chametz”, which was not found, “void” “like the dust of the earth.” If " chametz” will be actually found during Passover, it must be burned or made unfit for food.

Dishes for Passover

Due to the strict separation " chametzah"On Passover, religious Jewish families, as a rule, have a full set of dishes especially for Passover. Ashkenazi families who buy new utensils for the holiday first immerse them in boiling water to remove any traces of oils or materials that may contain chametz ( agalat kelim). Some Sephardic families who use the same glasses for Passover as they do throughout the year wash them thoroughly beforehand.

Fast of the firstborn

On the morning before Passover, the fast of the first-born men begins in memory of the salvation of the first-born of Israel during the “Execution of the First-born,” the tenth of the Egyptian plagues.

However, in fact, most firstborns fast only until the end of morning prayer in the synagogue. According to tradition, one who takes part in a meal on the occasion of a joyful event is exempt from the need to fast. Therefore, before Passover, there is a widespread custom of finishing the study of a section of the Mishnah or Talmud and, in honor of this, having a festive meal in the synagogue on the morning before Passover. Thus, all participants in this meal are exempt from fasting.

Passover sacrifice

During the existence of the Temples, on Passover a sacrifice was made in the form of the slaughter of an animal, which was called “ Korban Pesach" According to the Pentateuch, each family (or group of families if they are individually too small to eat a whole lamb) must partake of one lamb on the night of the 15th of Nisan. The lamb could not be slaughtered by someone who had leaven in his possession. The lamb was to be roasted and eaten along with the matzah and Maror (English)Russian- bitter herbs. It was forbidden to break the victim's bones. There should be nothing left of the victim until the morning.

However, after the destruction of the Second Temple, sacrifices were no longer made, so the story of “ Korban Pesach" is retold at the Passover Seder, and on the Seder plate it is symbolically represented " zroa» - fried lamb shank, chicken wing or leg, which is not eaten, but participates in the ritual.

Seder Passover

Celebration of Passover. Ukrainian popular print from the 19th century

The central event of the holiday is Easter evening ( Leil Haseder or seder-passover, or simply Seder / seder / sider).

The Seder is carefully regulated and consists of many elements. On this night, Jews must read the Passover Haggadah, which tells about the Exodus from Egypt, and have a Passover meal in accordance with tradition.

Reading the Passover Haggadah

On the first evening of Passover (outside Israel - on the first two evenings) every religious Jew must read the story of the Exodus from Egypt.

Four bowls

During the Seder there is an obligation to drink four cups of wine or grape juice. Grape juice is also considered wine and can be used at the Seder (especially for children and the sick) if it is prepared according to the kosher requirements for wine. This applies to both men and women. According to the Mishnah, even the poorest person should drink them. Each bowl serves as an introduction to the next part of the Seder. The four cups symbolize the four promises in the book of Shemot (Ex. 6:6-8):

6 Therefore say to the children of Israel:
I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their slavery,
And I will save you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments;

7 And I will take you as My people, and I will be your God, and you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of Egypt.
8 And I will bring you into the land whereof I lifted up my hand and swore to give it to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and I will give it to you as an inheritance. I am the Lord.

In addition to these four bowls, there may be an additional fifth bowl - “the bowl for Elijah”.

Afikoman

The meal ends with "afikoman" - the final dish. At the time of the Temple, the afikoman was the Passover sacrifice, and after its destruction, it was a piece of matzo, which is broken off at the beginning of the Seder. Afikoman is taken before partaking of the third cup - the cup of “redemption”.

Matzo

Machine made matzah.

The mitzvah requires eating at least one piece of matzo the size of an olive at the Seder. The Seder ritual involves several moments during the evening at which matzo is eaten.

Baking matzo

Matzah for the holiday is baked during the weeks leading up to the holiday. In Orthodox Jewish communities, men traditionally gather in groups to hand-bake special matzo sheets called matzo shmurah(“preserved matzo”, meaning that the wheat is protected from contact with water from the day it is cut in the summer until the matzo is baked for the subsequent Passover). The matzo must be baked for 18 minutes, otherwise the fermentation process will begin and the matzo will become non-kosher for Passover.

Maror

During the Seder, at various points in the ritual, it is prescribed to taste bitter greens (from