The six traditional items on the Seder Plate are:
- Maror and chazeret - Bitter herbs (Grated Horseradish)
- Charoset- Charoset is traditionally made from chopped nuts, grated apples, cinnamon, and sweet red wine.
- Karpas - A vegetable other than bitter herbs, which is dipped into salt water at the beginning of the Seder. Parsley, celery or boiled potato is usually used
- Z'roa - A roasted lamb or goat shankbone, chicken wing, or chicken neck; symbolizing the korban Pesach (Pesach sacrifice), which was a lamb that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem, then roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Since the destruction of the Temple, the z'roa serves as a visual reminder of the Pesach sacrifice; it is not eaten or handled during the Seder in Ashkenazi and many Sephardi traditions. Vegetarians often substitute a beet, quoting Pesachim 114b as justification
- Beitzah - A roasted egg, symbolizing the korban chagigah (festival sacrifice) that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem and roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Although both the Pesach sacrifice and the chagigah were meat offerings, the chagigah is commemorated by an egg, a symbol of mourning (as eggs are the first thing served to mourners after a funeral), evoking the idea of mourning over the destruction of the Temple and our inability to offer any kind of sacrifices in honor of the Pesach holiday. Since the destruction of the Temple, the beitzah serves as a visual reminder of the chagigah; it is not used in any way during the formal part of the seder, but some people eat it with saltwater as the first course of the meal.
Did you know that during the week of Passover, the Jewish people are not only forbidden to have any leavened bread, but anything that may have traces of leavened bread such as cereals, and crackers?
Do you know why the Jewish people do not eat leavened bread during Passover?
Never eat leavened bread with the meat from this sacrifice. Instead, for seven days you must eat unleavened bread at this festival. (It is the bread of misery because you left Egypt in a hurry.) Eat this bread so that, as long as you live, you will remember the day you left Egypt.Basically the Jewish people do not eat leavened bread so that they can remember their ancestors coming out of Egypt.
Did you know that Passover is one of those traditions that brings the family closer together. Family gets together for Seders (Dinners), and we all have something in common during the week. We eat Matzoh, and lots of it.
Did you know that Passover lasts from Wednesday April 8th at sundown till Thursday April 16th at sundown. During this time No leavened bread shall be eaten.
Did you know the Jewish people are supposed to eliminate all products that contain leavened bread in their homes before sundown on the start of Passover?
Did you know that the Jewish people can not have certain leavening and fermenting agents, and things made with them, such as yeast breads, certain types of cake and biscuit, and certain alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages-but wine is an essential component of Passover. Specifically, five grains, and products made from them, may not be used during Passover-wheat, rye, barley, oats, and spelt-except for making matzo, which must be made from one of these five grains. This is because the oral law decrees they begin to ferment within eighteen minutes of contact with water. So, despite pasta not being a leavened product, macaroni products cannot be owned or used during Passover under this interpretation of Jewish Law. Ashkenazic rabbinical tradition also forbids the use of rice, most legumes and new world grains like maize (unknown to the old world when the Bible was written), because they might be made into bread (such as cornbread). Sephardic and other rabbinical traditions do not have this prohibition.
I just wanted to share with you the reason why Jews celebrate Passover or Pesach.
For all my Christian friends I wish you a very Happy Easter!!
David Serle
Vice President/Managing Broker
RE/MAX Services
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