The Passover And Its Customs

"One lamb was slain for every household and the blood painted onto the lintels and door posts. This was done in order that the angel of Death would not slay the first-born son of the Jewish households, but only those of Pharaoh's people, whom God had warned He would judge," says the book of Exodus.

"'When I see the blood, I will pass over you,' the Lord told the children of Israel." During their exodus, the Israelites (Jewish slaves) would eat lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs before their departure. Each year, the Passover is celebrated to commemorate the children of Israel's deliverance from slavery nearly 3,450 years ago.

There are many customs associated with the Passover. The Kaddesh is the blessing of wine. Urechatz refers to the washing of the hands before eating the Karpas, which is a vegetable (like parsley) that has been dipped in salt water. Yachatz refers to the breaking of the matzahs.

The Maggid (also sometimes called the Haggadah) is the storytelling portion of the ceremony. A blessing is given and everyone drinks the wine, just before the Rachtzah (the second washing of the hands) and the Ha-Motzi blessing is recited over the matzah. Next, several other dishes are eaten.

According to the Torah, a Jew may not consume or even possess "Chametz" during the Passover. Chametz refers to any grain (wheat, spelt, barley, oats and rye) that has come into contact with water for more than 18 minutes.

In some traditions "Kitnyot" is also forbidden because it is very similar to Chametz, so no rice, corn, soybeans, string beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, mustard, sesame seeds or poppy seeds are allowed. It is sometimes said that Passover is "a feast without yeast." It can be confusing to know exactly what is or is not kosher, but most food labels alert consumers. This is what it means to be "kosher for Passover."

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