The Hebrew word for Egypt is Mitzrayim, which means the Narrow Place. It's also the same root as the word for labour pains. Birth imagery has been associated with Passover from the beginning, with the explicit mention of the month of Aviv, or spring in the Torah. The Sages refer to the splitting of the … Continue reading #blogExodus – Leaving
Tag: #blogExodus
#blogExodus – Asking
Why is this night different from all other nights? The youngest person present at the Seder has been asking that question for millennia. The rest of the evening is spent answering the question, beginning with the words "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt." But it is interesting that the answer is not given until … Continue reading #blogExodus – Asking
#blogExodus – Learning
Passover, as such, is not particularly associated with learning. The next Pilgrimage Holiday in the calendar, Shavu'ot, commemorates the giving of the Torah and is celebrated by learning, traditionally all night. But on Passover we are primarily occupied with doing and telling, not so much by learning. Still, there is no question that a lot … Continue reading #blogExodus – Learning
#blogExodus – Blessing
This prompt is interesting to me because it is actually quite difficult. While Passover has the usual blessings for a holiday (on candles, wine, handwashing, bread or Matzah in this case, the Shehechiyanu for a new experience), I can't, offhand, think of any particular blessing that is special to Passover. The entire holiday is one … Continue reading #blogExodus – Blessing
#blogExodus – Cleaning
I have to confess that house cleaning is not one of my favourite activities at the best of times. I have friends who find catharsis and calm in cleaning, but so far I have not been able to get into that zone. The commandment to rid our houses of leaven has been interpreted by many … Continue reading #blogExodus – Cleaning
#blogExodus – Matzah
Ah, Matzah. The bread of affliction. Sales of Kosher for Passover prune juice soar at this time of year, as the flat bread made of white flour and water leads to widespread dietary distress among the faithful. It is particularly an issue for those who try to maintain a gluten-free lifestyle. Matzah is quite literally … Continue reading #blogExodus – Matzah
#blogExodus – Chametz
There are so many layers to the idea of Chametz, the forbidden food of Passover, that I barely know where to begin. Let's start with one of the many, many times this commandment is given in the Torah: ื ืึทืฆึผืึนืช, ืึตืึธืึตื, ืึตืช, ืฉืึดืึฐืขึทืช ืึทืึผึธืึดืื; ืึฐืึนื-ืึตืจึธืึถื ืึฐืึธ ืึธืึตืฅ, ืึฐืึนื-ืึตืจึธืึถื ืึฐืึธ ืฉืึฐืึนืจ--ืึผึฐืึธื-ืึผึฐืึปืึถืึธ 7 Unleavened bread shall be … Continue reading #blogExodus – Chametz
#blogExodus – Slavery
The experience of slavery is a huge one in the Jewish consciousness. It may be overshadowed by the Holocaust in modern times, but it was formative of our thinking back in the times of the Torah and the Mishna, when most of our laws, philosophy and forms of prayer were solidified. The Torah reminds us … Continue reading #blogExodus – Slavery
#blogExodus – Retelling
Here I go again. Last summer I did a series of blog posts in the #BlogElul series, preparing for the High Holy Days. Now we are plunging into the last two weeks before Passover, which for many people is at least as important as those solemn days in Tishrei. I'm going to follow Rabbi Phyllis … Continue reading #blogExodus – Retelling