Concept of Jewish Weighing or Passover

Concept of Jewish Weighing or Passover: History and Tradition

There are many celebrations carried out by believers of different religions worldwide, and Jewish Easter is one of them. If you want to know what Jewish Passover is as well as what is celebrated in Jewish Passover , this is the article for you.

Easter

Etymologically speaking, the word Easter appears in Latin as “Pascha”, in Greek as “Páscha”, and in Hebrew as “Pesah” which translates into Spanish as Pesaj, in accordance with the provisions of the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy. . And basically Easter means Step or Jump.

What is Passover

Jewish Passover, also known by the name of Pesach according to its Hebrew name, is a solemn holiday of Jewish origin through which the liberation of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt is commemorated. It is found described in the Old Testament of the Bible, specifically in the book of Exodus. It can be called Jewish Easter or Hebrew Easter, for the sake of differentiating it from Easter, which is the one celebrated by Christianity.

Formerly, Easter was a festival held by shepherds, in which they sacrificed a lamb to present it as an offering for the sake of asking for Fertility. Similarly, they celebrated the passage from winter to spring, and this took place after the first full moon of the spring season, when it came to the northern hemisphere.

Some time later, it became the celebration that is known today, that is, the commemoration of the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. It is so important that even today the Jews celebrate Easter, this being one of the main holidays where the great step that the Hebrew people took along the Red Sea, together with Moses, is remembered; This is the milestone that marks the consciousness of the descendants of Jacob, thus understanding their identity as a free nation and provided with a Law.

Within the framework of the celebration, the Jews usually have a family dinner that responds to the name of Seder, which will be explained in detail a little later. It should be noted that this family dinner is accompanied by symbolism and prayers, where the Jews profess their faith and devotion.

To fully understand what is celebrated in Passover, it should be mentioned that this holiday is one of the three Pilgrimage festivals of Judaism, since during the existence of the temple in Jerusalem, it was customary to make a pilgrimage to it and make different offerings.

During its celebration it is forbidden to eat foods derived from cereals such as oats, barley, rye and wheat; as well as fermented foods. Instead, it is customary to eat unleavened bread, called Matza; This is because tradition indicates that the Jewish people left Egypt very quickly, so there was no time to let the bread rise.

Date and Duration

Jewish Passover or Pesach begins on the 14th day of the month of Nisan, which in the Gregorian calendar generally falls in the month of April. Also known as the spring festival, it begins on the 14th of Nisan on the night of the full moon after the vernal equinox. To ensure that Passover does not begin before spring, it is hinted that the first day of Nisan could not begin until the barley was ripe.

In Israel, Pesach is a festival that lasts seven days, of which the first and last are sacred fiads in which there is a cessation of tasks, special prayers and festive meals that are shared with the family. In the diaspora, the festival lasts for eight days, with the first two and last two being sacred holidays. This additional day in the diaspora is respected according to the traditional, in order to correct possible existing calculation errors, and differences with the official calendar in Jerusalem.

biblical origin

Biblically, Jewish Passover and the precept of preserving its beautiful tradition is found in Leviticus, where it is called the Mazot festival, whose word is the plural of Matza, the term used to refer to unleavened or unleavened bread. characteristic of this festivity. In this sense, the Bible indicates the following:

In the first month, on the fourteenth of the month, between the two afternoons, Passover is for God. And on the fifteenth day of this month is the solemn feast of unleavened bread to God; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you will have a holy convocation; you shall do no servant work. And you shall offer to God seven days a fired offering; the seventh day will be a holy convocation; you shall do no servant work.

Thus, it is required that all leavening be discarded during the days of Jewish Passover, as well as it is customary to set aside a lamb or a goat without any stain, which would serve as a Passover sacrifice, in order to eat it after being roasted without removing its organs. internal. This preparation is served with Matzá, which is a type of unleavened bread, and some bitter herbs called maror.

In addition to this, the biblical precept stipulates that at that time the era in which the people were slaves in Egypt must be remembered, since the day must be a reminder and said feast must be observed for God, which must be transmitted from generation after generation to be observed and followed in subsequent years. In addition, it should be kept in mind that the people were able to leave Egypt thanks to the strength of the hand of God, who took them out of that place.

Seder

To find out what is celebrated in Jewish Passover, it should be noted that the first night is the celebration of the Pesach Seder, which consists of the traditional procedure that families follow in order to carry out their ritual. The Passover Seder dinner consists of preparing a meal consisting of unleavened bread or matza, leg of lamb, boiled egg, bitter herbs and other foods, which is accompanied by various toasts and prayers.

It is customary to always leave a plate, a cup and an additional place on the table, which is reserved for the prophet Elijah; In addition to this, the story of the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt is told, and as such its definition refers to a Paschal order.

christian easter

It is necessary to mention that Christians also celebrate an Easter, which is one of the most important commemorations for them throughout the year, since the passage of Jesus from death to life is celebrated, since he was resurrected on Sunday after spending three days died in order to save his people.

In this sense, it is convenient to distinguish the Jewish Passover from the Christian Passover, since they are not the same and although in the latter the believers do not usually prepare a specific meal, the Christian families do usually meet on Sunday to attend mass and commemorate the resurrection of Christ to save us.

Differences between Jewish Passover and Christian Passover

Jewish Passover and Christian Passover have a series of peculiarities that differentiate them from each other, namely, the main element of the Passover Seder is lamb and unleavened or unleavened bread, while in the Christian tradition bread and wine, as a representation of the blood and body of Christ who died for us.

On the other hand, the Jewish Passover celebrates the departure of the Hebrew people from their captivity in Egypt, while the Christian Passover commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ who saved his people and freed them from their sins.

Another difference is related to the dates on which both celebrations take place; On the one hand, the Jews celebrate their Passover from the fourteenth day of Nisan, while for the Christians the most important day is the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. In this sense, both dates may or may not coincide, but they generally take place between March and April.

Coincidences between Jewish Easter and Christian Easter

Both Passovers known in the world have a certain historical and religious relationship, since Christ died on the first day of the Jewish holiday in which the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt is celebrated, since this fact fulfills the ancient Hebrew law in what which refers to the Passover lamb that the Jews eat on the eve of the fifteenth day of Nisan. In this sense, Christ dies on the same day that the lambs are slaughtered according to the Passover tradition.

As can be seen, Jewish Passover is a celebration with a beautiful history that characterizes the Jews, who take care to carry out their procedure in accordance with what is foreseen in the Bible and as their traditions demand. More than sharing a family meal, it is showing respect and remembering that God saved them, helping them to leave the people of Egypt that had enslaved them for so long.

In addition, it has certain peculiarities that make it a very interesting commemoration, which year after year is rigorously followed in any place where Jewish families are, since they have also been forced to move to other latitudes; however, they remain firm in their faith over time.

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