The main Mitzvot of Pesach (Passover)

Passover is considered the oldest Jewish holiday for all our holidays, and it is one of the three festivals listed in the Torah. We celebrate the holiday marking the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt from slavery to freedom after decades in Egypt. As part of the holiday, we are obligated to follow many different commandments that are meant to be a reminder of the Exodus from Egypt. In this article, we will review the central mitzvot of Pesach.

The Korban Pesach – On the eve of the Exodus from Egypt, a sacrifice called “the Paschal sacrifice,” after which God commanded Moses to sacrifice this sacrifice for generations on the eve of Passover. It was customary to observe this commandment on the days when the Temple stood.

Chametz – Chametz is any food that made from one of the five kinds of grain that come into contact with water and has begun a process of inflation. During Pesach, any product in which a mixture of chametz is forbidden to be eaten and stored in the home. To fulfill the laws of chametz, it is customary to prepare for the holiday in advance by thoroughly cleaning the house and in the purification or sale of all the products that contain chametz.

Dishwashing – A few days before the holiday begins, it is customary to prepare the kitchen for Pesach. For this purpose, all the dishes from the use we made during the year with chametz food cleaned. To prepare the meals, a large boiler must be equipped with boiling water in it to which the chametz vessels are placed after they have undergone thorough cleaning before me. At the end of the boiling of the dishes, cold water must be poured on them, making them kosher for Pesach. In oTopare utensils for frying and baking, they must be transferred to the fire.

The joy of the holiday – One of the most important mitzvot on this holiday is to rejoice and delight all the family members: “A person must be happy in these good days, he and his sons and wife and sons. How? The little ones give them nuts and, the women’s garrisons buy them beautiful clothes and jewels … ” (Rambam Hilchot Yom Tov 15: 18-18).

Seder night and the reading of the Haggadah – On the first night of Passover, a festive family meal is held in which four glasses of wine are recited as a reminder of the redemption of the Jewish people and a Haggadah that tells the story of the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery to freedom. One of the main goals of the Seder is to convey to our children the tradition of the exodus from Egypt and to allow them to ask questions on the subject while receiving answers (this is also why our Sages chose to read the story of the Exodus from Egypt).

Seder Plate (Passover Plate) – On the Seder night, a bowl is placed on the table with the following dishes on it: three matzoth as a male to the bondage of Egypt, an arm with meat on it as a reminder of the Passover sacrifice that was sacrificed in the Temple, Which was forced upon the Israelites in Egypt, Charoset, which is reminiscent of the clay in which our forefathers and karpas worked as a male to the number of Israelites in Egypt who worked hard.

Afikoman – this word means “take out dessert” from Greek, symbolizing the end of the meal and the desserts. As opposed to regular meals, on Pesach, it is customary to eat the matzah before the end of the meal and not as anything else as a reminder of the Paschal sacrifice during the period of the Mikdash. The afikoman is the middle half of the middle matzah

“Kamcha Dafscha” – a custom that gives the public from the beginning of Nissan a charity to the needy so that they can observe the holiday customs.

It should be noted that Tefillin should not be put on Pesach, But we do wrap ourselves in a prayer shawl.

These are the main mitzvot of Pesach. Wishing you a happy and kosher holiday!