The Hebrew word for Passover is Pesach, a combination of peh and sach . The two words mean, 'the mouth speaks'. Passover is all about communication.

It all started with that communication from God to Moses or Moshe about the redemption of the Hebrews from their slavery under the Pharoah. This Holy communication guided the oppressed to freedom. For this act of redemption the Jews are so reverential to Him that they never write the word 'God' in full. Instead, they write G-d, afraid that the paper on which it is written may get trampled upon, however inadvertently. For God's name, YaHWeH, or JeHoVaH they use the tetragrammaton, YHWH, or JHVH. With the vowels absent, they cannot and do not pronounce His name.

(See also: Passover, Indian Festivals, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Including:

• Passover - Origins of the feast
• Passover - Observances
• Passover - Historical significance in Christianity
• Passover - Recent Gregorian dates

Read more here: » Passover: Encyclopedia - Passover

Passover is a Jewish holiday central to Judaism. Before the holiday begins, observant Jews will remove and discard all food with leavening (called chametz) from their households. Although many do a thorough job, so that not even a crumb remains, the law only requires the elimination of olive-sized quantities of leavening from one's possession. There is a custom to conduct a formal search for overlooked leavening, on the evening prior to the start of the holiday. This tradition is called bedikat chametz ("search [for] leavened"). Throu ...

See also:

Passover, Passover - Origins of the feast, Passover - Observances, Passover - Historical significance in Christianity, Passover - Recent Gregorian dates

Read more here: » Passover: Encyclopedia II - Passover - Observances

History of Christianity Jesus of Nazareth The Apostles Ecumenical councils Great Schism The Crusades Reformation The Trinity God the Father Christ the Son The Holy Spirit The Bible Old Testament New Testament Apocrypha The Gospels Ten Commandments Sermon on the Mount Christian theology Salvation · Grace Christian worship Christian ChurchIncluding:

• Passover Christian holiday - Meaning of Christian Celebration of Passover
• Passover Christian holiday - Variations Among Christian Observers
• Passover Christian holiday - External link

Read more here: » Passover Christian holiday: Encyclopedia - Passover Christian holiday

Chametz (חמץ) is the Hebrew term for "leavened bread". The word is used generally in regard to the Jewish holiday of Passover. Jewish law prohibits one from owning, eating or benefiting from any chametz during Passover. According to halakha, chametz is defined as any grain of wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt which has come into contact with water after having been milled, and subsequently left to ferment. The rabbis have defined the time needed for the grain or flour to ferment as 18 minutes. Therefore, matzo, which is the ...

Read more here: » Chametz: Encyclopedia - Chametz

Charoset or charoses (Hebrew: חרוסת) is a sweet, lumpy paste served during the Passover Seder. Known in Jewish cuisine, it is a favorite of children. Some people believe it is the tastiest thing eaten during the holiday. The consistency is intended to remind those participating in the Seder of the bricks and mortar their ancestors made as slaves in Ancient Egypt. There are as many recipes for charoset as there are Jewish families, but a typical recipe from the Eastern European (or Ashkenazi) tradition ...

Read more here: » Charoset: Encyclopedia - Charoset

Bo (בא – Hebrew for “go,” the first word that God speaks in the parshah, in Exodus 10:1) is the fifteenth weekly parshah or portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the third in the book of Exodus. It constitutes Exodus 10:1–13:16. Jews in the Diaspora read it the fifteenth Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in January or early February. Bo parsha - Summary. Bo parsha - The last plagues of Egypt. After seven plagues, God continued visiting plagues on ...

Including:

• Bo parsha - Summary
• Bo parsha - The last plagues of Egypt
• Bo parsha - The first Passover
• Bo parsha - The plague of the firstborn
• Bo parsha - Commandments
• Bo parsha - Haftarah
• Bo parsha - References in classical sources

Read more here: » Bo parsha: Encyclopedia - Bo parsha

Jewish services are the communal prayer recitations which form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book. Jewish men are required to pray three times daily and four times daily on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays (five times on Yom Kippur). While prayer alone is valid, praying with a minyan (quorum of ten adult males) is considered ideal. Many synagogues (particularly Reform and Conservative, and large Orthodox ones ...

Including:

• Jewish services - The prayers and their origins
• Jewish services - Backgrounds
• Jewish services - Text and language
• Jewish services - Quorum
• Jewish services - Concentration
• Jewish services - Weekday prayer services
• Jewish services - Shacharit: morning prayers
• Jewish services - Mincha: afternoon prayers
• Jewish services - Ma'ariv or Arvit: evening prayers
• Jewish services - Shabbat services
• Jewish services - Friday night services
• Jewish services - Saturday morning: Shacharit
• Jewish services - Saturday morning additional service: Musaf
• Jewish services - Saturday afternoon: Mincha
• Jewish services - Saturday evening: Maariv
• Jewish services - Services on Passover Shavuot and Sukkot
• Jewish services - Related customs
• Jewish services - Guide on etiquette for visitors

Read more here: » Jewish services: Encyclopedia - Jewish services

Coeliac disease (also called celiac disease, non-tropical sprue, c(o)eliac sprue and gluten intolerance) is a digestive disorder. It is characterised by damage or flattening to all or part of the villi lining the small intestine, causing scar tissue that cannot absorb nutrients. This damage is caused by exposure to gluten and related proteins found in wheat, rye, malt, barley and oats. Coeliac disease - Signs and symptoms. Damage to the villi reduces the ability of the intestines ...

Including:

• Coeliac disease - Signs and symptoms
• Coeliac disease - Diagnosis
• Coeliac disease - Tests
• Coeliac disease - Biopsy appearance
• Coeliac disease - Causes
• Coeliac disease - Pathophysiology
• Coeliac disease - Treatment
• Coeliac disease - Epidemiology
• Coeliac disease - Social impact
• Coeliac disease - Lifelong diet
• Coeliac disease - Coeliacs and the Eucharist
• Coeliac disease - Coeliacs and Passover
• Coeliac disease - Footnotes

Read more here: » Coeliac disease: Encyclopedia - Coeliac disease

A Jewish holiday or Jewish Festival is a day or series of days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called Yom Tov ("good day") or chag ("festival") or ta'nit ("fast"). Outside of a Jewish context, all Jewish holidays appear to be "religious holidays" but that is not actually the case. It is important to understand that Judaism is so old that it is simultaneously a religion ...

Including:

• Jewish holiday - Rosh Hashanah - The Jewish New Year
• Jewish holiday - Aseret Yemei Teshuva - Ten Days of Repentance
• Jewish holiday - Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement
• Jewish holiday - Sukkot - Festival of Booths
• Jewish holiday - Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah - Rejoicing with the Law
• Jewish holiday - Hanukkah - Festival of Lights
• Jewish holiday - Tu Bishvat - New year of the trees
• Jewish holiday - Purim - Festival of Lots
• Jewish holiday - New Year for Kings
• Jewish holiday - Pesach - Passover
• Jewish holiday - Sefirah - Counting of the Omer
• Jewish holiday - Lag Ba'omer
• Jewish holiday - New Israeli/Jewish national holidays
• Jewish holiday - Yom Ha'Shoah - Holocaust Remembrance day
• Jewish holiday - Yom Hazikaron - Memorial Day
• Jewish holiday - Yom Ha'atzma'ut - Israel Independence Day
• Jewish holiday - Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Day
• Jewish holiday - Shavuot - Pentecost
• Jewish holiday - The Three Weeks and the Nine Days
• Jewish holiday - Tisha B'av - Ninth of Av
• Jewish holiday - Tithe of animals
• Jewish holiday - Rosh Chodesh - the New Month
• Jewish holiday - Shabbat - The Sabbath יום השבת
• Jewish holiday - Variances in observances

Read more here: » Jewish holiday: Encyclopedia - Jewish holiday

Matzo (also Matzoh, Matzah, Matza, Hebrew מַצָּה maṣṣā), an unleavened bread, is the "official" food of Passover. According to tradition, when the Jews were leaving Egypt, there was no time for the bread to rise, and the resulting food was matzoh. For Passover, the ingredients for matzoh are flour and water. Five grains are forbidden for use during Passover in any processed form but dry-roasting and as matzoh: wheat, barley, spelt, rye, and either oats (according to Rashi) or two-rowed bar ...

Read more here: » Matzo: Encyclopedia - Matzo

Shavuot (Hebrew שבועות), ("[seven] weeks") (pronounced: shah-voo-OH-t) is one of the three Biblical pilgrimage festivals. It is a major Jewish holiday, and is also known as the Feast of Weeks. Greek-speaking Jews gave it the name Pentecost (πεντηκόστη) since it occurs fifty days after Passover. If you don't count Passover, the holiday is 49 days after Passover, which is a jubile ...

Including:

• Shavuot - Connection with harvest
• Shavuot - In Rabbinical literature
• Shavuot - The morrow after Sabbath
• Shavuot - Tikkun Lel Shavuot
• Shavuot - Floral decorations and confirmation
• Shavuot - Confirmation in Reform Judaism
• Shavuot - Date of the giving of the law

Read more here: » Shavuot: Encyclopedia - Shavuot

In the Christian story of the Passion of Jesus, Barabbas, actually Jesus bar-Abbas, (Aramaic Bar-abbâ, "son of the father"), was the insurrectionary whom Pontius Pilate freed at the Passover feast in Jerusalem. The penalty for Barabbas' crime was death by crucifixion, but according to all four Gospels there was a prevailing Passover custom in Jerusalem that allowed Pilate, the praefectus or governor of Judaea, to commute one prisoner's death sentence by popular acclaim, and the "crowd" (ochlos) — which b ...

Including:

• Barabbas - Jesus Barabbas
• Barabbas - Barabbas' crime
• Barabbas - Historicity
• Barabbas - Were Barabbas and Jesus the same person?
• Barabbas - A possible parable
• Barabbas - Other uses

Read more here: » Barabbas: Encyclopedia - Barabbas

Challah (חלה) or hallah, Barches (German and western Yiddish), Barkis (Göteborg), Bergis (Stockholm), khala (Russian), khale (eastern Yiddish) is a traditional Jewish bread eaten on Shabbat and Jewish holidays (except Passover, when leavened bread is not allowed). The association of challah with Judaism is most prevalent in the United States. Challah and similar rich brioche-like breads (often braided) are also traditional in many other co ...

Read more here: » Challah: Encyclopedia - Challah

5 BC - Events. The Birth of Jesus is traditionally placed around this time. The events of the Nativity therefore followed. 5 BC - Births. The birthdates of John the Baptist and Jesus are not actually known, but 5 BC is a common estimate for the date. The Passover feast (April 21) is often cited as a (possible) date for the birth of Christ, because he was a Messiah claimant, and the atonement of the sacrificial lambs (as Christ supposedly was like) took place during ...

Including:

• 5 BC - Events
• 5 BC - Births
• 5 BC - Deaths

Read more here: » 5 BC: Encyclopedia - 5 BC

The Agape feast was the Eucharistic celebration of the early Christians. While centered on the ritual of the bread and wine, it also included various other ritual elements, including elements of the Passover Seder and of Mediterranean funerary banquets, also termed Agape Feasts. Agape is one of the Greek words for love, particularly applied to selfless love. Such meals were widespread, t ...

Including:

• Agape feast - Agape in Freemasonry

Read more here: » Agape feast: Encyclopedia - Agape feast

The New Testament of the Bible depicts Jesus as the culmination of the Passover "Lamb of God"; therefore, some Christians continue to celebrate the Passover at its appointed time, but with different meaning from the Jewish celebration. As it is recorded in the New Testament, Jesus has become the sacrificed Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). The Christian view is that the Passover, as observed by ancient Israel, is a type of the true Passover Sacrifice of God that was to be made by Jesus, a prophetic memorial. As it was the commemorati ...

See also:

Passover Christian holiday, Passover Christian holiday - Meaning of Christian Celebration of Passover, Passover Christian holiday - Variations Among Christian Observers, Passover Christian holiday - External link

Read more here: » Passover Christian holiday: Encyclopedia II - Passover Christian holiday - Meaning of Christian Celebration of Passover

Passover Seder - Hadlakat ha-Nerot. Before the Seder begins, the Yom Tov (festival) candles are lit to signify the beginning of Passover. A bracha (blessing to God) is recited over the candles. Passover Seder - Kadeish blessings and the first cup of wine. Throughout a Passover Seder, each participant drinks four cups of wine. It is common for children to substitute grape juice for wine. The Kiddush bracha is recited. ...

See also:

Passover Seder, Passover Seder - The Seder order of the Seder, Passover Seder - Hadlakat ha-Nerot, Passover Seder - Kadeish blessings and the first cup of wine, Passover Seder - Ur'chatz wash hands, Passover Seder - Karpas appetizer, Passover Seder - 'Yachatz break the middle matzah, Passover Seder - Ha Lachma Anya invitation to the poor, Passover Seder - Maggid The telling, Passover Seder - Kos Sheini The second cup of wine, Passover Seder - Rochtza ritual washing of hands, Passover Seder - Motzi Matzah blessings for the matzah, Passover Seder - Maror bitter herb, Passover Seder - Koreich sandwich, Passover Seder - Shulchan Orech set the table, Passover Seder - Tzafun hidden matzah is eaten, Passover Seder - Bareich grace at the end of the meal, Passover Seder - Kos Shli'shee the third cup of wine, Passover Seder - Kos shel Eliahu ha-Navi cup of Elijah the prophet, Passover Seder - Hallel songs of praise, Passover Seder - Ruach spirit, Passover Seder - Kos R'vi'i Nirtzah the fourth cup of wine and acceptance, Passover Seder - External link

Read more here: » Passover Seder: Encyclopedia II - Passover Seder - The Seder order of the Seder

Pesach (Passover) commemorates the liberation of the Israelite slaves from Egypt. The first seder is after the 14th of Nisan since in Judaism, a day begins at nightfall, so the first seder is thus on the night of the 15th, the second seder is held on the night of the 16th of Nisan. On that night Jews start counting the omer. The counting of the omer is a counting down of the days from the time they left Egypt. until the time they arrived at Mount Sinai. No leavened food is eaten during the week of Pesach. Karaites start ...

See also:

Jewish holiday, Jewish holiday - Rosh Hashanah - The Jewish New Year, Jewish holiday - Aseret Yemei Teshuva - Ten Days of Repentance, Jewish holiday - Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement, Jewish holiday - Sukkot - Festival of Booths, Jewish holiday - Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah - Rejoicing with the Law, Jewish holiday - Hanukkah - Festival of Lights, Jewish holiday - Tu Bishvat - New year of the trees, Jewish holiday - Purim - Festival of Lots, Jewish holiday - New Year for Kings, Jewish holiday - Pesach - Passover, Jewish holiday - Sefirah - Counting of the Omer, Jewish holiday - Lag Ba'omer, Jewish holiday - New Israeli/Jewish national holidays, Jewish holiday - Yom Ha'Shoah - Holocaust Remembrance day, Jewish holiday - Yom Hazikaron - Memorial Day, Jewish holiday - Yom Ha'atzma'ut - Israel Independence Day, Jewish holiday - Yom Yerushalayim - Jerusalem Day, Jewish holiday - Shavuot - Pentecost, Jewish holiday - The Three Weeks and the Nine Days, Jewish holiday - Tisha B'av - Ninth of Av, Jewish holiday - Tithe of animals, Jewish holiday - Rosh Chodesh - the New Month, Jewish holiday - Shabbat - The Sabbath יום השבת, Jewish holiday - Variances in observances

Read more here: » Jewish holiday: Encyclopedia II - Jewish holiday - Pesach - Passover

If the day before Passover is Shabbat (the Jewish Saturday Sabbath), most authorities rule that the fast is set for the previous Thursday, and this has become common practice. This is because it is forbidden to fast on Shabbat (except for where Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat), and fasts are preferably not set for Friday. In such a scenario, the ritual of B'dikat Chametz (the formal search for forbidden leavening that is conducted before Passover) is set for Thursday night. Normally, it is forbidden to eat (starting from nightfall) before conduc ...

See also:

Fast of the firstborn, Fast of the firstborn - Origins, Fast of the firstborn - Meaning of the fast, Fast of the firstborn - Qualifications for fasting, Fast of the firstborn - Breaking the fast, Fast of the firstborn - Duration of the fast, Fast of the firstborn - When Passover begins after Shabbat, Fast of the firstborn - Status of the fast, Fast of the firstborn - Modern practice, Fast of the firstborn - Recommended reading

Read more here: » Fast of the firstborn: Encyclopedia II - Fast of the firstborn - When Passover begins after Shabbat