In the story of Pesach, we find many heroines. Two extremely courageous women, the miyalodot, the midwives, especially stand out. Pharaoh’s plan to destroy B’nai Yisrael with back breaking work fails and they are now reproducing quicker than ever. He decides to...
Traditionally, Ashkenazi Jews have the custom not to eat kitniot (legumes) on Pesach. There may be less of a selection in the stores in Israel of foods that do not contain kitniot but there is still plenty to buy. The army bases in Israel serve only food that does...
Now that the Jewish people have a sovereign State of Israel, should we return to the practice of bringing the Korban Pesach (sacrificing the Pascal lamb)?According to Machon HaMikdash, The Temple Institute, now that the exile has ended and we are back in the Land...
I came across a worksheet with a different version of Ma Nishtana and it really got me thinking about how much the State of Israel is taken for granted today.What is different in this generation than in all of the other generations? In other generations we were in...
In Shmot 12:17 we read “And you shall guard the matzot, for on this day I brought out your hosts from the land of Egypt. You must preserve this day for your generations, it is an eternal statute.”In the Talmud, Psachim 38b we learn that to fulfil the...
The Mishnayot in Pesachim, Chapter 10 outline the Pesach Seder. Mishna 4 states: “According to the intelligence of the son, his father instructs him. He begins with disgrace and concludes with glory, and he expounds from ‘Arami oved avi’, ‘a...
In memory of Shoshi Meltser, Shoshi bat Yitzchak z”l who passed away on the 9th of Nisan, May her memory be for a blessingPesach is a big travel time. A lot of Jews from abroad fly to Israel to celebrate in Jerusalem and a lot of Israelis take the opportunity...
In the 17th century when coffee was introduced in Western Europe, Rabbi Yaakov Reischer was asked if coffee can be used on Pesach or if it is considered kitniot (a category of legumes that are not permissible on Pesach for Ashkenasic Jews). After doing some...
In memory of Beatrice Landsman z”lWhen reading the Haggada, we come across the verse from Shmot 1:7 which describes the growth of the nation: “The children of Israel were fruitful (paru) and swarmed (va-yishretzu), multiplied (va-yirbu) and grew...
There is an opinion that Moshe is left out of the Hagada so that one would not make a mistake and confuse him with God or try to turn him into a deity (it is for this reason that we do not know his exact burial place as well).However, if you check your Hagada, you...
In Memory of Nehama Leibowiz on her YahrzeitWe begin the Magid section of the Hagada with the words: “Ha Lachma Anya…”, “This is the poor bread that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Anyone who is hungry, come and eat! Anyone who needs,...
The Four Generations According to Rabbi Yitzchak Nisenbaum, The “Arba Banim”, literally “ The Four Sons” at the Passover Seder can be looked at as “The Four Generations”: parent, child, grandchild and great...
We all know about the “four children” at the Seder, the wise, the wicked, the simple and the one who doesn’t know how to ask. But who is the fifth child? Just as we have four cups of wine with a fifth cup set aside for Eliyahu HaNavi, so too...
At the Pesach Seder we recite the following words “Arami oved avi…”, “The Aramite (Lavan, Yaakov’s father-in-law) attempted to destroy my forefather (Yaakov). Then Yaakov descended to Egypt and lived there in a tiny community. There...
According to the Mishna Brurah, women are obligated in observing all of the mitzvoth of the Passover Seder such as drinking the four cups of wine, reading the Haggada, eating matzah and eating maror(bitter herbs). The Gemara in Sotah 11b explains why women are...
Before the Mah Nishtana is recited, we lift up the matzahs and recite the words “Ha Lachma Anya…”, “This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt; let all those that are hungry enter and eat thereof; and all...