What is the story of Passover and why is it celebrated? What happens during a Passover Seder and what is the meaning behind it? How do families personalize the Passover Seder? Why do Jews eat matzah and avoid leavened bread during Passover? How has the celebration of Passover changed over time? Can non-Jews respectfully attend or host a Seder? We'll answer these questions and many more in today's episode.
understanding Passover, history, traditions, and meaning behind the meal. Welcome to Wiser World, a podcast for busy people who need a refresher on all things world. Here we explore different regions of the globe, giving you the facts and context you need to think historically about current events. I truly believe that the more we learn about the world, the more we embrace our shared humanity. I'm your host, Allie Roper. Thanks for being here.
Hello, this is Matt and McKinley from History Dispatches. We are the father-son duo, bringing you the weird, the wild, the wacky, and the craziest tales from across time. From the Ice Bowl. To the Great Heathen Army. And the head of Oliver Cromwell. The same head they kept on a pike for three years? Yep. All here on History Dispatches. New episodes every weekday. Find out more at historydispatches.com or wherever you get your podcast app.
Welcome back to Wiser World. Today, we're diving into one of the most celebrated and meaningful holidays in the Jewish tradition, Passover. And whether you've just heard of Passover or maybe you've attended a Seder meal before, but weren't totally sure what it was all about. This episode is here to help you feel a little bit more grounded in the story, the traditions and the meaning behind it all.
This is not going to be fully comprehensive because it's meant to be a basic foundational layer of understanding. There are obviously deeper, deeper layers to every religious holiday or tradition. And each family will do it differently based on their family history, what sect of Judaism they belong to, where they're from. But my hope is that this gives us a starting point, a jumping off point. for learning and studying more about Passover on your own with a little bit more confidence.
And we'll talk about the origins of Passover, the rituals and foods that are part of the celebration. I will guide you through a sample Seder meal step by step. Then we'll talk about how it's changed and endured through thousands of years. And then I'll share some personal anecdotes from Jewish friends of mine. And we'll talk about how you could participate in a Seder meal respectfully, even if you're not Jewish. So let's start at the beginning.
Passover is one of the oldest and most important holidays in Judaism because it commemorates a defining moment in Jewish history, the Exodus. This was when the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. So according to the book of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible, the Israelites, who are descendants of a man named Jacob, whose name was changed by God to Israel,
had come to Egypt during a famine and had been welcomed. But generations had gone by and a new pharaoh come into power and forced them into harsh labor to build massive cities and massive structures for the Egyptians. And this lasted for generations, generations of enslaved Israelites. At one point, the Pharaoh was so scared of their growing numbers that he ordered all of the Israelite baby boys to be murdered, to be killed.
And one Israelite baby boy survived because his mother put him in a basket and sent him down the Nile River, where he was miraculously found by Pharaoh's daughter. And she had compassion and raised him in the palace. And his name is Moses. And when Moses was older, the story goes that he saw an Egyptian taskmaster who was beating a Hebrew slave, an Israelite slave, and he killed the Egyptian and fled Egypt.
And while he was living in exile, Moses encountered God in the form of a burning bush on Mount Sinai, and God called him to return to Egypt and lead the Israelites to freedom. Moses did go back and demanded that Pharaoh let his people go. By the way, this is a serious summary. There's so much more to this story. He did go back. He demanded that Pharaoh let his people go. And when Pharaoh refused, God sent a series of 10 plagues upon Egypt, each targeting Egyptian society and religious beliefs.
At the time, like the Nile turned to blood, there were frogs, lice, wild animals that took over the land, diseased livestock, boils on their skin, plagues of locusts, and darkness that covered the land. And each plague became more intense than the last because Pharaoh was very stubborn. And the final and most devastating plague was the death of the firstborn. And this applied to everybody living in the land. But God instructed the Israelites to mark their doorposts.
of their homes with lamb's blood. So to sacrifice a lamb and then to take that lamb's blood. and place it upon the doorposts. So the plague would pass over their homes. That's where the name Passover comes from. And the angel of death passed over the homes that were marked with lamb's blood. sparing the Israelites, but the Egyptians did not do this. And so the angel of death killed the firstborn in Egyptian homes, including Pharaoh's own son.
And Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, beginning a long journey through the desert toward the promised land, as it's called. And this is called the Exodus, which means departure. meaning that exodus, that departure out of Egypt. Now, the Israelites fled Egypt quickly, but Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued them with an army and trapped between Pharaoh's forces and the Red Sea.
God commanded Moses to raise his staff and the sea miraculously parted, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground. And when the Egyptian army followed, the water crashed back and drowned them. And this miraculous escape is seen by anyone who believes in the Bible or Torah. as a defining act of divine salvation. And after the escape, the Israelites began their journey through the wilderness, and they received
Bread from heaven called manna, quail, water from rocks, provisions from God. And eventually they read. Mount Sinai, where God made a covenant or a promise with them and gave them the Ten Commandments and more directions, which form the basis of Jewish law and identity in the past as well as today. So at its core, Passover is about freedom. It's about faith and the enduring hope for liberation from oppression.
But the Exodus is not just only a story of liberation. It's also about spiritual rebirth because the Israelites were transformed from a group of oppressed, enslaved peoples. into a covenantal people with a divine mission. And so it is remembered in Jewish prayers weekly on their Sabbath day. and most intensely during Passover. This is a deeply spiritual time, but it's also grounded in storytelling, food, family, and tradition.
Passover usually falls in March or April, depending on the year, and that's because it's based on the Hebrew calendar, which is a lunisolar calendar, meaning that it tracks both the sun and the moon. And this timing also connects. the holiday to agricultural themes. It's a season of renewal and new beginnings, which again goes with the theme. And the holiday lasts for seven to eight days, depending on your community and where you live in the world.
And during that time, Jewish families all over the world gather to remember the story of the Exodus and to reflect on themes of justice and identity and freedom. The heart of Passover observance is the Seder meal. Seder means order in Hebrew, and it's a special meal held on the first night of Passover or the first two nights, depending on what tradition, but usually the first night of Passover.
And it's more than just dinner. It's a ritual that is designed to retell and relive the story of the Exodus. It's meant to be an immersive experience. It follows a set sequence of blessings stories, questions, and symbolic foods to pass down the memory of liberation from generation to generation, because the guiding principle of the night comes from Exodus 13.8. which is, you shall tell your child on that day, it is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.
A typical Seder can last several hours, even late into the night, but there's food, wine, lots of singing along the way, and the whole evening is guided by a book called the Haggadah. which has many different pronunciations depending on where in the world you live. Some people pronounce it Haggadah, Haggadah, Haggadah, with more emphasis on the end. Really, what's most important is that you understand that this book lays out the story of the Exodus and also the order of the evening.
So the Haggadah ensures that everyone, especially children, participate in the retelling of the Exodus as if they themselves were experiencing it. So the main section of the Haggadah includes the story of oppression and liberation, the explanation of every item on the Seder plate, quotes from the Torah. insights from ancient rabbis, and even a song called the Dayenu, which is a song of gratitude that lists every step of deliverance and then thanks God for them.
It also includes four key questions that are asked by the youngest child at the table. And these questions prompt discussion about why this night is different from all other nights. And we'll talk a little bit more about that in a second. But what you should know is that it's a meaningful, interactive tradition that encourages people to ask themselves, what would it be like to be enslaved? Or what does freedom mean to me or to us today?
So let's dig into the meal a little bit. So it takes a shape in our minds. The Seder plate holds six symbolic foods, and then there's also matzah. But there's six symbolic foods that tell a different part of the Passover story. The first is bitter herbs. This is often horseradish, and that symbolizes the bitterness of slavery.
Then there's this sweet mix of apples, nuts, wine, and spices that represents the mortar that was used by the enslaved Israelites in their massive building projects in Egypt. Personally, this is my favorite part of the Seder meal. I think it's really tasty. The third thing is a green vegetable. It's usually parsley, and it's dipped in salt water to recall the tears of the Israelites during their bondage.
The fourth is a roasted shank bone that symbolizes the Passover sacrifice. Again, the lamb's blood, right? Typically, the bone used is a lamb bone, but other animal bones can be used. And this is not eaten. This is just used as a symbol since eating roasted lamb on Passover could be seen as... trying to replicate the sacrifice of the lamb, which is not done without a temple. So all of the rest of the food on the plate is usually eaten, but this one's not.
The other foods on the plate are a roasted egg, and that represents morning and also represents the cycle of life. And then there's sometimes a second bitter herb used in certain traditions. And there's also matzah, which is an unleavened bread. And this plays a starring role. The Israelites had to leave Egypt so quickly, right?
They left so quickly that they didn't have time to let their bread rise. So they made flat, unleavened bread instead. And eating matzah during Passover is a way of honoring that part of this story. And then there's wine. There are four cups throughout the evening for each person. Each cup represents a different promise of redemption that was made by God in the book of Exodus. So in Exodus 6.
verses six through eight, God promises to first bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. Second, I will deliver you out of their bondage. Third, I will redeem you with a stretched out arm. And four, I will take you to me for a people and I will be to you a God. So each one of those promises is represented by a different cup of wine. A special cup of wine is also poured and placed in the center of the table, but it's not drunk by anyone. It's called the Cup of Elijah.
And it symbolizes the hope for future redemption. Because in Jewish tradition, the prophet Elijah is a figure who will return before the ultimate redemption of the world with the coming of a Messiah. And since Passover is all about freedom and redemption, and it's not just about the past, it's not just about leaving Egypt. but it's also about hope for future liberation, Elijah fits right in. And the cup more or less holds space for what's not done yet. Again, that future redemption.
And as we talked about earlier, the youngest child asks four questions throughout the meal, and each question opens a door to kind of tell parts of the Exodus story and usually starts with the phrase, why is this night different from all other nights? And each question, again, prompts the Haggadah to tell the story. So let's talk about these four questions. The first is, why do we eat unleavened bread? When you break the middle of the matzah,
It symbolizes hardship. And so usually families will break the middle of the matzah and then they'll leave one half hidden for children to find later. And this is called the afakomen. The second question is, why do we eat bitter herbs? And that's because the herbs remind us of the bitterness of enslavement. The third question, why do we dip our vegetables twice? And this is because the salt water represents tears, which shows suffering.
And then four, why do we recline while eating? Reclining while eating recalls freedom because free people reclined at meals in ancient times. So while the Haggadah text is traditional, many families use these questions with kid-friendly stories and skits and songs or even props.
For example, a friend of mine, Debbie, she said that her mom taught them the plagues with things like sunglasses for darkness or marshmallows for hail or sticky dots for boils. You get the picture, you can make it work for your family. And the Seder meal ends by looking forward to future redemption. There's that final cup of wine for the prophet Elijah. And then many families also end with a phrase that shows historical and spiritual hope, which is next year in Jerusalem.
And there's a couple of different interpretations of what this means, and it just kind of depends on the family. Since Jerusalem is the spiritual center of Judaism, where the temple used to be, and where the original Passover sacrifices were brought, Jews have typically longed for a time when there will be a temple there again. So it could be meant very literally. However, some families, some traditions...
Think of that phrase to be interpreted less geographically and more of a symbol of returning to holiness. Something like, next year there will be healing for a redeemed world. So that next year in Jerusalem can be interpreted different ways. But hopefully we're seeing now that yes, it's a meal, but it's a highly ritualistic meal with each item representing something different. It's like a story on a plate.
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It's why we've created a new podcast called Safeguarding Sound Science at the National Center for Science Education. I'm Matt Kaplan. on Apple, Spotify, Amazon or wherever you like to listen to great podcasts. Past, present, future is the History of Ideas podcast with me, David Runciman, exploring ideas from politics to philosophy, from science to fiction, where they come from, what they mean, why they matter.
We have series on the great political fictions, the great historical what-ifs, the history of bad ideas, and much more. How ideas change and explain our world. Twice a week, every week, wherever you get your podcasts. Now that we have a little background, let's create a Passover Seder meal together now, like a sample Seder meal, and we'll walk through how it could go.
Again, remember that there are different sects of Judaism. Each family is going to do it a little bit differently. This is a generalization to just help those who don't know anything about it to get the basics. But first, we would want to prepare the home or the space by cleaning it of all leavened bread products. Then we would set the table with a Seder plate. Some families have plates that are specifically designed for each part of the Passover meal, but you could also just use a normal plate.
Three pieces of matzah are wrapped. in a cloth or a special cover. And then there is wine or grape juice for each person. And again, there's four cups per person. There are copies of the Haggadah for each guest, and then a cup for Elijah the prophet. Then we would arrange the Seder plate with the different foods. We have the bitter herbs, the sweet paste, the vegetable, the shank bone, the roasted egg, and again, of course, the mutt.
that we just said on the table, right? Then someone would lead out the Seder. Traditionally, this has been the father or the oldest, most knowledgeable member of the family. But again, it really just depends on your family and the tradition that you come from. Then we would typically follow the 15 Seder steps, which are listed right in the Haggadah. And remember that each one has a symbolic meaning and also has a Hebrew word associated with it.
Because I do not speak Hebrew, I'm worried that pronouncing all 15 of these words, I'm just going to botch it despite all my practicing. So instead, I'm just going to explain each step and what happens in each step. So step one, there's a blessing made over the wine, and then we drink the first cup. Step two, there's a washing of hands without a blessing. Step three, dipping that vegetable in salt water, which again is the reminder of the tears.
of the enslaved step four you take that middle matzah remember there were three and then you you break it in half and the larger half is hidden for later Step five, we have the Exodus story and the asking of the four questions and the drinking of the second cup. Step six, we have washing hands with a blessing. Then step seven, we bless the matzah. Step eight, we eat the matzah. And step nine, we eat the bitter herbs as a symbol of being enslaved.
Step 10, we eat a sandwich of matzah and bitter herbs and that mixture of apples, nuts, and spices that represented the mortar. Then step 11, we have a big feast of regular food, which that can depend on family to family, but you're not just going to eat the Seder plate, right? There's also normal food associated with the meal.
Then step 12, the children go find that piece of that large piece of matzah that was hidden, the afekomen. They go find that. And then we eat that as the final food of the night. Then step 13, there's a special blessing and drinking the third cup and pouring the cup for Elijah. Step 14, usually singing songs of praise and drinking the fourth cup. And then the step 15 is we'd end the Seder meal with the phrase next year in Jerusalem.
Again, there's so much meaning to each step and people have spent hours and hours of their lives studying each step and understanding the deeper meaning. So I don't want to trivialize that in any way. This is kind of the basic idea of the night for someone coming in as an outsider.
Families would include personal stories of freedom or resilience they might reflect on current modern struggles for freedom. My friend Debbie said, quote, One of the goals is to instill a sense of responsibility to present day people and the next generation to remember the past and focus on pressing social justice issues of the current day in helping to free all enslaved people. End of quote. I thought that was really well put.
We also might tailor fit it to the group that we have, right? If we have a lot of children or a lot of first timers, we cater it to them and we possibly adapt. the Haggadah to shorten it maybe to meet their needs. And if we were a group of people who had grown up with Passover our whole lives, maybe we would go deeper into certain concepts.
I know that I attended a huge Passover Seder meal when I lived in Jerusalem, and it took hours, but it was catered to non-Jews, and I think that that helped me to grasp the concepts a little bit better because they kept it simple, but at the same time... I also recognized, okay, this is layered with a lot more depth and meaning than maybe I'm getting in this moment.
So now that we've talked about that first night of Passover with that Seder meal, let's briefly talk about the rest of the week. So during that whole seven to eight days, observant Jews don't eat any leavened bread. for the entire week. So that includes not just bread, but anything made with wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt that has to be allowed to rye. Instead, matzah takes its place and it's used not just during the Seder meal, but throughout the week.
in meals and in their snacks. I remember, again, when I lived in Jerusalem, it was impossible to find leavened bread in the Jewish quarter during that time. Many Jewish families also, again, they thoroughly clean their homes. And some of them even sell their leavened bread or they give it away beforehand. It's a spiritual and a physical preparation, kind of a way of resetting and starting fresh.
And then the rest of the week, there are some religious restrictions depending on what sect of Judaism the person belongs to. Some may work, some may travel or enjoy time off. Many Jewish families go on family outings or trips. And there are special readings of scriptures and attendance of synagogues.
And the last day of Passover, usually day seven or eight, depending again on where you live, it's kind of a capstone for the holiday. It's not as huge of a deal as the Seder, but it still has great significance. And usually... Exodus 14 through 15 is read in synagogue, which, again, kind of outlines that story of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, that moment of...
true liberation and freedom from oppression. Usually families will have big meals and nobody works that day and there's special prayers and then a memorial prayer that's given that day as well. And some traditions have very specific festive meals that are focusing on the coming of the Messiah. It really depends again.
on what sect of Judaism the person belongs to. But after nightfall on that last day, leavened bread can be eaten again. And many people celebrate with like a bagel or a croissant because it's an exciting time. Passover has been celebrated for over 3,000 years. That's really remarkable when you stop and think about it. This ritual of storytelling and sharing a meal has been passed down across centuries, continents, and cultures.
And it has evolved. The earliest Passovers were centered on animal sacrifice at the ancient temple in Jerusalem. But after the destruction of the second temple in 70 AD, Jewish leaders reshaped the holiday into more of a home-based ritual that we know today. And over time, the Haggadah has become more standardized. New customs have developed, like singing the Dayenu, which is a really catchy song.
But ultimately, Passover will likely continue to evolve, but it has stayed rooted in its central themes of deliverance and liberation and redemption. Again, it's more than just a meal. It's a ritual journey that invites its participants to feel that story of the exodus to remember slavery and to celebrate freedom and then to pass on those lessons. So it's intensely personal and familial. And at its heart, it's just more than an ancient story. It's about human longing for freedom.
and remembering oppression and then getting renewal upon redemption. And I also think it's really special on how it kind of taps into why we pass down stories and how those stories. who we are, right? I asked two friends to share with me their favorite traditions or memories of Passover, and they really delivered. The first is from my friend Merov, who I met
while our kids were learning to swim. And we just love chatting with each other while our kids were taking swimming lessons. And Merov was born and raised in Israel. And this is what she has to say about Passover. It's hard to choose just one favorite Passover tradition because I have so many that are close to my heart, but I'd love to share two special ones that I feel not many people know about.
The first takes place on the night before Passover Eve. It symbolizes the final cleaning of the house, making sure not even a single crumb of hametz, that's leavened bread, remains. Our whole family, uncles, aunts, cousins, would gather at my grandparents' house. My grandmother would carefully wrap seven pieces of bread in old newspaper and hide them all around the house.
Once everyone was ready, she'd bring out a large plate with a single candle burning in the center, and then she'd turn off all the lights. Together we'd walk through the darkened house, search for the hidden newspaper balls. We weren't allowed to turn on any lights until all seven were found. And somehow every single year the same thing happened. We'd find six.
but one would be missing. Smiling, we turned to my grandmother, the only one who knew the hiding spots, and asked for help. She'd think hard, trying to remember where she had hidden that last piece. It always took some time, but in the end, she would recall, and we'd all burst out laughing in relief. I remember those moments so vividly, us wandering through the house together, laughing, searching, a family united in this small but meaningful ritual.
My other favorite tradition is tied to the afikoman, the piece of matzah usually hidden at the start of the Seder for the children to find later in exchange for a reward. But my grandparents had their own special way of doing it. They too would wrap a piece of matzah in a dish towel, but instead of hiding it, they handed it to the youngest child. That child would carry it like a tiny backpack throughout the meal while the other kids tried to steal it.
If it was ever left unattended, it was playful, but also meaningful. It symbolized how our ancestors carried their blessings on their backs as they left Egypt. End of quote. Thanks, Verov. Her grandparents sound so great. I love it. Another story comes from my friend Debbie, who also helped me edit this episode. Thank you, Debbie. Debbie says, quote, growing up every year during my family Passover Seder, my dad had a very special tradition.
After the traditional Passover meal, when we got to the part of the Seder where you hide the afikomen, my dad would hide two pieces of matzah, one for me and one for my brother. Traditionally, you hide one piece. which children search for. And the Seder cannot continue until that piece of matzah is found.
My dad didn't want my brother and I to compete to find the Afikoman, so he hid one piece for each of the kids. And anytime additional children joined for the Seder, there would be a hidden piece for them too. Additionally, when we found it, we would give it to my dad, and in exchange, he would give us each a $2 bill. My family continues this tradition today.
Each year when we have a Passover Seder, I hide four pieces of the aphakomen, one for each of my children, that they search for. When found, I give them each a $2 bill. This is a cherished family tradition that helps make our Passover Seder fun and is a special time to remember my dad as he passed away before my youngest child was born.
We also had a shortened Haggadah with the retelling of the Exodus story. Everyone present at the Seder would read a paragraph and then the next person would read. It was a family joke that somehow my uncle Mike always seemed to get the shortest paragraph that simply read years past.
And that was the entirety of the words on the page. I guess the point to my sharing this story is that of great importance to a Passover Seder is the active participation of everyone present. It is meant to be experienced and lived a true practice of empathy. seeing what it is like to live in someone else's shoes rather than just being watched or talked about. Every person at a Seder should use their senses, including taste.
to experience the redemption from slavery to freedom, and then to relate that experience to current modern day suffering and captivity that exists in the world. It's a modern day call to action to remember that we too were strangers in a strange land and held captive and that we have a responsibility to social justice to free the enslaved. End of quote.
I'm grateful to Marov and Debbie for sharing their perspectives and stories with us because I think it adds so much value and personality to Passover. There's so many things to admire and apply about this. this tradition. And one thing I really admire is how flexible it can be for the group you're with, how different families cater it to themselves and add unique traditions to keep kids engaged. It's a really powerful thing to teach through ritual. I think it creates lasting memories.
And Passover does a great job of creating intergenerational unity through storytelling. And I just think that's a really powerful thing. I've really loved learning about Passover with you today. If you're not Jewish, but you're invited to a Seder meal, go. Many Jewish families. warmly welcome guests from outside of the faith. It's a wonderful way to connect with community and to learn through experience.
If this episode helped you understand Passover a little more clearly or sparked your curiosity, I'd love for you to share it with a friend. And if you celebrate Passover this year, I hope you have a wonderful one. Please consider supporting the podcast on patreon.com slash wiserworldpodcast where you can get more resources. Like this time, I have a Seder guide that visually lays out everything that we've talked about. Plus you get ad-free episodes for as little as $3 a month.
You can also sign up for my free newsletter, which I send out when a new episode drops on my website, wiserworld.com. You heard that right. I have a new website. It's wiserworld.com instead of wiserworldpodcast.com. So thank you so much for supporting and sharing the podcast with your friends and family, for learning with me today about Passover, and I'll be back very soon with more on the world.