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Happy Passover

themetfairy Mar 29 2010 02:35 PM

May it be a good one for all of us!

Kong76 Mar 29 2010 05:42 PM Re: Happy Passover

Gotta love Wikipedia ... The six traditional items on the Seder Plate are: * Maror and chazeret — Bitter herbs, symbolizing the bitterness and harshness of the slavery which the Jews endured in Egypt. Either horseradish or romaine lettuce may be eaten in fulfillment of the mitzvah of eating bitter herbs during the Seder. * Charoset — A sweet, brown mixture representing the mortar used by the Jewish slaves to build the storehouses of Egypt. In Ashkenazi Jewish homes, charoset is traditionally made from chopped nuts, grated apples, cinnamon, and sweet red wine. Sephardi recipes call for dates and honey in addition to chopped nuts, cinnamon, and wine. * Karpas — A vegetable other than bitter herbs, which is dipped into salt water at the beginning of the Seder. Parsley, celery or boiled potato is usually used. The dipping of a simple vegetable into salt water (which represents tears) mirrors the pain felt by the Jewish slaves in Egypt. Usually in a Shabbat or holiday meal, the first thing to be eaten after the kiddush over wine is bread. At the Seder table, however, the first thing to be eaten after the kiddush is a vegetable. This leads immediately to the recital of the famous question, Ma Nishtana — "Why is this night different from all other nights?" * Z'roa — A roasted lamb or goat shankbone, chicken wing, or chicken neck; symbolizing the korban Pesach (Pesach sacrifice), which was a lamb that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem, then roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Since the destruction of the Temple, the z'roa serves as a visual reminder of the Pesach sacrifice; it is not eaten or handled during the Seder. Vegetarians often substitute a beet, quoting Pesachim 114b as justification. * Beitzah — A hard-boiled egg, symbolizing the korban chagigah (festival sacrifice) that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem and roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Although both the Pesach sacrifice and the chagigah were meat offerings, the chagigah is commemorated by an egg, a symbol of mourning (as eggs are the first thing served to mourners after a funeral), evoking the idea of mourning over the destruction of the Temple and our inability to offer any kind of sacrifices in honor of the Pesach holiday. Since the destruction of the Temple, the beitzah serves as a visual reminder of the chagigah; it is not used during the formal part of the seder, but some people eat it with saltwater as the first course of the meal.

cooby Mar 29 2010 06:36 PM Re: Happy Passover

I LOVE that wine prayer shawl!

Valadius Mar 29 2010 06:37 PM Re: Happy Passover

The Mets Fan's Seder Plate: Maror and Hazeret - representing the bitterness we feel towards the MFYs, Phillies, Braves, and Yadier F. Molina. Charoset - representing the sweetness of victory and the team chemistry it requires. Karpas and Salt Water - representing the tears, of joy and despair, that the Mets equally engender. Z'roa - representing the broken bones, torn hamstrings, and pulled quads that inevitably pile up. Beitzah - representing the sense of renewal and hope that a new season brings.

themetfairy Mar 29 2010 07:14 PM Re: Happy Passover

I still love The Two-Minute Haggadah.

Fman99 Mar 29 2010 07:43 PM Re: Happy Passover

Happy Pesach to all my fellow Hebrews and Shebrews out there.

MFS62 Mar 30 2010 07:02 AM Re: Happy Passover

Zissen Pesach. (Happy Passover) Later

metirish Mar 30 2010 07:31 AM Re: Happy Passover

Happy Passover to you all.

themetfairy Mar 30 2010 09:21 AM Re: Happy Passover

[quote="cooby":199qd7wo]I LOVE that wine prayer shawl![/quote:199qd7wo] Thanks cooby :)

themetfairy Mar 30 2010 02:17 PM Re: Happy Passover

The White House Seder

Ceetar Mar 30 2010 02:49 PM Re: Happy Passover

[quote="themetfairy"]The White House Seder

That's cool, although I feel like someone, somewhere, will find a way to criticize it.

DocTee Mar 30 2010 09:00 PM Re: Happy Passover

Happy Passover to all. Just had a wonderful Seder with my family.

Frayed Knot Mar 30 2010 09:29 PM Re: Happy Passover

[quote="Ceetar"][quote="themetfairy"]The White House Seder

That's cool, although I feel like someone, somewhere, will find a way to criticize it.


Well sure, what with him celebrating Passover while being a Muslim and all.

seawolf17 Apr 03 2010 07:35 PM Re: Happy Passover

So our church had our version of the seder tonight. (We're Unitarian Universalists, which is truly the most kickass of all religions.) Despite all my Jewish friends, I'd never been to one; it was actually pretty neat. Tried matzo ball soup for the first time, which was a winner, and the chicken was very good. Thumbs up to the Jews.

themetfairy Apr 03 2010 08:28 PM Re: Happy Passover

That sounds like fun seawolf. I know that our Rabbi leads a seder for our local Catholic church about a week before Passover each year; my friends at the church have always had positive things to say about it.