Holy Week - the Passover Seder

Exodus 12.1-4 [5-10] 11-14

Tonight, Monday of Holy Week is the first night of the Jewish Passover, a week of commemoration of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. It is a time for reflection on a miracle—when God enlisted Moses’ help to plead for the freedom of the Israelite slaves and sent ten plagues to persuade Pharaoh to let them go. The tenth plague was the slaughter of the firstborn in every Egyptian household. God instructed the Israelites to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb so that the angel of death would “pass over” their homes. They were also instructed to prepare to flee their captivity in Egypt. Indeed, they left their homes in such a hurry that they had to grab their bread before it had risen. In remembrance of their hasty flight to freedom, Jews do not eat any leavened bread during Passover. Hence the plentiful supplies of matzo in the supermarket lately!

Passover, along with Shavuot and Sukkot, is one of the three pilgrimage festivals, when Jews were required to be present at the temple in Jerusalem. Holy Week is also a week of remembrance—when Jesus and his disciples, all good Jews, traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover was arrested, tried and killed.

God’s instructions to Moses and Aaron for observing Passover are the first lesson we read on Maundy Thursday because Jesus’ last meal with his disciples was the Passover meal.

Tonight, Monday in our Holy Week, Jews all over the world will be sharing a special meal, the Passover Seder. Jewish Voice for Peace offers this seder as a way to reflect on the Jewish exodus through the experience of the Palestinians who have been forced to pay the price for the existence of the State of Israel.

As Rabbi Alissa Wise of Jewish Voice for Peace explains, “This Haggadah takes our responsibility to be part of the ongoing evolution of Jewish culture and ritual seriously, by re-imagining and re-creating rituals to speak to our highest ethical values and political lives and commitments. You will find in this Haggadah, inspired by the tradition: olives on the seder plate, ten plagues of the Israeli occupation, four cups of wine dedicated to education, solidarity, the BDS movement, and community, and feminine and non-gendered blessing formulations.”

Or click here for the Jewish Voice for Peace Haggadah

Prayer: Even if you don’t read the whole Haggadah, please use the prayer of repentance, Nakba Dayenu, on page 15.

[Passover news from Palestine: Israel’s military is preparing for the Passover by announcing a "general closure" of the West Bank which will last for ten days. The closure will prevent Palestinians with work permits, from entering Israel and Jerusalem until 11:50 p.m. on 26 April. An exception is the few Palestinians who were granted permits to visit the holy sites in Holy Week (story, “Jewish Freedom Holiday Restricts Palestinians,” Ma’an News). Israel is also closing entrances to Gaza during Passover (see story, Ma’an News). Read Maria Khoury’s article about Christian access to Jerusalem in Palestine Network News. Dr. Khoury was in Denver in February and spoke at a Sabeel program.]