Pesach Guide 2008.qxd - Chabad Lubavitch of Midtown Manhattan

NISSAN 14 –22, 5768 • APRIL 19–27, 2008
EXPERIENCE
PA S S O V E R
With Chabad
Lubavitch of
Midtown
Manhattan
How to
make a great
Passover
Seder
PAGE 9
Complete
Holiday
Schedule
PAGE 11
Dear Friend,
Passover celebrates the exodus and birth of the Jewish
People. It's beautiful traditions have been passed down in
an unbroken chain for over 3,300 years. Throughout our
history, the Passover Seder has always occupied a central
role in communities all over the world.
CONTENTS
3. The Passover
Story
This year, make sure you observe Passover and attend a
Seder. Engage all your senses in this dynamic and moving
experience. Enjoy the delicious food, aromas, songs,
sounds and sights of Jewish continuity in action. Feel the
passion of the exodus, taste the beauty of freedom, hear
the message of personal growth all brought to life at the
Seder. Take the time to fully engage yourself and your
family in Jewish life.
4. Extreme
Makeover:
Passover Edition
7. Matzah the
edible mitzvah
8. A Great
Passover Seder
Wishing you and your family a Happy Passover,
R ABBI JOSHUA & BROCHA METZGER
10. The Rest of
Passover
Chabad Lubavitch of Midtown
11. Dates, Times
& Blessings
S
pringtime reveals the natural forces dormant during winter, with
blossoms that grow into fruit. In our lives, there can also be an
unproductive frozen state of winter. With the right inspiration, this
winter can change into spring, and eventually ripen.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe points out that in Jewish life, this renewal is
symbolized by Passover, which comes in the spring.
The Jews were enslaved in Egypt for 210 years, and liberty seemed
impossible. Out of this bleakness came freedom, like the earth’s unfurling
after winter’s cold.
Our task is to elevate and transform all of life. Even routine functional activities, unavoidable and
seemingly immutable, can in fact be important spiritual pursuits. We eat food, for example, and use
the energy to serve G-d in our daily lives, which transforms the physical into something greater.
It was in the season of transformation that G-d performed the miracle of the Exodus, an incredible
change of circumstance. Life seems to be full of limits, but Passover teaches that these boundaries
can change, open, and we can blossom into a new state of being.
The publication contains sacred writings.
Please don’t desecrate it. However, it is not considered shaimos.
!2ß
© 2008 by The Shluchim Office,
Design & Photography © 2008 by Spotlight Design.
the
PASSOVER
story
THE MESSAGE
In the ancient Middle East, the cradle of
civilization, a child prodigy named Abraham
reasons his way through a universe of
profound, sweeping order, and arrives at the
Cause of all Causes —a power beyond
imagination, a presence greater than the
universe itself, an ultimate, infinite existence
that penetrates and surrounds everything.
In short, G-d.
So from childhood on, Abraham tells the
world about G-d. And communicating this
message becomes a sacred tradition among
his descendants—even when they end up in
Egypt for a couple of generations.
THE MESSENGER
It’s been over 200 years since great-greatgreat-great-grandfather Abraham figured out
that there is a G-d. But today, working day
in, day out, his throngs of offspring have
nearly lost their identity in the Egyptian
melting pot, where everyone worships the
man at the top, Pharaoh.
concerned, it’s the end of his tidy little
world. Naturally, he says, “No way.”
THE MIRACLES
Nature is predictable—or is it? An entire
country is brought to its knees as nature goes
supernatural, ten times – rivers turning to
blood, animals running mad, cataclysmic hail,
and darkness by day. When the plagues are
over, the Pharaoh gets the message: There’s
something bigger than you here. Abraham
and Sons, Inc. get back to business.
THE MISSION
Abraham and Sons, Inc.—a.k.a. the Hebrews or
the Jewish People (that’s the ancestors of you
and me)—take up the family business once
again, marching out of Egypt to collect the full
iteration of their handbook: the Torah.
The sacred tradition fades.
Between then and now, we’ve been hounded
all over the place because people tend to
resent the message. But we’re here, and all
those ancient civilizations and even recent
armies are not. Thousands of years later,
you’re reading this brochure.
So Moses has a revelation. G-d actually
communicates with Moses: “Be the
messenger. “Be my messenger. Tell Pharaoh,
‘Free My messengers so they can serve Me –
not you.’” But as far as Pharaoh is
The mission continues. As long as we hold
that torch aloft, living lives that shout out
our message, the world becomes a better
place—one day, one mitzvah and one moral
act at a time.
!3ß
Makeover
C
H
A
M
E
T
Z
FREE
ZONE!
P A S S O V E R
WHAT IS
CHAMETZ?
Chametz means
“leavened grain”:
any food or drink
made from wheat, barley,
rye, oats, spelt or their
derivatives that wasn’t
guarded against leavening or
fermentation. All Passover
long, we can’t possess,
consume, or profit from any
chametz.
Sounds strange? Look at the
historical context. When we
left Egypt, we left so fast we
didn’t have time to let our
Lock up the food
and dishes that
you use the rest
of the year.
E D I T I O N
bread rise before baking.
All we could pack was flat,
unleavened bread.
To remember this, G-d
commanded us through
Moses to purge our homes
and diets of any chametz
every year at this time.
PAINLESS
PURGING
Before Passover
we undertake a
full chametz searchand-destroy mission. Here
are some tips for “Home
de-chametz-ization”:
Stick to the chametz domain:
You only need to search
places where people
sometimes take chametz.
Quarantine it: Any room can
be sealed off for the eight
days, as long as you
remember to complete the
vital “Sale of Chametz”
mentioned below.
These may be chametz too:
Breakfast cereals, pasta,
crackers, cake mixes,
licorice, beer, whiskey,
vodka, vinegar and soy
drinks. (Ask your rabbi
about pharmaceuticals,
PASSOVERIZE
YOUR PANTRY
Going chametz-free-kitchen for
eight days means a major overhaul.
If you’ve never done this before,
call up an expert. You’re going to:
Do a kosherizing job
on counters, tables,
sinks, ovens and
stovetops to purge
them of whatever
chametz they’ve
absorbed through heat
and/or soaking.
Buy seasonal
replacements for
Passover—or have
your rabbi help you
kosherize pots,
pans and cutlery
that you’d like to
use for Passover.
Restack those
empty shelves with
Kosher for Passover
delights and
yummies.
!4ß
hygiene items and household
cleaners—they can get
complicated.)
Some favorite lurks for
chametz: Coat pockets
(especially the children’s),
laptop cases, backpacks, cars,
under cushions, kitchen
crevices, top desk drawers,
cracks in chairs and tables,
toys, and pocketbooks.
THE SELLOUT
You’re thinking, “What
about my Ballantine’s
30-year single-malt
whiskey, my homebrewed vinegars
and my kid’s ‘Cheerio-Man’ masterpiece?” The good
news is, you don’t
have to destroy all
your chametz: You
can simply render it not
yours for the duration of the
holiday.
Take all the chametz you can
find—the food, the drinks
and the utensils used
throughout the year (and not
koshered for Passover)—and
store them away in a closet
or room that you
will
SEARCH, BURN
& DISOWN
Bedikas Chametz, the ritual “Search”, is done the night
before Passover. The “Burn and Disown” part is done
the following morning. Since Passover begins Saturday
night this year, we perform the “Search” on Thursday,
April 17th, after sundown, the “Burn” on Friday
morning, and the “Disown” on Saturday morning.
Here’s how:
On Thursday night, at least one half-hour after sunset,
tightly roll ten pieces of chametz into paper wrappings
and hide them around the house (make sure you keep a list).
Get a paper bag, candle, wooden spoon and feather.
Gather the family, and say the blessing:
Baruch Atah Ado-nai Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam, Asher Kid’shanu
B’mitzvotav V’tzivanu Al Biur Chametz..
Blessed are You, G-d, our Lord, King of the Universe,
Who has sanctified us with His mitzvahs and commanded us
concerning the elimination of chametz.
Armed with the candles, scour every nook and cranny of
the house for crumbs and crusts, and those ten nuggets.
All incriminating evidence is swept by feather onto the
spoon and dumped into the paper bag.
When you’re done, the feather and spoon join the
chametz in the bag. Close it tightly. Then say:
DiYx©r¦a `¨lcE Dizing `¨lC ,izEWx¦a `¨M`C `¨ringe `xing l¨M
.`¨rx`c `x§t©r§M xw§td i
ed¤le lh¨A¦l ,Di¥l `p§r«ci `¨lcE
All leaven or anything leavened which is in my possession, which I
have neither seen nor removed, and about which I am unaware,
shall be considered naught and ownerless as the dust of the earth.
continued on next page >>>
lock or tape shut. You’re
going to sell the ownership
rights to that space and
!5ß
SEARCH, BURN & DISOWN
Continued from page 5
The next morning (Friday morning, that is), start a
bonfire and burn the entire paper bag along with any
other remaining chametz. (See schedule on page 11
for the final time for doing this in our locale.)
Normally the chametz-burning is done the morning
before Passover. But the bonfire is bumped up to
Friday, because the morning before Passover 2008
begins is actually Shabbat, when fire-starting is
prohibited. All your final pre-Passover chametz
consumption is actually Saturday morning. (See
schedule on page 11 for the final time for doing this
in our locale.) When you’re done, carefully flush all
those remaining crusts and crumbs away in the
lavatory. Then say:
,Dizifg `¨lCE DizifgC ,izEWx¦a `¨M`C `¨ringe `xing l¨M
,DiYx©r¦a `¨lcE DiYx©r¦aC ,Dizing `¨lCE DizingC
.`¨rx`c `x§t©r§M xw§td i
ed¤le lh¨A¦l
All leaven or anything leavened which is in my possession, whether I
have seen it or not, whether I have observed it or not, whether I
have removed it or not, shall be considered naught and ownerless
as the dust of the earth.
everything in it to a non-Jew.
This sale, legally binding by
both Jewish and civil law, is
handled by a competent
rabbi. He sells it all to a nonJew just before Passover and
then buys it back as soon as
the holiday is over.
HIT THE AISLES!
Any processed food you eat
on Passover (and year-round)
needs kosher supervision.
Today, that’s no big deal—the
supermarkets are filled with
“Kosher for Passover” products. Fruits, vegetables and
most things raw and unprocessed are kosher for
Passover (ask your rabbi
about beans and legumes).
One way to plan is to go real
healthy for eight days and
cook everything from
scratch. For a complete
guide to making your house
kosher for Passover, along
with a storehouse of knockout recipes, get your hands
on The Spice and Spirit of
Kosher for Passover Cooking
(LWO, 2003), available at
most Jewish bookstores.
You can also contact us with
any questions you may have.
!6ß
Matzah
the edible mitzvah
ACCORDING TO THE KABBALAH, MATZAH-EATING
HAS A PROFOUND EFFECT ON YOUR SOUL.
SO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THE REAL THING:
YEAR-ROUND MATZAH:
Made of chametz.
NOT kosher for Passover
under any conditions.
MACHINE-MADE
SHMURAH MATZAH:
Matzah made from flour that
was guarded from any moisture
from the time of harvest until it
arrives in your mouth, all for
the sake of the mitzvah. Almost
the ultimate matzah, except
for one detail…
MATZAH MADE WITH
FRUIT JUICE OR EGGS:
Only for Passover
if absolutely
necessary. But
not for the Seder.
MACHINE-MADE
MATZAH:
Generally okay,
but for the Seder
you want
something made
with the mitzvah in
mind. Machines don’t
have minds.
HAND-MADE
SHMURAH
MATZAH:
For the Seder,
you want
matzah that
was made
specifically for the
mitzvah of eating matzah at the Seder—
made by hand in a bakery where everyone
yells out, “For the sake of the mitzvah of
matzah!” before kneading, rolling or baking the dough. Want some? Call us.
!7ß
HOW TO MAKE A GREAT
? PASSOVER >
SEDER
SETTING THE STAGE—
RIGHT IN YOUR DINING ROOM
What’s the next best thing to a time machine?
A Seder. Because at an authentic Passover
Seder meal, you’re not just reenacting the
Exodus. You’re living it. You’re the
experience. You are there. Eating the
perfectly replicated and historically accurate
matzah our several-hundred-greatgrandparents ate. Telling the same stories.
Feeling the same anticipation. And having
the same spiritual experience.
GETTING AROUND ANCIENT
EGYPT—YOUR FRIENDLY GUIDE
Your trip back to the past (or is it the past’s
trip forward into your life?)
is demystified by
a handy handbook called the Narrative, or
Haggadah in Hebrew. As you relive slavery
and liberation right here in our high-tech
world, the Haggadah will tell you exactly
where you are, when, and why.
EXPERIENCING
PASSOVER YOUR WAY
Whether you’re a true believer, a diehard
skeptic, an innocent bystander or the guy
who doesn’t even notice anything out of
the ordinary, the
Haggadah speaks to you.
It even speaks to kids
(especially your inner
child), filled with
customs that make the
Seder stimulating.
!8ß
?1>
?2>
Start your Seder after
candle lighting time
(see page 11).
Recite special blessings
and prayers practically
every time you eat or
drink during the Seder.
?3>
Wine (or at least grape
juice spiked with a bit of
wine) lends that regality
the Seder deserves. That’s
why four cups of wine are
imbibed throughout the
Seder journey. Begin your
Seder with the first.
The Nitty-Gritty
The easiest way to make a great
Passover Seder is to come to one.
Chabad serves hundreds of
thousands every year at Seders
around the world. If you want to do it
at home, here’s a basic outline:
?4>
?5>
Kids want to know everything.
The Haggadah’s even got history’s first
FAQ: four classic questions that kids
ask at just about every Seder.
Your challenge? Use the Haggadah to answer your kids’
questions as meaningfully—and delightfully—as possible.
Taste the very past.
Eat at least one
ounce of a handbaked matzah
(about half a
matzah).
?6>
?7>
6. Brave those bitter herbs.
Consume a small but potent
amount of raw horseradish or
romaine lettuce. Agonizing?
Yup—and now you know what
slavery really felt like.
Now you’re in ancient
Israel. Reenact Passover
in Jerusalem’s Temple
with a matzah/bitter
herb sandwich.
?8>
?9>
Back to the present. Serve your
standard multi-course meal here.
And catch up with all your
friends and relatives over your
festive holiday dinner.
That was delicious, wasn’t it?
Thank G-d for good food.
Traditional prayers and songs of
appreciation come next—plus shmoozing on
all things Passover late into the night.
!9ß
COUNTDOWN
From the day we left Egypt, we
counted anxiously toward TorahReceiving Day—forty-nine days in all.
Since then, we do a replay every year:
we begin on the second night of
Passover and count the days and
weeks. Each day represents a higher
step in spiritual preparation for the
ultimate high that comes on the
Festival of Shavuot, which marks the
Giving of the Torah.
WINING AND
CRUNCHING
It’s customary to drink a
cup of wine on each day of
Passover. And don’t forget
the matzah—that’s what
Passover is all about.
WORK HOLIDAY
To mark the holiday as
sacred, no work is done
on the first and last two
days—and only necessary
work on the middle four days.
The Rest of Passover
PASSOVER IS EIGHT DAYS LONG. HERE’S HOW TO KEEP IT MEANINGFUL:
AN ALL-NIGHTER
REMEMBERING OUR
ANCESTORS
In a symbolic reenactment of its
own, we stay up as late as possible
on Passover’s seventh night—to
remember the
crossing of
the Red Sea.
Without our forebears, we not only
wouldn’t have Passover, we
wouldn’t be here. That’s why we
remember their souls on Passover,
with the special Yizkor synagogue
memorial service on the 8th day.
MOSHIACH’S FEAST
The Baal Shem Tov would make another symbolic
Seder late on the 8th day, calling it
The Feast of Moshiach—and you
can bet your local Chabad
center will be hosting one—
with another four cups of
wine. It usually starts
shortly before sunset.
! 10 ß
Dates & Times 2008
Thursday, April 17
Fast of the First Born
Formal search for Chametz
after nightfall
Friday, April 18
Burn Chametz before 11:47 am
Light Shabbat Candles at 7:21 pm
Say Blessings 1
Saturday, April 19
Eat Chametz until 10:39 am
Flush Chametz before 11:46 am
FIRST NIGHT OF PASSOVER:
Light Candles* after 8:23 pm
Say Blessings 2 & 4
Sunday, April 20
SECOND NIGHT OF PASSOVER:
Friday, April 25
Light Shabbat Candles at 7:28pm
Say Blessings 3
Saturday, April 26
Light Candles* after 8:31 pm
Say Blessings 2
Sunday, April 27
Yizkor Memorial Services
Yom Tov Ends at 8:32 pm
Monday, May 19
PESACH SHEINI:
Second chances are always
needed, take another bite of
Matzah.
Friday, May 23
Lag B’omer
Light Candles* after 8:24 pm
Say Blessings 2 & 4
Monday, April 21
Yom Tov Ends at 8:25 pm
* Light only from a pre-existing flame.
BLESSINGS
1. Baruch Atah Ado-nai
Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam,
Asher Kid’shanu
B’mitzvotav V’tzivanu
L’had-lik Ner Shel Shabbat
Kodesh.
2. Baruch Atah Ado-nai
Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam,
Asher Kid’shanu
B’mitzvotav V’tzivanu
L’had-lik Ner Shel Yom Tov.
3. Baruch Atah Ado-nai
Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam,
Asher Kid’shanu
B’mitzvotav V’tzivanu
L’had-lik Ner Shel Shabbat
V’Shel Yom Tov.
4. Baruch Atah Ado-noi
Eloheinu Melech Ha-olam
She-heh-chiyahnu
V’kiyemanu V’higiahnu
Lizman Ha-zeh.
Everything for Passover is just a click away
www.ChabadMidtown.com
! 11 ß
Chabad of Midtown
509 Fifth Avenue
ISRAELI COMMUNAL SEDER
Abigaels
1407 Broadway
MIDTOWN WEST
Prime Grill
60 East 49 Street
www.ChabadMidtown.com
For more information contact Chabad Lubavitch of Midtown:
509 Fifth Avenue, New York City 212-972-0770
Relive the exodus, discover
the eternal meaning of the
Haggadah, and enjoy a
community Seder complete
with hand-baked Matzah, wine,
and a wonderful dinner.
Celebrate your heritage in
a warm, welcoming
environment.
Sunday, April 20
SECOND SEDER NIGHT
Saturday, April 19
MIDTOWN EAST
3 LOCATIONS:
FIRST SEDER NIGHT
AT
PASSOVER SEDERS
JOIN CHABAD OF MIDTOWN FOR