This Shabbat is the First Day of Pesach. Pesach has four different names in Hebrew: Hag Ha Pesach, (The Holiday of the Paschal Sacrifice), Hag Ha Matzoth (The Holiday of Matzha), Hag Ha Herut (The Holiday of Freedom) and Hag Ha Aviv (The Holiday of Spring or rebirth). Each of these four names for Pesach remind us that Passover is annual holiday of freedom, of connection to the past (through the retelling of the Exodus story) and hope for the future (through spring and rebirth).
We are always moving from slavery to freedom, from the past to the future, from despair to hope. Pesach reinforces our faith in life, our commitment to the moral mission of the Jewish people, and our belief that God and human beings, working together can make our world a better place. Just as we celebrate our ancient liberation, let us dedicate ourselves to bringing liberation to all people in our community and the wider world.
Pesach — Exodus 12:21 – 12:51 & Numbers 28:16 – 28:25, Torah Reading for the First Day of Pesach, Saturday, April 19, 2019
April 19, 2019 by Dean Kertesz •
This Shabbat is the First Day of Pesach. Pesach has four different names in Hebrew: Hag Ha Pesach, (The Holiday of the Paschal Sacrifice), Hag Ha Matzoth (The Holiday of Matzha), Hag Ha Herut (The Holiday of Freedom) and Hag Ha Aviv (The Holiday of Spring or rebirth). Each of these four names for Pesach remind us that Passover is annual holiday of freedom, of connection to the past (through the retelling of the Exodus story) and hope for the future (through spring and rebirth).
We are always moving from slavery to freedom, from the past to the future, from despair to hope. Pesach reinforces our faith in life, our commitment to the moral mission of the Jewish people, and our belief that God and human beings, working together can make our world a better place. Just as we celebrate our ancient liberation, let us dedicate ourselves to bringing liberation to all people in our community and the wider world.