Passover Themes

Passover is not just a Jewish festival of merriment and cheerfulness. Every year Passover brings a lot of stories and themes along with it. It is a reminiscent of the distress their ancestors went through during their slavery under Egyptians over 3,000 years ago! Every aspect of Pesach has a story to tell to the entire world! Another significant aspect of Pesach is that Hebrew slaves were in such a hurry that they couldn't wait for their bread to rise and had no option but to bake the dough into hard crackers in the desert sun. Passover is one occasion for Jews to educate their next generation about the rich culture and heritage that the Jewish community holds. From these historic stories, emerge some very auspicious Passover themes that grace the Seder Table with a lot of honor for the traditions and rituals associated with Passover. Some of the Passover themes are Redemption from physical and mental slavery, Creation of the Jewish society, Careful preparation of Seder meal and Repetition of patterns of four! Read through a brief description on each of these Passover themes

Best Passover Themes
Redemption
The theme of redemption is implicit to the festival of Passover. Passover marks the freedom of the Hebrew slaves from the slavery of Egyptians. Every year, during the Passover, Jews recite the story of their ancestors to their children who listen to it very curiously. In fact, redemption not only corresponds to physical freedom, but also relates to the mental and spiritual freedom.

Spiritual redemption reflects freeing oneself from the vices of narrow mindedness and selfishness. In fact, every aspect of the Seder meal such as the Cup of Elijah, which is placed on every Seder table, is a fine symbol of the presence and hope of future redemption. During Pesach, the Jews thank God for freeing them not only from the clutches of Egypt, but also freeing them spiritually from the constricted approach of selfishness and cruelty. In order to depart from Egypt entirely, each Jewish individual must overcome his personal narrowness, freeing himself to reach his full divine potential. In 'Haggadah' it is mentioned that it is the almighty God who liberated the Jews from the physical and mental slavery of Egypt.

Creation
Passover is also strongly connected with the theme of 'Creation'. Pesach is the time to celebrate the creation of the Jewish community after freeing themselves from the slavery and shackles of Egyptians. Passover is one of the four new years, according to the Jewish calendar. Nisan was traditionally the first month of the Jewish year and every year Passover begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nissan and continues for 8 days! The green 'karpas' and the roasted eggs on the Seder plate signify the joy of spring, rebirth and regeneration. Agriculturally also, Passover marks the commencement of the harvest season in Israel. As a newly created nation, the Jews began their expedition to receive Torah on Mt. Sinai.

Careful Preparation
Another theme during Passover is the careful preparation of the Seder meal after removing every single leavened grain out of the Jewish houses. Every part of the house as well as the utensils are thoroughly scrubbed to make them pure for Passover. Every bit of 'hametz' (yeast or leaven) must be discarded out of the house. This is to honor the Israelites who fled hurriedly into the desert with no time for their breads to rise and had no option but to bake the dough into hard crackers in the desert sun. Passover recipes proclaim the evolution of Israelites from slavery to freedom! In spiritual sense, the Seder meal manifests that on Passover one should get rid of the spiritual "hametz" such as egotism, immoderation, or self-assertion. The leavened bread is substituted by matzoh, the unleavened bread Jews eat during Passover. The bitter herbs, also known as ''Maror' on the Seder plate reminds the Jews of the harsh days in the lives of Israelites as slaves in Egypt and the Shank bone indicates the sacrificial lamb that was killed and eaten when the Holy Temple stood in Jerusalem.

Repetition Of Patterns Of Four
Another interesting theme of Passover Seder is the repetition of patterns of four. This is based on the verse in Exodus that states, "I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments; and I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God..." (Exodus 6:6-7). Among many other patterns of four at the Seder table, Jews consume four cups of wine, talk about four types of children and the Jewish children also ask four questions.

Passover has the power to infuse the virtues of inner freedom, love, goodwill and compassion among people. It enlightens the world with its spiritual messages and stories. In fact, every Seder dish narrates a story about the Exodus. Whatever themes you may follow, debates and elocutions at the Seder table are inevitable. By experiencing these wonderful Passover themes, you will live through the wonderful Jewish culture and phenomenal way of life!