From: Marc in Belgium Dear Rabbi, I’ve been looking over the Haggada and there is a section that is not so clear to me. The passage reads, “And it is this that has stood by our fathers and us, for not one alone has risen up against us to destroy us, but in all ages[…]
From: Andrew in Paris Dear Rabbi, I am studying abroad this year and will be observing Passover for the first time without my family. I seem to remember something about first-borns fasting on the day before the holiday. Do I have to do this if I’m not in my parents’ home? Thanks. Dear Andrew, It[…]
From: Alicia in New Haven Dear Rabbi, If we clean the house of chametz before Passover, and then particularly the day before the holiday, why do we then hide pieces of chametz around the house before checking that night. Doesn’t that seem to defeat the purpose? Dear Alicia, On a strictly practical level, once we’ve[…]
From: Gloria in Chicago, Illinois Dear Rabbi, I remember as a child sitting at my family’s Seder and not being able to understand a word of what was going on because the Haggada was read in what sounded like Hebrew or Yiddish or both. Now that I am in college I want to make a[…]
From: Ian in Tampa, FL Dear Rabbi, Is there any special clothing to be worn at the Seder? I seem to remember my grandfather wearing all white. Dear Ian, In general, as on all festivals, we wear our finest clothing. One should try to the best of one’s ability to buy new clothing for one’s[…]
From: Steve in Ann Arbor, Michigan Dear Rabbi, I saw in a calendar that the Shabbat before Passover is called “Shabbat HaGadol”. Does this mean “The Great Shabbat”? What is the significance of this? Dear Steve, The Jews in Egypt on the eve of the Exodus were given their first mitzva (the Torah had not[…]
From: Marsha in NYC Dear Rabbi, Why is Moses’ name not mentioned in the Haggada? Dear Marsha, The Torah attests, “Moses was the most humble person on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). It should be no surprise, then, that the world’s humblest person omitted his name from the story, and instead he attributed[…]
From: Neil Reznik in Valley Forge, PA Dear Rabbi, Why is the afikomen taken from the middle matza during the Seder rather than from the top or bottom matza? Dear Neil, On the first night of Passover, we say two blessings over the matza. The first blessing, “hamotzi”, is the usual blessing we say when[…]
From: I. M. Burns Dear Rabbi I am living with my parents now and they do not keep mitzvot nor Shabbat nor the holidays. They are respectful but they just don’t know and can’t be bothered to learn. Passover is coming up. I am trying to arrange with them to go out to a kosher[…]
From: Roger H. in Walsall, UK Dear Rabbi, When and why did the tradition of reclining at the Passover meal begin? In the book of Exodus it seems that the people were instructed for all time to eat the Passover meal with sandals on their feet and staffs in hand as if ready to move[…]