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No new blog entries from this evening (Shabbat) to nighttime of April 4th at the earliest as we conclude the holiday of Passover (Chag HaMatzot / חג המצות / the Festival of Matzo).
As a reminder, when I spoke of Passover in an earlier post I explained that the word Passover is an English word used to describe two separate holidays. Pesach / פֶּסַח is Nisan 14 (1 day) in the afternoon, and ending on the 15th in evening – when the pesach / פֶּסַח / young goat or lamb offering was eaten (see Sh'mot / Exodus 12:3-14). The Torah then commands that we eat matzo (unleavened bread) and don’t eat chametz / any leavened food) for the next seven days: "Since matzahs must be eaten for [these] seven days, no leaven may be seen in your possession. No leaven may be seen in all your territories." Sh'mot / Exodus 13:7. See Sh'mot / Exodus 12:15-20, Vayikra / Leviticus 23:5-7 and Bamidbar / Numbers 28:16-18. Technically we've been celebrating the Festival of Matzo -- but it is known as the English word "Passover" for both Pesach and the eight day (seven in Israel) festival mandated by G-d. All Shabbats are special -- a weekly observance from sundown on Friday to evening of Saturday. This week's Shabbat is unique in that it is also the Shabbat of Passover, and this year it falls on the day before the last two days of the Festival of Matzo (Passover). Today is April 2nd, the 20th day of Nisan. At sundown it will be the 21st day of Nisan, beginning the 7th night of Passover... The last two days of Passover which this year will be April 3 - 4. Passover is celebrated for eight days (or 7 days in Israel). The 7th day marks the day we stood at the edge of the sea as the Egyptians rapidly approached... and the sea parted. Yom Shevi'i shel Pesach / וֹם שְׁבִיעִי שֶׁל פֶּסַח (the 7th day of the Festival of Matzo, Passover) concludes the holiday in Israel and it is a custom among many to stay up all night studying Torah in honor of this miracle. G-d commands that we mark this special day: "Eat matzo for seven days, and make the seventh day a festival to G-d." Sh'mot / Exodus 13:6. A festival -- a celebration. At sundown we will light the candles for Shabbat and Passover. We will recite prayers and mark the 6th day of the Counting of the Omer. Many will stay up all night studying Torah, in commemoration of the great miracle of the splitting of the sea. On Sunday, the final day of the holiday outside of Israel, we will also conduct the Yizkor memorial service following the Torah reading. Again: that means that this page will be unmanaged from this evening until (at the earliest) the night of April 4th. If you send me a message I will not see it until after that time. Thank you. Link to Chabad article on the last two days of Passover.
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