Pesach

The Seder night is accompanied by songs of freedom, greatness, and malchut, which form a contrast to the situation we could have sunk into had we remained in Egypt, as permanent slaves in the “house of slaves.” We set an atmosphere of “All Jews are the sons of kings” (Shabbat 67a) and “are fit to be kings” (Horiyot 13a).

What type of fast is ta’anit bechorot on Erev Pesach? If it is a real fast, why do people use a loophole (taking part in a siyum) to get out of it?

The preparations for Pesach intensify with Rosh Chodesh falling out on Shabbat and the reading of Parashat Hachodesh. Parashat Hachodesh is the first mention in the Torah of eating matza in connection to Pesach. Matza is presented as a food that is eaten along with the Korban Pesach and that is eaten throughout the duration of the seven-day festival. We also find that one must remove chametz on the “first day” because it is forbidden to eat chametz all seven days (Shemot 12:15).

“This month is for you the ‘head’ of months, the first of the months of the year it shall be for you” (Shemot 12:2). The Mechilta (Bo 1) comments on this: Moshe had trouble telling when the new month was considered to have come … until Hashem showed him the moon as it was renewed and said to him: “See the moon when it is like this and sanctify it.” The nations of the world count from Tishrei; Israel counts from Nisan. We have a tradition that Nisan is the month of liberation: “In Nisan they were liberated; in Nisan, they are destined to be liberated” (Rosh Hashana 11a).

Matza is a remembrance of freedom and serves as a reminder that all the ways of Hashem are reliable results that follow the true general nature of the Nation of Israel. True freedom is to develop according to the nation’s internal nature, without allowing the intermingling of foreign elements that disturb matters.