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85-471: Each of the six items arranged on the plate has special significance to the retelling of the story of Passover — the exodus from Egypt —which is the focus of this ritual meal. A seventh symbolic item used during the meal—the three matzos —is not considered part of the seder plate proper. The six traditional items on the Seder Plate are as follows: Maror and Chazeret – Bitter herbs symbolizing

170-430: A bet on the question of whether Hillel could be made angry. Though they questioned him and made insulting allusions to his Babylonian origin, they were unsuccessful. From the doctrine of man's likeness to God, Hillel deduced man's duty to care for his own body. According to Midrash Leviticus rabbah he said "As in a theater and circus the statues of the king must be kept clean by him to whom they have been entrusted, so

255-627: A clear commandment to include them in the category of chametz. Since the 19th century, the Reform movement has permitted eating kitniyot, and in 2015 the Conservative movement followed suit. Sephardi Jews have always permitted eating kitniyot on Passover. Gebrochts ( Yiddish : געבראקטס, lit.   'broken', also known as Hebrew : מצה שרויה, romanized : matzah shruya , lit.   'soaked matzah') refers to matzah that has absorbed liquid. Some Hasidic Jews avoid gebrochts as well, to avoid

340-658: A lamb, and inspect it daily for blemishes. During the day on 14th Nisan, they were to slaughter the animal and use its blood to mark their lintels and door posts . Before midnight on 15th Nisan, they were to consume the lamb. The English term Passover is first known to be recorded in the English language in William Tyndale 's translation of the Bible, later appearing in the King James Version as well. It

425-412: A non-Jew (who is not obligated to celebrate the commandments) in exchange for a small down payment ( e.g. $ 1.00), with the remainder due after Passover. This sale is considered completely binding according to Halakha, and at any time during the holiday, the buyer may come to take or partake of his property. The rabbi then re-purchases the goods for less than they were sold at the end of the holiday. On

510-459: A part of the whole, thereby showing that love of man Hillel taught. The feeling of love for one's neighbor shows itself also in his exhortation (Avot 2:4). How far his love of man went may be seen from an example that shows that benevolence must be given with regard to the needs of the poor. Thus, Hillel provided a riding horse to a man of good family who became poor, in order that he not be deprived of his customary physical exercise; he also gave him

595-578: A set of scriptural and Rabbinic passages dealing with the Passover sacrifice, customarily recited after the Mincha (afternoon prayer) service on the 14th of Nisan, and in the form of the zeroa , a symbolic food placed on the Passover Seder Plate (but not eaten), which is usually a roasted shankbone (or a chicken wing or neck). The eating of the afikoman substitutes for the eating of

680-462: A slave, that he might be served. The many anecdotes according to which Hillel made proselytes, correspond to the third part of his maxim: "Bring men to the Law." A later source ( Avot of Rabbi Nathan ) gives the following explanation of the teaching: Hillel stood in the gate of Jerusalem one day and saw the people on their way to work. "How much," he asked, "will you earn to-day?" One said: "A denarius ";

765-663: A small bonfire) is done on the next morning, the blessing is made at night because the search is both in preparation for and part of the commandments to remove and destroy all chametz from one's possession. Before the search is begun there is a special blessing . If several people or family members assist in the search then only one person, usually the head of that family recites the blessing having in mind to include everyone present: Hebrew : ברוך אתה י-הוה א-להינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על בעור חמץ , romanized :  bāruḵ attā aḏonāy Elohēnu meleḵ hāʿolām ʾəšer qiddəšānu bəmiṣwāṯāw wəṣiwānu ʿal bəʿor ḥāmeṣ The search

850-589: A state, and a Gentile . The offering had to be made before a quorum of 30. In the Temple, the Levites sang Hallel while the priests performed the sacrificial service. Men and women were equally obligated regarding the offering ( Pesahim 91b). Today, in the absence of the Temple, when no sacrifices are offered or eaten, the mitzvah of the sacrifice is memorialized in the Seder Korban Pesach ,

935-677: A thorough housecleaning to make their premises "kosher for Pesach" to cater to observant Jews. Some scholars suggest that the command to abstain from leavened food or yeast suggests that sacrifices offered to God involve the offering of objects in "their least altered state", that would be nearest to the way in which they were initially made by God. According to other scholars the absence of leaven or yeast means that leaven or yeast symbolizes corruption and spoiling. There are also variations with restrictions on eating matzah before Passover so that there will be an increased appetite for it during Passover itself. Primarily among Chabad Chassidim, there

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1020-510: Is a custom of not eating matzah (flat unleavened bread) in the 30 days before Passover begins. Others have a custom to refrain from eating matzah from Rosh Chodesh Nissan, while the halacha merely restricts one from eating matzah on the day before Passover. Kitniyot ( Hebrew : קִטְנִיּוֹת, qitniyyot ; literally "small things") refers to legumes, rice, maize, and other foods that are similar to grains. Ashkenazi Jews historically refrain from eating kitniyot on Passover, despite there not being

1105-627: Is a literal translation of the Hebrew term. In the King James Version, Exodus 12:23 reads: For the L ORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the L ORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. The Passover ritual is "a mitzvah commanded by Torah (rather than of rabbinic origin)." The Passover ritual

1190-757: Is forbidden during Passover. Yeast and fermentation are not themselves forbidden as seen for example by wine, which is required, rather than merely permitted. According to Halakha, the ownership of such chametz is also proscribed. Chametz does not include baking soda , baking powder or like products. Although these are defined in English as leavening agents, they leaven by chemical reaction, not by biological fermentation. Thus, bagels, waffles and pancakes made with baking soda and matzah meal are considered permissible, while bagels made with sourdough and pancakes and waffles made with yeast are prohibited. The Torah commandments regarding chametz are: Observant Jews spend

1275-574: Is rendered as Tiberian [pɛsaħ] , and Modern Hebrew : [ˈpesaχ] Pesaḥ, Pesakh . The verb pāsaḥ ( פָּסַח ) is first mentioned in the Torah 's account of the Exodus, and there is some debate about its exact meaning. The commonly held assumption that it means "He passed over" ( פסח ), in reference to God "passing over" (or "skipping") the houses of the Hebrews during

1360-475: Is special as it is the only element of meat on the Seder Plate, symbolizing the Korban Pesach ( Passover sacrifice ), or Pascal Lamb. It symbolizes the sacrifice of a lamb whose blood was painted on the doorway of Israelite slaves' houses so that the angel of death would pass over that house during the tenth plague. Beitza – A roasted egg, symbolizing the korban chagigah (festival sacrifice) that

1445-755: Is the sacrificial lamb During the existence of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in Jerusalem , the focus of the Passover festival was the Passover sacrifice, also known as the Paschal lamb, eaten during the Passover Seder on the 15th of Nisan. Every family large enough to completely consume a young lamb or wild goat was required to offer one for sacrifice at the Jewish Temple on the afternoon of

1530-505: Is the same date on the solar calendar, sometimes two days later, and sometimes an entire month later. In 2024, Rabbinical Passover begins at sunset on 22 April. On the calendar used by the Samaritans, 22 April 2024 is also the day of the Passover sacrifice. Karaite and Samaritan Passovers are each one day long followed by the six-day Festival of Unleavened Bread, for a total of seven days. The main entity in Passover according to Judaism

1615-413: Is then usually conducted by the head of the household joined by his family including children under the supervision of their parents. It is customary to turn off the lights and conduct the search by candlelight , using a feather and a wooden spoon: candlelight effectively illuminates corners without casting shadows; the feather can dust crumbs out of their hiding places; and the wooden spoon which collects

1700-470: Is thought by modern scholars to have its origins in an apotropaic rite unrelated to the Exodus to ensure the protection of a family home, a rite conducted wholly within a clan. Ezov was employed to daub the blood of a slaughtered sheep on the lintels and door posts to ensure that demonic forces could not enter the home. A further hypothesis maintains that once the Priestly Code was promulgated,

1785-419: Is to be set apart on 10th Nisan, and slaughtered at dusk as 14th Nisan ends in preparation for the 15th of Nisan when it will be eaten after being roasted. The literal meaning of the Hebrew is "between the two evenings". It is then to be eaten "that night", 15th Nisan, roasted, without the removal of its internal organs with unleavened bread, known as matzah, and bitter herbs known as maror . Nothing of

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1870-412: Is worthy of death; whoever exploits for his own use the crown (of Torah) perishes" (Avot 1:13). Only a few halachic decisions have been handed down under Hillel's name; but much of the oldest anonymous traditional literature is attributed directly to him or to the teachings of his masters. The fixation of the hermeneutical norms for Midrash and halakhic scripture exposition was first made by Hillel, in

1955-723: The Angel of Death to bring about the tenth plague , in which he would smite all the firstborn in Egypt . But when the angel saw the blood on the Israelites' doorframes, he would pass over their homes so that the plague should not enter (hence the name.) The story is part of the broader Exodus narrative, in which the Israelites, while living in Egypt, are enslaved en masse by the Pharaoh to suppress them; when Pharaoh refuses God's demand to let them go, God sends ten plagues upon Egypt. After

2040-481: The Enlightenment Age and Kant 's categorical imperative is practised to this day. The exhortation to love peace emanated from Hillel's most characteristic traits—from that proverbial meekness and mildness—as in the saying: "Let a man be always humble and patient like Hillel, and not passionate like Shammai". Hillel's gentleness and patience are illustrated in an anecdote that describes how two men made

2125-547: The Hebrew month of Nisan , which is considered the first month of the Hebrew year. The Rabbinical Jewish calendar is adjusted to align with the solar calendar in such a way that 15 Nisan always coincides with Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday. The Hebrew day starts and ends at sunset, so the holiday starts at sunset the day before. For example, in 2024, 15 Nisan coincides with Tuesday, April 23. Therefore, Pesach starts at sundown on Monday, April 22. Biblical Hebrew : פֶּסַח

2210-532: The Jewish people . A biographical sketch can be constructed that Hillel went to Jerusalem in the prime of his life and attained a great age. His 40 years of leadership likely covered the period of 30 BCE to 10 CE. According to the Mishnah , Hillel went to Jerusalem with the intention of studying biblical exposition and tradition at the age of 40 in 70 BCE. The difficulties Hillel had to overcome to gain admittance to

2295-615: The Metonic cycle . In Israel , Passover is the seven-day holiday of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, with the first and last days celebrated as legal holidays and as holy days involving holiday meals, special prayer services, and abstention from work; the intervening days are known as Chol HaMoed ("Weekdays [of] the Festival"). Jews outside of Israel celebrate the festival for eight days. Reform and Reconstructionist Jews usually celebrate

2380-624: The Torah whilst also working as a woodcutter. Hillel lived in Jerusalem during the time of King Herod and the Roman emperor Augustus . In the Midrash compilation Sifre , the periods of Hillel's life are made parallel to those in the life of Moses . At the age of forty Hillel went to the Land of Israel ; forty years he spent in study; and the last third of his life he was the spiritual head of

2465-478: The kiddush over wine is bread. At the Seder table, however, the first thing to be eaten after the kiddush is a vegetable. This leads immediately to the recital of the famous question, Ma Nishtana —"Why is this night different from all other nights?" It also symbolizes the springtime, because Jews celebrate Passover in the spring. Zeroa – Also transliterated Z'roa , this is typically a roasted lamb shank bone. It

2550-594: The "festival [of] the unleavened bread" ( Biblical Hebrew : חג המצות , romanized:  ḥaḡ ham-maṣoṯ ) in the Hebrew Bible , the commandment to keep Passover is recorded in the Book of Leviticus : In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at dusk is the LORD's Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD; seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread. In

2635-504: The "seven rules of Hillel," which, as is told in one source, he applied on the day on which he overcame the Bnei Bathyra . On these seven rules rest the thirteen of R. Ishmael ; they were epoch-making for the systematic development of the ancient Scripture exposition. Hillel's disciples are generally called the "House of Hillel", in contrast to Shammai 's disciples, the "House of Shammai". Their controversies concern all branches of

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2720-462: The 14th day of Nisan, and eat it that night, which was the 15th of Nisan. If the family was too small to finish eating the entire offering in one sitting, an offering was made for a group of families. The sacrifice could not be offered with anything leavened, and had to be roasted, without its head, feet, or inner organs being removed and eaten together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs ( maror ). One had to be careful not to break any bones from

2805-577: The Elder had eighty pairs of disciples, the greatest of whom being Jonathan ben Uzziel , while the least of whom was Yohanan ben Zakkai . Whatever Hillel's position, his authority was sufficient to introduce those decrees handed down in his name. The most famous of his enactments was the Prozbul , an institution that, in spite of the law concerning cancellation of debts in the Sabbatical year ensured

2890-571: The Exodus narrative took on a central function, as the apotropaic rite was, arguably, amalgamated with the Canaanite agricultural festival of spring which was a ceremony of unleavened bread , connected with the barley harvest. As the Exodus motif grew, the original function and symbolism of these double origins was lost. Several motifs replicate the features associated with the Akitu spring festival of ancient Mesopotamian religion , which celebrates

2975-665: The Feast of Unleavened Bread) stress the importance of remembering: In 2 Kings 23:21–23 and 2 Chronicles 35:1–19, King Josiah of Judah restores the celebration of the Passover, to a standard not seen since the days of the judges or the days of the prophet Samuel . Ezra 6:19–21 records the celebration of the passover by the Jews who had returned from exile in Babylon , after the temple had been rebuilt . Some of these details can be corroborated, and to some extent amplified, in extrabiblical sources. The removal (or "sealing up") of

3060-420: The Hebrew root חסה , meaning "to have pity". Cognate languages yield similar terms with distinct meanings, such as "make soft, soothe, placate" ( Akkadian passahu ), "harvest, commemoration, blow" ( Egyptian ), or "separate" ( Arabic fsh ). Pesach may also refer to the lamb or goat which was designated as the Passover sacrifice. Four days before the Exodus, the Hebrews were commanded to set aside

3145-462: The Israelites to mark a lamb 's blood above their doors so God will pass over them and the plague of the death of the firstborn will not afflict them. The biblical regulations for the observance of the festival require that all leavening be disposed of before the beginning of the 15th of Nisan according to Exodus 13:7 An unblemished lamb or goat, known as the Passover sacrifice or "Paschal Lamb",

3230-652: The Jewish law. During the Passover Seder (the annual commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt), one re-enacts ancient customs in the Haggadah . In the section of Korech , or ' sandwich ', participants are instructed to place bitter herbs between two pieces of matzo and eat them after saying in Hebrew: This is a remembrance of Hillel in Temple times—This is what Hillel did when the Temple existed: He enwrapped

3315-504: The Paschal lamb in the individual homes of the Hebrews and smearing the blood of the lamb on their doorways were celebrated in Egypt. However, once Israel was in the wilderness and the Tabernacle was in operation, a change was made in those two original requirements. Passover lambs were to be sacrificed at the door of the Tabernacle and no longer in the homes of the Jews. No longer, therefore, could blood be smeared on doorways. Called

3400-473: The Paschal lamb, the matzo and the bitter herbs to eat them as one, in fulfillment of the verse, "with matzot and maror they shall eat it." (Numbers 9:11). This sandwich apparently refers to traditional soft matzot rather than modern crisp matzot, and so would have borne a striking resemblance to a modern shawarma . In modern times, when there is no paschal lamb , the Babylonian Talmud requires

3485-659: The Passing Over '), is a major Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals . It celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt . According to the Book of Exodus , God commanded Moses to tell the Israelites to slaughter a lamb and mark their doorframes with its blood, in addition to instructions for consuming the lamb that night. For that night, God would send

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3570-410: The Seder Plate but is sometimes placed beside the plate or used as one of the six items, omitting chazeret. The salt water represents the tears of the Israelites when they were enslaved. Passover Passover , also called Pesach ( / ˈ p ɛ s ɑː x , ˈ p eɪ -/ ; Biblical Hebrew : חַג הַפֶּסַח ‎ , romanized:  Ḥag hapPesaḥ , lit.   ' Pilgrimage of

3655-541: The Torah be explained to him while he stood on one foot, illustrates the character differences between Shammai and Hillel. Shammai dismissed the man. Hillel gently chided the man: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn." This rule is commonly called the Golden Rule , which has been practiced by a wide range of peoples, and through Christianity,

3740-456: The afternoon. Jubilees states the sacrifice was eaten that night, and together with Josephus states that nothing of the sacrifice was allowed to remain until morning. Philo states that the banquet included hymns and prayers. The Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan , which at present falls between March 26 and April 25 of the Gregorian calendar . The 15th day begins in

3825-404: The bathing of the body is a duty of man, who was created in the image of the almighty King of the world." In this work, Hillel calls his soul a guest upon earth, toward which he must fulfill the duties of charity. In Avot, Hillel stated "If I am not for myself, who is for me? And being for my own self, what am 'I'? And if not now, when?" The third part contains the admonition to postpone no duty,

3910-489: The biblically mandated sacrifices for the Pesach holiday. The use of an egg in the seder is first attested in the 16th-century Shulchan Aruch commentary of Rabbi Moses Isserles , and it is not known when the custom began. It is not used during the formal part of the seder. Some people eat a regular hard-boiled egg dipped in salt water or vinegar as part of the first course of the meal, or as an appetizer. The egg also represents

3995-522: The bitterness and harshness of the slavery that the Hebrews endured in Egypt . In Ashkenazi tradition, fresh romaine lettuce or endives (both representing the bitterness of the Roman invasions) or horseradish may be eaten as Maror in the fulfilment of the mitzvah of eating bitter herbs during the Seder. Chazeret are additional bitter herbs, usually romaine lettuce, that are used in the korech sandwich. Charoset – A sweet, brown mixture representing

4080-529: The bitterness of slavery in Egypt) or potato (representing the bitterness of the ghetto in Germany and in other European countries), both commonly used. Participants dip a simple vegetable into salt water. Water then drips off the vegetables visually representing tears and is a symbolic reminder of the pain felt by the Hebrew slaves in Egypt. Usually, in a Shabbat or holiday meal, the first thing to be eaten after

4165-498: The circle of life: birth, reproduction, and death. Many decorative and artistic Seder plates sold in Judaica stores have pre-formed spaces for inserting the various symbolic foods. The sixth symbolic item on the Seder table is a plate of three whole matzot , which are stacked and separated from each other by cloths or napkins. The middle matzah will be broken and half of it put aside for the afikoman . The top and another half of

4250-583: The crumbs can be burned the next day with the hametz. However, most contemporary Orthodox authorities permit using a flashlight, while some strongly encourage it due to the danger coupled with using a candle. Hillel the Elder#Hillel Sandwich Hillel ( Hebrew : הִלֵּל Hīllēl ; variously called Hillel the Elder or Hillel the Babylonian ; died c. 10 CE) was a Jewish religious leader, sage and scholar associated with

4335-515: The development of the Mishnah and the Talmud and the founder of the House of Hillel school of tannaim . He was active during the end of the first century BCE and the beginning of the first century CE. He is popularly known as the author of three sayings: He came from Babylon to Israel, although he was descended from David . His descendent Judah haNasi traced his lineage through both

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4420-418: The evening, after the 14th day, and the seder meal is eaten that evening. Passover is a spring festival, so the 15th day of Nisan typically begins on the night of a full moon after the northern vernal equinox . However, due to leap months falling after the vernal equinox, Passover sometimes starts on the second full moon after vernal equinox, as in 2016. To ensure that Passover did not start before spring,

4505-461: The female lineage of the Tribe of Benjamin and the family of David . When Josephus speaks of Hillel's great-grandson, Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel I , as belonging to a very celebrated family, he probably refers to the glory the family owed to the activity of Hillel and Rabban Gamaliel Hazaken . Only Hillel's brother Shebna is mentioned; he was a merchant, whereas Hillel devoted himself to studying

4590-631: The final of the Ten Plagues of Egypt, stems from the translation provided in the Septuagint ( Ancient Greek : παρελεύσεται , romanized :  pareleusetai in Exodus 12:23, and ἐσκέπασεν , eskepasen in Exodus 12:27.) The Targum Onkelos , written in Jewish Babylonian Aramaic , translates pesach as Hebrew : וְיֵחוֹס , romanized :  wəyēḥos , lit.   'he had pity', coming from

4675-404: The first day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work. And ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days; in the seventh day is a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work. The sacrifices may be performed only in a specific place prescribed by God. For Judaism, this is Jerusalem. The biblical commandments concerning the Passover (and

4760-413: The first letter is "Tav", the next letter is "shin", etc. (the alphabet backwards). The convert said that this was different to what he had been taught the previous day. Hillel replied that in the same way you need an oral teaching to learn the written alphabet, so you need an oral explanation to understand the written Torah. The comparative response to the challenge of a prospective convert who asked that

4845-447: The great model to be imitated in his love of peace, in his love for his fellow man, and in his leading mankind to a knowledge of the Law (Pirkei Avoth 1:12). In mentioning these characteristics, which the aggadah attributes to Moses' brother, Hillel stated his own prominent virtues. He considered "love of his fellow man" the kernel of Jewish teaching. A gentile came to Shammai and asked how many Torahs there were. Shammai answered "two":

4930-519: The holiday over seven days. Karaites use a different calendar; they rely on visual identification of ripe barley and the date of Passover cannot be determined before this. Some modern Karaites follow the Rabbinical calendar in modern Israel because of social pressure. The Samaritans use a calendrical system that uses a different method from that current in Rabbinic practice; it sometimes

5015-634: The leaven is referred to in the Elephantine papyri and ostraca in an Imperial Aramaic papyrus letter from the 5th century BCE from Elephantine , Egypt. The slaughter of the lambs on the 14th is mentioned in Jubilees , a Jewish work of the Ptolemaic period , and by the Herodian-era writers Josephus and Philo . These sources also indicate that "between the two evenings" was taken to mean

5100-413: The middle matzot will be used for the hamotzi (blessing over bread), and the bottom matzah will be used for the korech ( Hillel sandwich ). According to one common interpretation, the three matzot represent "Kohen, Levi and Yisrael" (i.e., the priests, the tribe of Levi, and all other Jewish people). A bowl of salt water, which is used for the first "dipping" of the Seder, is not traditionally part of

5185-453: The mortar and brick used by the Hebrew slaves to build the structures of Egypt . In Ashkenazi Jewish homes, Charoset is traditionally made from chopped nuts, grated apples, cinnamon , and sweet red wine. Karpas – A vegetable other than bitter herbs representing hope and renewal, which is dipped into salt water at the beginning of the Seder. Parsley or another green vegetable. Some substitute parsley to slice of green onion (representing

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5270-404: The night of the fourteenth of Nisan , the night before the Passover Seder (after nightfall on the evening before Passover eve), Jews do a formal search in their homes known as bedikat chametz for any possible remaining leaven ( chametz ). The Talmudic sages instructed that a search for chametz be made in every home, place of work, or any place where chametz may have been brought during

5355-424: The offering, and none of the meat could be left over by morning. Because of the Passover sacrifice's status as a sacred offering, the only people allowed to eat it were those who had the obligation to bring the offering. Among those who could not offer or eat the Passover lamb were an apostate , a servant, an uncircumcised man , a person in a state of ritual impurity except when a majority of Jews are in such

5440-441: The original owner's possession in a locked cabinet until they can be repurchased after the holiday. Modern observance may also include sealing cabinets and drawers which contain "Chametz" shut by using adhesive tape, which serves a similar purpose to a lock but also shows evidence of tampering. Although the practice of selling "Chametz" dates back many years, some Reform rabbinical authorities have come to regard it with disdain – since

5525-505: The plague of the death of the firstborn. Moses said, “Thus says יהוה : Toward midnight I will go forth among the Egyptians, and every [male] first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the first-born of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; and all the first-born of the cattle. And there shall be a loud cry in all the land of Egypt, such as has never been or will ever be again; Before this final plague, Yahweh commands Moses to tell

5610-456: The possibility that a clump of flour that was never properly mixed with water (and thus is still susceptible to leavening) may come into contact with the liquid. Leaven or chametz may be sold rather than discarded, especially in the case of relatively valuable forms such as liquor distilled from wheat, with the products being repurchased afterward. In some cases, they may never leave the house, instead being formally sold while remaining in

5695-451: The practice of emulating Hillel's example by making a sandwich of matzo and maror (the "bitter herbs": either lettuce, endive, or horseradish). The maror, if lettuce or endive, is dipped in the meal's traditional charoset (a finely chopped sweet mixture of fruits and nuts; among Ashkenazi Jews it is typically made of apples, walnuts, red wine, cinnamon, and honey) just before the sandwich is made. In Ashkenazi families where grated horseradish

5780-512: The repayment of loans. The motive for this institution was the " repair of the world ", i.e., of the social order, because this legal innovation protected both the creditor against the loss of his property, and the needy against being refused the loan of money for fear of loss. A similar tendency is found in another of Hillel's institutions, having reference to the sale of houses. These two are the only institutions handed down in Hillel's name, although

5865-416: The sacrifice at the end of the Seder meal ( Mishnah Pesachim 119a). Many Sephardic Jews have the custom of eating lamb or goat meat during the Seder in memory of the sacrifice. Leaven, in Hebrew chametz ( Hebrew : חמץ ḥamets , " leavening ") is made from one of five types of grains combined with water and left to stand for more than eighteen minutes. The consumption, keeping, and owning of chametz

5950-420: The sacrifice on which the sun rises by the morning of the 15th of Nisan may be eaten, but must be burned. The biblical regulations of the original Passover at the time of the Exodus only also include how the meal was to be eaten: "your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly: it is a passover offering to יהוה ." The biblical requirements of slaying

6035-500: The same admonition he gave with reference to study: "Say not, 'When I have free time I shall study'; for you may perhaps never have any free time." The precept that one should not separate oneself from the community, Hillel paraphrases (referencing Ecclesiastes 3:4 ) in the following saying: "Appear neither naked nor clothed, neither sitting nor standing, neither laughing nor weeping." Man should not appear different from others in his outward deportment; he should always regard himself as

6120-462: The same subject. Some of Hillel the Elder's teachings remain commonly known. However, at least two other notable Hillels came after him, and some scholars have suggested that some sayings attributed to "Hillel" may have originated from them. The saying of Hillel that introduces the collection of his maxims in the Mishnaic treatise Pirkei Avot mentions Aaron HaKohen (the high priest ) as

6205-533: The school of Sh'maya and Abtalion , and the hardships he suffered while pursuing his aim, are told in the Talmud . Some time later, Hillel succeeded in settling a question concerning the sacrificial ritual in a manner that showed his superiority over the Bnei Bathyra , who were at that time the heads of the Sanhedrin . On that occasion, it is narrated, they voluntarily resigned their position as Nasi (President) in favor of Hillel. After their resignation, Hillel

6290-419: The second: "Two denarii." "What will you do with the money?" he inquired. "We will provide for the necessities of life." Then said he to them: "Would you not rather come and make the Torah your possession, that you may possess both this and the future world?" This narrative has the same points as the epigrammatic group of Hillel's sayings (Avot 2:7) commencing: "The more flesh, the more worms," and closing with

6375-429: The sowing of barley. Scholars John Van Seters , Judah Segal , and Tamara Prošić disagree with the merged two-festivals hypothesis. In the Book of Exodus , the Israelites are enslaved in ancient Egypt. Yahweh , the god of the Israelites, appears to Moses in a burning bush and commands Moses to confront the Pharaoh . To show his power, Yahweh inflicts a series of ten plagues on the Egyptians , culminating in

6460-410: The supposed "new owner" never takes actual possession of the goods. The sale of chametz may also be conducted communally via a rabbi , who becomes the "agent" for all the community's Jews through a halakhic procedure called a kinyan (acquisition). Each householder must put aside all the chametz he is selling into a box or cupboard, and the rabbi enters into a contract to sell all the chametz to

6545-414: The tenth plague, Pharaoh permits the Israelites to leave. This story is recounted at the Passover Seder by reading the Haggadah . The Haggadah is a standardized ritual account of the Exodus story, in fulfillment of the command "And thou shalt tell [Higgadata] thy son in that day, saying: It is because of that which the L ORD did for me when I came forth out of Egypt." Pesach starts on the 15th day of

6630-422: The tradition in ancient Israel held that the lunar new year , the first day of Nisan, would not start until the barley was ripe, being the test for the onset of spring. If the barley was not ripe, or various other phenomena indicated that spring was not yet imminent, an intercalary month ( Adar II ) would be added. However, since at least the 4th century, the intercalation has been fixed mathematically according to

6715-596: The weeks before Passover in a flurry of thorough housecleaning, to remove every morsel of chametz from every part of the home. Jewish law requires the elimination of olive -sized or larger quantities of leavening from one's possession, but most housekeeping goes beyond this. Even the seams of kitchen counters are thoroughly cleaned to remove traces of flour and yeast, however small. Any containers or implements that have touched chametz are stored and not used during Passover. Some hotels , resorts , and even cruise ships across America , Europe , and Israel also undergo

6800-677: The words that introduce the prozbul show that there were others. Hillel's judicial activity may be inferred from the decision by which he confirmed the legitimacy of some Alexandrians whose origin was disputed, by interpreting the marriage document ( ketubah ) of their mother in her favor. No other official acts are mentioned in the sources. According to the Midrash Hillel lived to be 120 years old, like Moses , Yohanan ben Zakkai , and Rabbi Akiva . Several of Hillel 's teachings are explained by comparison to what Shammai ( Hillel's principal adversary, rival or disputant ) taught on

6885-450: The words: "Whoever has acquired the words of the Law has acquired the life of the world to come." In an Aramaic saying Hillel sounds a warning against neglect of study or its abuse for selfish purposes: "Whoever would make a name (i.e. glory) loses the name; he who increases not [his knowledge] decreases; whoever learns not [in Avot of Rabbi Nathan 12: "who does not serve the wise and learn"]

6970-520: The written Torah and the Oral Torah. The gentile did not believe him and asked to be converted on condition he only had to learn the written Torah. Shammai sent him away. The gentile went to Hillel who converted him and then started teaching him the Torah(s). He started with teaching him the Hebrew alphabet : the first letter is "Aleph", the next letter is "bet", etc. The next day, Hillel taught him:

7055-479: The year. When the first Seder is on a Saturday night, the search is conducted on the preceding Thursday night (thirteenth of Nisan) as chametz cannot be burned during Shabbat . The Talmud in Pesahim (p. 2a) derives from the Torah that the search for chametz be conducted by the light of a candle and therefore is done at night, and although the final destruction of the chametz (usually by burning it in

7140-400: Was offered at the Temple in Jerusalem , is then roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Although both the Pesach sacrifice and the chagigah were meat offerings, the chagigah is commemorated by an egg, a symbol of mourning (as eggs are the first thing served to mourners after a funeral), evoking the idea of mourning over the destruction of the Temple and the inability to offer

7225-608: Was recognized as the highest authority among the Pharisees (predecessors to Rabbinic Judaism ). Hillel was the head of the great school, associated at first with Menahem the Essene (who might be the same Menahem the Essene as the one mentioned by Flavius Josephus in relation to King Herod), and later with Shammai (Hillel's peer in the teaching of Jewish Law ). According to the Jerusalem Talmud ( Nedarim 5:6), Hillel

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