Passover marks the definitive festival celebrating the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Instituted on the eve of the tenth plague, the observance required each Hebrew household to slaughter an unblemished lamb, mark their doorposts with its blood, and consume the meal in haste with bitter herbs and unleavened bread.
The Midnight Exodus
Because the plague passed over marked dwellings while striking the firstborn of Egypt, Pharaoh urgently summoned Moses and Aaron to demand their departure. The haste of the departure prevented the bread dough from rising, establishing the enduring practice of eating matzah during the festival.
Significance and Observance
The Passover meal inaugurated the journey of the Exodus, commemorated annually as an enduring statute throughout Israel's history. It remains the foundational celebration of national freedom, divine redemption, and covenant identity.