-- every year these days will vary on the Civil Calendar, according to the Jewish calendar they will remain the same --

*March 22-28: Clean your borders -- home, vehicles, shops, workspaces and/or places of business -- of everything containing leaven.  Builders of Zion interprets the Divine Directive to mean anything containing yeast, in particular, because Yahu’Shua spoke of removing the yeast from our lives, which was a reference to rejecting sin and even the very tendency to sin.  The Jewish community typically removes all items containing leavening agents, and the Ashkenazim and Sephardim differ in their interpretation as to what is and is not acceptable, some even avoiding certain grains and alcoholic beverages derived from such grains.  Whatever you choose to do, the cleaning process should be conducted in the most prayerful manner, as this is a symbolic cleansing of our lives from the sin that so hinders our spiritual walk and witness, and our service to our most Holy G-d, Who cannot Commune with sinners.  In addition to the obvious products such as breads, check your canned and dried soups, cereals, hot dogs, and even pet food.  Throw away used sponges, which trap breadcrumbs, and discard your beer.  Go carefully through all your pantries, reading all ingredients, and take everything that contains leaven and give it to a neighbor or to the poor.  This thorough cleaning process should, at the very least, take a couple of long days.  Also, once you are at the tail end of cleaning, which should include your oven, stove, toaster, couch cushions, vehicles, barbeque grill, and other areas, be sure to change your vacuum bag and discard its contents outside of your borders.  Jews also purge their cooking and serving utensils primarily through boiling and purifying by fire.  Special dishes and silverware specifically for Passover use should be brought out at this time, or Passover-themed paper plates and matching plastic utensils should be purchased.  There are also lovely plastic dinnerware sets and eating utensils available for purchase, some even made to look like china and silverware.  The idea is not to eat on anything that has come in contact with leaven.

*March 28: Conduct a final search to rid your home of all leavened products, which should then be burned.  Firstborn males should fast from the sunset of March 28 through the sunset of the following day.  This will enable those fasting to have just enough time to fuel up with hors d’oeuvres prior to ushering in Passover tomorrow evening.  Make sure you and your guests receive the proper amount of rest tonight, as tomorrow will be a very long night.  Today is a good time for the host and hostess who will be conducting tomorrow’s Seder to carefully review the Haggadah.  The Builders of Zion Haggadah is available for download free of charge.  It meets all of the requirements for properly conducting a Seder and fulfilling the associated mitzvot, follows the Jewish Orthodox Tradition, and incorporates Yahu’Shua into the reading; yet is refreshingly non-proselytizing should there be Jewish guests at your Seder.  Every guest should have a Haggadah, which enables participants to correctly follow the order of the Seder.  The Builders of Zion Haggadah contains a lively and historically accurate dramatization of the Deliverance of the Jewish People from their Egyptian taskmasters, which will transfer all participants around the Seder table right into that place and period.  This Haggadah is beautiful printed in color and it can be inexpensively bound in colorful report covers for your guests to take home as keepsakes.  Perhaps they will be inspired to conduct their own Seders.

*March 29: Erev (the evening of) Passover and the Seder begin promptly at dusk, as Aviv/Nisan 14 closes on the Jewish calendar.  This is also the opening of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a High Holiday, a High Sabbath, with requirements to hold a sacred assembly and to do no work, with the exception of food preparation.  The Sabbath ends at dusk the following evening (March 30 at sundown).  The sacred assembly could take place anytime between the two dusks with your local congregation, or as a prayer group within the home.  There should be Scriptural readings that complement the Pesach Holiday.  There are plenty of Scriptural readings that you can glean from The Builders of Zion Haggadah, which can be used for this purpose.  Those family members and guests who will be participating in your Seder this evening should arrive at your home early enough to spiritually focus on the long night ahead, and to enjoy hors d’oeuvres, which should be substantial enough to sustain all until the main meal is served several hours into the Seder.  The Biblical requirement for this meal is to eat roasted lamb with bitter herbs and unleavened bread.  The lamb must be totally consumed before the morning.  If any remains, it must be burned before morning.  Today, Jews do not eat lamb because there is no Temple to offer the Festival sacrifice.  Christians may eat lamb, however, because it is symbolic of Yahu’Shua’s atoning sacrifice.  Alternative meat, such as chicken, should be offered for any Jewish guests.  The fruit of the vine – grape juice and/or wine -- is also served during the Seder.  Candle lighting should begin at dusk, and this will usher in the Passover Holiday Period, which comprises Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits.

As mentioned previously, at sundown on Passover night, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins, which will occur at the opening of Aviv/Nisan 15 (evening of March 29).  This is a High Sabbath with assembly and rest requirements.

*March 30:  The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread concludes along with its Sabbath at nighttime on March 30.  The Feast of Unleavened Bread continues through Aviv/Nisan 21, the night of April 5.  The intermediate days are not all Sabbaths, so you may work (except for on the regular Sabbath, the Firstfruits Sabbath and the last day of Unleavened Bread), however festive meals and Scriptural readings should continue so that the entire Passover Holiday Period is elevated.  During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which spans the night of March 29 through the night of April 5, unleavened, rather than leavened bread, must be eaten, and you should partake of the fruit of the vine.  Diaspora Jews conduct a second Seder at dusk on March 30, and the Jewish community begins their Omer count on this night, which leads them to Shavuot 50 days later on May 18.

*April 3:  Erev Firstfruits begins at dusk, during the close of Aviv/Nisan 19 (evening of April 3) and is a High Sabbath, which extends until dusk the following evening, April 4.  There are two schools of Jewish thought that focus on whether Scriptures speak of Firstfruits beginning on the day after the Holiday Sabbath or the day after the regular Sabbath.  Christians should adhere to the day after the regular Sabbath, as described here, because this will start an Omer count that spans seven perfect Sabbaths, which leads to Erev Pentecost on the evening of May 22.  For Christians, the Day of Pentecost, beginning the evening of May 22, through dusk on May 23, is a High Sabbath, which falls exactly 50 days from when the Omer count first began on Erev Firstfruits.

*April 4: The evening of April 4 begins the Final Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, this is a High Sabbath with its assembly and no work regulations, which begins at nighttime on April 4, at the opening of Aviv/Nisan 21 and lasts through the following night of April 5.  This concludes the Passover/Unleavened Bread/Firstfruits Festival Period according to Scriptures.

*April 6: Diaspora Jews conclude the Holiday Period on this day (due to the extra Seder) with the Meal of Moshiach (Messiah), which begins before sunset and features matzah and four cups of wine.  The spiritual focus here is on the culmination of G-d’s Redemptive Process.  The Holiday for the Jewish community concludes this same evening.

Passover Checklist

-- see the Builders of Zion Haggadah for particulars --

1. Bibles
   

2. Candlesticks
   

3. Candles
   

4. Pillow for Seder leader to recline on, extra for guests if available
   

5. Haggada for each participant
   

6. Wine goblets for the participants
   

7. Special wine goblet to serve as Elijah’s Cup
   

8. Fruit of the vine – grape juice/wine – for filling each goblet four times, plus Elijah’s cup
   

9. Seder tray with the six symbolic Passover foods:
   

10. the lamb shank bone, roasted egg, bitter herbs, bitter vegetable such as escarole,  green vegetable such as parsley, and charoset, a fruit and nut paste
    

11. Small dishes containing the symbolic Passover foods, except for the shank bone and egg
    

12. Matzah to serve during the meal
    

13. Three unbroken Matzot to place under the Seder tray, each separated by a cloth or napkin
    

14. A cloth, napkin or Afikomon bag to hold the Afikomon
    

15. A cup or bowl for washing hands if desired or if a Jewish guest is present
    

16. Several dishes of salty water
    

17. A prize or prizes for the children who locate the Afikomon