Story of Passover | Passover haggadah by Rachel Huggett

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The Passover story is from the Biblical book of Exodus, which discusses the ancient Hebrews’ enslavement in Egypt and how they were freed. It’s the central story of the Torah and reflects some of the biggest themes in Jewish history: oppression and the longing for freedom; the sense that Jews are resilient people who will survive adversity; and the contrast between living in what’s called the “diaspora” and living in a Jewish homeland. Those themes, and their contemporary resonance, are a big part of the Passover holiday today.

The Passover story begins when the Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, starts worrying that the Jews living in Egypt will outnumber his own people. The Egyptians' way of dealing with their "Jewish Problem" is to enslave the Jews. They are all forced into backbreaking labor, compelled to build cities of treasure houses for Pharaoh. But still, the Jews continue to multiply, to Pharaoh's eyes, at an ever frightening pace. To put a stop to this, Pharaoh summons the Jewish midwives, Shifra and Puah, and commands them to kill all Jewish newborn males. This, he is certain, will put an end to the propagation of this race. When the midwives defy his order, he commands that they cast all the newborn males into the Nile—his stargazers had predicted that the savior of the Jews would die through water—and Pharaoh hopes his plan will ensure an early death for any potential Jewish leader.

A Jewish woman Jocheved gives birth to a son. Because he is born three months early, she is able to conceal him for that amount of time. When she can no longer hide him, she builds a small water-proof cradle and puts her child on the brink of the Nile. The child's sister, Miriam, hides among the brush to watch the child. Pharaoh's daughter comes to bathe in the river when she sees the floating cradle. When she opens it and sees the weeping baby, she realizes that this is a Jewish child, but her compassion is aroused and she resolves to take the baby home. She names him Moses "he who was drawn from the water." Miriam approaches the princess and offers to find a wet-nurse for the baby. When Pharaoh's daughter accepts, Miriam brings her Jocheved, whom Pharaoh's daughter hires to nurse and care for the child. When Moses grows older, he is returned to the palace, where Pharaoh's daughter raises him like a son.

As a young man, Moses leaves the palace and discovers the hardship of his brethren. He sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and kills the Egyptian. Moses is forced to flee and becomes a shepard in a neighboring city. As Moses is shepherding his flock, he comes upon a burning bush, in which God appears to him and instructs him to go to Pharaoh and demand: "Let My people go, so that they may serve Me." Moses objects, citing a speech defect he acquired while in the palace, and so Moses' brother, Aaron, is appointed to serve as his spokesman. In Egypt, Moses and Aaron assemble the Jewish elders to tell them that the time of their redemption has come. The people believe; but Pharaoh refuses to let them go and even intensifies their suffering.

Moses and Aaron repeatedly come before Pharaoh to demand, "Let My people go." Pharaoh repeatedly refuses.

Moses warns him that God will smite Egypt. Pharaoh remains impervious. God begins to send a series of plagues upon the Egyptians. In the throes of each plague, Pharaoh promises to let the Jews go; but he takes it back the moment the affliction is removed.

1) The waters of the Nile turn to blood
2) Swarms of frogs overrun the land
3) Lice infest all men and beasts.
4) Hordes of wild animals invade the cities
5) A pestilence kills the domestic animals
6) Painful boils afflict the Egyptians
7) Fire and ice combine to descend from the skies as a devastating hail

The people of Egypt have suffered too much. They beg Pharaoh to let the Jews go. When Moses comes to warn Pharaoh of the eighth plague, Pharaoh says: You say that you want to go serve your G‑d? I'll let the men go, as long as the women and children stay behind. No, says Moses, we must all go, men women and children, cattle and herds. Pharaoh once again refuses.

The next plagues descends upon Egypt.
8) A swarm of locusts devours all the crops and greenery
9) A thick, palpable darkness envelops the land

The Jews are instructed to bring a "Passover offering" to God: a lamb or kid is to be slaughtered and its blood sprinkled on the doorposts and lintel of every Jewish home, so that God should pass over these homes.

Then God brings the tenth plague upon Egypt,
10) All the firstborn of Egypt are killed

The death of the firstborn finally breaks Pharaoh's resistance and he literally begs the Jews to leave his land. Following God's command, they hastily depart; so hastily that there is no time for their dough to rise, and the only provisions they take along are unleavened.

Soon after allowing the Jews to depart from Egypt, Pharaoh chases after them to force their return, and the Jews find themselves trapped between Pharaoh's armies and the sea. God tells Moses to raise his staff over the water; the sea splits to allow the Jews to pass through, and then closes over the pursuing Egyptians. Although the end of this story is one full of Jews singing and rejoicing their newfound freedom, we still remember the Egyptians who died in the sea, and the loss of all first born Egyptians.

haggadah Section: -- Exodus Story