THE ORIGINS OF EASTER The pre-Jewish Passover: The rite of Easter began in a very primitive period of

society. From the details of this rite and from the structure of this ceremony, it is clear that it is a
sacrifice offered by nomads, that is, by shepherds. In those times, men were gathered in clans of
nomads, so the fundamental resource for their survival was pastoralism. Later, when the sedentary
lifestyle began, agriculture became another important source of life. Easter, as a sacrificial rite, is
therefore a very ancient feast. In fact, the clans dedicated to pastoralism, every year, at the beginningof
spring, they celebrated a great festival: "The spring festival". This festival had a very specific meaning:
the victory of life over death. After all, the birth of the lambs in a flock at the beginning of spring,
represented precisely the evident sign of the victory of life (spring) and the defeat of death (the winter
that had passed). This festival was also defined: "Feast of the passage" or of the jump, because when the
lambs are born they walk jumping with a very characteristic gait. Since we are in a pagan and therefore
polytheistic era, at the center of this festival there is a sacrifice: the offeringof the first little lambs that
are born, an offer aimed exclusively at making the divinities propitious. A request for protection, a sort
of pact between man and the pagan divinity: "Before leaving for the new pastures, I offer you this
newborn lamb as a sacrifice and you will protect my flock from bad weather and predators". Most likely
it was a festival celebrated throughout the Middle East, when the tribes of shepherds cleared the field,
before leaving with their flocks for the new spring pastures. The men engaged in agriculture also eagerly
awaitedof spring, because spring was the bearer of the new crop of wheat. The new ears, in fact, began
to appear in the first month of the lunar calendar, that is, in the month of Abib, later called Nisan.
According to the lunar calendar, the first new moon after the spring equinox marked the beginning of
the year, which corresponded to our months of March-April. the budding of the first ears was therefore
the long-awaited sign of the new spring. Also for the peasants this festival had the same meaning: "the
victory of the forces of Olia over the forces of death", that is, the victory of fertility over sterility.
Therefore, in order to celebrate this great event of nature, the peasants made breadwith the first ears,
and to distinguish the bread of the new year from the bread of the old year , they made
breadunleavened bread, that is, unleavened bread. This is why Easter was also called "Pesta degli
Unzzimi". It is important to know this detail, because it explains how the use of unleavened bread was
born among ancient and polytheistic peoples. We will see later, how the meaning of unleavened bread
will change a first time with the Jewish Passover, and a second time with the Christian Passover.
________________________________________________________________________________
EASTER SHEPHERD spring festival passing festival winter spring jumping festival death life birth lambs
Propitiatory rite: sacrifice lambs to the gods
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________ AGRICULTURAL EASTER feast of the unleavened bread passage winter spring death life
sprout of ears Propitiatory rite: making unleavened bread Etymology of the word Easter. Even if it is very
difficult to trace the genealogy of an archaic term, to understand Easter well, it is essential to know
where this term originates from, and what its true meaning is.    

In Sacred Scripture, the word Easter is expressed with the term: Pesach, which means to pass over - to
pass over - to jump, so Easter would be identified with the way of walking of newborn lambs. The
biblical term Easter, has been put by some in relation to a Syriac root: Psch, which means to be happy,
so the word Easter would have the meaning of a feast. By other scholars it has been related to an
Akkadian term: Pashakhu, which means to appease, for which Easter would be an atoning rite. Still
others have compared the word: Pesach to two very similar Egyptian roots: Pa-sh ', which means
remembrance, so Easter would be the memorial of the exodus, and P'skh, which means blow, for which
Easter would mean the blow inflicted by Javhe on the first-born Egyptians. But whatever the true
etymology of this term, Easter is always God's intervention in human history. Passover Hebrew pesach
pass or skip passage Syriac psch be happy Akkadian festival Pashakhu appease atoning rite Egyptian Pa-
sh 'remember memorial P'skh strike death of the firstborn It is also very important to know how from
the term Pesach si it came to the Italian word: easter. Alongside the Hebrew term Pesach, there was a
less common form, which was obtained by reversing the order of the two vowels and of the aspirate, for
which the word was pronounced: phase, and an emphatic form of Aramaic, which at the time when
Jesus lived, was pronounced: Pascha. From this term is derived the Greek word paska, the Latin: pascha,
and from this the Italian: easter, the French: paque, the German: passahand English: passover. It should
be noted that while the Neo-Latin linguistic group designates both the Jewish Passover and the Christian
Passover with a single term, the Anglo-Germanic linguistic group distinguishes between the Jewish
Passover and the Christian Passover. In fact in England the Jewish Passover is defined: passover, while
the Christian Passover is defined with the term Easter. THE JEWISH EASTER The Jewish Passover: the
Jewish Passover, while it represents the echo of the traditional Easter or spring festival of the primitive
tribes of nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples, at the same time it has a very specific and very particular
meaning, even if the rite it is perfectly superimposable to that of the pre-Jewish Passover. The Passover
therefore existed before the exodus, and also outside of Israel; but the correct relationship between
Passover and the exodus lies in the fact that in the thirteenth century BC one of the greatest
interventions of God in human history took place: "The liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian
slavery", It was a political-religious liberation, in what marked not only the liberation from a tyrannical
Pharaoh, who exploited the Jewish people, but also marked the liberation from the obligation to
worship the Egyptian gods, and the freedom to worship Jehovah, the God of Israel. This liberation led to
the birth of Israel as a chosen people and continued the history of salvation that God had begun with
Abraham. It is therefore quite natural that Israel should remember this event and celebrate it in a
solemn way. And the most solemn way to celebrate it was the sacrifice that was at the center of the pre-
existing Easter or spring festival.

  From this moment, that is, from the moment of their liberation, the spring festival of! ' A very ancient
eastern Passover, it takes on a completely new meaning for the Israelites: the memorial of the exodus of
Egypt . Passover: feast of the jumping of the lambs Jewish Passover: CANAAN (first day of the week of
unleavened bread) Agricultural Passover: feast of the first ears In Canaan, the sheep-rearing Passover
and the agricultural Passover come together in a singlefeast and Passover is born. The original function
of the spring festival is therefore completely forgotten, so in the final draft of the Pentateuch, Easter is
placed in the historical context of the Exodus. The old rite therefore takes on a new and more noble
meaning, a meaning that will subsequently change once again, when the paschal lamb becomes the
Christ, and the paschal supper becomes the Eucharist. THE MAGNA CHARTA OF THE BIBLICAL EASTER It
is represented by Exodus 12, 1-4 and by Deuteronomy 16, 1-8. Exodus 12: 1-14: Passover The Lord said
to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt : "This month will be the beginning for you of the months will
be the first month of the year for you. Talk to the whole community of Israel and say: on the 10th of this
month each one gets a lamb for each family, a lamb for each house. If the family is too small to consume
a lamb, it will associate with its neighbor, the closest in the house, according to the number of people;
you will calculate what the lamb should be like , according to how much each one can eat. Let your lamb
be flawless, male, born in the year ; you can choose it among the sheep or the goats and you will keep it
until the fourteenth of this month: then the whole assembly of the communityhe will sacrifice him at
sunset. Having taken some of his blood, they will place it on the two doorposts and on the architrave of
the houses, where they will have to eat it. That night they will eat its meat roasted on the fire; they will
eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. You will not eat it raw, nor boiled in water , but only
roasted over the fire with the head, legs and guts. You do not have to keep it left over until morning:
what is left over in the morning you will burn in the fire. Here is how you will eat it: with girded hips,
sandals on, stick in hand; you will eat it quickly. It is the Passover of the Lord I On that night I will pass
through the land of Egypt and strike every firstborn in the land of Egypt, man or beast: thus I will do
justice to all the gods of Egypt . I am the Lord. The blood on your houses will be the sign that you are
inside: I will see the blood and pass on; there will be no scourge of extermination for you when I strike
the land of Egypt . This day will be a memorial for you; you will celebrate it as the feast of the Lord: from
generation to generation, you will celebrate it as a perennial rite ". Deuteronomy 16, 1-8: Easter and
unleavened bread Observe the month of Abib and celebrate Easter in honor of the Lord your God
because in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt, durante la notte. Immolerai
la pasqua al Signore tuo Dio: un sacrificio di bestiame grosso e minuto, nel luogo che il Signore avrà
scelto per stabilirvi il suo nome. Non mangerai con essa pane lievitato; per sette giorni mangerai con
essa gli azzimi, pane   

of affliction because you left the land of Egypt in haste ; and so all the time of your life you will
remember the day you left the land of Egypt . Do not see leaven with you, within all your borders, for
seven days; of the flesh, which you will have sacrificed on the evening of the first day, nothing remains
until morning. You will not be able to sacrifice the Passover in any city that the Lord your God is about to
give you, but you will only sacrifice the Passover in the place that the Lord your God will have chosen to
fix his name; you will sacrifice it in the evening, at the setting of the sun, at the time when you came out
of Egypt. You will cook the victim and eat it in the place that the Lord your God will have chosen; in the
morning you can go back and go to your tents. For six days you will eat unleavened bread, and on the
seventh day there will be a solemn assembly for the Lord your God; you won't do any work. Comparing
the two biblical texts, some differences are highlighted: * The historical-geographical context: the
Passover mentioned in the Exodus takes place in the land of Egypt, on the occasion of the Exodus, which
had not yet taken place, while the Easter spoken of in the Deuteron is mine, is realized when the
Israelites were in Canaan, the promised land. Therefore, in the period following the Exodus from Egypt,
for which Easter, having to perpetuate the memory of the exodus, represents a memorial. * The victim:
in the Exodus the victim is a small-sized head of cattle: a lamb or a kid, that is, a head of cattle that can
own a community of itinerant shepherds. In Deuteronomy, on the other hand, the victim is a large-sized
head of cattle, because the people are farmers, who have a permanent home. * The rite of immolation:
in the Exodus the rite of Passover is celebrated by the head of the family, while in Deuteronomy it is the
priest who celebrates and immolates the victim in the temple in Jerusalem, that is "In the place that the
Lord your God will have chosen to fix youhis name "(DI 16,6) * The historical context of the feast: in the
Exodus, Easter is the feast in its own right, which is identified with the Passover of the shepherds, while
in Deuteronomy, Easter is the fusion of the shepherding and of agricultural Easter, and coincides with
the first day of the unleavened feast.

EASTER JEWISH Biblical texts: Exodus 12, 1-14 Deuteronomy 16, 1-8 Geographical context Egypt Canaan
Victim Small size Large size Rite of immolation Head of the family Priest Historical context Pastoral
festival Pastoral-agricultural festival From all this we deduce that the Exodus expresses the most ancient
phase of the biblical Passover, as it refers to a people devoid of worship, a slave people in the land of
Egypt, which suffers the influenceof the Egyptian gods. Deuteronomy, on the other hand, refers to the
Israelites who settled in Canaan, the promised land, a sedentary and agricultural people, which already
has a cult and expresses it in the Temple of Jerusalem. Consequently, in order to go back to the origins
of Easter, it is essential to go back to the Exodus, where the description of Easter, upon careful
observation, is not a rite that God improvises and describes in its smallest details, so that it is carried out
in the agitated night of the exit from Egypt , but it is the reference to a pre-Mosaic festival. After all, all
the details of the rite of the Exodus have the imprint of the ancient festa preisraelitica e pre-mosaica di
origine pastorale, per cui vari sono i punti sui quali bisogna richiamare la nostra attenzione. Il rito
descritto nell’esodo si richiama alla festa pre-mosaica di origine pastorale Data Vittima Procedura di
cottura della vittima Ingredienti Atteggiamento da assumere
  * The departure date: the evening of the 14th of the first month of the year called Abib and then Nisan,
that is the first new flood after the spring equinox . * The victim to be sacrificed: a first-fruits of the flock.
* The cooking procedure of the immolated victim: roasted entirely on the flame. * The ingredients to
use: bitter herbs that give flavor to the dish in the absence of salt, and flour kneaded and cooked over
the flame. * The attitude to be taken at the actconsummation: standing, with sandals and a belt at the
waist, which tightens the tunic, to facilitate the march, and a stick in the hands to guide the flock. In the
pre-Mosaic era, the religious significance of the Easter rite consisted not so much in the immolation of
the victim as in the consummation of the victim. It was almost a prehistoric Easter dinner, where
reuniting the family on the full moon of the first month of the year to have a meal before migrating,
meant affirming and recognizing the bond of family unity . This rite also represented a sort of alliance
with the deities at the beginning of the year, a very crude alliance, because it expressed only a request
for material benefits, a request for protection against bad luck, and against all the fears embodied in the
shepherds, who were continually terrified by the mysteries and natural calamities. But the true meaning
of the biblical Easter does not end in this description, because in the spring of a year between 1250 and
1230 BC, God, according to his own style, a very brilliant style, but always respectful of the habits and
freedom of man, leaving every old human habit unaltered, gives this pagan feast of shepherds and
peasants a profound religious significance, linked to the history of salvation. Biblical History - It is
important at this point, make a brief and concise overview of some important episodes that can be read
in the Bible: the descendants of the Patriarchs: Abraham - Isaac - Jacob, on the death of Joseph, who had
favored the entry of the brothers into Egypt in a severe period of famine, they had become slaves of the
Egyptians, as the Pharaoh was concerned about the intelligence and prolificacy of the Jewish people.
The Israelites, however, even in their slavery, had never forgotten the profound meaning of this great
family feast, which their fathers celebrated on the night of the spring full moon, so that around this
remember the anxiety and desire for freedom are born. Moses is the key figure in the Exodus, because
God uses Moses to free his people from Pharaoh's slavery.

And the hope is realized even if the numerous plagues inflicted by God on the Egyptian people clashed
with the continuous resistance of the Pharaoh. But the tenth plague (the death of all the firstborn),
overcame all resistance and the Pharaoh decided to send the Israelites away. A very important detail
that represents the fulcrum of the Jewish Passover is that on the night of departure, Javhè himself
passed through Egypt, hitting the firstborn of the Egyptians madly, and however skipping the houses of
the Israelites that had been marked and protected by the blood of the sacrificed paschal lamb. From this
moment, the Passover for the Jews no longer has the old meaning of a seasonal feast, but becomes the
memorial of this liberating event of God, a memorial to be celebrated in all future generations. In this
grandiose event an even more important event takes shape and consistency: God has made himself
known to his people, and the people become aware of this grandiose event, whereby the feasts are
separated from the cosmic rhythm of the seasons, and become historical feasts. religious.

  SEDER PASQUALE The Passover Seder, ceremonial for the Passover supper, is the heart of the Jewish
Passover. It begins in the Mosaic times, and precisely at the time when the Israelites leave Egypt. Easter
for Jews is a great feast, the greatest feast, the feast of liberation, it is a liturgy that begins at sunset, at
sunset and lasts all night until dawnwhen the morning star appears. Even today the Jews celebrate
Passover in the belief that during the night, God really passes, to free all those who find themselves in
any situation of slavery, as he passed on the night when their fathers were slaves of the Egyptians. The
Jewish Passover therefore celebrates not only the presence of God in history, but also the presence of
God on the very night in which Passover is celebrated. Indeed, for the Jews God is really present on
Easter night, while in the celebration of the Christian Passover, Jesus is not only really present on that
occasion, but is always present in the Eucharist, the memorial of his sacrifice. In the belief that God
really passes by, Easter night is a night of vigil, of anxious expectation. But what do the Jews prepare to
celebrate Passover, and what do they put on the table? What does it consist of preparing for Easter? On
the prepared table the covenant appears, and the whole history of Israel is present. In fact, on a plate
they place: Three overlapping unleavened bread: three unleavened bread is placed on top of each other
because, having to break an unleavened bread at the beginning of the ceremony, it takes two whole
ones to represent the double dose of manna that the Israelites had in the desert on Fridays also for the
Saturday. A roasted lamb leg: in memory of the Easter sacrifice. A hard-boiled egg: symbol of the
eternity of life, because the surface of the egg has neither a beginning nor an end. Easter celebration on
the night of departure from Egypt. Three species of bitter herbs: celery - lettuce - endive: in memory of
the bitterness experienced during the slavery in Egypt. Haroseth: chopped bitter almonds mixed with
apple and cinnamon:the appearance and the red color of this paste recalls the bricks that the Israelites
were forced to make. Vinegar or lemon juice, outside the tray: to accompany the bitter taste of the
vegetables, or salt water in remembrance of the tears of Israelite women. All these signs, which seem
very strange to us, constituted sacraments for Israel. As soon as a Jew sits down at the table, and sees all
these signs, he sees the exodus, and with the exodus he sees God who affects his history. These are the
things that Peter and John prepared when Jesus told them to go and prepare the Passover (Lk 22: 8).

  leavened, some pieces of leavened bread are hidden in various places in the house which the head of
the family will then collect. This very important rite is in perfect harmony with the words of Paul, who,
referring to it, says: "Leave the old yeast, the yeast of the Pharisees, and put on the unleavened bread of
sincerity" (1 Cor 5: 6). Before searching for the unleavened bread, please say: “Blessed are you, O Lord
our God, King of the world Who has sanctified us with his precepts; and he commanded us to clear out
the leavened foods ”. After the search and destruction of the unleavened bread, we continue to pray:
Any leavened food that is still in my possession that I have not seen or cleared away, be canceled and
considered as dust of the earth ”. In the morning of the next day, after the combustion of the residues
found, Qaddesh : Consecration of the feast. The whole celebration of Easter can be divided into three
liturgical moments, the first of which is the rite of bread. This rite begins with the recitation of the
prayer of blessing to God on the first cup of wine. The presiding head of the family fills the first cup with
wine, raises it and recites the Qiddush , or prayer of blessing to God on this first cup. This cup has a very
specific Hebrew meaning: it is the cup that inaugurates the night, inaugurates the feast, it is the cup of
sanctification, blessing and glorification to God for the feast he has granted. It is very important to know
what Jesus said about this first cup: «When the hour camehe took his place at the table and the apostles
with him; and said: "I have longed to eat this Passover with you, before my passion, since I tell you, I will
not eat it again, until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God." And taking the cup, he gave thanks and said:
"Take it and distribute it among you, for I tell you, from now on I will no longer drink the fruit of the
vine, until the Kingdom of God comes" "(Lk 22: 14-18). It is a particular Easter that Jesus is preparing to
celebrate with his disciples. First of all, his words express an ardent desire to want to live it. In fact, Jesus
begins by respecting the Jewish rite ( the immolation of the lamband the sacred meal), but then utters
words and performs gestures that give new meaning to the celebration. At the Passover, Jesus replaces
his Passover. He is the lambwho offers himself an innocent victim to the Father, so that all men know
that in him they have the capacity to become children of God. The true meaning of this cup, which
appears only in the Gospel of Luke, was not understood; yet Jesus, before drinking from this cup, makes
a clear reference to eternal rest, which for Israel is sacred. In fact, the Sabbath constitutes for the Jews
the memorial of eternal rest. And eternal rest is inaugurated and clearly expressed in this inauguration
cup, whereby Easter becomes an anticipation of eternity. This cup which inaugurates the feast therefore
takes on a profound eschatological meaning in Jesus. Qiddush: Prayer of blessing to God on the first cup.
“Blessed are You Lord, our God King of the world. He who created the fruit of the vine ”. In this prayer
the center of blessings is not man , but God. While all our blessings have a descending character, for the
Jews all blessings have an ascending character. And it is logical that this is so, because it is man who
must place himself at the service of God and not God at the service of man. In fact, we are used to
saying: "Lord, bless this food, this house, etc.". But it would be more correct to say: "Lord I bless you for
this food, for this house) etc.".

Indeed in the Passover, man takes his cue from everything he sees (bread, wine, herbs, etc.) to bless the
Lord, that is, to say good of the Lord, because blessing has this meaning: "Blessed are you ... he who he
chose us from among all peoples and sanctified us with his precepts ”. Israel is a people born differently
from all other peoples. It was elected by God for a mission: to reveal God's existence to the nations. The
election of Israel begins with Abraham and continues with Isaac, Jacob and Moses, who has the mission
of freeing the Israelites from Egyptian slavery.

  “You have given us. this feast day of holy reunion, feast of our freedom, in remembrance of the exit
from Egypt. Blessed be You, O Lord who sanctify the feasts ”. In this prayer it is clear the reference to
Leviticus (23, 4) and to Exodus (12, 14) where we read: "This day will be a memorial for you: you will
celebrate it as the Lord's feast, from generation to generation) you will celebrate it as a perennial ritual
". In fact, the Jewish Passover, reminding the younger generations of the whole history of the liberation
of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, makes present the intervention of God in the history of Israel,
and therefore in the history of all men. Urhaz: Washing of hands. Diners wash their hands first. Everyone
is aware of having to live a liturgy that lasts a whole night, a night of vigil, of waiting and of prayer
because they await the passage of the Lord. Jews have experienced the passage of Yahweh, they lived
the experience of God, who truly passed, and this event experienced by their fathers constitutes a
guarantee for their children. For this reason they stay awake all night. After all, Yahweh said: "I will
spend that night". Those who do not have this guarantee, those who do not believe in the passage of
Yahweh, unfortunately do not expect anything. Carpas: Celery. At this point begins the rite that
remembers, highlights and actualizes the liberation from slavery of Egypt. The head of the family takes a
piece of celery, dips it in vinegar, lemon juice or salted water, and offers it to each of the guests to eat.
And each eats his own ration of bitter herbs, making his blessing prayer to God because, as has already
been said, Passover is a liturgy. "Blessed be you, O Lord our God, King of the world, creator of the fruit of
the earth ". Everyone eats the bitter grass, because everyone has to relive the same condition of slavery
and bitterness experienced by their fathers in Egypt. And it is really interesting to note that the first
thing that appears at the beginning of this rite is slavery, which means that this period has had a strong
impact on Jewish history. Dajenù: It would have been enough. In the Dajenù all the benefits received
from God are remembered, and to each benefit received all respond: "This would have been enough for
us to be grateful to the Lord". The head of the family or presider lists the benefits received: How great
are the goods we owe to God: the dry outingin the middle of the sea. He sank our persecutors into the
sea - He provided us with everything we needed for forty years in the desert - He gave us manna to eat -
quail - He gave us Saturdays - He brought us closer to Mount Sinai - He gave us the law - He made us
enter the land of Israel - He built us the Sanctuary for the atonement of our sins. In this way children
receive the scripture from their fathers in liturgical form, before reading it, so that they hear it from the
parent's voice. The children therefore receive faith in the family, from the father who truly possesses it,
because one cannot pass on what one does not have. At this point we should ask ourselves: "How and
what faith did we fathers pass on to our children?" Explanation of the signs: This is fundamental in the
transmission of the faith from father to children, as the signs are worth more than reasoning, because
each sign is like a frame in which a picture is enclosed which is a very important message for the child.
Hymn of thanksgiving to God. Immediately after the explanation of the signs, the head of the family
expresses concepts that encompass all the meaning of the Passover they are celebrating, and says that
in every generation each one has the duty to consider himself as if he had come out of Egypt, because
the Lord did not only free the fathers, but also the children: “Because the Holy One, blessed be He, did
not only free the. our fathers: Immediately after the explanation of the signs, the head of the family
expresses concepts that encompass the whole meaning of the Passover they are celebrating, and says
that in each generation each one has the duty to consider himself as if he had come out of Egypt,
because the Lord did not only liberate the fathers, but also the children: “Because the Holy One, blessed
be He, did not only free the. our fathers: Immediately after the explanation of the signs, the head of the
family expresses concepts that encompass the whole meaning of the Passover they are celebrating, and
says that in each generation each one has the duty to consider himself as if he had come out of Egypt,
because the Lord did not only liberate the fathers, but also the children: “Because the Holy One, blessed
be He, did not only free the. our fathers: 

  but we also freed together with them. We, He brought out from there to lead us into the land that He
swore to our fathers. Therefore it is our duty to pay homage, praise, celebrate, glorify, exalt, magnify,
commend, bless Him who did all these wonders and prodigies to our fathers and to us. To him who drew
us from slavery to freedom, from oppression to liberation, from pain to joy, from darkness to light, we
sing: Alleluia ”. The Alleluia is a hymn of exaltation for Easter, that is, for the passage from one situation
to another. Even in the Nazi concentration camps the deported Jews sang on Easter night: "The breach
that the Exodus opened in history towards the liberation of the oppressed, can no longer be closed".
The reading of Psalms 113 and 114 follows, composed just for Easter night. Jahaz: Divide. The head of
the family divides the second of the three unleavened bread into two parts. He puts half of it under his
napkin to eat after dinner, and it will be the Afiqòmen. The other half goes back between the other two
left in the tray. This rite is performed to leave the two unleavened bread intact which, as already
mentioned, represent the double dose of manna that the Jews collected on Friday in the desert. The
term they represent the double dose of manna that the Jews collected on Fridays in the desert. The
term they represent the double dose of manna that the Jews collected on Fridays in the desert. The
term Afiqòmen probably comes from the Greek word epikwmiom which means after-meal. In fact,
Afiqòmen or dessert is eaten at the end of dinner, because it replaces and recalls the paschal lamb,
which was to be eaten at the end of the meal. Maggid: Narrator. The narrator, who is usually the head
of the family , fills the second cup with wine, discovers the unleavened bread, removes the eggand the
lamb's leg from the tray and brings it up with his hands, starting the Passover Haggadà, that is, the story
of all that God has done for Israel. The presence of the children on Easter night is of considerable
importance, because in the Torah it is written: “This day will be a memorial for you; you will celebrate it
as the feast of the Lord: from generation to generation, you will celebrate it as an everlasting rite "(Ex.
12:14). Here we must reiterate the concept that Israel was elected by the Lord for a mission to fulfill: to
announce to the nations the existence of only one God. It is therefore obvious that the transmission of
the faith from father to son is an essential obligation for the people of Israel. . And this duty of
transmitting the faith is performed liturgically on Easter night with the haggadah. For the Jews, what
made Easter night always relevant is the presence of children, who ask questions on that night, because
they realize that this dinner is different from all the others. Children are divided into four groups, and
this division is based on the intellectual potential of children, which reflects four different temperaments
of children: the sensible, the unscrupulous, the simple andthe inexperienced to ask questions. The Torah
is constantly concerned with the new generations, who are entrusted with the task of perpetuating the
traditional heritage of Israel over the centuries. In fact, the Torah, in establishing the obligation for the
father to instruct his children on God's intervention in the liberation from Egyptian slavery, distinguished
four temperaments of children in accepting the teachings. Consequently, on Easter night there is a
whole pedagogy to be interpreted and respected, because for each question there is an adequate
answer, in the sense that the child can ask the question in the first person or in the second person. In
other words, while the more intelligent child, in asking the question, says: "What does this memorial
that the Lord has given us mean?" including itself in the memorial; the less intelligent child in asking the
same question says: "What does this memorial that the Lord has given you mean ?" excluding itself dalla
liberazione.

The story of the children is done in a narrative form (midrash) capable not only of staying well impressed
in the mind, but also of keeping them awake all night. The consideration that, for the Jews, Easter night
asks everyone a fundamental question is very important: "Which side are you on: on the side of the
oppressed or on the side of the oppressors?". This question was a great torment for all the Jews who
collaborated with the Nazis in the concentration camps, because they knew very well that Jehovah
would come to liberate the oppressed and destroy the oppressors.

Haggadah: Short story. "This is the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in Egypt." The unleavened
bread reminds us of the hasty exit from Egypt, when due to the haste it was not possible to raise the
dough they had prepared for the trip. In fact in Deuteronomy (16, 3) - in Exodus 02, 8) - the unleavened
bread is called "bread of affliction", because the Israelites ate them together with the lamb on the
evening of Nisan 15, when they were still in slavery . “Those who are hungry come and eat; who needs
to come and do Easter ”: it is an invitation addressed to the poor, to the stranger in homage to the Torah
which invites them to practice solidarity among men, especially towards those who need help. “How
does this evening differ from all the other evenings?”: The differences that are enunciated are of
considerable importance, because they stimulate in the children the interest in the meaning of all the
signs they see during the ceremony. This makes it easier for children to ask questions. In fact, the
children ask: “Why don't we eat leavened bread tonight, but eat only unleavened bread? Why are we
not eating other kinds of vegetables tonight, just bitter grass? Why do we eat and drink tonight while
sitting at the table leaning on the elbow? (position taken by the Romans as free men). "We were slaves
of Pharaoh in Egypt, from where the Lord our God drew us, with a strong hand and an outstretched
arm": the episode of the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery is highlighted, in fact the story
continues: "If the Holy, blessed be his name, had he not brought our fathers out of Egypt, we, our
children and our children's children would still be subject to Pharaoh ”. This episode is so important to
the Jews, that even if they know it by heart, they still spend the whole night recounting this fact. In fact,
in this regard, they tell in the haggadah, that the rabbi Eliezer, Jeoshua, El'azar, Aqibàand Tarfon, talked
about leaving Egypt for a whole night, until their disciples went to call them for the morning Shema.
"Your Fathers were idolaters ... But I drew your father Abraham from there Blessed be He who keeps his
promise with Israel ...": here it is told how God drew Abraham from idolatry and polytheism, and we
speak of promise made to Abraham: "Your descendants will be strangers in a land not theirs) they will
be enslaved, but I will punish the nation that enslaves them and I will bring them out". And so they tell
of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who, in a period of severe famine, went down to Egypt with his sons. There
were seventy of them, but in a short time they became so numerous, that the Egyptians, afraid of the
overpopulation of the Israelites, subjected them to harsh slavery, doing it himself. Mozi-Mazzah:
Blessing. The head of the family takes the upper azima, divides it and distributes a piece of it to each
diner, Then he pronounces the blessing prayer: "Blessed be you, O Lord our God, King of the world, who
bring bread out of the earth", Then he takes the unleavened half, distributes it, and on this too he raises
a prayer of blessing: “Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the world, He who has sanctified us with
his precepts; and he commanded us to eat unleavened bread ”. Everyone eats unleavened bread at the
same time. you bring out the bread from the earth ", Then he takes the half unleavened bread,
distributes it, and also on this he raises a prayer of blessing:" Blessed be you, O Lord our God, King of the
world, He who sanctified us with his precepts ; and he commanded us to eat unleavened bread ”.
Everyone eats unleavened bread at the same time. you bring out the bread from the earth ", Then he
takes the half unleavened bread, distributes it, and also on this he raises a prayer of blessing:" Blessed
be you, O Lord our God, King of the world, He who sanctified us with his precepts ; and he commanded
us to eat unleavened bread ”. Everyone eats unleavened bread at the same time.
It is important to note how Jesus, in the celebration of Easter with his disciples, does not invent the sign
of bread, but only changes the words, for which he gives the bread a new meaning that renews the
liturgy.In fact, during the rite of bread, Jesus says: “Take and eat. This is my body "(Mt, 26, 26). In other
words, Jesus means: this bread will no longer be the bread of misery for you, the bread of haste to leave
Egypt, but it will be my memorial . The memorial of the passage from the world to my Father, because
this bread is my body that dies for you. This bread is my flesh. And from this moment the bread
becomes sacrament and memorial of the body of Jesus Christ, because with these words Jesus meant
that He would personally complete the Passover on the cross. And when Jesus says: "This will be my
memorial", the adjective "this" is not limited only to bread, but to everything that is done on Easter
night. The celebration of Easter night thus becomes the memorial of the Passover of Jesus, who came to
make a transition: the passage from death to resurrection. He had to do a work of God and before doing
it he left us a memorial. Maro'r: Bitter herb. The diners dip some lettuce in the haroseth, and eat it after
saying the blessing prayer. Core'eh: Wrap up. A lettuce leaf is wrapped in the third unleavened bread
and dipped in the Haroseth. We eat everything together after having recited the special prayer that
recalls what was prescribed in the Exodus. Shulha'n 'Orech: but to everything that is done on Easter
night. The celebration of Easter night thus becomes the memorial of the Passover of Jesus, who came to
make a transition: the passage from death to resurrection. He had to do a work of God and before doing
it he left us a memorial. Maro'r: Bitter herb. The diners dip some lettuce in the haroseth, and eat it after
saying the blessing prayer. Core'eh: Wrap up. A lettuce leaf is wrapped in the third unleavened bread
and dipped in the Haroseth. We eat everything together after having recited the special prayer that
recalls what was prescribed in the Exodus. Shulha'n 'Orech: but to everything that is done on Easter
night. The celebration of Easter night thus becomes the memorial of the Passover of Jesus, who came to
make a transition: the passage from death to resurrection. He had to do a work of God and before doing
it he left us a memorial. Maro'r: Bitter herb. The diners dip some lettuce in the haroseth, and eat it after
saying the blessing prayer. Core'eh: Wrap up. A lettuce leaf is wrapped in the third unleavened bread
and dipped in the Haroseth. We eat everything together after having recited the special prayer that
recalls what was prescribed in the Exodus. Shulha'n 'Orech: the passage from death to resurrection. He
had to do a work of God and before doing it he left us a memorial. Maro'r: Bitter herb. The diners dip
some lettuce in the haroseth, and eat it after saying the blessing prayer. Core'eh: Wrap up. A lettuce leaf
is wrapped in the third unleavened bread and dipped in the Haroseth. We eat everything together after
having recited the special prayer that recalls what was prescribed in the Exodus. Shulha'n 'Orech: the
passage from death to resurrection. He had to do a work of God and before doing it he left us a
memorial. Maro'r: Bitter herb. The diners dip some lettuce in the haroseth, and eat it after saying the
blessing prayer. Core'eh: Wrap up. A lettuce leaf is wrapped in the third unleavened bread and dipped in
the Haroseth. We eat everything together after having recited the special prayer that recalls what was
prescribed in the Exodus. Shulha'n 'Orech: A lettuce leaf is wrapped in the third unleavened bread and
dipped in the Haroseth. We eat everything together after having recited the special prayer that recalls
what was prescribed in the Exodus. Shulha'n 'Orech: A lettuce leaf is wrapped in the third unleavened
bread and dipped in the Haroseth. We eat everything together after having recited the special prayer
that recalls what was prescribed in the Exodus. Shulha'n 'Orech:Apparatethe canteen for a big dinner.
It's late at night and we're in the middle of a big party. They began fasting, because the previous day
they ate nothing to be hungry during the liturgy, and to eat the bread of misery and slavery with strong
desire. The Jews during the vigil of the Easter night (Nisan 14) remain awake and wait all night, because
on that night God watched to get them out of Egypt. In Deuteronomy we read: "This night I will spend it
among my people". For this reason, on Easter night, the Jews are still waiting for the Messiah. And they
don't know that in that night, while everyone was gathered and thought: "Will this be the night when
the Messiah will arrive?"; the Messiah had already arrived and no one had noticed. In the homes of the
Jews, on Easter night, last supper of the Lord was being , the door remained open, and no one closed it,
as the place at the table remained empty. Only where Jesus celebrated Easter with his disciples was the
door closed! This dinner, therefore, is not a dinner that ends with a scene of sadness, as it apparently
seems, but it is a dinner where one passes from a situation of sadness and darkness to a sacramental
situation of joy in a continuous crescendo. Zafun : Hidden. At the end of the dinner, a piece of the
unleavened half that had been preserved ( Afiqòmen ) is distributed to the diners . It is eaten after
having recited a short commemorative formula of the paschal sacrifice. In fact, the Afiqòmen recalls the
lambEaster, after which it was forbidden to take any food until the following morning. Only the wine
prescribed for the remainder of the ceremonial was permitted. Bare'ch: Bless. The third cup is filled, and
on this third cup the blessing of the meal is recited: God who nourishes and supports all living beings is
blessed and thanked, and the whole story of salvation is told, from creation to Exodus and to Sinai
alliance. Also at this point of the celebration Jesus changes the meaning of this cup and says: "Everyone
drink of it, because this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, which is shed for a multitude of men for
the forgiveness of sins". In other words, Jesus says: “This is no longer the memorial of the old covenant
of Sinai, but it is the memorial of a new covenant made with my blood, that will be scattered for you ”,
From this moment Easter radically changes its ancient meaning: it is no longer the memorial of the
passage from the slavery of Egypt to freedom, but it is the memorial of the passage of Jesus Christ from
death to resurrection. In fact, Jesus had said: "This Easter is my Easter, because it is my passage from
this world to my Father". Jesus, therefore, leaves us this memorial, a memorial that is a great feast, a
Eucharist, an exultation , a great joy, because it expresses the great event of salvation that God made for
all humanity through Jesus Christ. In fact, in the resurrection of Jesus Christ all the promises of salvation
for the whole of humanity were fulfilled. The resurrection of Jesus Christ, therefore, was a wonderful
work of God that hides profound meanings, because the power, the greatness and the loveof God, they
are not exhausted in the memory of the Exodus! Yahweh once again passed with an outstretched arm
and a mighty hand raising Jesus from the dead. This means that God through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ has conquered death, and by breaking down the barriers of death, all humanity has access to
eternal life. In fact, as in the Exodus God conquered a whole series of deaths: slavery - the sea - the lack
of bread - water - flesh - the desert, etc., in Jesus Christ he conquered death in its entirety, to to begin
with the death of the life of God in the soul through mortal sin. Courage therefore, no one is downcast,
no one is disheartened, no one is discouraged! God has the power to overcome all the deaths that grip
us. God has the power to open paths in all situations of death, to other were fulfilled: a disease - a
physical suffering - a moral suffering for a drug addicted child - who is not studying - in prison -
separated or divorced - a mother-in-law or a neighbor with an impossible character - an unbearable job -
a disastrous economic situation, etc. These are all death events from which only God can draw us, but
on one condition: it is necessary to abandon oneself to his plan, because God has a plan of salvation for
each of us. But unfortunately none of us want to accept God's plan, both because we cannot understand
the story that the Lord wants to do with each of us, and because we do not accept to go up on the cross,
because let's face it, on the cross it is very uncomfortable, so we want to get off right now! And we want
to get off immediately because we only believe in our certainties, those certainties that come only from
our hands, only from below and not from above! And the most beautiful thing is that among the
securities, there must also be a God at our service, a God who makes us heal from cancer, who spares us
the child for any calamity or misfortune, because when unfortunately an unpleasant event happens to
us in family, our expression is only one: “No, he shouldn't have done this to me!”.Hallèl Nirzah: Lode
Gradita. Sulla quarta coppa si recita l’Hallèl seguita da altri salmi ed inni, e con l’Hallèl Nirzah si conclude
all’alba il rito della Pasqua ebraica.   
  TIME: AN HISTORICAL MOMENT Time in the biblical-cultual conception is not considered a category as
we understand it: past, present and future; the past, the present and the future for the Israelites are
part of a single plan of salvation: everything is part of a single project that is constantly directed towards
the event and realization of the "day of Yahweh". In this conception it is not only the present that has a
real consistency, but also the past and the future guarantee and condition every historical moment.
Thus the Bible does not have a concept of the past as something irretrievably vanished in time, but as
something that is contained and that enriches the present moment. In confirmation of what has already
been expressed, it is reiterated that the Memorial which Christ indicated to perpetuate over the
centuries is his memorial: "Do this in my memory" (Lk 22:19; 1 Cor 11:25). For the Jews the whole
history of salvation was summarized in the Passover of the Exodus, of which the celebration of the
annual Passover is the memorial; for Christians, on the other hand, the history of salvation is
summarized in the Passover of Christ of which the Eucharist is the memorial that makes it present,
effective and current in the Church. We therefore recognize at the moment of the Eucharistic
celebration that we are contemporary to Christ's sacrifice beyond time. This memorial is defined not
only in relation to the Cross to which the words of which the annual Easter celebration is the memorial;
for Christians, on the other hand, the history of salvation is summarized in the Passover of Christ of
which the Eucharist is the memorial that makes it present, effective and current in the Church. We
therefore recognize at the moment of the Eucharistic celebration that we are contemporary to Christ's
sacrifice beyond time. This memorial is defined not only in relation to the Cross to which the words of
which the annual Easter celebration is the memorial; for Christians, on the other hand, the history of
salvation is summarized in the Passover of Christ of which the Eucharist is the memorial that makes it
present, effective and current in the Church. We therefore recognize at the moment of the Eucharistic
celebration that we are contemporary to Christ's sacrifice beyond time. This memorial is defined not
only in relation to the Cross to which the wordsof the institution of the Eucharist refer immediately, but
also to everything that is derived from redemptive deathof Christ: the triumph of the resurrection, the
glorification of Christ, the birth of the Church through the work of the Holy Spirit; in a word, to the
"mystery of piety", sung in the first letter to Timothy, (3:15): "He manifested himself in the flesh, was
justified in the Spirit, appeared to the angels, was proclaimed to the pagans, was believed in the world,
he was assumed to glory ”. And since the paschal mystery constitutes the summit and the recapitulation
of the whole history of salvation, the H. Mass is the memorial and celebration of all the saving
interventions of God. The mandate that Jesus gives to the Apostles "Do this in memorial ", That is, in
memory of me, recalls in the disciples the proper context of the Hebrew memorial and also alludes to
the verb" to do ", that is, celebrate the new Passover as the overcoming and fulfillment of the old
covenant, with a different and new motif in the content because Christ is our Easter. He is the true
Easter, as St. Paul will say (1 Cor 5: 7). This memorial makes the Lord present, reminds the Father of the
unique sacrifice of the Son who actualizes it in the sacrament, that is, in the sacramental presentation of
his sacrifice to the Father. Celebratingthe Eucharist, the Church places on the Altar the signs of Christ's
sacrifice, bread and wine, His body and His blood, before the Father, commemorates the redemptive
work of Christ and gives thanks for all that He has done in our favor. The Mass - writes St. Leo the Great -
is a new presence, a new aspect of the one sacrifice; it is new for the Church it celebrates, but it is not
new for the commitment of Christ which has made it present for two thousand years (Sermon 59: 7). 

While the Old Testament Easter is celebrated only once a year, the Christian community celebrates Mass
frequently and especially on Sundays because in the sacramental signs of bread and wine
transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Christ, Christ is truly present among his followers. “This is
my Body, this is my Blood, take and eat of it, take and drink of it all”. The paschal mystery must be seen
in its historical realization (Easter of Christ); in its liturgical celebration (Easter of the Church: Holy Mass)
and in its practical implementation in the life of every believer (our Easter). From the announcement of
the apostles, that is, from the paschal kerygma: "Passion, death and Resurrection of Christ" up to us,
more than 2000 years have passed. Enter the third millennium, while the Jews will live theirs Easter
remembering one of the greatest interventions of God in human history, we Christians, after the Easter
vigil around the candle, symbol of the risen Christ, will celebrate the Christian Easter every Sunday, in
anticipation of the eternal Easter in the kingdom of God. conclusion of this work we specify that the
Bible not only presents us the description of a commemorative relationship of the Jews with God, but
also the immense faith of our elder brothers, transmitted to their children through the Jewish Passover:
Passover that presents the story in filigree of salvation enlivened by the presence of Christ who, as son
of God, makes his immolation perennially present in the celebration of the Christian Easter and in the
Eucharist. Realizing in his person the union of divine and human nature, Jesus Christ gave the value of
salvation to his death, won by his Resurrection and reconciled God and man. We are all involved in this
paschal mystery, because we are invited to give our lives, dying to ourselves, (eliminating the barriers of
pride, power, sex, money, etc.) to be enabled for the global realization of our personal existence in
eternal happiness. .