This masterpiece on Passover was what motivated me to set up my site, http://the-militant-atheist.org . I simply could not believe that people can be this stupid, a true masterpiece of absolute idiocy. You just can't pay people enough to write this kind of shit!

Thank you, Yakov!

Highlights of Passover

By Rabbi Yakov Lazaros

Passover begins this year on Monday evening, March 29, at 7 p.m. and ends on Tuesday evening, April 6, at approximately 8p.m. While it is impossible in a brief article to detail all the laws of Passover, some of the main aspects can be highlighted.

  1. Bedikas Chametz:

    On Sunday night, March 28, at 8, the house is searched for any chometz (leavened food). The head of the house searches with a lit candle, wooden spoon and a feather. Any chometz found is put away to be burned the following morning. After the search is concluded, the following is recited: "All chometz and leavening that may still be in my possession which I have not seen or removed or whose existence I have no knowledge of. shall be considered ownerless as the dust of the earth."

  2. Eating of Chometz:

    No chometz may be eaten from Erev Pesach, Monday, March 29, at 10:30 a.m. until Tuesday: April 6, at 8 p.m. Chometz is defined as any one of the five types of grain: wheat, rye, spelt, barley and oats, which has come into contact with water for 18 minutes. On Passover. therefore, we may not eat bread, rolls, cakes, cookies, candies, cereals, pastas, etc., We may not drink any form of whiskey, beer, vodka, scotch, etc, since they ure all made from grain. There are certain companies that manufacture Kosher for Passover cookies and cakes made from matzah meal instead of flour. Naturally, they must state Kosher for Passover on the package and be endorsed by a reliable Rabbinic organization. The most reliable sold in the Greater Framingham area are OKP ind the OUP (they must also say Kosher for Passover on the package).

    By Rabbinic decree, we do not eat any grain vegetables on Passover. Thus, legumes, rice, beans, peas, peanuts, com, etc., are also forbidden on Passover.

    Since modern food technology is so complex, we do not use any processed or packaged food unless it is endorsed as Kosher for Passover by a reliable Rabbinic organization. All raw fruits and raw vegetables (except for trains and those prohibited by Rabbinic decree) are Kosher for Passover and require no endorsement. Grade A frozen orange juice is also kosher for Passover.

  3. Selling of Chometz:

    On Passover, not only is the eating of chometz. forbidden, but we are also forbidden to have any chometz in our possession. We are also not pemitted to use the same dishes, pots and silverware, etc., as all year round. Most people, therefore, have a separate set of dishes for Pesash. (Certain pots and silverware can be made Kosher for PassOver through the "koshening process" with boiling water. Consult your Rabbi for details). Any chometz which we have not consumed or destroyed before Monday morning, March 29, must be sold to a non-Jew. This is accomplished as follows: By Monday morming, the house has been cleaned of all chometz. Any chometz we wish to keep is then placed in a special closet or shelf or other designated area which we will not use during Passover. The closet or shelf, etc., should be kept locked throughout the entire Passover. We sign a contract with our Rabbi designating him as our agent to sell our chometz to a non-Jew

    Even though the chometz is in a locked closet or shelf in our house, it is still sold to the non-Jew and we are not transgressing the prohibition of having chometz in our possession on Passover. Our year round dishes are first thoroughly cleaned and then put away in the chometz closet before Passover.

  4. Burning of Chometz:

    On Monday. March 29, at 11:30 a.m., we burn whatever chometz crumbs and particles were found in the search the night before, The year round dishes are put away on this day and this is the last day to sell your chometz. The declaration is again recited Monday before 11:30 a.m. "All manner of leaven that is in my possession which I have seen or have not seen, which I have removed or have not removed, shall be mull and disowned as the dust of the earth."

  5. The Seder:

    On both Monday, March 29, evening and Tuesday, March 30, we conduct Seders. Simple instruction can be found in any English translated Haggadah. The seders should not begin before 8 p.m. The main points of the Seder are:

    • A. Eating Matzah.
    • B. Drinking four cups of wine.
    • C. Eating bitter herbs.
    • D. Reciting the Haggadah
    • E. Reciting psalms or praise (Hallel).

  6. After Pesach:

    As stated before, we may not eat any chometz from Monday, March 29, at 20:30 a.m. until Tuesday, April 6. at 8 p.m. On Tuesday, April 6, at 8:30 p.m., we may unlock the chometz closet and begin cating chometz. However, we may not purchase chometz from a Jewish-owned supermarket unless the owner has sold his, chometz before Passsover. People should be especially careful with bakeries, not to buy bread, rolls, cake, etc., from a Jewish baker that was opened during Passover Such products are forbidden forever. Not just during Passover.

If any reader has a question concerning the laws of Passover, or concerning which medicines are Kosher for Passover, they may contact me at 508-877-5313.

Schedule of Passover Services at Congregational Bais Chabad, 74 Joseph Road in Framingham, follow,

March 29, 7 a.m., Siyum for First Born, light candles at 6:50 p.m; March 30, 10a.m, Passover Services, light candles after 8 p.an; March 31, 10 a.m., Passover Services; April 3, 10 am, Shabbos Services; April 5, Passover Services, light candles after 8 p.m.; April 6, 10. a.m., Passover Services (Yizkor Day)

Rabbi Yakov Lazaros is the director of Congregation Bais Chabad in Framingham.


Rabbi Lazaros's burning bush



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