tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8554337268732390744.post-76880232839609952532008-04-22T22:11:00.007+03:002008-04-22T23:16:59.422+03:002008-04-22T23:16:59.422+03:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_XJhoTvUK79o/SA49F7y75zI/AAAAAAAAAPA/MimYqzOmxtU/s1600-h/passover+matza+no+chametz.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_XJhoTvUK79o/SA49F7y75zI/AAAAAAAAAPA/MimYqzOmxtU/s400/passover+matza+no+chametz.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192154592564733746" /></a><br />(This picture, which I think is great, is from the site <a href="http://www.savetheassistants.com">SaveTheAssistants.com</a>. If you're an assistant, you'll love it).<br /><br /><br />Saturday night was the beginning of Passover (פסח), the holiday celebrating the Jewish departure from Egypt under the direction of Moses. In terms of the solidification of the Jewish people, this event and the following 40 years spent in the desert was the real beginning of the Nation of Israel. We were the Jewish people before we left Egypt and that period of slavery, but with our exit we showed G-d our true faith, we accepted the Torah at Mt. Sinai, and eventually we entered the Land of Israel in order to claim our homeland. The Passover holiday is a celebration of the birth of our nation and religion. <br /><br />So how do we celebrate it in Israel? We set fire to parks in order to burn our <span style="font-style:italic;">chametz</span>, or any leavened bread product. The custom is to clean your apartment like it is infected with mold, every inch of it in order to rid it of any <span style="font-style:italic;">chametz</span>, and then finally you perform what is called <span style="font-style:italic;">bedikat chametz</span> - literally checking of <span style="font-style:italic;">chametz</span>. After you get a symbolic amount of this forbidden food together, a ritual you perform at night, the next morning you have to burn it completely. Everyone does this at the same time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_XJhoTvUK79o/SA49j7y750I/AAAAAAAAAPI/Qxy9DbZgie8/s1600-h/Chametz+fire+in+park.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_XJhoTvUK79o/SA49j7y750I/AAAAAAAAAPI/Qxy9DbZgie8/s320/Chametz+fire+in+park.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192155107960809282" /></a><br /><br />Hence the fires. This picture isn't even half representative of how large this flame got. As we were burning the goods, about five different guys came by with their <span style="font-style:italic;">chametz</span> and asked, angrily, "Why did you make this fire right here? It's too big." <br /><br />You know who started the fire? The city cleaning worker that left it unattended as he made his way around our street. Honestly, I think you'd get sued if you did that in America. Here, he was just being a good, although slightly irresponsible, Jewish citizen - providing a useful service for the masses. This guy here is performing <span style="font-style:italic;">bitul chametz</span>, saying the prayer after burning the <span style="font-style:italic;">chametz</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_XJhoTvUK79o/SA5GyLy755I/AAAAAAAAAPg/8fxWP0-UTdU/s1600-h/Man+saying+bitul+chametz.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_XJhoTvUK79o/SA5GyLy755I/AAAAAAAAAPg/8fxWP0-UTdU/s320/Man+saying+bitul+chametz.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5192165248378595218" /></a>Danny Brothershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03372641972664155753dannybrothers@gmail.com6