Pesach was a very joyful and intense holiday in the times of the Bet haMiqdash. Hundreds of thousands of Jews would walk to Yerushalayim from all towns of Israel, ready to bring the Qorban Pesach (a lamb that was sacrificed in the afternoon, roasted, and consumed that night).
Those who came from outside Yerushalayim stayed with relatives, acquaintances, or many times, in the homes of complete strangers. In general, all houses in Yerushalayim were open to anyone in need of a place to stay. When there was no more room available, a red cloth would be hung above the door.
People gathered in family groups called Haburot (singular: Habura). Each Habura, which could consist of 50, 60, or even up to 100 people, shared one Qorban. The lamb was brought on the afternoon of Nisan 14 to the Bet haMiqdash by one or two representatives of each Habura, where it was sacrificed. Then, the animal was roasted whole. That night, Nisan 15, people celebrated the Seder, much like we do today. They read the Haggadah, asked the Ma Nishtana questions, and served an abundance of food—including other offerings such as the Korban Hagiga—all accompanied, of course, by Matsa and Maror. People sat reclined on cushions and pillows, like noblemen and aristocrats. Four cups of wine were served to celebrate our salvation, our redemption, our freedom, and our assignment as God’s chosen people.
Finally, dinner was served, and before midnight, the Qorban Pesach was eaten as Afiqoman (the last meal or “dessert”), when people were already full. The roasted lamb was distributed among all members of the Habura. Everyone had to eat at least a portion the size of an olive (kazait). After eating the Qorban Pesach, the Habura recited Birkat haMazon, the blessing to thank HaShem for our food.
Around midnight, everyone would go up to the terraces of Yerushalayim. From there, looking at the Bet haMiqdash—illuminated by the full moon—the entire Jewish People would sing together the Hallel, the Psalms of Tehillim recited in gratitude to HaShem for having taken us out of Egypt. The voices of millions of Yehudim singing the Hallel, all at once, filled the city with an unparalleled melody. The Gemara says that these voices were so powerful that it felt as though the terraces of the city were shaking.
After the destruction of the Bet haMiqdash, we preserved the memory of the Qorban Pesach by placing a shank bone (or among Ashkenazim, a chicken leg) on the Pesach tray or Ke’ará. At the end of the Seder, we also eat an additional piece of Matsa, the Afiqoman, in memory of the Qorban Pesach, saying: “[We eat this Matsa] in remembrance of the Qorban Pesach, which was eaten when one was already satisfied.” We also recite the Hallel at the end of the Haggadah, after eating the Afiqoman. We actually recite the Hallel twice: once in the synagogue, in remembrance of the Hallel recited by the entire Jewish nation, and once again at home, after Birkat haMazon.
There is a beautiful tradition, practiced today by very few, that commemorates the famous Hallel once recited in the Bet haMiqdash. Do you know when people used to bake the Matsot for the Pesach Seder? On the afternoon of Nisan 14, Pesach eve—exactly when the Qorban Pesach was sacrificed. This is the ideal time for preparing the Matsot, the same time when Challot are normally prepared on a Friday. And while preparing the Matsot on the eve of Pesach, people used to sing the Hallel! Today, this tradition has been almost entirely lost—except in a few Jewish communities in Yemen and Kurdistan.
יהי רצון שנזכה לחגוג את חג הפסח בבנין בית תפארתינו במב”י, אמן
