🌾 THE STORY OF THE KORBAN HA’OMER

In the times of the Bet HaMikdash, after the long winter, the fields of Israel began to turn golden—because wheat and barley started to grow. From the flour of wheat and barley you can prepare the most essential foods: bread, cookies, pastries, pasta, barley soup, and many more nutritious and delicious things.

The farmers looked at their crops and were very excited. The new grain was ready!

But there was one very important rule: 👉 No one could eat anything made from the new grain yet!

That meant: ❌ No bread ❌ No cakes or pastries ❌ No pasta ❌ No barley soup

👉 Nothing made from the new flour.

Food made from the new grain before the Omer offering was called CHADASH, and it was considered temporarily forbidden — almost like “non-Kosher.” Why? Because first, something very special had to happen in the Bet HaMikdash.

🌙 THE NIGHT HARVEST

When the first day of Yom Tob of Pesach ended, after nightfall:

People gathered in the fields near Yerushalayim. Thousands of Jews were there, watching and celebrating.

A few stalks of barley were cut by special messengers sent from the Bet HaMikdash — called Sheluche Bet Din — who were officially appointed to perform this mitzvah.

They cut the barley in a formal and very public way, while everyone watched.

They would even ask the crowd: 👉 “Has the sun set?” —and everyone answered: “Yes!” 👉 “Shall we cut?” — and everyone answered, “Yes! Cut!”

This happened three times, to make sure everyone saw and heard. It was a big celebration! 🎉

🏛️ THE NEXT DAY — IN THE BET HAMIKDASH

The next day (the second day of Pesach):

The barley was brought to the Bet HaMikdash. The Kohanim:

• Cleaned it, removing the husks from the grain
• Ground it into very fine flour—sifted 13 times to make it extremely pure and fine, much more than regular flour ✨
• Prepared one special measure called an “Omer”

📏 How much is an Omer? About 2.5–3 pounds of flour—roughly the weight of a large bag of flour you might see at home!

🌾 WHAT DID THEY OFFER FOR THE KORBAN HA’OMER?

It was not just plain flour. The Korban ha’Omer was a special preparation:

👉 Fine barley flour 🌾 👉 Mixed with oil 🫒 👉 With levonah (frankincense) placed on top 🌿

Here is how it was made, step by step:

1. The barley was ground into very fine flour
2. It was sifted 13 times until perfectly pure
3. The flour was mixed with oil
4. Levonah (frankincense) was placed on top
5. A portion was burned on the Mizbeach—the main altar of the Bet HaMikdash
6. The rest was eaten by the Kohanim

Once that offering was made, all the wheat, barley, flour, and bread from the new harvest became completely permitted to eat! ✅

🎯 WHY WAS THIS SO IMPORTANT?

This korban was like saying: 👉 “Everything we have comes from ה׳.”

Only after we brought this offering and recognized that everything comes from HaShem: ✔ The new grain became permitted ✔ People could now eat from the new harvest (Chadash)

🏪 WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MARKETS?

As soon as the Korban ha’Omer was offered—everything changed!

The moms, the kids, the farmers, the bakers, the sellers in the market — everyone was happy and excited. They could finally sell and buy all the new goods: 👉 Fresh bread, new flour, cakes, and all products from the new harvest 🍞🎂

🔢 SEFIRAT HA’OMER — COUNTING THE OMER

From that very moment, something else began:

👉 That night — the night after the Omer was offered — the people began to count:

49 days—from the Omer → all the way to Shabuot 🎊

• The Omer was offered during the day (2nd day of Pesach)
• That night → the new day begins in the Jewish calendar
• 👉 From that night, people started counting: Day 1 of the Omer

✔ We do not rush to enjoy things. ✔ First we recognize that everything comes from ה׳ ✔ Then we use it properly 🙏

DID YOU KNOW?

🌿 WHAT IS LEVONAH?

Levonah is a special white resin — like a natural gum or sap — that comes from a tree called the Boswellia tree.

Here is how it works:

When you make a small cut in the bark of that tree, a thick white liquid slowly drips out — almost like when you cut a fruit and juice comes out. That liquid dries and hardens into small white crystals.

When you burn those crystals, they produce a beautiful, sweet, and very strong smell — like a perfume from nature. 🌸

Why was it used in the Bet HaMikdash?

The Kohanim placed levonah on the flour offering. When it was burned on the Mizbeach, the sweet smell rose up like a gift to ה׳ — almost like saying “this offering is precious and holy.”

In fact, the Hebrew word לְבוֹנָה / Lebonah comes from the word לָבָן / laban—which means white—because of its beautiful white color. ⬜

Did you know? 🌍

The Boswellia tree grows in special dry and rocky places — like parts of the Middle East and Africa. Levonah was considered very precious and valuable in ancient times, almost like gold. Kings and traders would travel long distances to buy it!

Today we call it by its English name: frankincense.

FOR STUDENTS

✏️ ACTIVITIES – KORBAN HA’OMER

1. 🟢 CHADASH or YASHAN?

Write C (Chadash) or Y (Yashan):

___ New grain before the Omer
___ Grain after the Korban ha’Omer
___ Bread you can eat after the Omer
___ New flour before the offering

2. 🔄 PUT IN ORDER (1–5)

Number the steps in the correct order:

___ The Korban ha’Omer is offered
___ People gather at night in the field
___ The barley is cut
___ The new grain becomes permitted
___ The flour is prepared in the Bet HaMikdash

3. ✍️ FILL IN THE BLANKS

The Korban ha’Omer was made from __________

It was sifted __________ times

It was mixed with __________

A special spice placed on top was __________

4. 🧠 TRUE or FALSE

Write T (True) or F (False):

___ People could eat the new grain right away
___ The barley was cut at night
___ The flour was very fine
___ The Omer was offered in the Bet HaMikdash
___ After the Omer, the grain became permitted

5. 🎨 DRAW & LABEL

Draw one scene and label it:

Choose ONE:

🌾 The field with barley
🌙 The night harvest
🏛️ The Bet HaMikdash (Korban ha’Omer)
🏪 The market after the Omer

👉 Label at least 3 things in your picture

In this week’s Parasha, the Tora introduces us to the diet of the Jewish people, Kashrut. This diet does not necessarily have to do with physical wellness, like a low-carb diet or other diets we follow today. Kashrut has to do explicitly with a “special” behavior”, or Qedusha (holiness) that HaShem demands from us. As the Tora itself tells us in Vayqra (11:44): “For I am HaShem, your God. You must purify yourselves and be Holy, because I am Holy. Do not impurify yourself with [impure = Non Kosher] animals …. But how is holiness related to a diet or to a specific kind of animal? Regardless of the reason why certain animals are permitted and others are not allowed (which should be the subject of a different conversation) the fact that certain foods are permitted, and other food are forbidden to train us to reach Qedusha.

In the Tora, holiness, or in Hebrew Qedusha, has to do with self-control and discipline. Especially in those areas of human behavior related to the satisfaction of primary instincts. Particularly with regard to what we consume and with the area of ​​sexuality. When we exercise our free will, we develop this “power” to control our impulses, which sets us apart from animals. Living beings, except for humans, cannot attain any Qedusha because they are “natural” beings. And as part of their nature, they cannot control, and “say NO”, to their primary impulses. Thanks to the fact that we think with words –and we grasp reality linguistically– we humans  “have room for possible responses when we are driven by an instinct”. We possess freedom of choice or “response” -“ability”.  Qedusha is reached when we practice a behavior that positions us on a level above nature, and closer to HaShem. On this subject, the Gemara in Pesachim (49b) says something very interesting. Not all people have the right to eat meat. There is a category of individuals who, according to Ribbi Yehuda haNasi, should not  consume meat. רבי אומר: עם הארץ אסור לאכול בשר. “An uneducated person cannot consume meat.” In this context, “Uneducated” refers to a person with no discipline or self-control. A person incapable of saying NO to his or her impulses.  These individuals are not granted the right to eat meat, because they are not on a level above the animals.

We, Jews, train ourselves to self-control from a very young age. I remember once, at a Bar Mitzva party, a non-Jewish gentleman approached me and congratulated me for one of my children. This is more or less what he told me: “Rabbi, how do you do it? What did you do to educate a 5-year-old child to have self-discipline? I have 3 children, one of that age. And the truth is that I cannot deal with their appetites. Children today are voracious consumers, trained by modern society to consume everything that presents itself before their insatiable eyes … Your child, however, is different. I just offered him some candy. He took it and thanked me. But, to my surprise, before putting the candy in his mouth, he went to ask his older brother if he could eat it… So tell me: What is your secret? What gift did you promise your children if they do not eat candy? Did you threaten them with some harsh punishment? ”  I replied that there were no rewards or threats. And that my son is not the only child with this level of self-discipline. Actually,  any Jewish child whose family observes the laws of Kashrut, has that same level of self-control. I also confessed (and as I said it, I surprised myself to hear it) that I never had to explain to my children the laws of Kashrut. They learned from imitating what they saw from their parents and siblings.

The Tora which teaches us to reach a level of discipline that elevates us over nature and over our instincts.

: THE DIVINE REVELATION IN THE MISHKAN
Moshe gathers all the Jews in the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, to witness the Divine Presence revealed in the Sanctuary. Aharon, Moshe’s brother, and the High Priest, offers various sacrifices in preparation for this event. After concluding the offering of all the sacrifices, Aharon blesses the people with the priestly blessing (Birkat Cohanim). Moshe joins Aharon and together they again bless the people of Israel, after which the Divine presence is visibly perceived above the Tabernacle. How? A heavenly fire (light?) descends and consumes the offerings that were on the altar. The people are overwhelmed with emotion upon perceiving this heavenly fire as a sign of acceptance of the sacrifices, offered by the Almighty.

THE TRAGEDY OF THE SONS OF AHARON
Aharon’s two eldest sons, Nadab and Abihu, bring an offering of the “Ketoret” incense that had not been sanctioned or authorized. Consequentially, a heavenly fire engulfs them. Moshe orders the removal of their bodies from the Tabernacle and instructs Aaron and his two remaining sons not to observe the traditional laws of mourning; they had to continue serving in the Sanctuary on behalf of the Jewish nation. The priests are instructed not to drink wine before performing the temple service, this juxtaposition possibly implies that Nadab and Abihu were intoxicated while bringing their faulty offering. Moshe addresses Aharon and his two sons, instructing them to consume the offerings for that day, despite the death of their relatives. Moshe notices that one of the sin offerings had been burned, rather than consumed. When he expresses his surprise, Aharon explains his reasoning for ordering that particular offering to be burned, and Moshe humbly accepts Aharon’s explanation.

THE DIET OF THE JEWS
The Torah instructs us about Kashrut, the dietary restrictions that the Jewish people must observe. The Text teaches us how to distinguish the species of animals, fish, and birds that are clean from those that are impure. The “pure” terrestrial animals have their hooves split in two; such as cows, sheep, and goats. The Torah lists four exceptional animals that have only one of these characteristics and are therefore not “pure;” such as the pig, which has split hooves but does not chew its’ cud. Fish to be Kosher (aside from being deemed as a “clean” animal) must have fins and scales. The Torah then mentions a list of unclean, non-kosher bird species, and the Text concludes this section by mentioning certain types of lobsters (it does not refer to sea lobsters but to four species of Orthoptera) that are considered fit for consumption.

PURITY AND HOLINESS
The Text then discusses the ritual impurity caused by coming into contact with the carcass of an impure animal, as well as certain species of rodents and amphibian creatures. The Torah also indicates that clean food and eating utensils are liable to contract ritual impurities if they come into contact with any of the impure animals mentioned above. Likewise, the impurity that can be contracted when coming into contact with the corpse of an animal that, although pure, was not ritually sacrificed (nebela or terefa), is described. Insects and reptiles are not suitable for consumption. The Torah explains that by observing the Kashrut diet we will be condemned as “holy” that is, socially and culturally separated from pagan peoples and practices. The holiness that comes from abstaining from forbidden foods also refers to impulse control and self-discipline

Tehilim 113

The Text

1. Halleluyah! Praise HaShem, you who are His servants; praise the name of HaShem. 2. Let the name of HaShem be blessed, from this moment and forevermore. 3. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of HaShem is praised. 4. HaShem is exalted above all the nations; His glory towers above the very heavens. 5. Who is like HaShem our God — the One who sits enthroned on high, 6. yet stoops down to behold both the heavens and the earth? 7. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, 8. to seat them among princes — among the princes of His own people. 9. He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother of children. Halleluyah!

Commentary

This psalm opens the Hallel — the sequence of praise that Jews recite on the most joyous occasions of the Jewish calendar. Its placement at the very beginning is no accident. Before any celebration can get underway, we pause to ask a fundamental question: What kind of God are we actually praising here? The psalm answers that question with quiet power, moving from the broadest possible picture — all of humanity, all of time, the entire span of the earth — down to the most intimate human experiences imaginable.

Who should praise? HaShem’s servants. Not the mighty or the accomplished, but those who stand in a living relationship with Him.

What should be praised? His name — which in Jewish thought means not just a label, but His presence as it makes itself felt in the world and in history.

When? From this moment on, forever — without pause, without end.

Where? From sunrise to sunset — everywhere, in every corner of the world.

Having painted that universal picture, the psalm makes a fascinating observation. HaShem is praised by all the nations — because anyone, anywhere, who looks up at the night sky and marvels at its order and beauty is, in some sense, giving honor to its Creator. The cosmos is legible to every human being. This kind of praise — call it the praise of wonder, or of philosophical awe — is not limited to the Jewish people. It belongs to all of humanity.

But then the psalm asks: Who is like HaShem our God?

And here is where things get interesting. What sets HaShem apart, the psalmist says, is not simply that He dwells on high — it’s that He also looks down. He is not a remote, indifferent Creator who built the universe and then stepped away. He pays attention. He is moved by what He sees. He reaches into the dust and lifts out the person nobody noticed. He hears the silent grief of a woman who longs for a child.

That combination — infinite transcendence and intimate involvement — is what makes Jewish praise unlike any other. Other peoples can honor God as the architect of the cosmos. What Israel proclaims is that the very same God who is beyond all comprehension is also present in the smallest, most personal corners of human life. Our praise is distinctive because our experience of God is distinctive: we find Him not only in the grandeur of the heavens, but in the quiet moments where His hand tilts the scales of ordinary life.

The two images at the end of the psalm — the poor man raised to sit among princes, and the barren woman who becomes a happy mother — carry more weight than they might first appear to.

Notice the detail about the poor man: he isn’t elevated among strangers in some foreign land. He rises to honor among his own people, the very community that once knew him in his poverty. That kind of reversal is far more striking than simply starting fresh somewhere new. Jewish tradition reads this as a portrait of the Exodus — the moment a nation of slaves became the Am HaShem, so glorified that Egypt itself would one day seek their friendship and alliance in the time of King Solomon.

The barren woman, in prophetic literature, is a familiar image for the Land of Israel herself. While her children — Bene Israel — wander in exile, she sits empty and waiting, like a mother whose home has gone quiet. She only truly comes alive when they return.

So the psalm ends not just with praise, but with hope. Just as HaShem once lifted us from the depths of Egypt and made us into something extraordinary, may He do so again — bringing Bene Israel home to their Land, and ushering in the full redemption through Melekh HaMashiach, speedily in our days.

📅 In which Hebrew day and Hebrew month does Pesach begin?
👉 15th of Nisan (at night)

🌊 What do we celebrate on the seventh day of Pesach?
👉 Splitting of the Red Sea (Yam Suf)

👪 Who were the brother and sister of Moshe?
👉 Aharon and Miriam

🏠 What were the names of Moshe’s parents?
👉 Amram and Yocheved

🍎 What does the charoset represent?
👉 The mortar (brick mixture)

👦 👦 👦 👦 Who are the Four Sons mentioned in the Haggadah?
👉 Wise, Wicked, Simple, One who doesn’t know to ask

❓ What questions do we ask in Ma Nishtana? (Mention 3)
👉 Matzah / Maror / Reclining

🌾 What are the five grains that can become chametz?
👉 Wheat, Barley, Spelt, Rye, Oats

⏳ What three elements are necessary for something to become chametz?
👉 Grain + Water + Time

🚫 What is Bitul Chametz?
👉 Declaring chametz ownerless/null

🫓 What is the difference between regular matzah and matzah shemurah?
👉 Shemurah is guarded from harvest

🙏 What two berachot do we say before eating matzah at the Seder?
👉 HaMotzi / Al Achilat Matzah

🏺 What is the Afikoman, and when do we eat it?
👉 Final matzah, eaten at end

🧂 What does dipping karpas in salt water symbolize?
👉 Tears of slavery

⚖ What amount of chametz makes a food forbidden on Pesach?
👉 Even a tiny amount

🔥 How do we make an oven kosher for Pesach?
👉 Clean well + high heat (libun)

🛡 What is the meaning of the text “Vehi She’amda” in the Haggadah?
👉 HaShem protects us in every generation

🎶 Name five things for which we thank HaShem in Dayenu.
👉 Exodus / Splitting Sea / Manna / Torah / Israel

🚿 What special handwashing do we perform during the Seder?
👉 Urchatz (no beracha)

🛋 How and when do we recline during the Seder, and why?
👉 While eating/drinking — sign of freedom

🍷 What foods must be eaten while reclining?
👉 Matzah and 4 cups of wine

🐸 🩸 🔥 What were the Ten Plagues that struck Egypt before the Exodus? Hebrew and English
👉 Dam–Blood / Tzefardea–Frogs / Kinim–Lice / Arov–Wild animals / Dever–Pestilence / Shechin–Boils / Barad–Hail / Arbeh–Locusts / Choshech–Darkness / Makat Bechorot–Death of Firstborn

🎉 PESACH TRIVIA — Questions and Answers

Sephardic Tradition • Children’s Level

❓ 1. On which Hebrew day and month does Pesach begin?

✅ It begins on the 15th of Nisan. The Seder is on the night of the 15th.

❓ 2. What do we celebrate on the seventh day of Pesach?

🌊 We celebrate the splitting of the Red Sea (Yam Suf), when HaShem saved Bene Israel from Paro’s army.

🎶 We read the Shira — the Song of the Sea.

❓ 3. Who were the brother and sister of Moshe?

👨 Aharon

👩 Miriam

❓ 4. What were the names of Moshe’s parents?

👨 Amram

👩 Yocheved

➡️ Both from the tribe of Levi

❓ 5. What does the charoset represent?

🟤 It represents the mortar and mixture our ancestors used as slaves in Egypt.

🌰 In the Sephardic tradition, it is made with dates, raisins, nuts, and spices.

❓ 6. Who are the Four Sons in the Haggadah?

🧠 The wise (Hacham)

😠 The wicked (Rasha)

🙂 The simple (Tam)

🤷 The one who does not know how to ask

❓ 7. What questions do we ask in Ma Nishtana? (mention 3)

🫓 Why do we eat only matza and not bread?

🌿 Why do we eat maror?

🥣 Why do we dip our food twice?

➡️ (Sephardic: Why do we recline?)

❓ 8. What are the five grains that can become chametz?

🌾 Wheat

🌾 Barley

🌾 Spelt

🌾 Rye

🌾 Oats

❓ 9. What three elements make something chametz?

1️⃣ One of the five grains

2️⃣ Water

3️⃣ Time (18 minutes to ferment)

❓ 10. What is Bitul Chametz?

🗣 It is declaring that all chametz is like dust and ownerless.

🏠 In addition, we must physically remove it from all our properties.

❓ 11. What is the difference between regular matza and matza shemura?

🫓 Matza shemura = “guarded matza” from the time of harvest

➡️ It is protected so no water touches it before baking

👉 This is what we use at the Seder

❓ 12. What two berachot do we say before eating matza?

🍞 Hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz

🫓 Al achilat matza

❓ 13. What is the Afikoman and when do we eat it?

🫓 It is a piece of matza set aside

⏳ It is eaten at the end of the Seder

🎒 Many children carry it on their shoulder, remembering the Exodus from Egypt

❓ 14. What does dipping karpas in salt water symbolize?

💧 It represents the tears of Bene Israel during slavery

❓ 15. How much chametz makes a food forbidden on Pesach?

⚠️ Even a tiny amount (very small!) makes it forbidden

❓ 16. How do we kasher an oven for Pesach?

🧽 Clean it היטב

⏳ Do not use it for 24 hours

🔥 Heat it at maximum temperature (libun) to burn any residue

❓ 17. What does “VeHi She’amda” mean?

🛡 That HaShem’s promise protects us

➡️ In every generation they try to destroy us, but HaShem saves us

❓ 18. Name 5 things we thank HaShem for in Dayenu

🙏 Leaving Egypt

🌊 Crossing the sea

🕯 Receiving Shabbat

⛰ Arriving at Har Sinai

📖 Receiving the Torah

❓ 19. What handwashing do we do at the Seder?

🧼 Twice:

1️⃣ Urchatz (without a beracha)

2️⃣ Rachtzah (with a beracha)

❓ 20. How and when do we recline at the Seder? Why?

↩️ We recline to the left

🍷 When drinking the 4 cups

🫓 When eating matza

👑 Because that is how free people ate

❓ 21. Which foods are eaten while reclining?

🍷 The 4 cups

🫓 The matza (including Afikoman)

🥪 Korech

🚫 Maror does not require reclining

❓ 22. What are the Ten Plagues?

1️⃣ 🩸 Blood

2️⃣ 🐸 Frogs

3️⃣ 🐜 Lice

4️⃣ 🐾 Wild animals

5️⃣ 🐄 Pestilence

6️⃣ 🤕 Boils

7️⃣ 🌨 Hail

8️⃣ 🦗 Locusts

9️⃣ 🌑 Darkness

🔟 👶 Death of the firstborn

Before Pesach begins, we must make sure that no edible chametz remains in our homes.

Chametz refers to foods or drinks (for humans or for pets) made from, or containing any element derived from, the five grains: wheat, barley, oats, rye, and spelt. Such as bread, cake, pasta, cookies, and many alcoholic beverages like beer, whisky, vodka, etc.

The Torah teaches that during Pesach chametz may not be eaten, and it also may not be in our possession.

The Rabbis also taught that we must physically remove all edible chametz from our properties. This includes our homes, cars, offices, or any other place.

That is why, before Pesach, we carefully clean our homes and remove from them all chametz products.

🔍 Tuesday, March 31 (at night)

Bedikat Chametz – Searching for Chametz

On the night before Erev Pesach, that is, tonight Tuesday, March 31, we perform Bedikat Chametz, the final search for chametz.

Using a flashlight 🔦, we carefully check places where food might be found. (traditionally, candles 🕯️ were used, but today many rabbis recommend using a flashlight due to fire concerns.)

📍 Places to check carefully:
🍪 kitchen
🧺 pantry
🧊 refrigerator and freezer
🛋 dining room
🚗 car
🎒 backpacks, bags, pockets

During the search, we are mainly looking for actual chametz food, such as:

🍪 cookies
🍫 snacks and candy
🥨 crackers, pretzels
🥣 cereals
🍺 alcoholic drinks made from grain
🥤Liquid products such as multivitamin drinks or protein shakes that contain chametz.
🐶 pet food (many contain chametz and may not be used or kept during Pesach)

What is NOT Chametz?

Some items are not considered chametz because they are not edible, food, even if they might contain grain derivatives.

For example:
🧴 cosmetics
🧽 cleaning products
💊 medications in the form of hard tablets, which are swallowed with water

These may remain in our possession during Pesach.

What is Se’or?

🫙 Se’or is the sourdough starter used to make bread 

It is an additive that is not eaten directly, but is kept in the home (it can last for years!) and is used whenever one wants to prepare homemade sourdough bread.

The Torah forbids using or keeping se’or during Pesach.
Therefore, it must also be removed from the house, and it is discarded or given away before the holiday.

The Berakhah

Before beginning the search we say:

Barukh Ata A-donay, E-lohenu Melekh ha’Olam, asher qiddeshanu be-mitsvotav ve-tsivanu al bi’ur chametz.

Translation:
“Blessed are You, HaShem our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to remove the chametz [from our homes].”

Bitul Chametz – First Declaration

After the search, we place the chametz we found in a safe place in order to remove it from the house the next day.

Then we recite the Bitul Chametz, declaring that any edible chametz that we may not have found during this inspection no longer belongs to us:

Kal chamira deika birshuti dela chaziteh vedela biarteh, libtil veleheve hefker ke’afra de’ar’a

This means:
“All chametz or se’or that is in my possession, which I did not see and did not remove from the house, should be considered ownerless like the dust of the earth.”

📅 Wednesday, April 1 (in the morning)

Erev Pesach

Bi’ur Chametz – Removing the Chametz from the house

After breakfast we gather:

• the chametz found the night before
• any remaining chametz

And we remove it from the house.

📚 Traditionally it is burned 🔥(in the past garbage was disposed of this way).

But it may also be:

🗑️ thrown into a garbage bin outside the home
🐦 given to animals

Bitul Chametz – Final Declaration

After removing or burning the chametz, we repeat the declaration, this time more broadly:

כָּל חֲמִירָא דְּאִיכָּא בִרְשׁוּתִי…

Transliteration:
Kal Chamira de’ika birshuti dehaziteh u’dela haziteh…

Meaning:
“Any chametz that belongs to me, whether I saw it or not, whether I removed it from my house or not, should be considered ownerless like the dust of the earth.”

Chametz may be eaten until the end of the fourth hour of the day, and must be removed from the house until the end of the fifth hour.

In our community, UMJCA, every year we use the same times:

🍞 Chametz may be eaten only until 10:00 a.m.
🕚 It must be removed from the house before 11:00 a.m.

For times in other cities and locations, see:
https://www.myzmanim.com/search.aspx

📚 רֶגַע שֶׁל עִבְרִית – Mini Ulpan

The Hebrew root ב־ע־ר (BET–AYIN–RESH) is polysemous: it has several different meanings depending on the context. The same is true for the root ע־ר־ב (AYIN–RESH–BET), which contains the same letters and has multiple meanings.

The word Bi’ur (בִּעוּר) in this context does not mean “burning”. It comes from the root בער, which means to remove something completely from a place, leaving nothing behind.

Examples:

וּבִעַרְתָּ הָרָע מִקִּרְבֶּךָ
“You shall remove the evil from your midst”

Or even closer:

בִּעַרְתִּי הַקֹּדֶשׁ מִן הַבָּיִת
“I have removed [completely] all that is sacred from the house (ma’aser, etc.)” (Devarim 26:13)

👉 Bi’ur Chametz = removing the chametz completely from the house

1️⃣ What is Matzah?

🫓 Matzah is a special bread that we eat during Pesach.
It is made from only two ingredients:

🌾 wheat flour
💧 water

Unlike regular bread, the dough used for matzah has no yeast (no sourdough starter) and is not left to rise.
Instead, matzah stays flat, thin, and crisp.

2️⃣ Why Do We Eat Matzah?

The Torah commands us to eat matzah on the night of the Seder.
Matzah reminds us of two important moments in our history.

🏃 The Bread of Freedom

On the night of the Exodus, Pharaoh suddenly told the Jewish people to leave Egypt immediately.

⏳ There was no time to wait for bread to rise.

This reminds us that it was HaShem—not an army, a revolution, or another human event—who brought our freedom.

The people quickly prepared simple flat dough and baked it right away. Instead of bread, they left Egypt carrying matzah.

🫓 Their matzot traveled with them into the desert.

That is why the Torah commands us to eat matzah every year at the Seder—to remember the night we became free through HaShem.

🧱 The Bread of Slavery

“Lechem Oni” — לֶחֶם עֹנִי — Bread of Poverty

The Haggadah tells us that when the Jewish people were slaves in Egypt, they ate matzah all the time:

🍽 breakfast • 🍽 lunch • 🍽 dinner

For the Egyptian slave masters, matzah was the cheapest and simplest bread to feed the Jewish slaves.

It had:
❌ no yeast
❌ no salt
❌ no special ingredients

They gave it to the slaves because it was cheap to make, quick to prepare (no waiting for the dough to rise), and it kept their stomachs full for a long time.

Regular Egyptian bread was soft, fluffy, and rich, but the Jewish slaves received only simple flat bread — matzah.

That is why the Haggadah begins:

“Ha Lachma Anya — This is the bread of poverty that our ancestors ate in Egypt.”

🫓 When we eat matzah, we also remember our lives as slaves in Egypt.

Bread Comparison

🥖 Egyptian Bread
soft • fluffy • rich

🫓 Jewish Bread (Matzah)
flat • simple • crisp

🎭 A Beautiful Sephardic Custom

In many Sephardic Jewish communities, families act out the Exodus story during the Seder.

Children place matzah on their shoulders, like the Jews leaving Egypt.

Then the children are asked:

👨🏻 “Where are you coming from?”
👦🏽 מֵאֵיפֹה אַתָּה בָּא?
👧🏾 “From Egypt!” — מִמִּצְרַיִם!

👨🏼 “Where are you going?”
👦🏽 לְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ?
👧🏾 “To Yerushalayim!” — לִירוּשָׁלַיִם!

👨🏿 “What are you carrying with you?”
👦🏽 מַה אַתָּה נוֹשֵׂא?
👧🏾 “Matzah and Maror!” — מַצָּה וּמָרוֹר!

This custom is inspired by the Torah’s description of the Exodus:

מִשְׁאֲרֹתָם צְרוּרוֹת בְּשִׂמְלֹתָם עַל־שִׁכְמָם
“They carried their dough wrapped in their clothes upon their shoulders.”
(Shemot 12:34)

This reenactment helps children imagine themselves leaving Egypt, just as our ancestors did.

3️⃣ How is Matzah Made?

🧑‍🍳 Making matzah must be done very quickly and carefully.

From the moment the flour touches the water until the matzah goes into the oven, no more than 18 minutes may pass.

Why?

Because after that time the dough may ferment and become chametz, which we cannot eat during Pesach.

The Process

🌾 flour + 💧 water
⬇
🥣 dough
⬇
📏 rolled very flat
⬇
🔘 holes are made
⬇
🔥 baked quickly in a hot oven
⬇
🫓 MATZAH

4️⃣ Types of Matzah

🫓 Regular Matzah

Regular matzah is supervised from the moment the flour is prepared until the matzah is baked.

🌾 grain → flour → dough → 🔥 oven → 🫓 matzah

Regular matzah is usually square and machine-made.

⭐ Matzah Shemurah

“Shemurah” means guarded or protected.

This matzah is supervised from an earlier stage—beginning when the wheat is harvested in the field.

🌾 field → grain → flour → dough → 🔥 oven → 🫓 matzah

Usually:

🫓 it is made by hand
🫓 it is usually round

Because of the extra care, Matzah Shemurah is more expensive.

Many families use Matzah Shemurah at the Seder, when eating matzah is a special mitzvah.

5️⃣ When Do We Eat Matzah?

🫓 On the night of the Seder, eating matzah is a mitzvah.

During the rest of Pesach:

❌ We do not eat Chametz.
🫓 We replace regular bread with matzah, which is why we say HaMotzi when we eat matzah during Pesach.

Even though it is not required to eat matzah every day of Pesach, matzah becomes our Pesach bread.

🥬 What is Maror?
The Torah says that the Pesach offering was eaten together with: 🫓 Matzah 🌿 Maror. This is how it was done when we had the Bet haMiqdash.

What is maror? A bitter vegetable. The word maror comes from the Hebrew mar, meaning “bitter.” The Torah explains that the Egyptians:
“…made the lives [of the Jewish slaves] bitter with hard labor, with mortar and bricks…” (Shemot 1:14)

🌿 We eat maror to remember and symbolically experience the bitterness of slavery in Egypt.

🥬 Which vegetable is used for maror?
Ashkenazi families often use horseradish, sometimes mixed with beet (chrein) 🌱.

Sephardic families use lettuce 🥬.
Why lettuce?

The Rabbis explained that lettuce (chazeret) starts soft and not very bitter.
But as it grows, its stalk hardens and its leaves become more bitter.

This reflects what happened in Egypt. At first, Pharaoh avoided harsh oppression so as not to provoke rebellion. But gradually, he increased the pressure until the Jewish people were fully enslaved.

The taste of maror teaches that oppression can begin subtly and later become harsh and bitter.

🗣️ Maror must be explained
At the Seder, we do not only eat maror—we must also mention it and explain its meaning.

“Rabban Gamliel taught: Anyone who does not mention (and explain) the following three things does not fully fulfill the mitzvah of the Seder — vehiggadta levincha:
🕊 Pesach 🫓 Matzah 🌿 Maror

🏗️ What work did Bene Israel do in Egypt?
At first, Pharaoh imposed forced labor as a type of tax. Bene Israel helped build the cities of Pitom and Ramses. Later, they were fully enslaved.

The Torah says:
“The Egyptians made their lives bitter with hard labor, with mortar and bricks.” (Shemot 1:14)

From the word vayemareru (“they made bitter”) comes maror.

The Torah describes their work. It was not dragging stones for pyramids.
The Jewish people made bricks using טִיט וְתֶבֶן (tit ve-teven) — mud mixed with straw.

This labor included:
🧱 Carrying heavy mud from the Nile, mixed with silt
🌾 Gathering straw and mixing it into the mud
☀️ Mixing with their feet and shaping bricks by hand

They worked long hours in thick mud under the sun.
The mud irritated their skin and hardened on their bodies. It was exhausting and unhealthy work.
Even when weak or sick, they had to continue.

This work with tit ve-teven became a central memory of slavery in Egypt.

🟤 What is Charoset?
Charoset is a mixture of fresh fruits (such as apple), dried fruits (dates, nuts, etc.), and vinegar or wine.

Its thick texture resembles the mortar used to make bricks in Egypt.
When we see the charoset, we remember the forced labor.

At the Seder we remember slavery in two ways:
🌿 The taste of maror → bitterness
🟤 The charoset → mortar

Together, they represent both the feeling and the image of slavery.

🫓 How and when do we eat maror and charoset?
At the Seder we eat maror with charoset twice:

🌿 First, we dip maror in charoset after the berachah:
“asher kideshanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu al achilat maror.”

🥪 Then, we eat maror and charoset again with matzah, in the korech sandwich, as practiced by Hillel, remembering the Pesach offering eaten with matzah and maror.

According to Maimonides, charoset is the only condiment required at the Seder:

• Karpas is dipped in charoset
• The first matzah is eaten with some charoset
• Maror is eaten with charoset, both alone and in korech