The Gemara teaches us how to help the children stay awake at the Seder night. The Rishonim explain this in various ways. From the different explanations, we can learn the correct educational approaches on how to keep our kids on the Derech of the Torah.
On Erev Pesach, I will be in a small Jewish community that will not have a siyum. Is it permitted for me – a bechor – to break the ta’anit bechorot based on a siyum in which I “participate” via Skype?
The Seder night is accompanied by songs of freedom, greatness, and malchut, which form a contrast to the situation we could have sunk into had we remained in Egypt, as permanent slaves in the “house of slaves.” We set an atmosphere of “All Jews are the sons of kings” (Shabbat 67a) and “are fit to be kings” (Horiyot 13a).
The preparations for Pesach intensify with Rosh Chodesh falling out on Shabbat and the reading of Parashat Hachodesh. Parashat Hachodesh is the first mention in the Torah of eating matza in connection to Pesach. Matza is presented as a food that is eaten along with the Korban Pesach and that is eaten throughout the duration of the seven-day festival. We also find that one must remove chametz on the “first day” because it is forbidden to eat chametz all seven days (Shemot 12:15).
