Editing Jewish holidays (section)

===Pesach—Passover===
* Erev Pesach and Fast of the Firstborn, ("Ta'anit Bechorot"): 14 [[Nisan]]
* Pesach<ref group=Note>The text of the Torah itself uses the term ''Pesach'' to refer to the ''[[Korban Pesach]]'', the offering of the paschal lamb, as well as the day that the sacrifice is offered—14 Nisan. See {{bibleref|Leviticus|23:5|HE}}. The long pilgrimage festival of 15–21 Nisan is always called ''Ḥag haMatzot,'' or "Festival of Unleavened Bread"; see {{bibleref|Lev.|23:6|HE}}. This distinction is still made in Karaite Judaism and in Samaritanism. In conventional Rabbinic Judaism the term ''Pesach'' now commonly refers to the pilgrimage festival itself, although the text of the liturgy continues to use the name ''Ḥag haMatzot''.</ref> ([[Passover]]): 15–21 Nisan (outside Israel 15–22 Nisan)
* The first day and last day of Passover (outside Israel, [[#2days|first two]] and last two days) are full ''[[#yomtov|yom tov]]'', while the remainder of Passover has the status of ''[[Chol Hamoed]]'', "intermediate days".
* Pesach Sheni (second Passover): 14 [[Iyar]]

====Month of Nisan====
As a rule, the month of Nisan is considered to be one of extra joy. Traditionally, throughout the entire month, [[Tahanun]] is omitted from the prayer service, many public mourning practices (such as delivering a [[hesped|eulogy]] at a funeral) are eliminated, and voluntary [[fasting#Judaism|fasting]] is prohibited.<ref>See ''Mashechet [[Soferim (Talmud)|Soferim]]'' 21:3 and BT [[Menachot]] 65, discussed at {{cite web |url=http://dafyomi.co.il/menachos/insites/mn-dt-065.htm |website=dafyomi.co.il|title=Insights to the Daf—Menachos 65 |publisher=Kollel Iyun Hadaf of Yerushalayim |access-date=January 15, 2013|postscript=,}} which differ in their explanation for the custom.</ref> However, practices sometimes vary.<ref>See, for example, {{cite web |url=http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/260800/jewish/The-Laws-Concerning-the-Thirty-Days-before-Passover.htm |title=The Laws Concerning the Thirty Days before Passover |last1=Wenger |first1=Eliezer |website=chabad.org |access-date=January 15, 2013}}</ref>

====Eve of Passover and Fast of the Firstborn====
[[File:Seder Plate.jpg|250px|right|thumb|Traditional arrangement of symbolic foods on a [[Passover Seder Plate]]]]
[[File:Sedertable.jpg|thumb|200px|Table set for [[Passover]] [[seder]]]]
The day before Passover (''Erev Pesach,'' lit., "Passover eve") is significant for three reasons:
* It is the day that all of the involved preparations for Passover, especially [[Passover#Removing all leaven (chametz)|elimination of leavened food, or ''chametz'']], must be completed. In particular, a formal search for remaining ''[[chametz]]'' is done during the evening of Erev Pesach, and all remaining ''chametz'' is finally destroyed, disposed of or nullified during the morning of Erev Pesach.<ref name="Pesahim">See the Talmud tractate [[Pesaḥim]] in both the Mishnah and Gemara, among many sources.</ref>
* It is the day observed as the [[Fast of the Firstborn]] (תענית בכורות). Jews who are firstborn<ref group=Note>Exactly what this means is disputed.  See [[Fast of the Firstborn#Qualifications for fasting|Fast of the Firstborn (Qualifications for fasting)]].</ref> fast, in remembrance of the [[Plagues of Egypt#plague10|tenth plague]], when God killed the Egyptian firstborn, while sparing the Jewish firstborn.<ref>See ''Masechet Soferim'' 21:3 and ''Shulḥan Aruch Oraḥ Ḥayyim'' 470:1.</ref> This fast is overridden by a ''[[seudat mitzvah]]'', a meal celebrating the fulfillment of a commandment; accordingly, it is almost universal for firstborn Jews to attend such a meal on this day<ref group=Note>The Halachic authorities say that a meal associated with a [[Brit milah]] is for sure a seudat mitzvah for these purposes, and they are debate whether a [[seudat mitzvah#Seudat Siyum Masechet|''siyum'']] is enough. Nevertheless, the common practice is to allow for a siyyum, a meal celebrating the conclusion of substantial study of Talmud, and this is what is usually done since there is great flexibility around scheduling such an event.</ref> so as to obviate their need to fast.
* During the era of the Temple in Jerusalem, the ''[[Korban Pesach]]'', or sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb, was carried out the afternoon of 14 Nisan in anticipation of its consumption on Passover night.<ref name="Pesahim"/> This is reflected in post-temple time through slight changes to the liturgy.

When Passover starts on Sunday, and the eve of Passover is therefore Shabbat, the above schedule is altered. See [[Eve of Passover on Shabbat]] for details.

====Passover====
{{Main article|Passover}}
Passover (פּסח) ''(Pesach''), also known liturgically as חג המצות ''("Ḥag haMatzot"'', the "Festival of Unleavened Bread"), is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (''shalosh regalim'') mentioned in the Torah. Passover commemorates [[the Exodus]], the liberation of the Israelite slaves from Egypt.<ref>See, for example, {{bibleverse||Exodus|12:14|HE}} and following verses.</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yqClWOhqso0C&q=%22collective+memory%22&pg=PA45|title=The Bible After Babel: Historical Criticism in a Postmodern Age|last=Collins|first=John J.|date=2005-11-15|publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|isbn=9780802828927|language=en}}</ref> No ''[[chametz]]'' ([[Leavening agent|leavened]] food) is eaten, or even owned, during the week of Passover, in commemoration of the biblical narrative in which the Israelites left Egypt so quickly that their bread did not have enough time to rise.<ref>See, for example, {{bibleverse||Ex.|12:39|HE}}.</ref> Observant Jews go to great lengths to remove all ''chametz'' from their homes and offices in the run-up to Passover.<ref>See [[Chametz#Stringency|Chametz (Stringency)]] and [[Chametz#Removal of chametz|Chametz (Removal of Chametz)]].</ref>

Along with the avoidance of ''chametz'', the principal ritual unique to this holiday is the [[seder]]. The ''seder'', meaning "order", is an ordered ritual meal eaten on the first night of Passover, and outside Israel also on the [[#2days|second night]]. This meal is known for its distinctive ritual foods—[[Matzah|matzo]] (unleavened bread), [[maror]] (bitter herbs), and four cups of [[kosher wine|wine]]—as well as its prayer text/handbook/study guide, the [[Haggadah]]. Participation in a Passover seder is one of the most widely observed Jewish rituals, even among less affiliated or less observant Jews.<ref>{{Citation
 |year=2003 
 |title=National Jewish Population Survey 2000-1 
 |publisher=Berman Jewish DataBank 
 |url=http://jewishdatabank.org/studies/details.cfm?StudyID=307
 |access-date=January 11, 2013 
}}(survey from the United States).</ref>

Passover lasts seven days in Israel,<ref>as per {{bibleverse||Ex.|12:15|HE}}</ref> and eight days outside Israel. The holiday of the last day of Passover (outside Israel, last [[#2days|two days]]) commemorates the [[Splitting of the Red Sea]]; according to tradition this occurred on the [[Passover#Seventh day of Passover|seventh day of Passover]].<ref>See {{cite web
|url=http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9875/showrashi/true
|title=Rashi on Exodus 14:5
|website=chabad.org
|access-date=January 10, 2013
}}</ref>

====Pesach Sheni====
{{Main article|Pesach Sheni}}
''Pesach Sheni'' (פסח שני) ("Second Passover") is a day prescribed in the Torah<ref>{{bibleverse||Numbers|9|HE}}.</ref> to allow those who did not bring the Paschal Lamb offering ''(Korban Pesach)'' a second chance to do so. Eligibility was limited to those who were distant from Jerusalem on Passover, or those who were ritually impure and ineligible to participate in a sacrificial offering. Today, some have the custom to eat matzo on Pesach Sheni, and some make a small change to the liturgy.