Thank you for the question regarding celebration of Passover, how to celebrate.
Before I start, let me explain that this post is longer than normal, even for me. This is due to the subject and its importance, had GOD(source) and the Hand of Moses(writing) not commanded multiple times, there would not be so many verses involved here. Notice that this particular event is placed near the top of GOD’s List of things we need to learn and do. In no other place have I seen so many commands, along with giving reasons for observing; definintions who can observe, and exactly what is to be done. –On with the article -Yaakov
1) Passover starts at evening(end of day) on the 14th day of Abib(this is the HEBREW name for the first month, the current Jewish calendar uses the Babylonian name of NISSAN).
Exodus 12:27 “. . . .It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S passover, for that He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses.’ And the people bowed the head and worshipped.”
2) We are to retell the story of our redemption from Egypt by the LORD our GOD.
3) We are not to work on the First day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which begins with the Passover Feast.
4) We are to answer “What do you mean by this rite?” when asked by children, “It is the Passover to the LORD, because HE passed over the houses of Israelites in the land of Egypt when HE smote the Egyptians. but saved our houses.”(JPS 1999, Exodus 12:26)
5) The Deuteronomy 16 passage presents that a sacrifice is required, but only at the place GOD Places HIS NAME. This was the House that King Solomon built for the LORD, there GOD placed HIS NAME. Performed in 1Kings 9:3 this is where the account of the event. A great read for many reasons. It should also be noted that Anyone may create an alter of stone, by hand with no tools, as a place to sacrifice unto GOD, as was accomplished by all prior to the Temple. If you are going to do that, you must make sure that you find the laws of GOD regarding the handling of all components of a sacrifice, if you wish GOD to give it respect (Cain vs Able story.) This personal alter is not a LAW or requirement in the Torah, but a personal thing between you and GOD when there is no HOUSE OF GOD(as is the can now). Be aware that the Passover Sacrifice unto GOD, is not to be had by an uncircumcised, none is to remain until morning, no bone is to be broken, take only what you can consume before morning. I believe that you will find commands regarding these in the texts below.
We turn to Torah to discover:
I have copied from a digital copy of the King James, while reading from a JPS 1999 copy of Tanach, there are minor differences between these translations. I have modified this copy of Exodus to be JPS 1999 version(Jewish Publication Society)as I have worked through this question. More question have emerged during my study, and I will address them later. I did comment on some things I noticed during this study. or http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0211.htm a Hebrew/English JPS1917 translation online–Yaakov
(Exodus 12:14) This day shall be unto you for a remembrance you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD throughout the ages; you shall celebrate it as institution for all time.
(Exodus 12:15) Seven days shall you eat unleavened bread; on the very first day you shall remove leaven from your houses: for whosoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul(person) shall be cut off from Israel.
(Exodus 12:16) You shall celebrate a scared occasion on the first day and a sacred occasion on the seventh day, no work as all shall be done on them; only what every person is to eat, that only may be prepared for you.
(Exodus 12:17) And you shall observe the (Feast of) Unleavened Bread; for on this very day, I brought your ranks out of the land of Egypt; you shall observe this day throughout the ages as an institution (ordinance) for all time.
(Exodus 12:18) In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at evening.
(Exodus 12:19) Seven days shall there be No leaven shall be found in your houses for seven days. For whoever eats that which is leavened, that person(soul) shall be cut off from the community(congregation) of Israel, whether he is a stranger, or a citizen of the country.
(Exodus 12:24) You shall observe this as an institution for all time, for you and to your descendants.
(Exodus 12:25) And when you enter the land that the LORD will give you, as HE has promised, you shall observe this rite.
(Exodus 12:26) And when your children ask you, ‘What do you mean by this rite?’
(Exodus 12:27) you shall say, ‘It is the Passover Sacrifice to the LORD, because HE passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when HE smote the Egyptians, but saved our houses.
(Exodus 12:43) The LORD said unto Moses and Aaron: This is the law of the Passover offering: No foreigner eat thereof:
(Exodus 12:44) But any slave a man has bought may eat of it once, he has been circumcised.
(Exodus 12:45) No bound or hired laborer shall not eat of it.
(Exodus 12:46) It shall be eaten in one house: you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house; nor shall you break a bone of it.
(Exodus 12:47) The whole community(congregation) of Israel shall offer it.
(Exodus 12:48) If a stranger who dwells with you would offer the Passover to the LORD, all his males must be circumcised, then he shall be admitted to offer it; he shall be a citizen of the country. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it.
(Exodus 12:49) There shall be one law for the citizen and for the stranger who dwells among you.
(Exodus 13:3) And Moses said unto the people, “Remember this day, in which you went free from Egypt, the house of bondage, how the LORD freed you from it with a mighty hand: no leavened bread be eaten.
(Exodus 13:4) You go free on this day, in the month Aviv(Abib-there is no difference in the Written Torah between the b and v, Nisan).
(Exodus 13:5) So, when the LORD has brought you into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shalt observe in this month the following practice:
(Exodus 13:6) Seven days you shalt eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day shall be a festival to the LORD.
(Exodus 13:7) Throughout the seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten; no leavened bread be found with you, and no leaven shall be found in all your territory.
(Exodus 13:8) And you shall explain to your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I went free from Egypt.’
(Exodus 13:9) And this shall server you as assign upon your hand and reminder on your forehead(between your eyes), in order that the Teaching of the LORD may be in your mouth –: that with a mighty hand the LORD freed you from Egypt.
(Exodus 13:10) You shall keep this institution as its set time from year to year.
Regarding the Sacrifice of the first born male of every womb.
(Exodus 13:16) And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.(Why do we not hear about this pair of Laws? Has this too been over looked?)
(Exodus 23:14) Three times you shall hold a festival for ME.
(Exodus 23:15) You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread –eating unleavened bread for seven days, as I commanded you –at the set time in the month of Aviv(Abib, Nisan), for in it you went forth from the land of Egypt; and none shall appear before me empty handed;(Bring something to the feast.)
(Exodus 23:17) Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Sovereign, the LORD.
Note –Following on the heels of Sacrifice Laws, commanded by GOD, Exodus 23:19 and Exodus 34:26 — “you shall not boil the kid in it’s mothers milk” …this seems a ritual performed in the worship of other g’s and not a prescription of eating habits as no other eating is near this law.
(Exodus 34:18) You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread –eating unleavened bread for seven days, as I commanded you –at the set time in the month of Aviv(Abib, Nisan), for in the month of Aviv, for in it you went forth from Egypt.
(I will leave these in the KJV)
(Leviticus 23:4) These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
(Leviticus 23:5) In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover. (Leviticus 23:6) And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
(Leviticus 23:7) In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
(Leviticus 23:8) But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
(Deuteronomy 16:1) Observe the month of Aviv, and offer a Passover Sacrifice to the LORD you GOD: for in the month of Aviv, at night, that the LORD your God freed from Egypt. (Deuteronomy 16:2) You shall slaughter the Passover Sacrifice for the LORD thy God, from the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to establish(place) HIS name. (Deuteronomy 16:3) You shalt not eat anything leavened with it; for seven days thereafter you eat unleavened bread, bread even the bread of affliction; for you came forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that you mayest remember the day when you came forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
(Deuteronomy 16:4) And there shall be no leavened bread seen with you in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which you sacrificed the first day at evening, remain all night until the morning.
(Deuteronomy 16:5) You mayest not sacrifice the Passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth you:
(Deuteronomy 16:6) But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there you shalt sacrifice the Passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that you came forth out of Egypt.
(Deuteronomy 16:7) And you shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: and you shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents.
(Deuteronomy 16:8) Six days you shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: you shalt do no work therein.
Discussions are also on: http://www.ask-james.com/TruthintorahBB/
Shalom for now. I will continue to work on this and post it on http://truthintorah.blogspot.com when completed.
Chag Sameach Pesach
Shalom,
Yaakov