SPECIAL FEATURE: PESSAH AND EASTER
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PESSAH IN THE JEWISH TRADITION
which in the 20th century, shows a delay of 13 more days compared to the pending commonly used Gregorian calendar.
The Paschal Tables allows to determine the date of Easter with regard to all the Church data concerning the specific year. The Table of Mobile Feasts indicates the date for Easter with consideration to the different numbers and letters used for its calculation and/or a certain amout of years.
The Indiktion is the great Paschal cycle which is lunar-solar. A cycle of 532 years at the end of which all liturgical periods, feasts and lunar phases are structured according to the same pattern. These cycles are calculated as dating from the creation of the world [- 5508 according to the Christian classical computation]. The 15th cycle has begun in the year 1940 A.D. The �Indiktionos� is the Roman Indiction as determines a period of 15 years, first used by the Romans in order to collect the payment of taxes, also adopted by Constantine the Great. The first indiktionos of this nature began in 313.
Then another element should be taken into account, i.e. the �kyklos tou �Eliou� or �cycle of the Sun� which is solar and dominical and includes a period of 28 years [7 bissextile and 7 times the 3 ordinary years which separate them. In this system, the week days correspond to the previous period of 28 years.
The �kyklos tes Selenes� is the lunar Metonian cycle, a period of 19 years at the end of which the Moon periods correspond to the days of the 19 previous years.
It would be too difficult to include here all the other possible calculations allowing to determine the �Nomikon Faska� or computation of the the Feast of the Jewish Passover which uses both ciphers and letters and developed into a very sophisticated system in the course of time.
LEAVENED � UNLEAVENED
The Jewish Law prescribes that before the beginning of the Feast of Pessah, it is a very strict rule to look for every single part of �hametz� or leavened bread [�Bedikat khametz�]. This rule is conveyed in a very strict way. For the first time in the History of the State of Israel this year, the present Ministry of Interior has decided not to send all the required checking persons and something unexpected happened that sandwiches made with leavened bread have been found in some parts of the country.
The Law is strict because of its spiritual significance which can be also found in the Gospel. All the purpose of the Feast of Pessah is to show that the Covenant between the People of Israel and the Exodus led the People out of slavery in order to receive the Gift of the Written and Oral Laws at the time of Shavuot at the Mount Sinai. The same as for the Christians who are freed from sins at Easter and can therefore receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit at the day of Pentecost.
This diet consisting in refraining from any leavened bread, is a tangible sign of an exceptional action shown by God.
Since the People were not prepared in any manner to be given such a great gift, they could only accept the rule by their Faith. They did not stock food as we did recently for the war in Iraq or when there may be a hunger or difficult times. By obeying to this rule, the Jewish faithful also pays his respect to his ancestors who were capable of such a act of faith.
The hametz or unleavened bread has to be sold to non-Jews in order to show that it is absolutely �valueless�. Normally, the eating of hametz during the time of Pessah [8 days] would be punished by the exclusion from the Community.
On the other hand, during this period of 7 days, the rule is to eat the �matzah� or unleavened bread. As it is written in the Bible : �Vayofu et habatzeq� ugot matzot ki lo khametz� : �They baked the dough.. as cakes of matzah, because it did not rise� [Exodus 12:39]. Another verse states �You shall eat no leaven; in all your habitations you shall eat matzot� [Exodus 12:20]. This firstly negative then positive prescription is therefore applicable to women whatever their situation of their mentrual cycle [also taken into account until now in the Orthodox Churches]. This shows the �universal� aspect of such a commandment.
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