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Question
Why does Passover last for eight days?
Dear Rick,
Thanks for writing.
Passover is described in the Torah = Five Books of Moses as a 7 day holiday.
However, the system for sending the message out of Jerusalem to the outlying districts about the time and date for the start of the Festival became a victim of interference from the Samaritans. The Jews used to light bonfires on mountain-tops to indicate that it was the beginning of the Festival, and the Samaritans would light them early.
Therefore, to be certain of the date, the outlying communities began to add a day to be sure - two Festival days at the beginning and two at the conclusion.
Ultimately, the Rabbis of the Talmud knew the mathematics of astronomy and the calendar which enabled the Jewish communities around the Jewish world to be independent of the "bonfire" system.
However, since many of the communities were outside of the land of Israel, they continued to observe what is known as the "Yom Tov Sheni Shel Galuyot," the Second Day of the Festival in the Diaspora - from then until now for about 2000 years.
Check out the entry on Passover and 8 days in jewishencyclopedia.com on-line or in the library in the Encyclopedia Judaica.
Rabbi Dov
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Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner
Expertise
Write to me with questions about Jewish customs and law, history, philosophy and tradition for answers from a Conservative perspective or conversion. I am a graduate of The Jewish Theological Seminary and a member of the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly. Having served in congregational pulpits since 1970, I now am President of the Foundation For Family Education, Inc. a non-profit educational endeavor. I established it to create new formats of hands-on programs and provide free educational downloads at www.jewishfreeware.org. In addition to general informational questions I welcome your questions about programs for social action, outreach to dual-faith families, inter-faith clergy projects, healing services, education for conversion, adult education for the congregation and the community. If you have questions about Informal and Formal Education I am ready to share my extensive experience with Youth Activities, Camping and Religious School/Hebrew High School on a congregational, community and national/international level.
Experience
I have served on the National Youth Commission for more than 25 years and serve on the Boards of the Conservative Zionist movement MERCAZ and the World Council of Synagogues. I have always dual-families and taught candidates for conversion with a great sense of fulfillment. I am very proud of 25 years on the Jewish camping staff of Camps Ramah. My greatest source of pride is my family! Ask me about them, please!:-)
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