In Isaac Bashevis Singer’s compelling novel, The Slave, the Jewish protagonist, Jacob, talks about Jewish traditions that may be unfamiliar to many readers, especially those without a knowledge of the Bible or of Jewish history. While reading this novel, I had many questions regarding the traditions that Jacob practiced, and the history behind them. For this paper, I decided to try to gain an understanding of the important Jewish holiday, Passover. In Singer’s novel, Jacob is a devout Jew who follows the commandments of the law wholeheartedly. The traditions and laws laid out by the Torah are extensive and complicated, but Jacob does not forsake the commandments even while living in desperate conditions as a slave to the Cossacks. Today Jews are still bound by the law of the Torah, and many practice their religion with incredible devotion. Jews around the world celebrate Passover around the time others celebrate Easter, and the Passover feast holds great significance and symbolism for not only Jews but also Christians. Knowledge of the book of Exodus as well as the story of the Bible greatly increases understanding of this holiday. For Jews, Passover remembers the God’s faithfulness in providing for his people, while for Christians who believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the symbolism in the meal points directly to Christ.
The Passover feast originated on the night that the Israelites escaped from Egyptian captivity under the leadership of Moses, as told in the first 15 chapters of the book of Exodus (“Jewish Virtual Library”). The name of the celebration, “Passover,” literally means “God passed over.” It refers to the night that the angel of the Lord passed over and struck dead the firstborn in every family that did not perform to the Lord the sacrifice that he required. In Exodus 12: 21-28, Moses gives the people instructions regarding the sacrifice. For those who sacrificed the lamb and put its blood on their doorposts, the Lord spared the firstborn of that household. Following this devastating plague in which the Pharaoh lost his only son, he finally let the Israelites go. The Israelites had to leave quickly, and so they took unleavened bread because they had no time to wait for it to rise. During Passover, the Jews remove all the “leaven.” The removal of the leaven signifies that the Jews were in a hurry to leave Egypt and could not wait for their bread to rise. It was after the Israelites left Egypt that the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron to remember the Passover (“Jewish Virtual Library”).
Passover lasts seven days in Israel and eight days outside of Israel (“BBC: Religions”). The highlight of the celebration is the meal, or Seder, which takes place on the first two nights. The Haggadah is a Jewish text that explains the Passover rituals. It is a fulfillment of the command in Exodus 13:8 to “tell thy son.” The Haggadah tells of the Jewish experience in Egypt as well as outlining songs, blessings, psalms, and Four Questions. The Four Questions explain the symbolism of the traditions. The first questions regards the eating on unleavened bread, which reminds Jews of the Exodus when the Israelites left Egypt in a hurry. Next, the bitter herbs represent the bitterness of slavery. The dipping of food in liquid remembers the tears of the Jews during their captivity. Finally, they eat in a reclining position to symbolize freedom. Usually the youngest child will ask the four questions regarding these symbols and the father will answer the child (“BBC: Religions”).
Every food that makes up the Seder is symbolic in some way (“BBC: Religions”). A shank bone of the lamb represents sacrifices that the Jews would make at the Temple of Jerusalem. An egg represents sacrifice as well, and symbolizes the Jews getting stronger and not abandoning their beliefs while suffering under the Egyptians. The greenery symbolizes new life. Salt water symbolizes the tears of the slaves (“BBC: Religions”). Four glasses of wine signify the four promises God makes to his people in Exodus 6:6-7, which says,
“Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
The cups are called the Cup of Sanctification, the Cup of the Plagues, the Cup of Redemption, and the Cup of Praise (Scott). The Jews also place an extra cup of wine by the door for Elijah (“BBC: Religions”). They believe that Elijah will come during Passover to announce the coming of the Messiah. This hope of the Messiah shows up in the conclusion of the Haggadah, when they shout “Next year in Jerusalem!” to express excitement for the coming of the Messiah who will bring freedom (“BBC: Religions”).
For the Jewish community, the celebration is an important act of both remembering the Lord’s faithfulness in liberating his children from the Egyptians and looking ahead to the future (“BBC: Religions”). However, for Christians who believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the celebration’s symbolism also has a deep relevance. In the Bible, Jesus celebrates the last Passover with his disciples before he is crucified (Scott). Today, Christians celebrate Communion, or Eucharist, to remember this meal. Looking back on the traditions of the Seder, they seem to point directly to Jesus. For example, just as the choice lamb is slain to remember how the Israelites made a sacrifice to the Lord for their freedom, Jesus is called the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). The Matzo, which is broken and hidden away in a linen napkin, strikingly parallels the way Jesus’ body was broken, wrapped in linen, buried, and then raised (Robinson). This Matzo is the bread that Jesus breaks when he says, “This is my body which is given for you; this do in remembrance of me.” After that, he takes the third cup, the cup of redemption, and says, “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” The cup of redemption refers to the promise in Exodus that says, “And I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments.” (Robinson). Jesus is saying that he is the Passover Lamb, and that just as the Israelites were freed from captivity with the blood of a spotless lamb, so can everyone, both Jew and gentile, now be free from sin through the blood of the lamb, Jesus (Scott). Passover is a tradition that has not died, and it the traditions bleed with deep symbolism. Jacob in Singer’s novel understands the depth of the tradition, and perhaps this understanding is what keeps him from falling away in difficult times.
Works Cited
“Passover.” BBC: Religions. BBC, 2009. Web. 7 Dec 2010.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/holydays/passover_1.shtml
“Passover.” Jewish Virtual Library. American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2010.
Web. 7 Dec 2010. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/holidaya.html
Robinson, Rich. “The Messiah in The Passover.” Menorah Ministries. N.p., n.d. Web. 7
Dec 2010. http://www.menorah.org/the%20messiah%20in%20the%20passover.html
Scott, Nancy. “The Significance of Passover.” McKenzie Study Center. Gutenberg
College, 1999. Web. 7 Dec 2010. http://www.mckenziestudycenter.org/theology/articles/passover.html
