Dear All, As Truepeacenik wrote yesterday in the Holidays & Birthdays forum, under a thread that she entitled "Purim ...", the holiday of Purim traditionally marks the start of preparations for Pesach/Passover.  EVERYTHING must be cleaned to meet 2 objectives:  (i) to throw away any forbidden foodstuff that has fallen inside crevices anywhere in the house, & (ii) to re-Kosher the kitchen for the holiday.  This is such a complicated cleaning that it takes up the month that ensues between Purim & Passover.  The foodstuffs that are forbidden for all Jews are called chametz (wheat, spelt,rye, barley, & oats).  Ashkenazi Jews (from Eastern Europe) also forbid foodstuffs that are called kitnivot (rice, corn, peas, soy, green beans, lentils, beans, mustard, poppy seeds, & sesame seeds). 

You may know that when the Israellites left Egypt, they were in such a hurry that they did not have time to leaven their bread; they brought it out in unleavened wafers that we today call matzoh.  Foods that are chametz are foods that bread is often made out of.  Foods that are called kitnivot are foods that expand in cooking, that remind us of how bread rises.

Matzot are wheat wafers/crackers that do not have any leavening in them.  Each Jew is commanded to eat a few pieces of matzo at the seder meals (2 nights of re-telling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt), but it's not necessary to eat any more if one doesn't like the taste.

Truepeacenik well described how she needs my prayers for her, lest "[she] get crushed in the clutter," & she has my prayers.

I'll be glad to answer any questions.  This thread will probably go on until Pesach time (April 9-16 this year; seders on April 8 & 9),  Closer to that time, I'll set up a thread on Pesach itself, "the reasons for the season."

Yours in Him, Deb

Oh geeeeze for got the seven day clean thing again but the story to go with passover is a really good reading...

Its also in the bible..

Yes, Cheap Chic, The story of the freedom of the Israelite slaves, & the Exodus from Egypt, & the 40 years in the Desert, & the Giving of the Law, & the rebellions such as the Golden Calf, are all in Scriptures.

This makes the holiday unusual, as many holidays were instituted in whole or in part by the Rabbis who wrote down the oral law that G-d had whispered into Moses' ear.

Love in Him, Deb

I'm reworking my family haggadah. This allows me to knock off the physical cleaning, but still be focused on the intention in my evenings.

 I was sitting in bed, surrounded by haggodot: traditional, family, and Santa Cruz; and a (liberal) book on the holiday.

I decided to write my own. This year, it will look a lot like Santa Cruz, but each year I will personalize it more and more. Sure, it will always be a "hippie haggadah," but it'll be MY hippie haggadah. :)

I'm trying to get decent recordings of traditional and non traditional songs (reggae Passover, for example) to make a disc to accent my readings.

My winnie wagon should arrive in time for a major laundry haul on Sunday. I expect two hauls, or wagon and army duffel bag. That's a huge part of my clutter. And a favorite  thrift store is right there, so as things coem out of eth dryer, I can decide if they go in my wagon or the bag for the thrift.

All of my kitchen towels can get sterilized (I have been doing a lot of hand wash, but it hasn't been THAT warm.) in the dryer, and bundled separately for Pesach.

Dear Truepeacenik, THE SOURCE FOR ALLL THINGS JEWISH (www.jewishsource.com sells "30=Minute-Seder Haggadah" for just $5.95.  It might prevent your having to re-invent the wheel ....  I compliment you, though, on your creativity!  Love in Him, Deb

 I prefer to personalize for my own use. I attend one community seder.

Apologies, Truepeacenik.  You had made it clear that you wanted to express your creativity, & I practically "dissed" you!  Love inHim, Deb

hardly a dis, dear Deb. More like "golly, you wierd hippy, do something the easy way"

I readily admit my haggadah is less than Kosher with my rabbi, but I also eat rice and beans. he will live, and I won't starve or die of impacted...well, you know the danger of too much matzo.

Dear Truepeacenik & All, In an attempt to not be confusing, I gave Passover/Pesach food prohibitions that East European Jews (Ashkenim) follow.  To remind all, these are chometz PLUS kitnivot.  (Definitions are int he next paragraph.)  HOWEVER, Sephardic Jews (everybody else,inclluding Israellis) DO eat kitnivot, & just avoid chametz during Pesach.  Most vegetarians in my experience (including me) choose to follow the Sephardic custom.  My famillly is cool with this, so long as I never change back, which would be a violation of mitzvah/commandment.  I have followed the Sephardic law for many, many years.

Chametz, forbidden to everyone, are grains, specifically, wheat, spelt, rye, barley, & oats.  Millett & quinoa can be eaten by all Jews during Pesach.

Kitnivot, forbidden only to Ashkenazik Jews, are rice, corn, peas, soy, green beans, lentils, beans, mustard, poppy seeds, & sesame seeds.

Hope this info about the mitzvot/plural of mitzvah/commmandment helps you feel less guilty.

Love in Him, Deb