Questions on Pesach to think about and discuss:

1. How many mitzvos are associated with Pesach and how many of these can we do nowadays?
2. What are the mitzvos of the seder night?
3. Why is it called “Seder (order) night” when the things that happened then were extraordinary and miraculous?
4. There are many things on the seder night that have to do with the number four. What are they and what is the significance of them being seen in the number four?
5. In the Torah it is called “Chag hamatzos”. Why then do we call it “Pesach”?
6. What lesson can we learn from the difference between chometz and matza?
7. Why is it called “Yetzias Mitzrayim” that literally means the going out of the Egyptians – not the Jews!?
8. In tefilla we call Pesach as “Zman Cherusenu”, the time of freedom. How does this describe Pesach?
9. Pesach is called “Leil Shemurim”. Why?
10. How do we reflect the “Leil Shemurim” aspect in things that we do on the Seder night?
11. What is the Megila read by Pesach (usually on Shabbos Chol Hamoed) and what does it have to do with Pesach?
12. What is the idea of the question and answer format found by the seder night?
13. We are told throughout the year to remember leaving Mitzrayim. How then is the remembering it on seder night different?
14. What happened on Sheviyi Shel Pesach?
15. How many miracles happened by the splitting of the sea?
16. Why is the last day out of Eretz Yisroel called “Acharon Shel Pesach” (the last day of Pesach) and not the eighth day of Pesach?
17. Is there a difference between the mitzvos of matza and chometz during the days of Pesach?
18. If chometz is such a terrible food then why not prohibit it throughout the whole year?
19. Why is chometz stricter than other forbidden things during the year – it is forbidden even the smallest amount?
20. What actions do we do on seder night to express freedom?
21. What else happened on Pesach and we should do something to celebrate it?

Ideas for answers on Pesach:

1. There are sixteen mitzvos that are associated with the korban Pesach that we cannot do nowadays. We can do three positive mitzvos: dispose of our chometz on Erev Pesach; eat matzos on the night of Pesach; tell over to our children the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim. There are five negative mitzvos: not to eat chometz after midday on Erev Pesach; not to eat chometz all seven days of Pesach; not to eat mixtures of chometz all seven days of Pesach; not to see and not to find chometz in your possession for the duration of Pesach.
2. On the first night of Pesach there are two positive commandments required by the Torah with an additional three mitzvos added by the Rabonon, Sages. The two positive Torah mitzvos are the eating of matza on the first night of Pesach and relating the story of the exodus from Egypt. The three additional rabbinical mitzvos on this night are the drinking of four cups of wine; the eating of the maror, bitter herbs; the reciting of the Hallel (Psalms of praise).
3. The reality is that all things are miraculous only that we do not see it living in a world of teva, nature. Therefore the real order is what happened on Seder night.
4. To name a few: four cups; four questions; four sons; four expressions of redemption. The idea of four expresses separation and spreading out, seen in the four directions. This idea expresses golus. However, the four expressions of Geula come to bring us back. This is reflected in the question and answer format, see answer 12.
5. Hashem performed miracles for the Jews. Each party calls the festival after the special act done by the other. The Jews call it Pesach after Hashem jumping over the houses to save the Jews while Hashem in the Torah calls it Matzos describing the Jews racing out of Mitzrayim to do Hashem’s bidding.
6. Chometz and Matza have the same ingredients and the only difference is time that allows the dough to blow it up with air pockets. This bloating represents the evil inclination that distorts the facts – known as “seor shebisa – yeast in the dough”. We can learn from here that in life we can one situation that can be good or bad depending on how we deal with the evil inclination. Matza is where the dough is not allowed to rise reflecting the limiting of the evil inclination.
7. This shows us the low spiritual level that the Jews had sunk to. Externally it looked like the Mitzreiyim were the ones going out! However, the pintele Yid internally was the source for the great difference.
8. It is not simply expressing the physical freedom from the slavery of the Egyptians. Rather it is expressing the spiritual freedom of now becoming servants of Hashem as opposed to servants of Paro. This is why the taking out of Mitzrayim was the beginning stage that went on to lead to Matan Torah – אין בן חורין אלא מי שעוסק בתורה.
9. The literal translation of “Leil Shemurim” is the “night that is guarded”. This reflects the nature of the miraculous night where the Jews are naturally protected from the evil forces. This was most clearly seen in Mitzrayim when the Jews left.
10. Some places the Leil Shemurim aspect is seen in are: the shorted shema before going to bed (omitting the added versus that come to protect us from evil forces); we have four cups and are not worried about zugious; like this year when it falls Friday night the usual Mogon Ovos is omitted; salt is not put on the table before washing.
11. It is Shir HaShirim. This is because it talks about the great love between a man and woman reflecting the great connection between Hashem and the Jewish Nation that was started and seen by the miracles of Pesach.
12. It expresses the foundation of our belief – exile, reflected in the question where we lack clarity, and then the answer reflects the redemption when all becomes clear and is answered.
13. Throughout the year it is a general remembrance. However, on Seder night when the same time in the year of the redemption happens we are required to discuss it much more in depth with the historical narrative. It also comes in a unique question and answer format.
14. The splitting of the Red Sea took place on the seventh day of Pesach as seen in that being the Torah Reading on that day.
15. In the Hagoda it brings a few opinions – 50, 200, 250 miracles by the splitting of the sea.
16. Perhaps this expresses our desire for it to be the last Pesach in exile, as we end off the seder with exclaiming that next year we should be in Yerushalayim!
17. The Torah obligation is to have a kezayis of Matza on Seder night. The rest of Pesach eating matza is not obligatory but is rewarded. However, the prohibition for chometz remains the same throughout the duration of Pesach.
18. Perhaps it is like emergency treatment that due to our spiritual lowliness we need to stop all contact with chometz that represents the evil inclination. It is only after finishing a week of this treatment then we return to the chometz and as reflected in the sacrifice on Shavuos and Matan Torah we can the deal with the evil inclination being properly incorporated within certain guidelines into our lives.
19. Rashi says it is because of the severe punishment of kores and people are not naturally scared to eat it because they are used to chometz and therefore chazal imposed an extra stringentcy.
20. We do leaning; we have others pour us the four cups of wine; we are meant to put out our most expensive vessels on display.
21. Homon was hung and his property was handed over to Mordechai on the second day of Pesach. This is to be celebrated by adding an additional food to the meal on the second day of Pesach.