[转载]2013年犹太人逾越节（3月25日黄昏——4月2日夜晚）（附：华人春节与犹

Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is one of the most important festivals in the Jewish year.

At this time Jewish people remember how the children of Israel left slavery behind them when they were led out of Egypt by Moses over 3000 years ago.

The story can be found in the Book of Exodus, Chapter 12 in the Hebrew Bible (the Torah).

The story of the Passover

Moses went to see Pharaoh many times. Each time Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites. Moses warned Pharaoh that God would send terrible plagues on Egypt if Pharaoh did not let them go. The ten plagues were: blood, frogs, gnats, flies, blight of the livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and the death of the first born

The final plague was the death of the first born. God told Moses that the Israelites should mark their doorposts with lamb's blood so that God could 'pass over' their houses and spare them from this plague. This is why the festival is called Passover.

Eventually Pharaoh gave in and told Moses and the Israelites to go at once. They left in such a rush that their bread did not have time to rise. This is why, during Passover, Jewish people eat unleavened bread called Matzah. It looks a bit like crisp bread.

How Passover is celebrated today

The celebrations last for seven or eight days, depending on where you live.

Some families clean their houses thoroughly to remove all crumbs of chametz (leaven). This remembers the Jews leaving Egypt who did not have time to let their bread rise. In many Jewish homes children enjoy taking part in a ritual search for any specks of leaven left behind

On the evening before the Passover begins, a special service called a Seder ('Order') takes place over a meal with family and friends in the home.

The Seder plate on the table consists of:

• A lamb bone
• A roasted egg
• A green vegetable to dip in salt water
• Bitter herbs made from horseradish
• Charoset (a paste of chopped apples, walnuts and wine)

On the table, there are three Matzot (unleavened bread) on top of each other. At the start of the Seder, the middle Matzah is broken and the largest piece is hidden. During the Seder the children hunt for it. The one who finds it receives a small prize.

Four small glasses of wine are drunk to represent the four expressions of freedom which refer to the Israelites being brought out of slavery. The wine symbolises joy and happiness.

An extra cup of wine is placed on the table and the door is left open for Elijah. Jews believe that the prophet Elijah will reappear to announce the coming of the Messiah and will do so at Pesach.

During the evening the story of how the Israelites fled from Egypt is retold from a book called the Haggadah ('Narration').

Everyone at the Seder each has a cushion to lean on. This is to remind them that they are now free people, no longer slaves.

Everybody takes part in reading the Haggadah, some in Hebrew and some in English, many songs are sung and four questions are asked by the youngest child. The father answers.

中华民族的春节和犹太民族的逾越节 比较

来源 http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_74ea9925010183xf.html

     中国民间的传统节日“春节”、“过年” 是历史最悠久、最隆重、最热闹的一个古老传统节日原是来源于基督教《圣经》——出埃及记第十二章1-14、21-36节。与犹太民族的逾越节是同一来源。世界上似乎再没有哪一个国家有着与以色列人逾越节如此相似的习俗。而中国人至今仍对自已国家这些“过年”习俗是如何起源的尚未有一个较具说服力的解释，这似乎亦从另一个侧面印证了这些习俗来自于其他文明的观点。只是大多数中国人处处不忘自诩为大国之民的心态，似乎不太可能承认“春节”西来的说法。

   中国春节和犹太逾越节一般人可能认为是八杆子扯不上关系的事情，一些激进分子可能会认为这是攀附洋亲戚、伤害了他们脆弱的民族自尊心。但我只想从学术角度讲 讲我对这事情的看法，古人说：“只有无知的人，才是最有知的”，我也希望诸位看官能以一个学习的角度看看这文章，不要一股脑的乱拍砖。

       《圣经》旧约---出埃及记十二章1-14节的记载：1耶和华在埃及地晓谕摩西、亚伦说：2“你们要以本月为正月，为一年之首。3你们吩咐以色列全会众说：本月初十日，各人要按着父家取羊羔，一家一只。4若是一家的人太少，吃不了一只羊羔，本人就要和他隔壁的邻居共取一只。你们预备羊羔，要按着人数和饭量计算。5要无残疾、一岁的公羊羔，你们或从绵羊里取，或从山羊里取，都可以。6要留到本月十四日,在黄昏的时候,以色列全会众把羊羔宰了。7各家要取点血，涂在吃羊羔的房屋左右的门框上和门楣上。8当夜要吃羊羔的肉，用火烤了，与无酵饼和苦菜同吃。9不可吃生的，断不可吃水煮的，要带着头、腿、五脏，用火烤了吃。10不可剩下一点留到早晨，若留到早晨，要用火烧了。11你们吃羊羔当腰间束带，脚上穿鞋，手中拿杖，赶紧的吃，这是耶和华的逾越节。12因为那夜我要巡行埃及地，把埃及地一切头生的，无论是人是牲畜，都击杀了。又要败坏埃及一切的神。我是耶和华。13这血要在你们所住的房屋上作记号，我一见这血，就越过你们去，我击杀埃及地头生的时候，灾殃必不临到你们身上灭你们。14你们要纪念这日守为耶和华的节，作为你们世世代代永远的定例。

    《圣经》的“出埃及记”记 载，摩西要领以色列人出埃及去事奉神，法老王不准。虽然神藉着摩西行了许多神迹，耶和华神已经九次降灾击打埃及了，但法老王心里依旧刚硬，不容以色列民离 开埃及为奴之地。最后神不得不灭绝埃及人的一切长子。那一夜，神指示以色列人，每家宰杀一只羔羊，全家守在屋内，门框和门楣涂上羊血，那灭人命的看见了就 会越过去。当夜要吃羔羊的肉，用火烤了，与无酵饼和苦菜同吃。后来这一天就成了以色列人的逾越节。而我们的春联正是贴在“房屋左右的门框上和门楣上”，而且用的是血的颜色：红色！

中国人过年的传说是这样：有一个叫“年”的怪物，年初夜里出来吃人。人们得到神谕，将红对联贴在门框上，提前做好饭，全家老少关门、灭火、守岁，“年”就会越过去。后来又燃放鞭炮等等，今天的光景大家都熟悉了。  

比较以色列人的逾越节和中国人的春节，有不少令人惊奇的相似之处：  

结语：亲爱的朋友，关于春节的来源，一般人都不知所以然，然而令人意想不到的是竟然在古老的圣经中找到答案，让时光倒流，古老的文明古国自古就信仰耶和华神，当中的习俗被世世代代传承下来，神是华人的神，耶稣说：“我实实在在地告诉你们，那听我话，又信差我来者的，就有永生，不至于定罪，是已经出死入生了”《圣经》约翰福音五：24。

    今天，除了犹太基督徒，大多数外邦基督徒们不再庆祝逾越节了。然而，当每个中国的新年，当家家户户在门上贴出了红色的对联时，整个中华大地就浴在了上帝羔羊宝血的恩光中。这夜，是耶和华的夜。对此，虽然很多人并不知道，但这又有何妨呢？我们的无知难道能阻止神的爱在中华大地上的倾泻奔腾吗？这夜，是耶和华的夜，是施恩之夜。因此，当我们合家欢聚共度新春佳节时，别忘了我们家门上贴着的那幅对联是红色的。愿我们真正融入耶和华的夜，与他共度此夜。让我们将羔羊赦罪的宝血涂抹在我们弟兄中最小的一位身上，让我们彼此接纳，彼此包容，沐浴在羔羊赦罪的恩光之中。

    或许你心中还有很多疑问，请到基督教会请教牧师或传道人吧！你要认识神，就得平安，福气也必临到你。

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