March 18th or there about, begin to clean your home (bedrooms and remote areas away from your kitchen), work spaces, cars, brief cases, purses, etc. removing all chametz. (Chametz is any product that contains or may contain wheat, barley, oats, spelt, or rye that has or may have fermented. The only way to know is for packaged and processed foods to see that it is certified kosher for Pesach.) As it may not be in our possession according to scripture, we are will need to remove all food crumbs, beverages etc. that may be in the furniture, under the furniture, etc. Make sure food does not re-enter those rooms by keeping a strict “eat in the kitchen only” policy. This will also require making sure crumbs do not leave the kitchen in clothes, beards, on hands, etc.
April 15th -17th kosher the kitchen for Pesach. Prepare to change out your dishes, silverware, pots, pans, etc or kasher the ones you have (note glass, glazed, ceramic, china, dishware and utensils cannot be kashered for Pesach). Paper plates, plastic utensils, and disposable aluminum cookware are often used if you do not have Pesach dish and cookware. Don’t forget about kashering the sink, stove and oven. Dishwashers cannot generally be kashered for Pesach.
Be sure to have dishtowels, pot holders, oven mitts, a 72+ hour candle, a 48+ hour candle, matzah (kosher for Pesach matzah), dishwashing sponges or wipes, etc set aside for Pesach only use.
April 17th – Thursday
If you are a first born son or the father of a first born son younger than bar Mitzvah you must do the fast of the first born. That is done on this day. It is a short fast, from sunrise to sunset.
Thursday evening, do your final search (ritual search) for chametz, do the blessing but do not do nullification of chametz at this time. (Note you may still have chametz in your home at this time, but it should be limited to what will be consumed by Shabbat morning.)
April 18th – Friday
Burn all remaining chametz (except for that which will be consumed on Shabbat. Note do not set aside more than you will consume as you cannot destroy it on Shabbat. It must be consumed.) This should be completed by 11:50am. Any Challah that is to be consumed on Shabbat should be carefully contained (in something disposable) and set outside so that it can be consumed outside. In this way, no kosher for Pesach utensils, plates, countertops, etc become un-kosher for Pesach. (Do not do recite the passage declaring all chametz in our possession to be null and void as you may still have some set aside for use on Shabbat. This passage is to be said on Shabbat.)
Prepare kosher for Pesach meals for erev Shabbat and Shabbat as you cannot clean or rid you home or the synagogue of the chametz on Shabbat.
Prepare your meals for both Seders and other meals for Pesach on preparation day. Final heating/cooking may be done after sunset Saturday night and on Sunday as long as the preparation work is done ahead of time and the eruv is made.
Fri evening: (Begin Weekly Sabbath)
Light your candle (the 72+ hour candle) for use on Pesach, do your eruv for your Pesach meals, and then light your erev Shabbat candles. Candle lighting for erev Shabbat is 7:25pm.
Do your blessing over the challah and consume your challah that you set aside for Shabbat outside with no utensils. In this way you will not be destroying, carrying or left with chametz on Pesach. You may leave some for the morning meal but only as much as can be consumed then.
April 19th –Saturday (Weekly Sabbath)
Shabbat morning service: Shacharit/Mussaf: begins 8:00am
Morning services must be concluded early to allow time to consume the remaining challah before 10:45am.
All remaining challah must be consumed outside with out using any utensils. None may remain.
The nullification of any missed chametz must be done by 11:52am.
Minchah service will be in the afternoon after 1:33pm
The Order of the Passover Offerings will be recited after Minchah but before sunset.
Sunset is 7:44pm
Conclude Weekly Sabbath, Begin 1st day Festival Sabbath
Pesach
After 3 stars are visible (should be at or after 8:26pm)
Maariv with Hallel are now done.
The Pesach candles are lit (from your 72+ hour candle you may transfer a flame).
Then the Seder of the First night is done.
April 20th – Sunday Festival Sabbath - Pesach
Shacharit service 8:00am
Do Full Hallel, Torah readings, Haftarah readings.
Mussaf Service (right after Shacharit)
Amidah prayer changes from “wind” and “rain” to “dew.”
Priestly Blessing
Festival Lunch
Minchah Service in the Afternoon after 1:35pm
Sunday evening Conclude 1st day Festival Sabbath and Begin 2nd day Festival Sabbath - Pesach
(This is because we are in the Diaspora)
Sunday evening (after 3 stars are visible (should be at or after 8:27pm)
Maariv with Hallel, counting of the Omer (day 1)
The Pesach candles are lit (from your 72+ hour candle you may transfer a flame).
Then the Seder of the Second night is done.
April 21st – Monday 2nd day Festival Sabbath - Pesach
Shacharit service 8:00am
Do Full Hallel, Torah readings, Haftarah readings
Mussaf Service (right after Shacharit)
Priestly Blessing
Festival Lunch
Minchah Service in the Afternoon after 1:36pm
Monday evening (after 3 stars are visible (should be at or after 8:28pm)
Havdalah (omit spices and candle).
Maariv with Hallel, counting of the Omer (day 2)
April 22nd Tuesday – April 25th Friday
Do not lay Tefillin.
Limit work on intermediate days.
Count the Omer each day after sunset each day (days 3 – 5)
April 25th Friday Erev Shabbat, erev 7th day of Matzah – a Festival Sabbath - Erev Shevi’i Shel Pesach
Dinner at 6:00pm
Light 48+ hour candle
Kabbalat Shabbat/Ma’ariv begins 7:32pm candle lighting.
After Amidah, counting of the Omer (day 6)
It is customary to stay awake all night studying Torah. This is because on this day HaShem split the Sea of Reeds and Y’shua met with His disciples in the upper room. This day is a reminder that our time here on earth is short and we need to be prepared to stand before HaShem and enter into His Promised Land.
April 26th Saturday (Weekly Shabbat and 1st Festival Shabbat for 7th day of Matzah)
Shacharit 8:30am
Partial Hallel, Torah Reading, Haftarah Reading
Mussaf (right after Shacharit)
Priestly blessing
Festival Lunch
Minchah Service in the Afternoon after 1:33pm
Saturday Evening (Close of Weekly Shabbat and close of 1st day of Festival Sabbath for the 7th Day of Matzah. Begin 2nd day of Festival Sabbath for the 7th Day of Matzah (final day of Pesach).
Saturday evening (after 3 stars are visible – should be at or after 8:34pm)
Light candles for second Sabbath Day of Pesach (8th day of Pesach in Diaspora). Must be lit from a 48+ hour candle.
Ma’ariv
After Amidah count the Omer (day 7)
April 27th Sunday (2nd Festival Shabbat)
Shacharit 8:30am
Partial Hallel, Torah reading, Haftarah reading, Yizkor memorial service (for parents who have passed away).
Mussaf (right after Shacharit)
Priestly blessing
Festival Lunch
Minchah Service in the Afternoon after 1:33pm
Festival closing feast – Moshiach’s Feast
This feast begins before sunset and concludes after nightfall.
Close of Pesach for 5768
Sunday evening (after 3 stars are visible – should be at or after 8:35pm)
Ma’ariv
After the Amidah, count the Omer (8th day)
Havdalah (omit spices and candle).
Put away all Pesach dishes, utensils, towels, etc for next year. Best to put them in a sealed container to avoid contamination from chametz or pests which can make them un-kosher for Pesach.
Chametz may be purchased, made, and consumed after all Pesach dish and cookware have been put away.
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Pesach 2008 - 5768
