Passover

Question

Are there eight days of eating unleavened bread or do we start unleavened bread on Abib 14 (Pesach) to make the feast of Unleavened Bread exactly seven days?

Because some are claiming that Unleavened Bread (UB) feast is supposed to be only seven days (Abib 15-21) so want to start UB at sunset on Abib 14 instead of 15th which conflates UB with Pesach.

Those people say otherwise it makes eight days of eating unleavened bread when the Torah says eat unleavened bread for exactly seven days.

The following list shows the dates I think are correct. Are they correct?

Passover (14 Abib/ Nisan) at sunset, keeping vigil until midnight.

Unleavened Bread (15 Abib / Nisan) 1st holy day, sunset Abib 15 thru sunset Abib 16.

Unleavened Bread (21 Abib/ Nisan) 2d holy day, sunset Abib 21 thru sunset Abib 22.

We are Christians who revoke the Catholic holidays and observe the Levitical feasts.

May the Creator God bless you for your work.

0

Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    The obligation to eat unleavened bread – matzah – begins on the night of the fifteenth of Nissan. The Jewish day begins with nightfall which means that the fifteenth of Nissan begins after sunset of the fourteenth of Nissan.

    In the Land of Israel Passover lasts for seven days. Outside of Israel Passover lasts for an extra day and it lasts for eight days.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team