Those Temple Days: Pesach In Temple
Times

 Pesach Story    Chametz   Seder   Haggadah   Festival & Chol Hamoed Laws 
 Omer   Pesach Temple Days

..................................... The holiday festivities continued for seven days and an overwhelming sense of unity encompassed the travelers from all over the country who had gathered together in the Holy City. Today, during Pesach, a similar feeling engenders those who climb Mt. Zion in Jerusalem, or visit the Western Wall, or behold the communal Blessing of the Priests in the shadow of the Kotel during the Pesach holiday. In Temple times, the holiday of Pesach was one of the three "Foot Festivals" in which every Jew participated, men, women and children alike. Jewish law prescribed that the Korban Pesach - the Paschal Sacrifice - be eaten in a family group. So families from all over Judea would make their way up to Jerusalem. These olei regel would later partake of a family Paschal meal after the lamb had been sacrificed. Lines of Silver and Gold Each family appointed a representative or two to take the lamb earmarked for the sacrifice up to the Temple. Once all the lambs were gathered and the crowd had assembled, the doors to the Temple courtyard were closed. The Levites would then begin to blow the trumpets, and their long blasts would accompany the ongoing sacrifices that never seemed to cease. The awe-struck pilgrims would see lines upon lines of priests, "lines of silver.. and lines of gold," reflecting the sheen of the sacrificial vessels the priests held. The priests, for their part, would add their songs of praise to their sacrificial duties to the accompaniment of the enthralled pilgrims. Uniting the People With the advent of the masses of pilgrims, vast numbers of special ovens were prepared for the roasting of the lamb, according to the requirements of the mitzvah. However, due to untimely rains, it would often be necessary to build these ovens all over again, in time for the preparation of the paschal meal. In any event, once the lamb was roasted, everyone would sit together in their family units around the Seder table, and talk about the Exodus. All over Jerusalem one could also hear the songs and chants of the festive Hallel psalms filling the air. "Next Year In Jerusalem!" Although we no longer celebrate the Temple sacrifice, the hope of better days and the gathering of all in Jerusalem still accompany us during the Pesach season, and beyond - "Next Year in Jerusalem!" .....................................