Summary of parashat Pesach
In it First day of Passover We read from the book of Shemot (12:21-51) about the Passover Sacrifice brought into Egypt, the Plague of the Firstborn at midnight, and how “On this very day, God took the Children of Israel out of Egypt.”.
Reading Second day of Passover, Vayikra 22:26-23:44, includes: a list of the festivals; the mitzvah of counting the Omer (the 49-day count to the festival of Shavuot, which begins on the second night of Pesach); and the obligation to travel to the Holy Temple to “see and be seen before the face of God” on the three pilgrimage festivals, Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot.
The readings for the four Intermediate days of Passover include:
1) Instructions for commemorating the Exodus by sanctifying the firstborn, avoiding leavened bread and eating Matzah on Passover, telling the children the story of the Exodus and putting on Tefillin (Shemot 13:1-16).
2) A portion of the Mishpatim section that includes the laws of the festivals (Shmot 22:24-23:19).
3) A section describing Moshe receiving the Second Tablets and God revealing His Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, which also concludes with the laws of the festivals (Shmot 34:1-26); when one of the “intermediate days” of Pesach falls on Shabbat, this is the reading for that day, and it begins 12 verses earlier with 33:12.
4) The history and laws of the “Second Passover” (Numbers 9:1-14).
In it Seventh day of Passover We read how on this day the sea parted for the Children of Israel and drowned the Egyptians who were pursuing them, and how the “Song of the Sea” is sung by the people after their salvation. (Exodus 13:17-15:26).
In it Eighth day of Passover We read Deuteronomy 15:19–16:17. As the reading for the second day, it catalogs the annual cycle of festivals, their special observances, and the offerings brought to the Temple on those occasions. The special connection of the Eighth Day with the Future Redemption is reflected by the Haftarah (reading from the Prophets) for this day (Isaiah 10:23–12:6).
