Stained glass windows
Pesach
1. Spring season in Israel
Each of the three Pilgrim Festivals has an agricultural aspect looking back to the distant past. Pesach, being the Spring Festival, is the time of year when the plants are in the flowering and budding phase. On the first days of Pesach prayers for dew are recited.
In each series of windows, the seven Biblical types of agricultural produce: what, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates, are shown in the three stages of growth and development. In this window they are blossoming and at the new growth phase.
The focal point of this window is a tree containing several different species. This tree is also found in the Shavuot window indicating the fruit bearing stage, but here the tree is in blossom. It has branches containing several different species, ie the fig, olive and pomegranate. Also included are the citron and the willow, which relate to the Festival of Succot. At the top of this window is a palm which is a symbol of triumph and righteousness – "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree" (Psalm 92:12).
2. Season of freedom
"You have seen ... how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to me." Exodus (19:4)
Pesach is also known as the "Season of our Freedom", marking the liberation of Israel from the life of slavery in Egypt and Israel’s birth as a free nation. This is one of the most-frequently occurring concepts or motifs in Judaism, with many allusions in texts and prayers and therefore throughout this series of windows it is a recurring theme.
This aspect of Pesach is now less linked with nature than with the sense of national redemption – "He brought us forth from bondage to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from mourning to festivity, from darkness to bright light and from servitude to redemption".
In this panel, the Parting of the Sea is symbolised by the powerful symbol of the eagle, representing not only the protection implied in the quotation above but also as a symbol of the Passing Over of the last and most deadly plague. This "Passing Over" is regarded as the meaning of Pesach.
The chains at the base of this window represent the chains of bondage. There are 12 stars surrounding the full moon and representing the 12 tribes of Israel.
3. Festival of matzot
"The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, at the time appointed in the month of Abib – for in it thou camest out of Egypt" Exodus 23:15
This panel represents the Seder Meal and this is the central image of this window. This is the main symbolic meal of the festival held on the evening of Passover. Its origin is extremely ancient and possibly goes back to the time of Abraham and certainly to the time of the Exodus.
The central image is of the Seder table and at the base of the window there are the two elements needed for Koshering – fire and water. This fire also symbolises the ritual burning of any leaven which is in the house.
4. Counting the Omer
"From the day after the Sabbath, the day that you shall bring the sheaf of the wave offering you shall count (until) seven full weeks have elapsed: you shall count fifty days until the day after the seventh week: then you shall bring an offering of new grain to the Lord" Leviticus 23:15-16 and to 21
The scales are for one of the four times of judgement mentioned in the introduction. In this panel, the scales represent the Day of Judgement for grain. The main theme of the window, however, is the beginning of the counting of the Omer. This is represented here by showing the harvesting of the barley and the first sheaf being used as a wave offering before the altar in the Temple.
On the second day of Passover, the Israelite was required to bring to the temple the Omer, from the first yield of his barley produce, which was to be offered on the "morrow after the Sabbath". This is a period of 49 days, beginning on the second day of Passover. It is the time between the barley and the wheat harvest. From that day, 50 days were counted, at which time Shavuot would be held.
After the destruction of the Temple, and therefore the end of the bringing of the Omer, the counting did not cease and has been observed throughout the ages. The counting takes place at night as the reaping also took place at night.
When the counting is undertaken, it must mention both the number of days and the number of weeks and the counting is done after the evening service, when the new day begins.
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