On Pesach, we don’t read from the regular cycle of Torah portions, and instead read a different section of the Chumash that pertains to Pesach each day. On the intermediate days of Pesach we read about avoiding Chametz and eating matzah on Passover, telling one's children the story of the Exodus, and donning Tefillin. When one of the intermediary days falls out on Shabbat, that day we read about the general law Moshe receiving of the Second Tablets and about G-d’s thirteen attributes of mercy. 

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On the seventh day of Pesach, we read about the miracle of the splitting of the sea and the song that the Jewish people sang to thank Hashem for saving them.  On the Eighth day of Pesach,  we read more about the observance of festivals and how they were kept in the times of the Temple. 

The seventh day of Pesach is an extra special day. On the 15^th day of the month of Nissan, the children of Israel left Egypt, where they had served as slaves for generations. He allowed them to go for a three day spiritual reset and expected them to return. 

Three days later, when the Israelites failed to return, Pharaoh realized that they were gone for good, safely on their way to independence and freedom in the Promised Land. He gathered his troops and commanded them to chase after the Jews. 

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After a short chase, the Egyptian army caught up with the Jews at the banks of the red sea. The Jews were trapped; there was nowhere to go but into the sea. Then G‑d commanded Moses to raise his staff and the sea split, allowing the Jews to comfortably cross on dry land. When the Egyptians attempted to follow them across, the sea came crashing down on them. Chariots, riders and horses all perished in the churning sea.

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Overwhelmed with gratitude, Moses led the Jews in singing the Song of the Sea. Miriam led the women in an additional song of thanks, accompanied by tambourines and drums. This miracle took place in the wee hours of the morning of the Seventh of Passover.

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Many people have the custom to remain awake the entire night preceding the seventh day of Passover, studying Torah as a way of thanking G‑d for the miracle He did at that time. During the morning services of the seventh day, the Torah reading includes the Torah portion of our miraculous salvation at the sea and the song we sang.

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Menachem Posner

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From the second night of Passover until the day before Shavuot, we count the Omer. 

The Torah commands us that during this time each year we count seven complete weeks (49 days.) 

During the times of the Holy Temple, at the beginning of the Omer count and on the following holiday of Shavuot, special grain offerings were brought. 

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Why do we count these days? We learn several reasons. The foremost is that the count demonstrates our thrill for the impending occasion of receiving the Torah, celebrated on Shavuot. Just as a child often counts the days until the end of school,  we count the days to show our excitement at receiving the Torah. 

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We also learn that this period is meant to spiritually prepare ourselves. When the Jewish people were in Egypt, they had assimilated many of the immoral ways of the Egyptian people. At the last possible moment, they were miraculously redeemed. They underwent a spiritual rebirth and quickly ascended to the holiest collective state they had ever reached; when they received the Torah.  It was during that 49-day period that they underwent such a radical transformation. 

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So too must we digest the lesson of the counting of the Omer. It is specifically during this time that we strive to grow  in our spiritual state. The Torah does not allow us to become satisfied with our current level of spirituality. Instead it tells us to set high goals for ourselves, and then methodically strive to reach that goal. 

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Yeruchem Eilfort

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The eighth day of Pesach is traditionally associated with our hopes for the coming of Moshiach. For this reason, the haftorah read on that day contains many prophecies which speak about the Redemption.

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About two hundred and fifty years ago, on that day, the Bal Shem Tov would partake in a Moshiach Seudah, the festive meal of Moshiach. This meal is intended to deepen our awareness of Moshiach and enable us to integrate it into our thinking processes.Though all believing Jews know about the Redemption, for many the concept of Moshiach remains an abstraction. Partaking in the Moshiach Seudah turns the belief into something real. 

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During the Moshiach Seudah, we drink four cups of wine (although it can be just a sip from each cup) and eat Matzah. 

It was the morning before Passover, 2016.  The G. family planned to spend the holiday with relatives in Modiin.

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Late in the afternoon, mother and son packed up all the food and finally left for Modiin in the family’s second vehicle, following the rest of the family who had left earlier. To their consternation, there had been an accident on the road, and traffic crawled along at a snail’s pace. The sun was about to set, and they were still almost 100 kilometers away from their destination. With no choice, they pulled off the road and entered the nearest city, Hadera.  They decided to see if they could find a family who would be able to host them for the holiday.

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“Excuse me,” said Mrs. G to a boy sitting in the courtyard of a nearby building. “Is there a family in this building that is celebrating  Passover in the traditional way?” Sure enough, the boy pointed to the house of the D. family. Mrs. G. knocked on the door, hoping that she and her son would at least have a place to sleep for the holiday.

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“Hi,” she said nervously to the woman who opened the door. “My son and I got stuck in traffic and it’s almost Passover. Would you perhaps be able to put us up for the holiday?”

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“Um ... sure ... I guess so ... I mean, let me ask my husband,” replied Mrs. D., and then disappeared down the hall.

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Moments later she returned to say, “You’re welcome to come stay with us. I just need to warn you that our family is on a very strict vegetarian diet, so you may find our food somewhat different from what you are used to.”

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“Food?” exclaimed Mrs. G. “I have enough food in the car to feed 35 people. Come, let me bring the pans inside.”

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The D. Family watched in amazement as a seemingly endless parade of fish, meat, salad and chicken soup made its way into their humble home.  “I want you to know,” revealed Mrs. D., “that a miracle just took place in our home.

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“I wasn’t exactly truthful before. We aren’t really vegetarians. We’re just very poor. My husband and I have both been out of work for some time.  In order to explain the lack of food to the kids, we decided to tell them that we were experimenting with a new vegetarian diet.

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“As the days passed, I asked my husband, ‘What will we do for Passover?’ He looked at me calmly and just said, ‘Don’t worry, G‑d can help us within the blink of an eye.

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“This afternoon, I broke down crying. I realized that even if we miraculously get ingredients, there’s not even enough time to cook them. 

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“Now just minutes before candle-lighting, G‑d sent you with a car full of delicious Passover food, enough for us to celebrate just like we had in years past.”