Pesach and the Feast of Matzot – Two Holidays Rather than One

In the Torah, Pesach (Passover) and the Feast of Matzot (Chag Ha-Matzot) are two connected holidays, rather than a single holiday that begins with the Paschal offering. But Pesach also appears in the Torah and in the Prophets on its own, without the Feast of Matzot, in various forms and sometimes even without a date, in the sense of miraculous rescue. Through a close examination of the text we can understand the relationship between these two aspects of the holiday and the crucial role that each plays.