On the Shabbat that falls during Pesah, in many synagogues we read a book of the Bible called the Song of Songs, Shir Hashirim. It is a beautiful love poem that tradition says was written by King Solomon to a woman he loved. It may seem very strange for us to read a love poem during Passover, but there are two reasons for it. First, the Song of Songs is partly about the beauty of nature, about spring: Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For look, the winter has passed, The rain is over and gone; The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the dove is heard in our land. Reading these verses reminds us to be grateful to God for making life begin again each year. Also, the Song of Songs is a poem about love. It describes the love between a man and a woman, but the ancient rabbis said it was about God's love for the Jews and our love for God. Because of that great love, God delivered us from slavery and took us out of Egypt.

THE SPRING FESTIVAL
Pesah is a double holiday, a holiday of freedom and a holiday of springtime. Long ago, even before we were in Egypt, our ancestors celebrated the coming of spring. They rejoiced because life had begun again, crops were growing, and the sheep and goats were giving birth. They thanked God by roasting and feasting on a lamb or young goat. The feast took place on the 15th of Nisan (the first month of spring). That is the date on which the Exodus from Egypt began, and it is the date on which Pesah begins.