The Seder officially begins with a physical act: lighting the candles. In Jewish tradition, lighting candles and saying a blessing over them marks a time of transition, from the day that is ending to the one that is beginning, from ordinary time to sacred time. Lighting the candles is an important part of our Passover celebration because their flickering light reminds us of the importance of keeping the fragile flame of freedom alive in the world. As we light the festival candles, we acknowledge that as they brighten our Passover table, goodthoughts, good words, and good deeds brighten our days.

הָעולֹםָ , אֲשׁרֶ קִדּשְׁנָֽוּ בְּמצִוְתֹּיָו ,וְצִוָנֽוּ לְהדַ לְִיק נֵר שֶׁל יוֹ ם טבוֹ ` היֵֽנוּ ,מֶלֽ ֶ h אַתּהָ ,יְי אֱ ` בָּרוּ

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, whose presence fills the Universe, who has sanctified us with laws and commanded us to light the festival lights.
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Miriam's Cup

Miriam, sister of Moses, plays an important role in the Exodus story. It is said that a well followed the Jews as they wandered through the desert until the time of Miriam's death, a gift from God for her optimism. We fill Miriam's Cup with water from our own glasses to honor the contributions of women in the Torah.

Zot Kos Miryam, kos mayim hayim. Zeikher l'yitziat Mitztrayim.

This is the Cup of Miriam, the cup of living waters. Let us remember the Exodus from Egypt. These are the living waters, God's gift to Miriam, which gave new life to Israel as we struggled with ourselves in the wilderness. Blessed are You God, who brings us from the narrows into the wilderness, sustains us with endless possibilities, and enables us to reach a new place.


haggadah Section: Introduction