Before We Open the Door

I would like to invite us to do the following in our Seders: Before we open the door for Eliahu Hanavi, sit quietly and ask deep inside, "What questions are so important for our lives going on after Pesach that we would want to invoke the presence of Eliahu Hanavi so that we can pose them to him?"

Then, when we sing "Eliahu Hanavi, Eliahu Hatishby", and we open the door, we should sit quietly and try to address the questions to Eliahu from within our deepest places; and not rush to resume the Seder. Please wait at this time for what you might hear as Eliahu's response for us. In this way, we can all experience the wonderful grace of   giluy eliahu  / the revelation that comes to us through Elijah.

We pour a cup of chocolate milk for Elijah and sing the following as we rise to open the door.


אליהו הנביא 
אליהו התשבי, 
אליהו הגלעדי - 
במהרה יבוא אלינו 
עם משיח בן דוד 

Eliyahu hanavi
Eliyahu hatish'bi
Eliyahu hagil'adi -

Bim'herah (beyameinu) yavo eleinu
im Mashi'ach ben David.
(x2)

Elijah the prophet; Elijah, the Tishbite; Elijah of Gilead! Come quickly in our days with the Messiah from the line of David.


haggadah Section: Hallel
Source: Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi