HALLEL & ELIJAH & MIRIAM

The Wandering is Over Haggadah - Hallel

Singing songs that praise God | hallel | הַלֵּל

This is the time set aside for singing. Some of us might sing traditional prayers from the Book of Psalms. Others take this moment for favorites like Chad Gadya & Who Knows One, which you can find in the appendix. To celebrate the theme of freedom, we might sing songs from the civil rights movement… just roll with it. [To help:]

Fourth Glass of Wine
As we come to the end of the seder, we drink one more glass of wine. With this final cup, we give thanks for the experience of celebrating Passover together, for the traditions that help inform our daily lives and guide our actions and aspirations.

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Drink, Smile

ELIJAH & MIRIAM

Elijah was a prophet in the days of the autocratic kings of ancient Israel. He was sent
to defy their power. According to custom, he did not die, but stayed to witness the
good that people could do in the world that would eventually bring about the ideals
of a messianic era. It was a custom to see Elijah as the one who would eventually
resolve all outstanding divisive issues – including the question of whether the
number of cups of the seder were four or five. An extra cup is kept on the table in
honor of Elijah’s role in resolving conflict in the building of community.

Miriam, of the Exodus story, was seen in the Midrash as having the implement of a
portable well which would overflow at each spot the Israelites would camp. The
legend says that the flow from her well would create rivulets which enabled people in
the encampments to raft their way to each other and create a network of community
adhesiveness.

[Kehilla]

Let us honor Miriam with Elijah's Cup, we pour a bit more wine, to have the cup overflow.


haggadah Section: Hallel