Passover Symbols | Passover haggadah by Hannah Liu

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Rabban Gamliel used to say: Whoever does not discuss the following three things on Passover has not fulfilled his duty, namely:

The Passover Offering
The Matzah
The Bitter Herbs

The Passover offering which our ancestors ate in the Temple days, what was the reason for it? It was because the Omnipresent passed over our ancestors' houses in Egypt, as it is said: "You shall say, It is a Passover offering to the Eternal, because God passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when striking the Egyptians with a plague, and saved our houses. And the people bowed and their heads and worshipped."

Point to the matzah.

This matzah that we eat, what is the reason for it? It is because tthere was not time for the dough of our ancestors in Egypt to become leavened, before the Ruler of all, the Holy one, revealed Godself to them and redeemed them, as it is said, "They baked unleavened cakes from the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, because it was not leavened; for they had been driven out of Egypt and could not delay, and they had not prepared any provisions."

Point to the bitter herbs.

This maror that we eat, what is the reason for it? We eat them because the Egyptians embittered our ancestors' lives in Egypt, as it is written, "They made their lives bitter with hard service, with mortar and with bricks, and with all manner of service in the field; all the service which they made them do was rigorous."

In every generation we are all obligated to look upon ourselves as if we personally had come out of Egypt, as it is said: "You shall tell your child on that day, it is because of this that the Eternal did for me when I left Egypt." The Holy One, blessed be the Eternal, redeemed not only our ancestors from Egypt, but He redeemed also us with them, as it is said: "It was us that God brought out from there, so that God might bring us to give us the land pledged to our fathers."

Cover the matzah. Raise the cup of wine and say together:

Thus it is our duty to thank, and to praise in song and prayer, to glorify and extol the Eternal who performed all these wonders and miracles for our ancestors and for us. The Eternal brought us out from slavery to freedom, from anguish to joy, from sorry to festivity, from darkness to great light. Let us therefore sing before God a new song. Praise the Eternal.

Put down the cup and continue.

Halleluyah - Praise the Eternal.
Praise, you servants of the Eternal.
Praise the name of the Eternal.
Blessed be the name of the Eternal.
From now and for evermore;
From the rising of the sun to its going down.
Praised by the name of the Eternal,
Supreme above all the nations is the Eternal;
His glory is above the heavens.
Who is like the Eternal our God,
Throned in exaltation,
Who looks down to both the heavens and the earth?
He raises up the poor from the dust,
Lifts up the needy from the ash-heap,
To seat them with princes,
With princes of the chosen people;
He makes the childless woman dwell in her household
As a joyful mother of children
Halleluyah - Praise the Eternal.

When Israel went forth from Egypt,
The house of Jacob from a people of strange tongue,
Judah became a sanctuary,
Israel became their dominion.
The sea beheld and fled.
The Jordan turned back.
The mountains skipped like rams,
The hills like lambs.
What ails you, O sea, that you did flee,
Jordan, that you turn back,
You mountains, that you skip like rams,
You hills, like lambs?
Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Eternal,
At the presence of the God of Jacob,
Who turns the rock into a pool of water,
The flint into a fountain of water.

Raise the cup of wine and say together:

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, who has redeemed us and redeemed our ancestors from Egypt, and enabled us to reach this night to eat matzah and maror. So too, God and God of our ancestors, enable us to reach other holidays and festivals in peace, with the rebuilding of Your city, and with rejoicing in Your service in the Holy Temple. Then we shall share in the sacrifices and the Passover offerings, and we shall thank You with a new song for our redemption and for the deliverance of our souls. Blessed are You, God, who redeemed Israel.

Recite the following blessing, and drink the cup in the reclining position:

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, creator of the fruit of the vine.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְ‑יָ אֱ‑לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha’Olam, borei p'ri hagafen.

haggadah Section: -- Cup #2 & Dayenu