Midrash teaches that, while watching the Egyptians succumb to the ten plagues, the angels broke into songs of jubilation. God rebuked them, saying, "My creatures are perishing, and you sing praises?"

As we recite each plague, we spill a drop of wine - symbol of joy - from our cups. Our joy in our liberation will always be tarnished by the pain visited upon the Egyptians.

Blood

Frogs

Lice

Insect Swarms

Cattle Plague

Boils

Hail

Locusts 

Darkness

Death of the First-Born

Today's world holds plagues as well. Let us spill drops of wine as we recite:

Apathy in the face of evil

Brutal torture of the helpless

Cruel mockery of the old and the weak

Despair of human goodness

Envy of the joy of others

Falsehood and deception corroding our faith

Greedy theft of the earth's resources

Hatred of learning and culture

Instigation of war and aggression

Justice delayed, justice denied, justice mocked...

Shekhinah, soften our hearts and the hearts of our enemies. Help us to dream new paths to freedom, so that the next sea-opening is not also a drowning; so that our singing is never again their wailing. So that our freedom leaves no one orphaned, childless, gasping for air. 


haggadah Section: -- Ten Plagues
Source: The Velveteen Rabbi's Haggadah for Passover, assembled by Rachel Barenblat