Water is refreshing, cleansing, and clear, so it’s easy to understand why so many cultures and religions use water for symbolic purification. We will wash our hands twice during our seder: now, with no blessing, to get us ready for the rituals to come; and then again later, we’ll wash again with a blessing, preparing us for the meal, which Judaism thinks of as a ritual in itself. (The Jewish obsession with food is older than you thought!)

By definition, hand washing is supposed to involve pouring water over your hands. We will take a more symbolic approach using a modern towelette.

This hand washing is also meant as a pause - a preparation. Too often during our daily lives we don’t stop and take the moment to prepare for whatever it is we’re about to do. Let's pause to consider what we hope to get out of our evening together tonight.


haggadah Section: Urchatz
Source: Jewish Boston