We wash away all that we want to rid.  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!)

We let the water sooth us, we wash away all that we are letting go. Handwashing has become an integral part of our past two years; we clean to protect ourselves and to protect others. We recall the preciousness of water and the power of Miriam and her wellspring.

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. Go around the table and share one hope or expectation you have for tonight's  seder.


haggadah Section: Urchatz