All Jewish celebrations, from holidays to weddings, include wine as a symbol of our joy – not to mention a practical way to increase that joy. The seder starts with wine and then gives us three more opportunities to refill our cup and drink.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

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

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

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who chose us from all peoples and languages, and sanctified us with commandments, and lovingly gave to us special times for happiness, holidays and this time of celebrating the Holiday of Matzah, the time of liberation, reading our sacred stories, and remembering the Exodus from Egypt. For you chose us and sanctified us among all peoples. And you have given us joyful holidays. We praise God, who sanctifies the people of Israel and the holidays.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
 שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam,
she-hechiyanu v’key’manu v’higiyanu lazman hazeh.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything,
who has kept us alive, raised us up, and brought us to this happy moment.

Drink the first glass of wine!

   On Shabbat begin here, and include the portions in parentheses

וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי. וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל צְבָאַָם. וַיְכַל אֱלֹקִים בַּיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה. וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אוֹתוֹ כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר בֶָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת.)

סַבְרִי מָרָנָן וְרַבָּנָן וְרַבּוֹתַי

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בָּנוּ מִכָּל עָם וְרוֹמְמָנוּ מִכָּל לָשׁוֹן וְקִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו. וַתִּתֶּן לָנוּ יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּאַהֲבָה (שַׁבָּתוֹת לִמְנוּחָה וּ) מוֹעֲדִים לְשִׂמְחָה, חַגִּים וּזְמַנִּים לְשָׂשׂוֹן, אֶת יוֹם (הַשַׁבָּת הַזֶה וְאֶת יוֹם) חַג הַמַצוֹת הַזֶה, זְמַן חֵרוּתֵנוּ (בְּאַהֲבָה), מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ, זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. כִּי בָנוּ בָחַרְתָּ וְאוֹתָנוּ קִדַּשְׁתָּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים, (וְשַׁבָּת) וּמוֹעֲדֵי קָדְשֶךָ (בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן,) בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְשָׂשׂוֹן הִנְחַלְתָּנוּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי, מְקַדֵּשׁ (הַשַׁבָּת וְ) יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַזְּמַנִּים.

On Saturday night include

[בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא מְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַמַבְדִיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחֹל, ין אוֹר לְחשֶׁךְ, בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעַמִּים, בֵּין יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי לְשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. בֵּין קְדֻשַּׁת שַׁבָּת לִקְדֻשַּׁת יוֹם טוֹב הִבְדַּלְתָּ, וְאֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִשֵּׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה קִדַּשְׁתָּ. הִבְדַּלְתָּ וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֶת עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּקְדֻשָּׁתֶךָ. ,בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי הַמַּבְדִיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְקֹדֶשׁ.]

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!)

To wash your hands, you don’t need soap, but you do need a cup to pour water over your hands. Pour water on each of your hands three times, alternating between your hands. If the people around your table don’t want to get up to walk all the way over to the sink, you could pass a pitcher and a bowl around so everyone can wash at their seats… just be careful not to spill!

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.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה.

Passover, like many of our holidays, combines the celebration of an event from our Jewish memory with a recognition of the cycles of nature. As we remember the liberation from Egypt, we also recognize the stirrings of spring and rebirth happening in the world around us. The symbols on our table bring together elements of both kinds of celebration.

We now take a vegetable, representing our joy at the dawning of spring after our long, cold winter. Most families use a green vegetable, such as parsley or celery, but some families from Eastern Europe have a tradition of using a boiled potato since greens were hard to come by at Passover time. Whatever symbol of spring and sustenance we’re using, we now dip it into salt water, a symbol of the tears our ancestors shed as slaves. Before we eat it, we recite a short blessing:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה

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

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruits of the earth.

We look forward to spring and the reawakening of flowers and greenery. They haven’t been lost, just buried beneath the snow, getting ready for reappearance just when we most needed them.

-

We all have aspects of ourselves that sometimes get buried under the stresses of our busy lives. What has this winter taught us? What elements of our own lives do we hope to revive this spring?

There are three pieces of matzah stacked on the table. We now break the middle matzah into two pieces. The host should wrap up the larger of the pieces and, at some point between now and the end of dinner, hide it. This piece is called the afikomen, literally “dessert” in Greek. After dinner, the guests will have to hunt for the afikomen in order to wrap up the meal… and win a prize.

We eat matzah in memory of the quick flight of our ancestors from Egypt. As slaves, they had faced many false starts before finally being let go. So when the word of their freedom came, they took whatever dough they had and ran with it before it had the chance to rise, leaving it looking something like matzah.

Uncover and hold up the three pieces of matzah and say:

This is the bread of poverty which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. All who are hungry, come and eat; all who are needy, come and celebrate Passover with us. This year we are here; next year we will be in Israel. This year we are slaves; next year we will be free.

These days, matzah is a special food and we look forward to eating it on Passover. Imagine eating only matzah, or being one of the countless people around the world who don’t have enough to eat.

What does the symbol of matzah say to us about oppression in the world, both people literally enslaved and the many ways in which each of us is held down by forces beyond our control? How does this resonate with events happening now?

הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם. כָּל דִכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל, כָּל דִצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח. הָשַׁתָּא הָכָא, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל. הָשַׁתָּא עַבְדֵי, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין.

This is the bread of affliction, which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in need, come and celebrate Passover. Today, we are here. Next year, in the land of Israel. Today, we are slaves. Next year, we will be free.

Pour the second glass of wine for everyone.

The Haggadah doesn’t tell the story of Passover in a linear fashion. We don’t hear of Moses being found by the daughter of Pharaoh – actually, we don’t hear much of Moses at all. Instead, we get an impressionistic collection of songs, images, and stories of both the Exodus from Egypt and from Passover celebrations through the centuries. Some say that minimizing the role of Moses keeps us focused on the miracles God performed for us. Others insist that we keep the focus on the role that every member of the community has in bringing about positive change.

Our story starts in ancient times, with Abraham, the first person to have the idea that maybe all those little statues his contemporaries worshiped as gods were just statues. The idea of one God, invisible and all-powerful, inspired him to leave his family and begin a new people in Canaan, the land that would one day bear his grandson Jacob’s adopted name, Israel.

God had made a promise to Abraham that his family would become a great nation, but this promise came with a frightening vision of the troubles along the way: “Your descendants will dwell for a time in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and afflicted for four hundred years; however, I will punish the nation that enslaved them, and afterwards they shall leave with great wealth."

Raise the glass of wine and say:

וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ וְלָֽנוּ

V’hi she-amda l’avoteinu v’lanu.

This promise has sustained our ancestors and us.

For not only one enemy has risen against us to annihilate us, but in every generation there are those who rise against us. But God saves us from those who seek to harm us.

The glass of wine is put down.

In the years our ancestors lived in Egypt, our numbers grew, and soon the family of Jacob became the People of Israel. Pharaoh and the leaders of Egypt grew alarmed by this great nation growing within their borders, so they enslaved us. We were forced to perform hard labor, perhaps even building pyramids. The Egyptians feared that even as slaves, the Israelites might grow strong and rebel. So Pharaoh decreed that Israelite baby boys should be drowned, to prevent the Israelites from overthrowing those who had enslaved them.

But God heard the cries of the Israelites. And God brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand and outstretched arm, with great awe, miraculous signs and wonders. God brought us out not by angel or messenger, but through God’s own intervention. 

The plagues and our subsequent redemption from Egypt are but one example of the care God has shown for us in our history. Had God but done any one of these kindnesses, it would have been enough – dayeinu.

אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָֽנוּ מִמִּצְרַֽיִם, דַּיֵּנוּ

Ilu hotzi- hotzianu, Hotzianu mi-mitzrayim Hotzianu mi-mitzrayim, Dayeinu

If God had only taken us out of Egypt, that would have been enough!

אִלּוּ נָתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־הַתּוֹרָה, דַּיֵּנוּ

Ilu natan natan lanu, natan lanu et ha-Torah, Natan lanu et ha-Torah , Dayeinu

If God had only given us the Torah, that would have been enough.

 The complete lyrics to Dayeinu tell the entire story of the Exodus from Egypt as a series of miracles God performed for us. (See the Additional Readings if you want to read or sing them all.)

Dayeinu also reminds us that each of our lives is the cumulative result of many blessings, small and large. 

During the time when Pharaoh issued his decree to kill Israelite males, Moses, who later was to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to freedom, was an infant. His concerned mother, Jochebed placed him in a basket of reeds in the Nile River while Moses’ sister Miriam watched from a distance to see who would come to find him. The basket was found by the Pharaoh’s daughter, who decided to raise the infant as her own son and named him Moses. She unknowingly hired Jochebed as a nurse to care for him, and Jochebed secretly taught Moses his Israelite heritage. At age 40, on a visit to see his fellow Israelites, Moses saw an Egyptian taskmaster beating an Israelite slave and in his rage, killed the Egyptian. Fearing for his life, Moses fled Egypt. He fled across the desert, for the roads were watched by Egyptian soldiers, and took refuge in Midian, an area in present-day northwestern Saudi Arabia along the eastern shores of the Red Sea.

             

While in Midian, Moses met a Midianite priest named Jethro and became a shepherd for the next 40 years, eventually marrying one of Jethro’s daughters, Zipporah. Then, when Moses was about 80 years of age, God spoke to him from a burning bush and said that he and his brother Aaron were selected by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt to freedom. At first, Moses hesitated to take on such a huge task, but eventually Moses and his brother Aaron set about returning to Egypt, commencing what was to be the spectacular and dramatic events that are told in the story of Passover. It is said that the Israelites entered Egypt as a group of tribes and left Egypt one nation. It has also been estimated that the Passover exodus population comprised about 3 million people, plus numerous flocks of sheep who all crossed over the border of Egypt to freedom in Canaan.

             

Under the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III in Egypt in 1476 BCE, the Israelite leader Moses (“Moshe” in Hebrew) – guided by God – led his people out of Egypt after a series of 10 plagues that were created by God and initiated by Moses. Prior to most of the plagues, Moses had warned the Pharaoh about each plague and that it would devastate his people, if he refused to let the Israelites go. After the first two plagues, the Pharaoh refused to let them go because his court magicians were able to re-create the same miracles, and so the Pharaoh thought: “This proves that the Israelite God is not stronger than I.” But when the third plague occurred, the Pharaoh’s magicians were not able to duplicate this miracle; however, that still did not change the Pharaoh’s mind about letting the Israelites leave Egypt. After each subsequent plague, the Pharaoh agreed to let the Israelites go, but the Pharaoh soon changed his mind and continued to hold the Israelites as slaves. Finally, after the 10^th plague, the Pharaoh let the Israelites go for good.

With your finger tip, remove one drop of wine from your cup and wipe it on your plate, as each plague is mentioned…

The Second Cup – The 10 Plagues

 

Blood – דָּם

Frogs – צְפֵרְדֵּעַ

Lice – כִּנִים

Wild Beasts – עָרוֹב

Blight – דֶּבֶר

Boils – שְׁחִין

Hail – בָּרַד

Locusts – אַרְבֶּה

Darkness – חשֶׁךְ

Slaying of the First-Born – מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת

 

When the Pharaoh finally agreed to free the Israelite slaves, they left their homes so quickly that there wasn’t even time to bake their breads. So they packed the raw dough to take with them on their journey. As they fled through the desert they would quickly bake the dough in the hot sun into hard crackers called matzah. Today to commemorate this event, Jews eat matzah in place of bread during Passover.

 

Though the Israelites were now free, their liberation was incomplete. The Pharaoh’s army chased them through the desert towards the Red Sea. When the Israelites reached the sea they were trapped, since the sea blocked their escape. When the Israelites saw the Egyptian army fast approaching toward them, they called out in despair to Moses. Fortunately, God intervened and commanded Moses to strike his staff on the waters of the Red Sea, creating a rift of land between the waves, enabling the Israelites to cross through the Red Sea to safety on the other side. Once the Israelites were safely across, God then commanded Moses to strike the waters of the Red Sea with his staff again, just as the Egyptian army followed them through the parted Red Sea. The waters came together again, drowning the entire Egyptian army and the Israelites were saved.

Maggid

Maggid - Retelling the Passover Story Raise the tray with the matzot and say: This is the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat; whoever is in need, let him come and conduct the Seder of Passover. This year [we are] here; next year in the land of Israel. This year [we are] slaves; next year [we will be] free people. The tray with the matzot is moved aside, and the second cup is poured.(Do not drink it yet). Now the child asks "Mah Nishtana?" What makes this night different from all [other] nights? On all nights we need not dip even once, on this night we do so twice! On all nights we eat chametz or matzah, and on this night only matzah. On all nights we eat any kind of vegetables, and on this night maror! On all nights we eat sitting upright or reclining, and on this night we all recline! The tray is restored to its place with the matzah partly uncovered. Now we say "We were slaves. . ." We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the L-rd, our G-d, took us out from there with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm. If the Holy One, blessed be He, had not taken our fathers out of Egypt, then we, our children and our children's children would have remained enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt. Even if all of us were wise, all of us understanding, all of us knowing the Torah, we would still be obligated to discuss the exodus from Egypt; and everyone who discusses the exodus from Egypt at length is praiseworthy. It happened that Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarphon were reclining [at a seder] in B'nei Berak. They were discussing the exodus from Egypt all that night, until their students came and told them: "Our Masters! The time has come for reciting the morning Shema!" Rabbi Eleazar ben Azaryah said: "I am like a man of seventy years old, yet I did not succeed in proving that the exodus from Egypt must be mentioned at night-until Ben Zoma explained it: "It is said, `That you may remember the day you left Egypt all the days of your life;' now `the days of your life' refers to the days, [and the additional word] `all' indicates the inclusion of the nights!" The sages, however, said: "`The days of your life' refers to the present-day world; and `all' indicates the inclusion of the days of Mashiach." Blessed is the Omnipresent One, blessed be He! Blessed is He who gave the Torah to His people Israel, blessed be He! The Torah speaks of four children: One is wise, one is wicked, one is simple and one does not know how to ask. The wise one, what does he say? "What are the testimonies, the statutes and the laws which the L-rd, our G-d, has commanded you?" You, in turn, shall instruct him in the laws of Passover, [up to] `one is not to eat any dessert after the Passover-lamb.' The wicked one, what does he say? "What is this service to you?!" He says `to you,' but not to him! By thus excluding himself from the community he has denied that which is fundamental. You, therefore, blunt his teeth and say to him: "It is because of this that the L-rd did for me when I left Egypt"; `for me' - but not for him! If he had been there, he would not have been redeemed!" The simpleton, what does he say? "What is this?" Thus you shall say to him: "With a strong hand the L-rd took us out of Egypt, from the house of slaves." As for the one who does not know how to ask, you must initiate him, as it is said: "You shall tell your child on that day, `It is because of this that the L-rd did for me when I left Egypt.'" One may think that [the discussion of the exodus] must be from the first of the month. The Torah therefore says, `On that day.' `On that day,' however, could mean while it is yet daytime; the Torah therefore says, `It is because of this.' The expression `because of this' can only be said when matzah and maror are placed before you. In the beginning our fathers served idols; but now the Omnipresent One has brought us close to His service, as it is said: "Joshua said to all the people: Thus said the L-rd, the G-d of Israel, `Your fathers used to live on the other side of the river - Terach, the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor, and they served other gods. "And I took your father Abraham from beyond the river, and I led him throughout the whole land of Canaan. I increased his seed and gave him Isaac, and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it, and Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt." Blessed is He who keeps His promise to Israel, blessed be He! For the Holy One, blessed be He, calculated the end [of the bondage], in order to do as He had said to our father Abraham at the "Covenant between the Portions," as it is said: "And He said to Abraham, `You shall know that your seed will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave them and make them suffer, for four hundred years. But I shall also judge the nation whom they shall serve, and after that they will come out with great wealth.'" According to the instructions of Rabbi Isaac Luria, the wine cup is now raised and the Matzot are covered. This is what has stood by our fathers and us! For not just one alone has risen against us to destroy us, but in every generation they rise against us to destroy us; and the Holy One, blessed be He, saves us from their hand! Put down the wine cup and uncover the Matzah. Go forth and learn what Laban the Aramean wanted to do to our father Jacob. Pharaoh had issued a decree against the male children only, but Laban wanted to uproot everyone - as it is said: "The Aramean wished to destroy my father; and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation - great and mighty and numerous." "And he went down to Egypt" forced by Divine decree. "And he sojourned there" - this teaches that our father Jacob did not go down to Egypt to settle, but only to live there temporarily. Thus it is said, "They said to Pharaoh, We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks because the hunger is severe in the land of Canaan; and now, please, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen." "Few in number" as it is said: "Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now, the L-rd, your G-d, has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven." "And he became there a nation" this teaches that Israel was distinctive there. "Great, mighty," as it is said: "And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, and multiplied and became very, very mighty, and the land became filled with them." "And numerous," as it is said: "I passed over you and saw you wallowing in your bloods, and I said to you `By your blood you shall live,' and I said to you `By your blood you shall live!' I caused you to thrive like the plants of the field, and you increased and grew and became very beautiful your bosom fashioned and your hair grown long, but you were naked and bare." "The Egyptians treated us badly and they made us suffer, and they put hard work upon us." "The Egyptians treated us badly," as it is said: Come, let us act cunningly with [the people] lest they multiply and, if there should be a war against us, they will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the land." "And they made us suffer," as it is said: "They set taskmasters over [the people of Israel] to make them suffer with their burdens, and they built storage cities for Pharaoh, Pitom and Ramses." "And they put hard work upon us," as it is said: "The Egyptians made the children of Israel work with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard work, with mortar and with bricks and all manner of service in the field, all their work which they made them work with rigor." And we cried out to the L-rd, the G-d of our fathers, and the L-rd heard our voice and saw our suffering, our labor and our oppression. "And we cried out to the L-rd, the G-d of our fathers," as it is said: "During that long period, the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel groaned because of the servitude, and they cried out. And their cry for help from their servitude rose up to G-d." "And the L-rd heard our voice" as it said: "And G-d heard their groaning, and G-d remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." "And he saw our suffering," this refers to the separation of husband and wife, as it is said: "G-d saw the children of Israel and G-d took note." "Our labor," this refers to the "children," as it is said: "Every boy that is born, you shall throw into the river and every girl you shall keep alive." "And our oppression," this refers to the pressure, as it is said: "I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them." "The L-rd took as out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with a great manifestation, and with signs and wonders." "The L-rd took us out of Egypt," not through an angel, not through a seraph and not through a messenger. The Holy One, blessed be He, did it in His glory by Himself! Thus it is said: "In that night I will pass through the land of Egypt, and I will smite every first-born in the land of Egypt, from man to beast, and I will carry out judgments against all the gods of Egypt, I the L-rd." "I will pass through the land of Egypt," I and not an angel; "And I will smite every first-born in the land of Egypt," I and not a seraph; "And I will carry out judgments against all the gods of Egypt," I and not a messenger; "I- the L-rd," it is I, and none other! "With a strong hand," this refers to the dever (pestilence) as it is said: "Behold, the hand of the L-rd will be upon your livestock in the field, upon the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds and the flocks, a very severe pestilence." "And with an outstretched arm," this refers to the sword, as it is said: "His sword was drawn, in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem." "And with a great manifestation," this refers to the revelation of the Shechinah (Divine Presence), as it is said: "Has any G-d ever tried to take for himself a nation from the midst of another nation, with trials, signs and wonders, with war and with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great manifestations, like all that the L-rd your G-d, did for you in Egypt before your eyes!" "And with signs," this refers to the staff, as it is said: "Take into your hand this staff with which you shall perform the signs." "And wonders," this refers to the blood, as it is said: "And I shall show wonders in heaven and on earth. When saying the following words "blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke," spill three times from the wine in the cup. Do not remove wine by dipping a finger, but by spilling from the cup itself, and do so into a broken/chipped dish. (Have in mind that the cup symbolizes the aspect of malchut which contains an aspect of "anger and indignation." By means of our faculty of binah (understanding) we pour out [that aspect of "anger and indignation" - by spilling from the wine in the cup into a broken dish which represents kelipah, i.e., that which is called accursed [the principle of evil]). Blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke Another explanation: "Strong hand" indicates two [plagues]; "Outstretched arm," another two; "Great manifestation," another two; "Signs," another two; and "Wonders," another two. These are the Ten Plagues which the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians, namely as follows: When saying the ten plagues, spill from the cup itself ten times, as stated above (and when spilling, again have in mind what was said above). The wine remaining in the cup (will have become 'wine that causes joy,' thus) is not to be spilled, but other wine is added to it [to refill the cup]. Blood. Frogs. Lice. Wild Beasts. Pestilence. Boils. Hail. Locust. Darkness. Slaying of the First-born. Rabbi Yehudah referred to them by acronyms: DeTzaCh (blood, frogs, lice); ADaSh (beasts, pestilence, boils); BeAChaV (hail, locust, darkness, first-born). Rabbi Yosi the Gallilean said: How do you know that the Egyptians were stricken by ten plagues in Egypt, and then were struck by fifty plagues at the sea? In Egypt it says of them, "The magicians said to Pharaoh `This is the finger of G-d.' At the sea it says, "Israel saw the great hand that the L-rd laid against Egypt; and the people feared the L-rd, and they believed in the L-rd and in His servant Moses." Now, how often were they smitten by `the finger'? Ten plagues! Thus you must conclude that in Egypt they were smitten by ten plagues, at the sea they were smitten by fifty plagues! Rabbi Eliezer said: How do we know that each individual plague which the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt consisted of four plagues? For it is said: "He sent against them His fierce anger, fury, and indignation, and trouble, a discharge of messengers of evil": `Fury,' is one; `Indignation,' makes two; `Trouble,' makes three; `Discharge of messengers of evil,' makes four. Thus you must now say that in Egypt they were struck by forty plagues, and at the sea they were stricken by two hundred plagues. Rabbi Akiva said: How do we know that each individual plague which the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt consisted of five plagues? For it is said: "He sent against them his fierce anger, fury, and indignation, and trouble, a discharge of messengers of evil": "His fierce anger," is one; "fury," makes two; "indignation," makes three; "trouble," makes four; "discharge of messengers of evil," makes five. Thus you must now say that in Egypt they were struck by fifty plagues, and at the sea they were stricken by two hundred and fifty plagues. How many levels of favors has the Omnipresent One bestowed upon us: If He had brought us out from Egypt, and had not carried out judgments against them Dayenu, it would have sufficed us! If He had carried out judgments against them, and not against their idols Dayenu, it would have sufficed us! If He had destroyed their idols, and had not smitten their first-born Dayenu, it would have sufficed us! If He had smitten their first-born, and had not given us their wealth Dayenu, it would have sufficed us! If He had given us their wealth, and had not split the sea for us Dayenu, it would have sufficed us! If He had split the sea for us, and had not taken us through it on dry land Dayenu, it would have sufficed us! If He had taken us through the sea on dry land, and had not drowned our oppressors in it Dayenu, it would have sufficed us! If He had drowned our oppressors in it, and had not supplied our needs in the desert for forty years Dayenu, it would have sufficed us! If He had supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, and had not fed us the manna Dayenu, it would have sufficed us! If He had fed us the manna, and had not given us the Shabbat Dayenu, it would have sufficed us! If He had given us the Shabbat, and had not brought us before Mount Sinai Dayenu, it would have sufficed us! If He had brought us before Mount Sinai, and had not given us the Torah Dayenu, it would have sufficed us! If He had given us the Torah, and had not brought us into the land of Israel Dayenu, it would have sufficed us! If He had brought us into the land of Israel, and had not built for us the Beit Habechirah (Chosen House; the Beit Hamikdash) Dayenu, it would have sufficed us! Thus how much more so should we be grateful to the Omnipresent One for the doubled and redoubled goodness that He has bestowed upon us; for He has brought us out of Egypt, and carried out judgments against them, and against their idols, and smote their first-born, and gave us their wealth, and split the sea for us, and took us through it on dry land, and drowned our oppressors in it, and supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, and fed us the manna, and gave us the Shabbat, and brought us before Mount Sinai, and gave us the Torah, and brought us into the land of Israel and built for us the Beit Habechirah to atone for all our sins. Rabban Gamliel used to say: Whoever does not discuss the following three things on Passover has not fulfilled his duty, namely: Passover (the Passover-sacrifice), Matzah (the unleavened bread) and Maror (the bitter herbs). Passover - the Passover-lamb that our fathers ate during the time of the Beit Hamikdash - for what reason [did they do so]? Because the Omnipresent passed over our fathers' houses in Egypt, as it is said: "You shall say, It is a Passover-offering to the L-rd, because He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians with a plague, and He saved our houses. And the people bowed and prostrated themselves." Take the broken Matzah into your hand and say: This Matzah that we eat for what reason? Because the dough of our fathers did not have time to become leavened before the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to them and redeemed them. Thus it is said: "They baked Matzah-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 also not prepared any [other] provisions." Take the maror into your hand and say: This maror that we eat for what reason? Because the Egyptians embittered our fathers' lives in Egypt, as it is said: "They made their lives bitter with hard service, with mortar and with bricks, and with all manner of service in the field; all their service which they made them serve with rigor." In every generation a person is obligated to regard himself as if he had come out of Egypt, as it is said: "You shall tell your child on that day, it is because of this that the L-rd did for me when I left Egypt." The Holy One, blessed be He, redeemed not only our fathers from Egypt, but He redeemed also us with them, as it is said: "It was us that He brought out from there, so that He might bring us to give us the land that He swore to our fathers." Cover the Matzah and raise the cup. The cup is to be held in the hand until the completion of the blessing, "Who Has Redeemed Us..." Thus it is our duty to thank, to laud, to praise, to glorify, to exalt, to adore, to bless, to elevate and to honor the One who did all these miracles for our fathers and for us. He took us from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to festivity, and from deep darkness to great light and from bondage to redemption. Let us therefore recite before Him Halleluyah, Praise G-d! Halleluyah - Praise G-d! Offer praise, you servants of the L-rd; praise the Name of the L-rd. May the L-rd's Name be blessed from now and to all eternity. From the rising of the sun to its setting, the L-rd's Name is praised. The L-rd is high above all nations, His glory is over the heavens. Who is like the L-rd, our G-d, who dwells on high yet looks down so low upon heaven and earth! He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the dunghill, to seat them with nobles, with the nobles of His people. He restores the barren woman to the house, into a joyful mother of children. Halleluyah - praise G-d. When Israel went out of Egypt, the House of Jacob from a people of a foreign language, Judah became His holy one, Israel His dominion. The sea saw and fled, the Jordan turned backward. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like young sheep. What is with you, O sea, that you flee; Jordan, that you turn backward? Mountains, why do you skip like rams; hills, like a pool of water, the flint-stone into a spring of water. Blessed are You, G-d, our G-d, King of the universe, who has redeemed us and redeemed our fathers from Egypt, and enabled us to attain this night to eat matzah and maror. So too, G-d, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, enable us to attain other holidays and festivals that will come to us in peace with happiness in the rebuilding of Your city, and with rejoicing in Your service [in the Bet Hamikdash]. Then we shall eat (Note: if the festival is on any day except Saturday night say:) of the sacrifices and of the Passover-offerings (If the Seder is on Saturday Night say:) of the Passover-offerings and of the sacrifices whose blood shall be sprinkled on the wall of Your altar for acceptance; and we shall thank You with a new song for our redemption and for the deliverance of our souls. Blessed are You, G-d, who redeemed Israel. Recite the following blessing, and drink the cup in the reclining position: Blessed are You, L-rd, our G-d, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Why is this night of Passover different from all other nights of the year?

On all other nights, we eat either leavened or unleavened bread, why on this night do we eat only matzah?

On all other nights, we eat vegetables of all kinds, why on this night must we eat bitter herbs?

On all other nights, we do not dip vegetables even once, why on this night do we dip greens into salt water and bitter herbs into sweet haroset?

On all other nights, everyone sits up straight at the table, why on this night do we recline and eat at leisure?

מַה נִּשְּׁתַּנָה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה,

-הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כּוּלוֹ מַצָּה.
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת,

 - הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מָרוֹר.
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אֶנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת,

- הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים.
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין,

 - הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלָנו מְסֻבִּין

As we tell the story, we think about it from all angles. Our tradition speaks of four different types of children who might react differently to the Passover seder. It is our job to make our story accessible to all the members of our community, so we think about how we might best reach each type of child:

What does the wise child say?

The wise child asks, What are the testimonies and laws which God commanded you?

You must teach this child the rules of observing the holiday of Passover.

What does the wicked child say?

The wicked child asks, What does this service mean to you?

To you and not to himself! Because he takes himself out of the community and misses the point, set this child’s teeth on edge and say to him: “It is because of what God did for me in taking me out of Egypt.” Me, not him. Had that child been there, he would have been left behind.

What does the simple child say?

The simple child asks, What is this?

To this child, answer plainly: “With a strong hand God took us out of Egypt, where we were slaves.”

What about the child who doesn’t know how to ask a question?

Help this child ask.

Start telling the story:

“It is because of what God did for me in taking me out of Egypt.”

-

Do you see yourself in any of these children? At times we all approach different situations like each of these children. How do we relate to each of them?

As we now transition from the formal telling of the Passover story to the celebratory meal, we once again wash our hands to prepare ourselves. In Judaism, a good meal together with friends and family is itself a sacred act, so we prepare for it just as we prepared for our holiday ritual, recalling the way ancient priests once prepared for service in the Temple.

Some people distinguish between washing to prepare for prayer and washing to prepare for food by changing the way they pour water on their hands. For washing before food, pour water three times on your right hand and then three times on your left hand.

After you have poured the water over your hands, recite this short blessing.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ  עַל נְטִילַת יָדָֽיִם

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al n’tilat yadayim.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who made us holy through obligations, commanding us to wash our hands.

The blessing over the meal and matzah | motzi matzah | מוֹצִיא מַצָּה

The familiar hamotzi blessing marks the formal start of the meal. Because we are using matzah instead of bread, we add a blessing celebrating this mitzvah.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמּוֹצִיא לֶֽחֶם מִן הָאָֽרֶץ

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha-aretz.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who brings bread from the land.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתַָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָּה

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat matzah.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who made us holy through obligations, commanding us to eat matzah.

Distribute and eat the top and middle matzah for everyone to eat.

Dipping the bitter herb in sweet charoset | maror  |מָרוֹר   

  In creating a holiday about the joy of freedom, we turn the story of our bitter history into a sweet celebration. We recognize this by dipping our bitter herbs into the sweet charoset. We don’t totally eradicate the taste of the bitter with the taste of the sweet… but doesn’t the sweet mean more when it’s layered over the bitterness?

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מרוֹר

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat maror.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who made us holy through obligations, commanding us to eat bitter herbs.

Eating a sandwich of matzah and bitter herb | koreich | כּוֹרֵךְ

When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the biggest ritual of them all was eating the lamb offered as the pesach or Passover sacrifice. The great sage Hillel would put the meat in a sandwich made of matzah, along with some of the bitter herbs. While we do not make sacrifices any more – and, in fact, some Jews have a custom of purposely avoiding lamb during the seder so that it is not mistaken as a sacrifice – we honor this custom by eating a sandwich of the remaining matzah and bitter herbs. Some people will also include charoset in the sandwich to remind us that God’s kindness helped relieve the bitterness of slavery.

Eating the meal! | shulchan oreich | שֻׁלְחָן עוֹרֵךְ

Enjoy! But don’t forget when you’re done we’ve got a little more seder to go, including the final two cups of wine!

Finding and eating the Afikomen | tzafoon | צָפוּן

The playfulness of finding the afikomen reminds us that we balance our solemn memories of slavery with a joyous celebration of freedom. As we eat the afikomen, our last taste of matzah for the evening, we are grateful for moments of silliness and happiness in our lives.

Refill everyone’s wine glass.

We now say grace after the meal, thanking God for the food we’ve eaten. On Passover, this becomes something like an extended toast to God, culminating with drinking our third glass of wine for the evening:

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, whose goodness sustains the world. You are the origin of love and compassion, the source of bread for all. Thanks to You, we need never lack for food; You provide food enough for everyone. We praise God, source of food for everyone.

As it says in the Torah: When you have eaten and are satisfied, give praise to your God who has given you this good earth. We praise God for the earth and for its sustenance.

Renew our spiritual center in our time. We praise God, who centers us.

May the source of peace grant peace to us, to the Jewish people, and to the entire world. Amen.

The Third Glass of Wine

The blessing over the meal is immediately followed by another blessing over the wine:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

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 the third glass of wine!

שִיר הַמַעֲלוֹת, בְשוב יְיָ אֶת שִיבַת צִיוֹן, הָיִינו כְחלְֹמִים. אָז יִמָלֵא שְחוֹק פִינו ולְשוֹנֵנו רִנָה, אָז יאֹמְרו בַגוֹיִם, הִגְדִיל יְיָ לַעֲשוֹת עִם אֵלֶה. הִגְדִיל יְיָ לַעֲשוֹת עִמָנו, הָיִינו שְמֵחִים. שובָה יְיָ אֶת שְבִיתֵנו, כַאֲפִיקִים בַנֶגֶב. הַזרְֹעִים בְדִמְעָה
בְרִנָה יִקְצרֹו. הָלוֹךְ יֵלֵךְ ובָכהֹ נשֵֹא מֶשֶךְ הַזָרַע, באֹ יָבאֹ בְרִנָה נשֵֹא אֲלֻמתָֹיו
תְהִלַת יְיָ יְדַבֶר פִי, וִיבָרֵךְ כָל בָשָר שֵם קָדְשוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. וַאֲנַחְנו נְבָרֵךְ יָה מֵעַתָה וְעַד עוֹלָם הַלְלויָה. הוֹדו לַייָ כִי טוֹב כִי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדוֹ. מִי יְמַלֵל גְבורוֹת יְיָ
יַשְמִיעַ כָל תְהִלָתוֹ.

Include parenthesis when there is a minyan present

Leader

רַבוֹתַי נְבָרֵךְ.

Participants

יְהִי שֵם יְיָ מְברָֹךְ מֵעַתָה וְעַד עוֹלָם.

Leader

יְהִי שֵם יְיָ מְברָֹךְ מֵעַתָה וְעַד עוֹלָם. בִרְשות מָרָנָן וְרַבָנָן וְרַבוֹתַי נְבָרֵך (אֱלֹהֵינו) שֶאָכַלְנו מִשֶלוֹ.

Participants

בָרוךְ (אֱלֹהֵינו) שֶאָכַלְנו מִשֶלוֹ ובְטובוֹ חָיִינו.

Leader

בָרוךְ )אֱלֹהֵינו( שֶאָכַלְנו מִשֶלוֹ ובְטובוֹ חָיִינו.

All together

בָרוךְ הוא ובָרוך שְמוֹ.

בָרוךְ אַתָה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינו מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַזָן אֶת הָעוֹלָם כֻלוֹ בְטובוֹ בְחֵן בְחֶסֶד ובְרַחֲמִים הוא נוֹתֵן לֶחֶם לְכָל בָשָר, כִי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדוֹ. ובְטובוֹ הַגָדוֹל תָמִיד לֹא חָסַר לָנו וְאַל יֶחְסַר לָנו מָזוֹן לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. בַעֲבור שְמוֹ הַגָדוֹל כִי הוא אֵל זָן ומְפַרְנֵס לַכלֹ ומֵטִיב לַכלֹ ומֵכִין מָזוֹן לְכָל בְרִיוֹתָיו אֲשֶר בָרָא. בָרוךְ אַתָה יְיָ, הַזָן אֶת הַכלֹ.
נוֹדֶה לְךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינו עַל שֶהִנְחַלְתָ לַאֲבוֹתֵינו אֶרֶץ חֶמְדָה טוֹבָה ורְחָבָה, וְעַל שֶהוֹצֵאתָנו יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינו מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם ופְדִיתָנו מִבֵית עֲבָדִים, וְעַל בְרִיתְךָ שֶחָתַמְתָ בִבְשָרֵנו, וְעַל תוֹרָתְךָ שֶלִמַדְתָנו, וְעַל חֻקֶיךָ שֶהוֹדַעְתָנו, וְעַל חַיִים חֵן וָחֶסֶד שֶחוֹנַנְתָנו, וְעַל אֲכִילַת מָזוֹן שָאַתָה זָן ומְפַרְנֵס אוֹתָנו תָמִיד בְכָל יוֹם ובְכָל עֵת ובְכָל שָעָה.
וְעַל הַכלֹ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינו אֲנַחְנו מוֹדִים לָךְ ומְבָרְכִים אוֹתָךְ יִתְבָרַךְ שִמְךָ בְפִי כָל חַי תָמִיד לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. כַכָתוב, וְאָכַלְתָ וְשָבָעְתָ ובֵרַכְתָ אֶת יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ עַל הָאָרֶץ הַטבָֹה אֲשֶר נָתַן לָךְ. בָרוךְ אַתָה יְיָ, עַל הָאָרֶץ וְעַל הַמָזוֹן.
רחֶַם נָא יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינו עַל יִשְרָאֵל עַמֶךָ וְעַל יְרושָלַיִם עִירֶךָ וְעַל צִיוֹן מִשְכַן כְבוֹדֶךָ וְעַל מַלְכות בֵית דָוִד מְשִיחֶךָ וְעַל הַבַיִת הַגָדוֹל וְהַקָדוֹש שֶנִקְרָא שִמְךָ עָלָיו. אֱלֹהֵינו אָבִינו רְעֵנו זונֵנו פַרְנְסֵנו וְכַלְכְלֵנו וְהַרְוִיחֵנו וְהַרְוַח לָנו יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינו מְהֵרָה מִכָל צָרוֹתֵינו. וְנָא אַל תַצְרִיכֵנו יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינו לֹא לִידֵי מַתְנַת בָשָר וָדָם וְלֹא לִידֵי הַלְוָאָתָם, כִי אִם לְיָדְךָ הַמְלֵאָה הַפְתוחָה הַקְדוֹשָה וְהָרְחָבָה, שֶלא נֵבוֹש וְלֹא נִכָלֵם לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.

On Shabbat

רְצהֵ וְהַחֲלִיצֵנו יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינו בְמִצְוֹתֶיךָ ובְמִצְוַת יוֹם הַשְבִיעִי הַשַבָת הַגָדוֹל וְהַקָדוֹש הַזֶה. כִי יוֹם זֶה גָדוֹל וְקָדוֹש הוא לְפָנֶיךָ לִשְבָת בוֹ וְלָנוחַ בוֹ בְאַהֲבָה כְמִצְוַת רְצוֹנֶךָ. ובִרְצוֹנְךָ הָנִיחַ לָנו יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינו שֶלֹא תְהֵא צָרָה וְיָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה בְיוֹם
מְנוחָתֵנו. וְהַרְאֵנו יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינו בְנֶחָמַת צִיוֹן עִירֶךָ ובְבִנְיַן יְרושָלַיִם עִיר קָדְשֶךָ כִי אַתָה הוא בַעַל הַיְשועוֹת ובַעַל הַנֶחָמוֹת.

אֱלֹהֵינו וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינו, יַעֲלֶה וְיָבאֹ וְיַגִיעַ וְיֵרָאֶה וְיֵרָצֶה וְיִשָמַע וְיִפָקֵד וְיִזָכֵר זִכְרוֹנֵנו ופִקְדוֹנֵנו, וְזִכְרוֹן אֲבוֹתֵינו, וְזִכְרוֹן מָשִיחַ בֶן דָוִד עַבְדֶךָ ,וְזִכְרוֹן יְרושָלַיִם עִיר קָדְשֶךָ, וְזִכְרוֹן כָל עַמְךָ בֵית יִשְרָאֵל לְפָנֶיךָ, לִפְלֵטָה לְטוֹבָה לְחֵן ולְחֶסֶד ולְרַחֲמִים, לְחַיִים ולְשָלוֹם בְיוֹם חַג הַמַצוֹת הַזֶה. זָכְרֵנו יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינו בוֹ לְטוֹבָה ופָקְדֵנו בוֹ לִבְרָכָה וְהוֹשִיעֵנו בוֹ לְחַיִים. ובִדְבַר יְשועָה וְרַחֲמִים חוס וְחָנֵנו וְרַחֵם עָלֵינו וְהוֹשִיעֵנו, כִי אֵלֶיךָ עֵינֵינו, כִי אֵל מֶלֶךְ חַנון וְרַחום אָתָה.

ובְנֵה יְרושָלַיִם עִיר הַקדֶֹש בִמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינו. בָרוךְ אַתָה יְיָ, בוֹנֵה בְרַחֲמָיו יְרושָלָיִם. אָמֵן.
בָרוךְ אַתָה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינו מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הָאֵל אָבִינו מַלְכֵנו אַדִירֵנו בוֹרְאֵנו גאֲֹלֵנו יוֹצְרֵנו קְדוֹשֵנו קְדוֹש יַעֲקבֹ, רוֹעֵנו רוֹעֵה יִשְרָאֵל הַמֶלֶךְ הַטוֹב וְהַמֵטִיב לַכלֹ שֶבְכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם הוא הֵטִיב הוא מֵטִיב הוא יֵיטִיב לָנו. הוא גְמָלָנו הוא גוֹמְלֵנו
הוא יִגְמְלֵנו לָעַד לְחֵן ולְחֶסֶד ולְרַחֲמִים ולְרֶוַח הַצָלָה וְהַצְלָחָה בְרָכָה וִישועָה נֶחָמָה פַרְנָסָה וְכַלְכָלָה וְרַחֲמִים וְחַיִים וְשָלוֹם וְכָל טוֹב, ומִכָל טוב לְעוֹלָם אַל יְחַסְרֵנו.
 הרָחַמֲן הוא יִמְלֹךְ עָלֵינו לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. הָרַחֲמָן הוא יִתְבָרַךְ בַשָמַיִם ובָאָרֶץ. הָרַחֲמָן הוא יִשְתַבַח לְדוֹר דוֹרִים וְיִתְפָאַר בָנו לָעַד ולְנֵצַח נְצָחִים וְיִתְהַדַר בָנו לָעַד ולְעוֹלְמֵי עוֹלָמִים. הָרַחֲמָן הוא יְפַרְנְסֵנו בְכָבוֹד. הָרַחֲמָן הוא יִשְבר עֻלֵנו מֵעַל צַוָארֵנו וְהוא יוֹלִיכֵנו קוֹמְמִיות לְאַרְצֵנו. הָרַחֲמָן הוא יִשְלַח לָנו בְרָכָה מְרֻבָה בַבַיִת הַזֶה וְעַל שֻלְחָן זֶה שֶאָכַלְנו עָלָיו. הָרַחֲמָן הוא יִשְלַח לָנו אֶת אֵלִיָהו הַנָבִיא זָכור לַטוֹב וִיבַשֶר לָנו בְשוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹת יְשועוֹת וְנֶחָמוֹת.
הָרַחֲמָן הוא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת

For one’s parents

אָבִי מוֹרִי (בַעַל הַבַיִת הַזֶה) וְאֶת אִמִי מוֹרָתִי (בַעֲלַת הַבַיִת הַזֶה), אוֹתָם וְאֶת בֵיתָם וְאֶת זַרְעָםוְאֶת כָל אֲשֶר לָהֶם,

For one’s family

אוֹתִי )וְאֶת אִשְתִי/בַעֲלִי/זַרְעִי( וְאֶת כָל אֲשֶר לִי,

For one’s hosts

בַעַל הַבַיִת הַזֶה וְאֶת בַעֲלַת הַבַיִת הַזֶה, אוֹתָם וְאֶת בֵיתָם וְאֶת זַרְעָם וְאֶת כָל אֲשֶר לָהֶם,

For all others

וְאֶת כָל הַמְסֻבִין כַאן,

 אוֹתָנו וְאֶת כָל אֲשֶר לָנו, כְמוֹ שֶנִתְבָרְכו אֲבוֹתֵינו אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקבֹ בַכלֹ מִכלֹ כלֹ, כֵן יְבָרֵךְ אוֹתָנו כֻלָנו יַחַד בִבְרָכָה שְלֵמָה, וְנאֹמַר אָמֵן
בַמָרוֹם יְלַמְדו עֲלֵיהֶם וְעָלֵינו זְכות שֶתְהֵא לְמִשְמֶרֶת שָלוֹם. וְנִשָא בְרָכָה מֵאֵת יְיָ וצְדָקָה מֵאֱלֹהֵי יִשְעֵנו. וְנִמְצָא חֵן וְשֵכֶל טוֹב בְעֵינֵי אֱלֹהִים וְאָדָם

On Shabbat

הָרַחֲמָן הוא יַנְחִילֵנו יוֹם שֶכֻלוֹ שַבָת ומְנוחָה לְחַיֵי הָעוֹלָמִים.

הָרַחֲמָן הוא יַנְחִילֵנו יוֹם שֶכֻלוֹ טוֹב.

Some add the following

הָרַחֲמָן הוא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת כָל אֲחֵנו בְנֵי יִשְרָאֵל הַנְתונִים בְצָרָה, וְיוֹצִיאֵם מֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹרָה.
הָרַחֲמָן הוא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת מְדִנַת יִשְרָאֵל, רֵאשִית צְמִיחַת גְאֻלָתֵנו.
הָרַחֲמָן הוא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת חַיָלֵי צְבָא הֲגַנָה לְיִשְרָאֵל, וְיָגֵן עֲלֵיהֶם.
הָרַחֲמָן הוא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת מְדִנַת הַזאתֹ, וְאֶת חַיָלֶיהָ, וְיָגֵן עֲלֵיהֶם.
הָרַחֲמָן הוא יַשְכְין שָלוֹם בֵין בְנֵי יַעֲקבֹ ובְנֵי יִשְמָעֵאל.

הָרַחֲמָן הוא יְזַכֵנו לִימוֹת הַמָשִיחַ ולְחַיֵי הָעוֹלָם הַבָא.
מִגְדוֹל יְשועוֹת מַלְכוֹ וְעשֶֹה חֶסֶד לִמְשִיחוֹ לְדָוִד ולְזַרְעוֹ עַד עוֹלָם. עשֶֹה שָלוֹם בִמְרוֹמָיו הוא יַעֲשֶה שָלוֹם עָלֵינו וְעַל כָל יִשְרָאֵל, וְאִמְרו אָמֵן.
יְראו אֶת יְיָ קְדשָֹיו כִי אֵין מַחְסוֹר לִירֵאָיו. כְפִירִים רָשו וְרָעֵבו וְדרְֹשֵי יְיָ לֹא יַחְסְרו כָל טוֹב. הוֹדו לַייָ כִי טוֹב כִי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדוֹ. פוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶךָ ומַשְבִיעַ לְכָל חַי רָצוֹן. בָרוךְ הַגֶבֶר אֲשֶר יִבְטַח בַייָ וְהָיָה יְיָ מִבְטַחוֹ. נַעַר הָיִיתִי גַם זָקַנְתִי וְלֹא רָאִיתִי צַדִיק נֶעֱזָב וְזַרְעוֹ מְבַקֶש לָחֶם. יְיָ עזֹ לְעַמוֹ יִתֵן יְיָ יְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמוֹ בַשָלוֹם.

The Cup of Elijah

We now refill our wine glasses one last time and open the front door to invite the prophet Elijah to join our seder.

In the Bible, Elijah was a fierce defender of God to a disbelieving people. At the end of his life, rather than dying, he was whisked away to heaven. Tradition holds that he will return in advance of messianic days to herald a new era of peace, so we set a place for Elijah at many joyous, hopeful Jewish occasions, such as a baby’s bris and the Passover seder.

אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַנָּבִיא, אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּיאֵלִיָּֽהוּ, אֵלִיָּֽהוּ,אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַגִּלְעָדִי

בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵֽנוּ יָבוֹא אֵלֵֽינוּ

עִם מָשִֽׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד

עִם מָשִֽׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד

Eliyahu hanavi
Eliyahu hatishbi
Eliyahu, Eliyahu, Eliyahu hagiladi
Bimheirah b’yameinu, yavo eileinu
Im mashiach ben-David,
Im mashiach ben-David

Elijah the prophet, the returning, the man of Gilad:
return to us speedily,
in our days with the messiah,
son of David.

Nirtzah  marks the conclusion of the seder. Our bellies are full, we have had several glasses of wine, we have told stories and sung songs, and now it is time for the evening to come to a close. At the end of the seder, we honor the tradition of declaring, “Next year in Jerusalem!”

For some people, the recitation of this phrase expresses the anticipation of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem and the return of the Messiah. For others, it is an affirmation of hope and of connectedness with  Klal Yisrael, the whole of the Jewish community. Still others yearn for peace in Israel and for all those living in the Diaspora.

Though it comes at the end of the seder, this moment also marks a beginning. We are beginning the next season with a renewed awareness of the freedoms we enjoy and the obstacles we must still confront. We are looking forward to the time that we gather together again. Having retold stories of the Jewish people, recalled historic movements of liberation, and reflected on the struggles people still face for freedom and equality, we are ready to embark on a year that we hope will bring positive change in the world and freedom to people everywhere.

In  The Leader's Guide to the Family Participation Haggadah: A Different Night, Rabbi David Hartman writes: “Passover is the night for reckless dreams; for visions about what a human being can be, what society can be, what people can be, what history may become.”

What can  we  do to fulfill our reckless dreams? What will be our legacy for future generations?

Our seder is over, according to Jewish tradition and law. As we had the pleasure to gather for a seder this year, we hope to once again have the opportunity in the years to come. We pray that God brings health and healing to Israel and all the people of the world, especially those impacted by natural tragedy and war. As we say…

לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בִּירוּשָׁלָֽיִם

L’shana haba-ah biy’rushalayim

NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!

Chad Gadya

חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא

דְזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי

חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא

Chad gadya, chad gadya

Dizabin abah bitrei zuzei

Chad gadya, chad gadya.

One little goat, one little goat:

Which my father brought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The cat came and ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The dog came and bit the cat

That ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The stick came and beat the dog

That bit the cat that ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The fire came and burned the stick

That beat the dog that bit the cat

That ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The water came and extinguished the

Fire that burned the stick

That beat the dog that bit the cat

That ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The ox came and drank the water

That extinguished the fire

That burned the stick that beat the dog That bit the cat that ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The butcher came and killed the ox,

That drank the water

That extinguished the fire

That burned the stick that beat the dog That bit the cat that ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The angle of death came and slew

The butcher who killed the ox,

That drank the water

That extinguished the fire

That burned the stick that beat the dog That bit the cat that ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The Holy One, Blessed Be He came and

Smote the angle of death who slew

The butcher who killed the ox,

That drank the water

That extinguished the fire

That burned the stick that beat the dog That bit the cat that ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.