As we gather together for another Passover seder, it's important that we take time to ask "Why are we here tonight?"

We are here because:

• We are Jewish or someone we love is Jewish
• We value traditions
• We like good food (regardless of how it makes us feel later!)

We are here because we   can   be.

We are fortunate to live in a country and a time when we can gather together to engage in religious traditions without fear or consequence. So many others have not- do not have this freedom.

More importantly, we are here because we   should   be.

No matter how "Jewish" you consider yourself to be, consider your responsibility to ensure that the stories of the Jewish people continue to live on. The story of Passover, a story of the journey from enslavement to liberation, can be retold and remembered in a setting of love, laughter, and freedom.

So, regardless of why you are here tonight, may you find meaning in the people, the traditions, and the food that surrounds you, and may you always enjoy the freedom to be who and where you want to be.

Tonight, we are having a seder, a word that means "order." We use a special book, the Haggadah, which means "telling." By reading from the Haggadah and engaging in traditional Jewish rituals in a specific order, we retell the story of the Israelites journey out of Egypt.

Retelling this story every year reminds us how important and how precious freedom is. One of the most important pieces of the seder is that we are asked to step into the shoes (or sandals) of our ancestors and view ourselves as if we were also slaves in Egypt. The challenge in our modern lives is that most of us cannot truly relate to this type of experience. We do, however recognize that there are those in this world whose history sadly remains too close to this experience, and we must also recognize that there are those in this world who are in fact living as slaves.

As you experience the retelling of the Passover story this year, consider your own world:

• Is there something that you feel enslaved by or wish you could be free from?
• Are there others you know who need help to become free of a bad situation?

While the theme of freedom and the Passover rituals are universal, this Haggadah reflects our own special family. A family of people brought together by blood and by choice. A family of Jews and Christians, of multiple generations, and of people who like gefilte fish and those who won't touch the stuff. We are a family of people who like a traditional seder and people who like a modern approach, and a family of people who will happily take part in any type of seder as long as the wait isn't too long to eat!

Baruch ata Adonai, Elohaynu melech ha-olam, asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav, ve-tzivanu le-hadlik ner shel [Shabbat v'shel] Yom Tov.

Praised be Thou, O God, who sanctified us with your commandments and commanded us to kindle the [Sabbath and] festival lights.

Baruch ata Adonai, Elohaynu melech ha-olam, she-he-che-yanu vekiyemanu, vehigianu la'zeman hazeh.

Praised be Thou, O God, who gave us life, and sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season of joy.

What would the seder be without wine?  For that matter, what would any Jewish holiday be without wine?  Whether you prefer the sweet swill of Manischewitz, a more subtle and smooth wine, or simply have water in your glass, we pause to drink four times at our seder  to remember the four promises God made to the people of Israel (Exodus 6:6-7):

I will bring you out...

I will save you...

I will redeem you...

I will take you to be My people...

As we remember the first promise of redemption, we raise our cup in gratitude for the joy of freedom.

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam Borei p-ri ha-ga-fen.

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.

The first hand-washing of the seder is unusual. The rabbis point out that even a child would wonder at least two things: why do we wash without a blessing and why do we bother to wash when we will not be eating our meal for some time. They suggest that we wash our hands here in order to raise questions.Questions, both of wonder and of despair, are crucial to our time at the seder and, really, our growth as human beings. We have permission to ask questions, even of God, when we see and experience suffering.

One person will symbolically wash their hands for all of us seated here in order to cleanse ourselves and prepare for the rituals ahead. As they do, think about what you would like to let go of, what you would like to have “washed away”.

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?

Pour the second cup of wine.

Maggid is considered to be the most important part of the seder because in this part we tell the story of the Exodus and explain the significance of the ritual. To appreciate what it means to be free, we must be reminded of how it feels to be enslaved. And so, we recall tonight the experience of our ancestors.

There are three main components of Maggid:

• The Four Questions- traditionally said by the youngest child present
• The Four Sons- commentary on the four types of approaches to the questions
• Telling of the Exodus story including our ancestors' slavery in Egypt

Each of these components contributes to the important message of freedom which we revisit every year at this time.

The formal telling of the story of Passover is framed as a discussion with lots of questions and answers. Asking questions is a core tradition in Jewish life.  The tradition that the youngest person asks the questions reflects the importance of involving everyone in the seder. The rabbis who created the format for the seder gave us The Four Questions to help break the ice in case no one had their own questions.

The questions we ask at a seder set in motion the telling of the story. The usual four questions begin with “Ma nishtana halaila hazeh– Why is this night different from all other nights?” But Rabbinic commentary tells us that any genuine question can serve the same purpose.

So what questions are most important to you?

מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילות

Ma nishtana halaila hazeh mikol haleilot?

Why is this night different from all other nights?

שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָֽנוּ אוֹכלין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלּוֹ מצה

Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin chameitz u-matzah. Halaila hazeh kulo matzah.

On all other nights we eat both leavened bread and matzah. Tonight we only eat matzah.

שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָֽנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה מָרוֹר

Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin shi’ar yirakot haleila hazeh maror.

On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables, but tonight we eat bitter herbs.

שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָֽנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּֽעַם אחָת הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעמים

Shebichol haleilot ain anu matbilin afilu pa-am echat. Halaila hazeh shtei fi-amim.

On all other nights we aren’t expected to dip our vegetables one time. Tonight we do it twice.

שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָֽנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין. :הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלָּֽנוּ מְסֻבין

Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin bein yoshvin uvein m’subin. Halaila hazeh kulanu m’subin.

On all other nights we eat either sitting normally or reclining. Tonight we recline.

The traditional haggadah describes the Four Sons- four types of people who must be taught the message of freedom in different ways. The Wise Son, the Wicked Son, the Simple Son, and the Immature Son ask different types of questions about the rituals and meaning of Passover which reflect how differently they perceive this important holiday.

Today, we consider instead the Four Seder Guests- four types of people who experience Passover and its message offreedom in different ways.

The "Over-Achiever I Wrote My Own Haggadah" Guest: This type of guest is most likely hosting the seder or has hosted the seder before. This person is truly interested in the meaning of the holiday and understanding how and why we observe as we do and wants to ensure that everyone else at the seder experiences a meaningful experience as well! Humor this guest and know that every year will bring something new with this guest in attendance!

The "I Only Eat Matzah at the Seder" Guest: This type of guest observes Passover for one day- at the seder only. He or she wonders how the Passover rituals are even relevant to us today. This type of guest also most likely eats carbs on a regular basis and therefore finds it too difficult to give up leavened breads for an entire week! Humor this guest but secretly shake your head and know that if this guest had to flee from Egypt, he or she might never have made it out!

The "I'm Not Even Jewish and I'm Eating Matzah" Guest: This type of guest gets the pleasure of attending a seder with a Jewish loved one, and every year, this person wonders "What's this holiday about again? I know it's almost Easter. Pass me a Reese's Peanut Butter Egg please!" Humor this guest and pass them some gefilte fish instead. It's shaped like a Reese's egg at least.

The "I Don't Even Remember the Last Seder I Attended" Guest: This last type of guest is the one who doesn't even attend a seder. Whether by choice or because they don't know any "Over-Achiever I Wrote My Own Haggadah" types, this person is Jewish in name only and is missing out on an experience that could really enrich life. Maybe next year, we'll invite a few of these guests to join our seder! For now, everyone at our table can feel good that they aren't this type of guest!

(Adapted from Machar Congregation)

Take turns reading. Each person is invited to read a grouped set of lines - or to pass.

The tale of our people's first quest for freedomfrom slavery in Egypt was written so long agothat no one knows how much of it is fact and how much is fiction.Like all good stories, however, its moral lessons are valid and important.

It is written that long ago, during a time of famine,the ancient Israelites traveled to Egypt.According to this legend, the Israelites at that time were all in a single family -Jacob and his children.

One of Jacob's sons was Joseph.He was so wise that the ruler of Egypt - the Pharaoh -made Joseph a leader over all the people of Egypt.

But as time passed, another Pharaoh became the ruler of Egypt.He did not remember Joseph and his wise leadership.This new Pharaoh turned the Israelites into slaves,and burdened them with heavy work and sorrow.

After the Israelites were in Egypt for over 400 years, a man arose among them named Moses.

God told Moses that he had been chosen to bring the message of freedom to the Israelites, and to warn Pharaoh that God would bring plagues on the Egyptians if he did not let the slaves go free. Moses was such a humble man that he could not imagine being God's messenger, but God promised Moses that he would have help -help from his brother, Aaron, and help from God.

With this assurance, Moses went to Pharaoh and demanded:
Let my people go!

Pharaoh refused. It was only then that God brought ten plagues on the Egyptians. Each one frightened Pharaoh, and each time he promised to free the slaves. But when each plague ended, Pharaoh did not keep his word. It was only after the last plague, the death of the first born of the Egyptians, that Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go. And so it is written that God brought us forth out of Egypt, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror and with signs and with wonders.

At our Passover Seder, we celebrate the story of Mosesand the people he led out of slavery 3000 years ago.
We celebrate the struggle of all people to be free.Throughout the centuries, the story of Moses and the exodus from Egypthas inspired Jews and non-Jews in times of persecution and hardship.

Let us remember that the thirst for freedom exists in all people.

GO DOWN MOSES

When Israel was in Egypt land, Let my people go!
Oppressed so hard they could not stand, Let my people go!

CHORUS:
Go down Moses,
Way down in Egypt land, Tell old Pharaoh
Let my people go.

Thus saith the Lord, bold Moses said

Let my people go.

If not, I'll smite your people dead.

Let my people go.

CHORUS

As Israel stood by the water side

Let my people go.

By God's command it did divide

Let my people go.

CHORUS

As we rejoice at our deliverance from slavery, we acknowledge that our freedom was hard-earned. We regret that our freedom came at the cost of the Egyptians’ suffering, for we are all human beings made in the image of God. We pour out a drop of wine for each of the plagues as we recite them.

Dip a finger or a spoon into your wine glass for a drop for each plague.

These are the ten plagues which God brought down on the Egyptians:

Blood | dam | דָּם

Frogs | tzfardeiya |  צְפַרְדֵּֽעַ

Lice | kinim | כִּנִּים

Beasts | arov | עָרוֹב

Cattle disease | dever | דֶּֽבֶר

Boils | sh’chin | שְׁחִין

Hail | barad | בָּרָד

Locusts | arbeh | אַרְבֶּה

Darkness | choshech | חֹֽשֶׁךְ

Death of the Firstborn | makat b’chorot | מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת

The Egyptians needed ten plagues because after each one they were able to come up with excuses and explanations rather than change their behavior. Could we be making the same mistakes? Make up your own list. What are the plagues in your life? What are the plagues in our world today? What behaviors do we need to change to fix them? 

The traditional Haggadah lists ten plagues that afflicted the Egyptians. We live in a very different world, but Passover is a good time to remember that, even after our liberation from slavery in Egypt, there are still many challenges for us to meet. Here are ten “modern plagues”.  What other plagues can you identify?

1. Overconnectivity 

2. Greed

3. Terrorism

4. Entitlement

5. Rudeness

6. Sugar, Gluten, Carrageenan, etc., etc., etc.

7. Mosquitos and Stink Bugs

8. Sexism

9. Traffic

10. Racism

בְּכָל־דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת־עַצְמוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרָֽיִם

B’chol dor vador chayav adam lirot et-atzmo, k’ilu hu yatzav mimitzrayim.

In every generation, everyone is obligated to see themselves as though they personally left Egypt.

The seder reminds us that it was not only our ancestors whom God redeemed; God redeemed us too along with them. That’s why the Torah says “God brought us out from there in order to lead us to and give us the land promised to our ancestors.”

---

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who redeemed us and our ancestors from Egypt, enabling us to reach this night and eat matzah and bitter herbs. May we continue to reach future holidays in peace and happiness.

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 second glass of wine!

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. 

The Real Meaning of Dayenu

April 1, 2013

Dayenu is a song of gratitude, of thanksgiving. Each year, while banging on the seder table, we acknowledge 15 major Biblical events and proclaim after each event: “It would have been enough!” The singing of   Dayenu   is usually the highlight of my family’s seder.

But this year was different. The banging was not as loud. The singing was not as vibrant.

A voice was missing.

A week before Passover, my grandmother, Carol Greenberg, at 85, lost her battle with pancreatic cancer. None of us were ready to say goodbye. There had not been   enough   time.

How could we sing   Dayenu   while wanting so much more? This year, it didn’t seem like   enough.

How could we sing   Dayenu   without my grandmother’s   kneidelach ?

As an avid cook, my grandmother loved preparing the seder meal. Over lunch a few weeks ago, I asked her how many meals she thought she had cooked over the course of her life. She told me that it was impossible to know, but when she lived in Israel – for 14 years – she figured she must have cooked more than “3000 meals.” She had no regrets. She was “still learning” and “still cooking.”

Some of my best memories with my grandmother are in the kitchen. She would interweave stories of her life with instructions on how to bake the   mandelbrodt   and cook the   lokshen kugel. She was always encouraging. Even as I burned the   kugel, my grandmother assured me that I was on my way “to becoming a gourmet chef.” I’m not so sure.

This year, without my grandmother to help prepare the seder, the   kneidelach   sunk to the bottom of the pot, nowhere near as fluffy as her matzoh balls would have been – even though I used her recipe. Yet, I could hear her voice: “All you need is more practice.”

My grandmother’s life suggests she is right. Up until the day she died, she never stopped practicing. She never stopped learning. She enjoyed experimenting and was always up for something new.

“Remember,” my grandmother wrote in a handwritten cookbook, “Cooking is fun and some of the most famous recipes were created by mistakes, imagination, and the willingness to experiment.”

These instructions didn’t just apply to her kitchen. My grandmother cooked the way she lived.

In 1977, she discovered through the Jewish Agency that a group of artists was trying to establish an art colony in Ma'alot, Israel. My grandmother, a designer and artist, but also someone who believed deeply in the rights of the Jewish people to a state, packed up her apartment in New York and, at 49, was off to Tel Aviv.

She was a pioneer and believed there was something to learn from every new experience, every new person, every new vegetable. My grandmother never met a food she didn’t like. She used to say to me, “You are what you eat, and well, I guess I am the entire   shuk. ”

My grandmother was also courageous and she knew she was not perfect. She understood that life was a journey, that it was important to keep innovating, to keep improving.

“Stretching a new meal when the unexpected arrives is a big pain,” she wrote in that same handwritten cookbook, “but sometimes you invent a new dish along the way.”

Fifteen years ago, at 70, she admitted to herself and those who loved her that she was an alcoholic. She went into a program for help, and from that day on never took another sip of alcohol. My grandmother understood that it was never too late to improve. She also realized that it was also never too late to help others, so she became a volunteer and mentor in Alcoholics Anonymous.

My grandmother never stopped learning. She never stopped cooking.

She never had   enough   of life. We never had   enough   of her. But she understood the true meaning of   Dayenu.

Reflecting on her life, I now understand what   Dayenu   really means.

“It would have been enough ” does not give us an excuse to be complacent. It does not give us an excuse to stop learning, to stop improving. It does not mean that we should be satisfied with the current state of affairs.

Instead,   Dayenu   means that we should take a moment to celebrate and appreciate each step of our personal and collective journey as if it were enough, but then continue on. Dayenu   is not about being satisfied with what we have, it’s about feeling the fullness of the incomplete and knowing we must push on.

Next year, I hope my family can return to the seder table, with my grandmother in mind, and chant   Dayenu   louder than ever before. It is what she would want.

Sara Greenberg,a native of Philadelphia, currently lives in Cambridge, Mass., where she is pursuing a joint masters degree in business and public policy from the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School.

We have now told the story of Passover…but wait! We’re not quite done. There are still some symbols on our seder plate we haven’t talked about yet. Rabbi Gamaliel would say that whoever didn’t explain the shank bone, matzah, and marror (or bitter herbs) hasn’t fulfilled his or her religious duty.

The Shank Bone

Pesach she-ha'yu avotaynu ochlim bi-zeman she-bet hamikdsah ha'ya ka'yam- al shum ma?

The shank bone represents the Pesach, the special lamb sacrifice made in the days of the Temple for the Passover holiday. It is called the Pesach, from the Hebrew word meaning “to pass over,” because God passed over the houses of our ancestors in Egypt when visiting plagues upon our oppressors.

The Matzah

Matza zu she-anu ochlim al shum ma?

The matzah reminds us that when our ancestors were finally free to leave Egypt, there was no time to pack or prepare. Our ancestors grabbed whatever dough was made and set out on their journey, letting their dough bake into matzah as they fled.

The Bitter Herbs

Maror zeh she-anu ochlim al shum ma?

The bitter herbs provide a visceral reminder of the bitterness of slavery, the life of hard labor our ancestors experienced in Egypt.

Pesach, matzah, and maror are the symbols of freedom. They represent sacrifice, preparedness, and hope- three essential elements in the battle for freedom in any age.

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.

All jewish holidays are the same, people try to kill us, and then we eat. Please enjoy the festive meal while we recline and relax.

Gefilte Fish - A Mythical Midrash

According to Ashkenazi Jewish custom, we eat Gefilte fish on Passover. The question arose as to why Gefilte fish is so closely associated with Passover, and why it seems to appear on so many Seder tables.

Here is one answer:

When the Israelites found themselves trapped between the Sea of Reeds (sometimes mistakenly called the Red Sea) and the pursuing Egyptian chariots, they panicked. They cried to Moses, who cried to God who said: wait, let me think ...

Aha!

As it happens, in a quirky moment during the evolutionary process, God created an odd kind of sea creature. It was awkward looking and lumpy, with no fins, no scales, no eyes, no tail...and very, very pale. Yuch! So God stuck this evolutionary oddity in an out of the way place where it could live out its life-cycle in peace, unobserved. God put this wild Gefilte fish species in only one body of water on Earth -- somewhat off the beaten path -- in the Sea of Reeds (again, often mistakenly called the Red Sea) -- where the species lived and multiplied in obscurity for ages.

So anyway, suddenly, God, who has a really long memory, remembered the wild Gefilte fish and the unique capability they developed, namely, the ability to suck in and hold 40 times (400 times, according to Rabbi Akiva) their weight in water.

And God spoke to the wild Gefilte, numbering in the tens of thousands, saying, "OK, fellas, at the count of three, SUCK IN!"  All at once, tens of thousands of wild Gefilte fish made a whooshing, sucking sound, as they simultaneously sucked in so much water that the middle of the Sea of Reeds (yes, often mistakenly called the Red Sea) dried up and a path opened up for the Israelites, enabling them to cross to the other side. BUT, when the Egyptian chariots tried to follow them across the dry sea bed, the wild Gefilte fish, unable to HOLD 40 times their weight in water (or 400 times, according to Rabbi Akiva) any longer, let go, and the ensuing tsunami swept the Egyptian chariots away.

Israel was saved, and with tambourines and song, they praised God for God's foresight in creating the now heroic and celebrated, albeit rather unattractive, wild Gefilte fish.

So, from that day to this, in gratitude for the part they played in rescuing Israel at the Red Sea (oh, whatever), the wild Gefilte fish were domesticated and granted a place of honor on the Seder table. 

Now, how's THAT for a fish story?

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.

We now take time to give thanks for the amazing and filling meal we have eaten. It is traditional, of course, to give thanks to God, toasting God by drinking our third glass of wine. However, this delicious meal was put together by each one of us. Thank you to all of you for sharing your time and your talents, whether in the kitchen or in the checkout line, this meal would not be the same without you!

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.

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

The Third Glass of 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!

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 הַתִּשְׁבִּי,

אֵלִיָּֽהוּ, 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.

Singing songs that praise God | hallel | הַלֵּל

This is the time set aside for singing. Some of us might have grown up singing traditional prayers from the Book of Psalms. Others prefer favorites like Chad Gadya.  Since we should be three glasses of wine into this event, you can sing whatever you want and God will rejoice in the sound of your voice, no matter how off-key you may be!

Fourth Glass of Wine

As we come to the end of the seder, we drink one more glass of wine. With this final cup, we give thanks for the experience of celebrating Passover together and for the fact that the seder is almost over!

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 fourth and final glass of wine!

In every generation, we all should feel as though we ourselves had gone forth from Egypt, as it is written: “And you shall explain to your child on that day, it is because of what God did for me when, I, myself, went forth from Egypt.” (Exodus 13:8)

We end our Passover Seder by saying in unison:

May slavery give way to freedom.
May hate give way to love.
May ignorance give way to wisdom.
May despair give way to hope.
Next year, at this time, may everyone, everywhere, be free!

Next year in Jerusalem!

!לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בִּירוּשַָׁלָיִם

L’Shanah HaBa’ah B’Yerushalayim! 

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.

The Matzah Show
Humorous
Bangitout.com

(to the theme of "The Muppet Show")

It's time to burn some chometz
It's time to bless the lights
It's time to start the seder, on the Matzah Show tonight

It's time to put on kittels
It's time to lean left, not right
It's time to raise the 4 cups, on the Matzah Show tonight

It's time to ask some questions
It's time to leave Egypt tonight
It's time to get things started on the most sensational
Inspirational, celebrational, sederational
This is what we call the Matzah Show!!!!!

(Discussion #1: How could Kermit be a plague?)