A word about God: everyone has his or her own understanding of what God is. For some people, there is no God, while for others, God is an integral part of their lives. While we may not agree on a singular concept of God, we share a common desire for goodness to prevail in the world. And this is the meaning of tonight:  freedom winning out over slavery, good prevailing over evil.

Please consider the source of benevolence in your life, be it God, or a belief in humanity, and hold that source in your hearts as we move through the evening.

Introduction:

Welcome to our Passover Seder, time for family and friends to come together to connect our history with our present , align our beliefs with our actions. Let us celebrate our freedom and strengthen ourselves to join the fight against injustice wherever it exists today. "For as long as one person is oppressed, none of us are free."

The first Pesach was celebrated 3,000 years ago when the People of Israel liberated themselves from the oppression of the Egyptian slave masters and began their march toward freedom. We honor all people who have struggled or are struggling for their freedom as we share the aspirations of our liberated ancestors.

This week, Jews all over the country and the world are observing Pesach at their own Seders. The word “Seder” means “order,” and “Haggadah” means the telling. The orthodox Haggadah contains very specific things to do and say. Our Haggadah has retained the basic order but has adapted much of the content. This follows in a long tradition. For it is said: “Whoever enlarges upon the telling of the exodus from Egypt, those persons are praiseworthy.”

THE SHORT VERSIONS!

It is not unusual for some Seders to take six or more hours – enough time for a baseball double-header (without the hot dogs)! Some Seders, though, take less than a half-hour, not counting the meal. To satisfy those who would rather be watching the game (you know who you are!), here is the Seder, in all its glory, presented in the Abridged, Very Abridged, and Hyper-Abridged versions.

The 30-Second Seder

 

We were slaves in Egypt, now we are free. Let’s have a Seder!

What’s on the Seder plate? Egg, herbs, bone, greens, Charoset.

Let’s drink some wine.

Why is this night different?

Why is this child different?

Ten plagues on the Egyptians.

Enough already – Dayeinu!

Drink wine again.

Matzah, Maror, Hillel sandwich, let’s eat!

Where’s the Afikoman?

Thanks for the food!

Drink some more Wine.

Open the door for Elijahu!

Drink some wine – last one.

Thanking and singing.

Next year in Jerusalem!

 

The 15-Second Seder

 

Were slaves, now free. Seder!

Seder plate? Stuff.

Wine.

Why is this night?

Why is this child?

PLAGUES! Dayeinu!

Wine.

Matzah, Maror, Charoset, let’s eat!

Afikoman?

Wine.

Elijahu!

Wine.

Singing.

Next year in Jerusalem!

 

The 5-Second Seder

 

Seder! Wine! Why? Plagues! Let’s eat! Next year in Jerusalem!

We begin with a woman, representing the lady of the house, lighting the Shabbat candles. This introduces a special sanctified space in time.

Brucha/Blessing before the lighting of the candles:

Baruch atah Adonai, Elohaynu melech ha'olam,
Asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu l'hadlich ner shel Yom Tov.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe,
Who has santified us in your commandments, and commanded us to kindle the festival lights.

Baruch atah Adonai, Elohaynu melech ha'olam,
Sheshalach et bin'echa y'chidecha, Yeshua HaMashiach, lih'yot or ha'olam, v'eseh hapesach shelanu l'ema'an nich'yeh bizechuto. Amen

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe,
Who has sent Your Son, Your only Son, Y'shua the Messiah, to be the light of the world and our Passover Lamb, that through him we might live. Amen.

Traditionally, we acknowledge that the wife and mother has a lot to do with setting the level of spirituality in the home. By encouraging the study of Torah and the meticulous performance of mitzvot, and through her nurturing presence, the woman transforms her home into a place of holiness, peace and tranquility. It is thus fitting that she be the one to bring the extra measure of light and holiness by lighting the Shabbat candles.
(Chabad.org)

Numbers 6:24-26

The LORD bless you
And keep you;
The LORD make his face shine on you
And be gracious to you;
The LORD turn his face toward you
And give you peace.

Tonight we drink four cups of wine. Why four? Some say the cups represent our matriarchs—Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah—whose virtue caused God to liberate us from slavery.

Another interpretation is that the cups represent the Four Worlds: physicality, emotions, thought, and essence.

Still a third interpretation is that the cups represent the four promises of liberation God makes in the Torah: I will bring you out, I will deliver you, I will redeem you, I will take you to be my people (Exodus 6:6-7.) The four promises, in turn, have been interpreted as four stages on the path of liberation: becoming aware of oppression, opposing oppression, imagining alternatives, and accepting responsibility to act.

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!

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.

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?

We tell the story of Passover!

Leader: Questions are central to the Seder experience. In fact, questions are central to the Jewish view of religion. Jewish law and thought have always allowed, even welcomed, questions. In the process of questioning, new knowledge and new understandings emerge. Questioning is also a sign of freedom. Slaves don’t ask questions. To ask a question is to demonstrate one’s freedom to explore, indeed, to question the symbols, rituals, and philosophies of the Seder experience.

(The Four questions begin)

The formal telling of the story of Passover is framed as a discussion with lots of questions and answers. The tradition that the youngest person asks the questions reflects the centrality of involving everyone in the seder. The rabbis who created the set format for the seder gave us the Four Questions to help break the ice in case no one had their own questions. Asking questions is a core tradition in Jewish life. If everyone at your seder is around the same age, perhaps the person with the least seder experience can ask them – or everyone can sing them all together.

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.

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?

Some early commentators relate the 4 sons to 4 characters from a well known movie franchise....

Discussion:Do you see yourself in any of these children? Are there certain situations where you take on one of these personas? Do you think this is a good thing?

The Torah says we are to speak these words before God and say, “My father was a wandering Aramean. He went down into Egypt and sojourned there. With few in number, he became there a great and populous nation. The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and afflicted us and imposed hard labor upon us. And we cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and God heard our cry and saw our affliction and our oppression. He brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with great signs and wonders.”

We will now recount the Passover story. As we read, we will go around the table with each person taking a turn to read a paragraph out loud:

Our patriarch Abraham and his wife Sarah went to the land of Canaan, where he became the founder of “a great nation.” God tells Abraham, “Know this for certain, that your descendants will be strangers in a strange land, and be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. But know that in the end I shall bring judgment on the oppressors.”

Abraham’s grandson, Jacob and his family went down to Egypt during a time of famine throughout the land. In Egypt, Jacob and the Israelites lived and prospered until a new Pharaoh arose who said, “Behold the children of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. Let us then deal shrewdly with them, lest they become more powerful, and in the event of war, join our enemies in fighting against us and gain control over the region.”

The Egyptians set taskmasters over the Israelites with forced labor and made them build cities for Pharaoh. The Egyptians embittered the lives of the Israelites with harsh labor but the more they were oppressed, the more they increased and the Egyptians came to despise them. Pharaoh ordered, “Every Hebrew boy that is born shall be thrown in the Nile River and drowned.”

God remembered the covenant that he made with Abraham and Sarah and called to Moses, telling him to appear before Pharaoh and demand that the Hebrew people be released from bondage. But Pharaoh refused to free the Israelites. Nine times Moses and his brother Aaron went to Pharaoh, and each time that Pharaoh refused Moses’ request, God sent a plague to Egypt.

After the ninth plague, Moses summoned the elders of Israel and told them to have their families mark their door posts and lintels with the blood of a lamb saying, “none of you shall go out of his house until the morning, for the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.”

It is written in the Torah that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh during Moses’ pleas. Finally when God brought down the tenth plague upon them — the death of the first-born of all the Egyptians — a great cry went up throughout Egypt, and Pharaoh allowed Moses to take his people out of the land and deliver them to a new land.

It is written: “And it shall come to pass, when you come to the land which God will give you, according as He has promised, that you shall keep this service to commemorate the Exodus. And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say to you, “What mean you by this service?” you shall say, it is the sacrifice of God's Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt.”

Kafka once wrote in his journal: "You can hold yourself back from the sufferings of the world. That is something you are free to do and it accords with your nature. But perhaps this very holding back is the one suffering you could avoid."

The "you" that Kafka is addressing might be himself, or it might be each of us. But it also could be -- and here's the stunner -- the God of Exodus Himself. It accords with His nature, too, to hold Himself back from the sufferings of the world, something He is quite free to do, and apparently does rather well, withdrawing into the godlike completeness of His remove until He is wrenched out of it by receiving suffering humanity's revelation, which comes in the form of wails.

Wails come straight from a soul stripped down to the bone, and they are always a revelation. To hear someone's wails is to see a self revealed in ways usually kept hidden, driven by extremes to dropping poses and speech. Wailing draws the hearer into an intimate space, whether the hearer wants to be there or not -- and the God this passage would appear not to have wanted to be there, and we can all sympathize with His desire to be anywhere else. But then He is there, summoned out of His remoteness by revelation. Revelation is generally presented as proceeding from God to man. Here the revelation travels in the opposite direction. The God of Exodus is not so unlimitedly free after all. He is bound by moral obligations, even if it takes an unwelcome revelation to remind Him.

Tonight we dream of freedom. But should we dream of some godlike freedom that draws us ever more distantly away from one another, self-contained our preoccupations with self-image and the ways and means for self-projection and self-protection, then this passage reminds us of what we chance to lose. It is in the intimate spaces that the unwelcome and necessary revelations come, and we withdraw from those intimate spaces at our peril.

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? 

One of most beloved songs in the Passover seder is "Dayenu". We will go around the table, reading the stanzas one at a time, and then everyone else will respond, "Dayenu" – meaning, “it would have been enough”.

How many times do we forget to pause and notice that where we are is exactly where we ought to be? Dayenu is a reminder to never forget all the miracles in our lives. When we stand and wait impatiently for the next one to appear, we are missing the whole point of life. Instead, we can actively seek a new reason to be grateful, a reason to say “Dayenu.”

Fun fact: Persian and Afghani Jews hit each other over the heads and shoulders with scallions every time they say Dayenu! They especially use the scallions in the ninth stanza which mentions the manna that the Israelites ate everyday in the desert, because Torah tells us that the Israelites began to complain about the manna and longed for the onions, leeks and garlic.

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. 

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. Rabban Gamliel would say that whoever didn’t explain the shank bone, matzah, and marror (or bitter herbs) hasn’t done Passover justice.

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

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!

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.

Matzah is literally free of all additives, externalities and superficial good looks -- it is bread without the hot air.  It represents the bare essentials.

Everything we pursue in life can be divided into necessities and luxuries.  To the extent that a luxury becomes a necessity we lose an element of our freedom by being enslaved to a false need.

Jewish thought teaches that we should not submit to peer pressure, viewing ourselves as competing with others.  It is far better to focus on our "personal bests" rather than "world records"; life is an arena in which we do not need others to lose in order for us to win.

On Passover we can focus on the essence and leave the externalities behind.  It is a time to get rid of the ego that powers our self importance and holds us back through distracting us from our true goals.

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.

Why did Hillel advise eating the meat of the Paschal Lamb in this way?

The Torah commands us that on the afternoon before the Pesach holiday, we should roast a goat or lamb kid over a flame and then consume the meat together with the Matzah and the bitter herbs later that night at the holiday meal.

Now each of these foods has its own significance. But it is implied by the wording of the Torah verse that we should eat them all together. The verse reads, “ al Matzot u’merorim yochluhu, ” literally, “you shall eat it [the meat of the Paschal Lamb]  upon  matzot and bitter herbs.” Wishing to be in full compliance with the instructions of the verse, Hillel popularized the custom of actually placing the sacrificial meat on top of the maror and matzah and eating them all together. In fact, according to Hillel, one would not have fulfilled his Paschal obligations unless he consumed the three together.

Now, for the past two thousand years when we have not had a Temple and have been unable to perform the sacrificial rites, we cannot fulfill the Mitzvah of eating the Pesach sacrifice at our Seder. We do however have the ability to do the mitzvah of eating matzah, which is a separate commandment by itself. And although eating maror is really part of the Biblical commandment of eating the sacrificial meat and not a mitzvah of its own – the Sages enacted a rabbinical commandment that we continue to eat the maror as a remembrance of the Biblical command which we cannot observe today.

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!

At this time, for our Shulchan Oreich we will start off with a big bowl of scrumptious soup. We will continue on with the rest of the Seder before we enjoy the other delicous foods prepared for this Pesach dinner.

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!

Fill the 3rd cup.

We will go around the table, each saying aloud a stanza of the blessing for after the meal

When the Lord brought back the captives of Zion, we were like those who dream!

Our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with song.

Then they said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them;

The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced!

Restore us, O God, as you restore the streams in the desert.

May those who sow in tears, reap with joy!

May he who goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, come home with joyous song, bearing ripe sheaves!

Blessed be the name of the Lord from henceforth and forever more.

Blessed be our God, of whose bounty we have been satisfied, and in whose goodness we live.

All:

Blessed are you, Oh Lord our God, who gives nourishment to all the world in goodness and in loving kindness. Because of His great goodness we have never lacked food, and may we never lack it in all time to come. Blessed are you, Oh Lord, who gives food to all! Blessed be He; blessed be His name.

We now make ourselves ready to partake of the third cup, the cup of Redemption. Before drinking, we recite:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam boray pree hagafen.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who created the fruit of the vine.

In the Brit Chadashah we learn that Yeshua took the bread and wine after the meal and with the raising of the cup of Redemption He said, “This cup is the renewed covenant in my blood, which is shed for you.” The cup of Redemption commemorates the shed blood of the Messiah our Korban Pesach. This cup symbolizes our participation in the ketubah (marriage contract) of the renewed covenant. The groom signified His pledge by sharing a cup of wine with His bride. The observance of Pesach, therefore, is a means of our bearing witness to our ‘union’ with the Messiah and to the heavenly Father who sent Him to us to be our Kinsman Redeemer, High Priest, and King forever.

The Messiah will return from heaven to earth a second time but not this time as the Suffering Messiah. He will return in glory to Israel as the glorified Messiah Ben David. This is why in His first appearance Yeshua said He would not drink the fourth cup, the cup of Restoration. Messiah knew the world was not ready for Him to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth at the time of His last observance of the Passover supper. He knew at that time that He would return a second time. Therefore He promised His disciples that He would drink the Cup of Restoration with them in the future when He would return in triumph and establish the Kingdom of heaven on earth.

Drink the cup of Redemption

The Seder is one of the most widely observed Jewish rituals. Studies that measure Jewish involvement find that worldwide the Pesach Seder always tops the list, even amongst the barely affiliated. The Seder and Brit Milah (circumcision) may be the last vestiges of Judaism standing between unaffiliated Jews and total assimilation.

This is amazing. It is also the way it should be. At the very beginning of God’s relationship with the first of our forefathers, Avraham, God makes two covenants with him. The first is  Brit Bein Habetarim, the Covenant between the Parts. This is when God tells Avraham about the eventual slavery of his progeny, as well as their redemption. This is also where he promises to give Avraham the Land of Canaan. The second covenant comes 13 years later. It is  Brit Milah, the covenant of circumcision. Here Avraham is told that his wife Sarah will give birth to a son, Yitzchak, who will inherit their legacy. This is the promise of children. Avraham was promised two things that are inexorably tied- children and land. The promise of the land is linked to the slavery and redemption of Egypt, and hence, the story of Pesach. The promise of children is linked to Brit Milah.

These are the two covenants that testify to our connection to the Jewish people.  It is no wonder that only those men who are circumcised may take part of the Pesach offering. And when the prophet Yechezkel describes the redemption from Egypt and tells us “I passed over you and saw you steeped in your blood, and I said to you, ‘In your blood you shall live,’ and I said to you, ‘In your blood you shall live,’” the midrash tells us the two bloods represent the blood of circumcision and the blood of the Pesach offering. This blood is the life-force of our commitment to Judaism. It is the way we show that we remember the covenant, and remain committed to fulfill our part. This is also the reason these are the only two positive commandments that carry the punishment of  karet  if one does not perform them.  Karet  literally means to be cut off. Jews who do not observe these commandments cut themselves off from the Jewish people, and so they too are cut off.

This is also why these are the two rituals that Eliyahu Hanavi, Elijah the prophet, visits. Eliyahu told God that the people “Transgressed your covenant.” (Kings I 20) Eliyahu gave up on the people because he thought that the people had given up on God. And so Eliyahu is destined for eternity to eat his own words; for thousands of years, and hopefully for thousands more, he is invited to witness Jews all over the world as they prove him wrong.

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.

We now come to the part of the Seder called Hallel, which means "praise." We raise our voices together with some traditional, and some not-so-traditional songs of praise and joy. We celebrate our redemption from Egypt, and we celebrate being together for this joyous, special occasion.

Baby Moses in a Basket (Ellen Allard)

Baby Moses in a basket, in a basket on the river; Baby Moses in a basket on the river Nile.

Yocheved gives birth to a strong baby boy, and hides him as he starts to thrive.

Soon she has a plan to put him in the river Nile, the only way he’ll stay alive.

Miriam, his sister, loved her baby brother dear, she helps her mother with his care

And when the boy is placed in a basket in the reeds, she hides herself ‘til he’s found there.

Pharaoh’s daughter finds the basket floating in the Nile, she knows it is a Hebrew boy;

Miriam brings her mother in to suckle the child, now Yocheved holds her pride and joy.

Moses grew to lead his people to the Promised Land, God had chosen him to set them free

But without the love and courage of the women at the Nile, it would’ve changed the course of history.

Standing at the Sea (Ellen Allard)

Standing at the sea, mi chamocha (3x) Freedom's on our way!

Singing and dancing, mi chamocha (3x) Freedom’s on our way!

Freedom, freedom! (3x) Freedom's on our way!

They're coming up behind… Bound no more…

The sea she parts…Walking through the water…

We’re on the other side...One God…

Standing at the sea…Singing and dancing…Freedom’s on our way!

Who Knows One?

Ooh, ah, oo-ah-ah, singin’ Ooh, ah, oo-ah-ah,

Who knows One? I know one:

One is our God, One is our God, One is our God in the heaven and the earth, ah, oo-ah ah, singin’ ooh, ah, oo-ah-ah!

Who knows Two? I know Two:

Two are the tablets that Moses brought,

And one is our God, One is our God, One is our God in the heaven and the earth, ah, oo-ah ah, singin’ ooh, ah, oo-ah-ah!

Who knows Three? I know Three:

Three are the Papas, Two are the tablets that Moses brought,

And one is our God, One is our God, One is our God in the heaven and the earth, ah, oo-ah ah, singin’ ooh, ah, oo-ah-ah!

(Keep going all the way up to 13! Here are the rest of the verses.)

One is our God, One is our God, One is our God...in the heaven and the earth! Two are the tablets that Moses brought, Three are the Papas, Four are the Mamas, Five are the books of the (clap) Torah, Six are the parts of the (clap) Mishnah, Seven are the Days of the Week (ooh ahh), Eight are the days to the B’rit Milah, Nine are the months ‘til a baby’s born, Ten are the Ten Commandments, Eleven are the stars in Joseph’s dream, Twelve are the tribes of Israel, Thirteen are the years to B’nai Mitzvah (Yeah!)

Echad Mi Yodei’a? - Who Knows One?

Echad mi yodei’a? Echad ani yodei’a.
Echad Eloheinu she’bashamayim uva'aretz.

Sh’nayim mi yodei’a? Sh’nayim ani yodei’a.
shnei luchot habrit, Echad Eloheinu she’bashamayim uva'aretz.

Shlosha mi yodei’a? Shlosha ani yodei’a.
Shlosha avot, shnei luchot habrit, Echad Eloheinu she’bashamayim uva'aretz.

Arba mi yodei’a? Arba ani yodei’a.
Arba imahot, shlosha avot, shnei luchot habrit, Echad Eloheinu she’bashamayim uva'aretz.

Chamisha, mi yodei’a? Chamisha, ani yodei’a.
Chamisha chumshei torah, arba imahot, shlosha avot, shnei luchot habrit, Echad Eloheinu she’bashamayim uva'aretz.

Shisha, mi yodei’a? Shisha, ani yodei’a.
Shisha sidre mishna, chamisha chumshei torah, arba imahot, shlosha avot, shnei luchot habrit, Echad Eloheinu she’bashamayim uva'aretz.

Shiva, mi yodei’a? Shiva, ani yodei’a.
Shiva y'mei Shabatah, shisha sidre mishna, chamisha chumshei torah, arba imahot, shlosha avot, shnei luchot habrit, Echad Eloheinu she’bashamayim uva'aretz.

Sh'monah, mi yodei’a? Sh'monah, ani yodei’a.
Sh'monah y'mei milah, shiva y'mei Shabatah, shisha sidre mishna, chamisha chumshei torah, arba imahot, shlosha avot, shnei luchot habrit, Echad Eloheinu she’bashamayim uva'aretz.

Tisha, mi yodei’a? Tisha, ani yodei’a.
Tisha yarchei leidah, sh'monah y'mei milah, shiva y'mei Shabatah, shisha sidre mishna, chamisha chumshei torah, arba imahot, shlosha avot, shnei luchot habrit, Echad Eloheinu she’bashamayim uva'aretz.

Asarah, mi yodei’a? Asarah, ani yodei’a.
Asarah dibraya, tisha yarchei leidah, sh'monah y'mei milah, shiva y'mei Shabatah, shisha sidre mishna, chamisha chumshei torah, arba imahot, shlosha avot, shnei luchot habrit, Echad Eloheinu she’bashamayim uva'aretz.

Achad asar, mi yodei’a? Achad asar, ani yodei’a.
Achad asar kochvaya, asarah dibraya, tisha yarchei leidah, sh'monah y'mei milah, shiva y'mei Shabatah, shisha sidre mishna, chamisha chumshei torah, arba imahot, shlosha avot, shnei luchot habrit, Echad Eloheinu she’bashamayim uva'aretz.

Sh'neym asar, mi yodei’a? Sh'neym asar, ani yodei’a.
Sh'neym asar shivtaya, achad asar kochvaya, asarah dibraya, tisha yarchei leidah, sh'monah y'mei milah, shiva y'mei Shabatah, shisha sidre mishna, chamisha chumshei torah, arba imahot, shlosha avot, shnei luchot habrit, Echad Eloheinu she’bashamayim uva'aretz.

Shlosha asar, mi yodei’a? Shlosha asar, ani yodei’a.
Shlosha asar midaya, sh'neym asar shivtaya, achad asar kochvaya, asarah dibraya, tisha yarchei leidah, sh'monah y'mei milah, shiva y'mei Shabatah, shisha sidre mishna, chamisha chumshei torah, arba imahot, shlosha avot, shnei luchot habrit, Echad Eloheinu she’bashamayim uva'aretz.

?אֶחָד מִי יוֹדֵעַ
.אֶחָד אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ: אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַים וּבָאָרֶץ

?שְׁנַיִם מִי יוֹדֵעַ
.שְׁנַיִם אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ: שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת הַבְּרִית. אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַים וּבָאָרֶץ

?שְׁלשָׁה מִי יוֹדֵעַ
.שְׁלשָׁה אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ: שְׁלשָׁה אָבוֹת, שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת הַבְּרִית, אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַים וּבָאָרֶץ

?אַרְבַּע מִי יוֹדֵעַ
.אַרְבַּע אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ: אַרְבַּע אִמָהוֹת, שְׁלשָׁה אָבוֹת, שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת הַבְּרִית, אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַים וּבָאָרֶץ

?חֲמִּשָּׁה מִי יוֹדֵעַ
.חֲמִּשָּׁה אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ: חֲמִשָׁה חוּמְשֵׁי תוֹרָה, אַרְבַּע אִמָהוֹת, שְׁלשָׁה אָבוֹת, שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת הַבְּרִית, אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַים וּבָאָרֶץ

?שִׁשִָּׂה מִי יוֹדֵעַ

.שִׁשִָּׂה אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ: שִׁשָּׁה סִדְרֵי מִשְׁנָה, חֲמִשָׁה חוּמְשֵׁי תוֹרָה, אַרְבַּע אִמָהוֹת, שְׁלשָׁה אָבוֹת, שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת הַבְּרִית, אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַים וּבָאָרֶץ

?שִׁבְעָה מִי יוֹדֵעַ
.שִׁבְעָה אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ: שִׁבְעָה יְמֵי שַׁבָּתָא, שִׁשָּׁה סִדְרֵי מִשְׁנָה, חֲמִשָׁה חוּמְשֵׁי תוֹרָה, אַרְבַּע אִמָהוֹת שְׁלשָׁה אָבוֹת, שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת הַבְּרִית, אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַים וּבָאָרֶץ

?שְׁמוֹנָה מִי יוֹדֵעַ
שְׁמוֹנָה אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ: שְׁמוֹנָה יְמֵי מִילָה, שִׁבְעָה יְמֵי שַׁבָּתָא, שִׁשָּׁה סִדְרֵי מִשְׁנָה, חֲמִשָׁה חוּמְשֵׁי תוֹרָה, אַרְבַּע אִמָהוֹת, שְׁלשָׁה אָבוֹת, שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת הַבְּרִית, אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַים וּבָאָרֶץ.

?תִּשְׁעָה מִי יוֹדֵעַ
תִּשְׁעָה אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ: תִּשְׁעָה יַרְחֵי לֵדָה, שְׁמוֹנָה יְמֵי מִילָה, שִׁבְעָה יְמֵי שַׁבָּתָא, שִׁשָּׁה סִדְרֵי מִשְׁנָה, חֲמִשָׁה חוּמְשֵׁי תוֹרָה, אַרְבַּע אִמָהוֹת, שְׁלשָׁ אָבוֹת, שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת הַבְּרִית, אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַים וּבָאָרֶץ

?עֲשֶָרָה מִי יוֹדֵעַ
עֲשֶָרָה אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ: עֲשָׂרָה דִבְּרַיָא, תִּשְׁעָה יַרְחֵי לֵדָה, שְׁמוֹנָה יְמֵי מִילָה, שִׁבְעָה יְמֵי שַׁבָּתָא, שִׁשָּׁה סִדְרֵי מִשְׁנָה, חֲמִשָׁה חוּמְשֵׁי תוֹרָה, אַרְבַּע אִמָהוֹת, שְׁלשָׁה אָבוֹת, שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת הַבְּרִית, אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַים וּבָאָרֶץ

?אַחַד עָשָׂר מִי יוֹדֵעַ
אַחַד עָשָׂר אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ: אַחַד עַָשָׂר כּוֹכְבַיָּא, עֲשָׂרָה דִבְּרַיָא, תִּשְׁעָה יַרְחֵי לֵדָה, שְׁמוֹנָה יְמֵי מִילָה, שִׁבְעָה יְמֵי שַׁבָּתָא, שִׁשָּׁה סִדְרֵי מִשְׁנָה, חֲמִשָׁה חוּמְשֵׁי תוֹרָה, אַרְבַּע אִמָהוֹת, שְׁלשָׁה אָבוֹת, שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת הַבְּרִית, אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַים וּבָאָרֶץ

?שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מִי יודע
שנים עָשָׂר אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ: שְׁנֵים עֶָשָׂר שִׁבְטַיָא, אַחַד עַָשָׂר כּוֹכְבַיָּא, עֲשָׂרָה דִבְּרַיָא, תִּשְׁעָה יַרְחֵי לֵדָה, שְׁמוֹנָה יְמֵי מִילָה, שִׁבְעָה יְמֵי שַׁבָּתָא, שִׁשָּׁה סִדְרֵי מִשְׁנָה, חֲמִשָׁה חוּמְשֵׁי תוֹרָה, אַרְבַּע אִמָהוֹת, שְׁלשָׁה אָבוֹת, שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת הַבְּרִית, אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַים וּבָאָרֶץ

?שְׁלשָׁה עֶָשָׂר מִי יוֹדֵעַ
שְׁלשָׁה עָשָׂר אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ: שְׁלשָׁה עָשָׂר מִדַּיָא. שְׁנֵים עֶָשָׂר שִׁבְטַיָא, אַחַד עַָשָׂר כּוֹכְבַיָּא, עֲשָׂרָה דִבְּרַיָא, תִּשְׁעָה יַרְחֵי לֵדָה, שְׁמוֹנָה יְמֵי מִילָה, שִׁבְעָה יְמֵי שַׁבָּתָא, שִׁשָּׁה סִדְרֵי מִשְׁנָה, חֲמִשָׁה חוּמְשֵׁי תוֹרָה, אַרְבַּע אִמָהוֹת, שְׁלשָׁה אָבוֹת, שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת הַבְּרִית, אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַים וּבָאָרֶץ

Miriam’s Song (Debbie Friedman)

And the women dancing with their timbrels, followed Miriam as she sang her song!

Sing a song to the One whom we’ve exalted. Miriam and the women danced and danced the whole night long!

And Miriam was a weaver of unique variety, the tapestry she wove was one which sang our history.

With every strand and every thread she crafted her delight, a woman touched with spirit, she dances toward the light.

And the women dancing with their timbrels...

When Miriam stood upon the shores and gazed across the sea, the wonder of this miracle she soon came to believe.

Whoever thought the sea would part with an outstretched hand, and we would pass to freedom and march to the promised land.

And the women dancing with their timbrels...

And Miriam the Prophet took her timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her just as she had planned.

And Miriam raised her voice in song, she sang with praise and might: We’ve just lived through a miracle; we’re going to dance tonight!

And the women dancing with their timbrels...

Pharoah Pharoah

CHORUS: Pharaoh, Pharaoh, whoa baby, let my people go! (2x)

A burnin' bush told me just the other day, that I should go to Egypt and say,
"It's time to let my people be free - Listen to God if you won't listen to me!"

CHORUS

Well me and and my people goin' to the Red Sea, with Pharaoh's best army comin' after me.
I took my staff, stuck it in the sand, and all of God's people walked on dry land.
Singin...

CHORUS

Now Pharaoh's army was a-comin' too, so whattaya think that God did do?
Had me take my staff and clear my throat, and all of Pharaoh's army did the dead man's float.

CHORUS

Well that's the story of the stubborn goat. Pharaoh should've know that chariots don't float.
The lesson is simple, it's easy to find, when God says, "GO!" you had better mind!

Chad Gadya

Chad gadya, chad gadya
Dizvan Abba bisrey zuzay. Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Vi'asa shunra, vi'achal ligadya
Dizvan Abba bisrey zuzay. Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Vi'asa kalba vinashach lishunra. Di'achal ligadya
Dizvan Abba bisrey zuzay. Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Vi'asa chutra, vi'hika likalba, Dinashach lishunra, di'achal ligadya
Dizvan Abba bisrey zuzay. Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Vi'asa nura visharaf lichutra. Di'hika likalba, dinashach lishunra, di'achal ligadya
Dizvan Abba bisrey zuzay. Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Vi'asa maya vikava linurah. Disharaf lichutra, di'hika likalba, dinashach lishunra, di'achal ligadya
Dizvan Abba bisrey zuzay. Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Vi'asa torah vishasa limaya. Dikava linurah, disharaf lichutra, di'hika likalba, dinashach lishunra, di'achal ligadya
Dizvan Abba bisrey zuzay. Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Vi'asa hashochet vishachat litorah. Dishasa limaya, dikava linurah, disharaf lichutra, di'hika likalba, dinashach lishunra, di'achal ligadya
Dizvan Abba bisrey zuzay. Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Vi'asa malach hamaves
Vishacat lashochet dishachat litorah. Dishasa limaya, dikava linurah, disharaf lichutra, di'hika likalba, dinashach lishunra, di'achal ligadya
Dizvan Abba bisrey zuzay. Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Vi'asa hakadosh baruch hoo vishachat limalach hamaves.
Dishacat lashochet, dishachat litorah, dishasa limaya, dikava linurah, disharaf lichutra, di'hika likalba, dinashach lishunra, di'achal ligadya
Dizvan Abba bisrey zuzay. Chad gadya, chad gadya!

חַד גַּדְיָא,חַד גַּדְיָא
דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא,חַד גַּדְיָא

וְאָתָא שׁוּנְרָא וְאַָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא,חַד גַּדְיָא

וְאָתָא כַלְבָּא וְנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאַָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא,חַד גַּדְיָא

וְאָתָא חוּטְרָא והִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאַָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא,חַד גַּדְיָא

וְאָתָא נוּרָא וְשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאַָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא

וְאָתָא מַיָא וְכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאַָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא,חַד גַּדְיָא

וְאָתָא תוֹרָא וְשָׁתָה לְמַיָא, דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאַָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא,חַד גַּדְיָא

וְאָתָא הַשׁוֹחֵט וְשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא, דְּשָּׁתָה לְמַיָא, דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאַָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא,חַד גַּדְיָא

וְאָתָא מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת וְשָׁחַט לְשׁוֹחֵט, דְּשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא, דְּשָּׁתָה לְמַיָא, דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאַָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא

וְאָתָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְשָׁחַט לְמַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת, דְּשָׁחַט לְשׁוֹחֵט, דְּשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא, דְּשָּׁתָה לְמַיָא, דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאַָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא
דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא,חַד גַּדְיָא

One kid, an only kid my father bought for two zuzim.
Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Then came the cat that ate the kid my father bought for two zuzim.
Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Then came the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid my father bought for two zuzim.
Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Then came the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid my father bought for two zuzim.
Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Then came the fire that burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid my father bought for two zuzim.
Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Then came the water that quenched the fire that burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid my father bought for two zuzim.
Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Then came the ox that drank the water that quenched the fire that burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid my father bought for two zuzim.
Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Then came the butcher that killed the ox that drank the water that quenched the fire that burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid my father bought for two zuzim.
Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Then came the angel of death that slew the butcher that killed the ox that drank the water that quenched the fire that burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid my father bought for two zuzim.
Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Then came the Holy One, Blessed be God who destroyed the angel of death that slew the butcher that killed the ox that drank the water that quenched the fire that burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid my father bought for two zuzim.
Chad gadya, chad gadya!

Adir Hu - God of Might

Adir hu, adir hu, yivneh veito bekarov
Bim’heirah, bim’heirah b’yameinu bekarov,
Eil b’nei, Eil b’nei, b’nei veitcha bekarov.

Bachur hu, gadol hu, dagul hu, yivneh veito bekarov. ..
Hadur hu, vatik hu, zakai hu, yivneh veito bekarov...
Chassid hu, tahor hu, yachid hu, yivneh veito bekarov...
Kabir hu, lamud hu, melech hu, yivneh veito bekarov...
Norah hu, sagiv hu, izuz hu, yivneh veito bekarov...
Podeh hu, tzaddik hu, kadosh hu, yivneh veito bekarov...
Rachum hu, shadai hu, takif hu, yivneh veito bekarov...

אַדִּיר הוּא אַדִּיר הוּא יִבְנֶה בֵּיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב
בִּמְהֵרָה,בִּמְהֵרָה, בְּיָמֵינוּ בְּקָרוֹב
אֵל בְּנֵה, אֵל בְּנֵה, בְּנֵה בֵּיתְךָ בְּקָרוֹב

...בָּחוּר הוּא, גָּדוֹל הוּא, דָּגוּל הוּא יִבְנֶה בֵּיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב
...הָדוּר הוּא, וָתִיק הוּא, זַכַּאי הוּא יִבְנֶה בֵּיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב
...חָסִיד הוּא, טָהוֹר הוּא, יָחִיד הוּא יִבְנֶה בֵּיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב
...כַּבִּיר הוּא, לָמוּד הוּא, מֶלֶךְ הוּא יִבְנֶה בֵּיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב
...נוֹרָא הוּא, סַגִּיב הוּא, עִזּוּז הוּא יִבְנֶה בֵּיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב
...פּוֹדֶה הוּא, צַדִיק הוּא, קָּדוֹשׁ הוּא יִבְנֶה בֵּיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב
...רַחוּם הוּא, שַׁדַּי הוּא, תַּקִּיף הוּא יִבְנֶה בֵּיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב

God of might, God of right, we would bow before You,
Sing your praise in these days celebrate Your glory,
When we hear, year by year, freedom’s wondrous story.

Hodu (Debbie Friedman)

Chorus:

הֹדוּ לַיהוָה כִּי־טוֹב כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ

Ho-du la-do-nai ki tov. Ki l'o-lam chas-do, ki l'o-lam chas-do

Yo-mar na, yo-mar na Yis-ra-eil
Ki l'o-lam chas-do, ki l'o-lam chas-do

[Chorus]

Let all who revere God's name now say, "Ki l'o-lam chas-do." Sing praise to the One for God is good, "Ki l'o-lam chas-do."

[Chorus]

Give thanks to Adonai, for God is good, God's mercy endures for ever. So let Israel now say, God's mercy endures for ever.

When the serious business of the seder is completed, we sit around our family table and sing.  Traditional songs like Had Gadya, yes, but some unique stuff as well.  Many, many years ago our Cantor at that time, Rinaldo Tazzini, introduced us to Pesach in Paducah to the tune of Christmas in Killarney.  Here are the words:

Sing ho, sing hi, the matzoh brei

The cleaning the scrubbing, the ay, ay, ay

It's Pesach in Paducah and a heckuva day at home.

The eggs are floating in the brine

And Papa is floating in too much wine.

It's Pesach in Paducah and a heckuva day at home.

And while the door was open,

We clearly saw some tracks,

We thought it was Elijah

But 'twas only Uncle Max.

The welcome's on the Welcome Mat

Linoleum's polished with chicken fat

It's Pesach in Paducah, and a heckuva day at home.

(Irish Washerwoman)

There'll be Weinstein and Feinstein

And every old keinstein

And Lenitz and Revitz and some Manischevitz

Rabinowitz, Timowitz each one gets in

Ach, it's everyone's landsman from near and from far.

(First)

On Seder night we must invite

But some of the family is sure to fight

It's Pesach in Paducah and a heckuvah day at home.

Some little schnook a matzoh took,

And somebody called him a dirty crook

It's Pesach in Paducah and a heckuva day at home.

And while the door was open

A voice cried out, "Oi Vah"

We thought it was Elijah

But 'twas only Johnnie Ray.

My achin' head cries out for bed.  I wish I were in a hotel instead

Oh Pesach in Paducah, no matter where you roam,

Yes, Pesach in Paducah is a heckuvah day at home.

(Second)

There's a Kohn with a K and a Cohen with a C

There's a Levy and Levi and Mr. Levee

There's a Nitzberg from Pittsburgh and fancy old Ritzburgh

They each have a kid and they're all coming here.

Oh, Pesach in Paducah, is a heckuva day at home.

Singing songs that praise God | hallel | הַלֵּל

This is the time set aside for singing. Some of us might sing traditional prayers from the Book of Psalms. Others take this moment for favorites like Chad Gadya & Who Knows One, which you can find in the appendix. To celebrate the theme of freedom, we might sing songs from the civil rights movement. Or perhaps your crazy Uncle Frank has some parody lyrics about Passover to the tunes from a musical. We’re at least three glasses of wine into the night, so just roll with it.

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, for the traditions that help inform our daily lives and guide our actions and aspirations.

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! 

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!

Narrator:  We conclude tonight's program with the question, 'Is there life after death?'. And here to discuss this question are three dead people.  The late Pharaoh Ramses, former ruler of the kingdom of Egypt, circa 1400 BCE; the late Moshe ben Amram, tribal spokesperson and record holder for longest road trip across the wilderness; and putting forward the view of the Powers that Be, the prophet Elijah the Gileadite. Gentlemen, is there life after death or not? (Prolonged silence)

Well there we have it!  Three say "No". On next week's program we'll be discussing the question 'Does the state of France have a right to exist?. And until then, goodnight.