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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Long ago at this season, our people set out on a journey.
On such a night as this, Israel went from degredation to joy.
We give thanks for the liberation of days gone by.
And we pray for all those who are still bound.
Eternal God, may all who hunger come to rejoice in a new Passover.
Let all the human family sit at Your table, drink the wine of deliverance, eat the bread of freedom:
Freedom from bondage and freedom from oppression
Freedom from hunger and freedom from want
Freedom from hatred and freedom from fear
Freedom to think and freedom to speak
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn
Freedom to love and freedom to share
Freedom to hope and freedom to rejoice
Soon in our days. Amen.
In the Northern Hemisphere, Passover coincides with the beginning of Spring; a time for renewal, rethinking and rebirth. We throw open the windows of our houses, we sweep away winter's grit and dust. The story of Passover is a story of new beginnings: what better time to rethink our own liberation, as snow melts and new green appears?
May this Passover spring give us the insign and courage to create ourselves anew.
Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame.Blessed is the flame that burns in the secret fastness of the heart.Blessed is the heart with the strength to stop its beating for honor’s sake.Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame.
(—Hannah Senesch)
May the candles we kindle tonight bring radiance to all who live in darkness. May this season, marking the deliverance of our people, rouse us against anyone who keeps others in servitude. In gratitude for the freedom we enjoy, may we strive to bring about the liberation of all people everywhere.
Lighting these candles, we create the sacred space of the Festival of Freedom; we sanctify the coming-together of our community.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ רוּחַ הַעוֹלָם, אָשֶר קִדשָנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָנוּ לְהָדלִיק נֵר שֶל יוֹם טוֹב.
Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu ruach ha’olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.
Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Breath of Life, who sanctifies us with your commandment to kindle the holiday lights.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה:
Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech ha’olam, shehecheyanu v’kiy’manu v’higiyanu lazman hazeh.
Blessed are you, Adonai, sovereign of all worlds, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this moment.
Tonight we drink four cups of wine. It is said that each cup represents something different. Some say they represent our matriarchs: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah. Others say they represent the Four Worlds: Physicality, emotions, thought and essence.
The most common representation is 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, suggest four stages of liberation: becoming aware of oppression, opposing oppression, imagining alternatives and accepting responsibility to act.
The first cup of wine reminds us of God's first declaration: "I will bring you out from the oppression".
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בָּנוּ מִכָּל-עָם, וְרוֹמְמָנוּ מִכָּל-לָשׁוֹן, וְקִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וַתִּתֶּן-לָנוּ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּאַהֲבָה (לשבת שַׁבָּתוֹת לִמְנוּחָה וּ)מוֹעֲדִים לְשִׂמְחָה, חַגִּים וּזְמַנִּים לְשָׂשׂוֹן אֶת-יוֹם (לשבת הַשַּׁבָּת הַזֶה וְאֶת-יוֹם) חַג הַמַּצוֹת הַזֶּה. זְמַן חֵרוּתֵנוּ, (לשבת בְּאַהֲבָה,) מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ, זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. כִּי בָנוּ בָחַרְתָּ וְאוֹתָנוּ קִדַּשְׁתָּ מִכָּל-הָעַמִים. (לשבת וְשַׁבָּת) וּמוֹעֲדֵי קָדְשֶׁךָ (לשבת בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן) בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְשָׂשׂוֹן הִנְחַלְתָּנוּ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, מְקַדֵּשׁ (לשבת הַשַׁבָּתוְ)יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַזְמַנִּים:
Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheynu melech ha’olam, asher bakhar banu mikol am, v’rom’manu mikol lashon, v’kidshanu b’mitzvotav. Va-titen lanu Adonai eloheynu, b’ahavah (shabatot limnucha u-) mo’adim l’simkha, hagim uz’manim l’sason, et yom (ha-shabbat hazeh v'et yom) chag ha-matzot hazeh, z’man cheruteinu, (b'ahavah) mikra kodesh, zecher l’tziat mitzrayim. Ki vanu vacharta, v’otanu kidashta, mikol ha’amim u-moadim kadshekha (b'ahavah uvratzon) v’simcha uv-sason hin-khal-tanu. Baruch atah, Adonai, m’kadesh (ha-shabbat v') Yisrael v’hazmanim
We praise You, Sovereign of Existence! You have called us for service from among the peoples, and have hallowed our lives with commandments. In love You have given us (Shabbat and) festivals for rejoicing, seasons of celebration, including this (Shabbat and this) Festival of Matzot, the time of our freedom, a commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt. Praised are You, our Eternal God, Who gave us this joyful heritage and Who sanctifies (Shabbat and) Israel and the Festivals.
If the seder falls on Saturday night, continue here...
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא מְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחֹל בֵּין אוֹר לְחֹשֶׁךְ, בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעַמִים, בֵּין יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי לְשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. בֵּין קְדֻּשַּׁת שַׁבָּת לִקְדֻשַּׁת יוֹם טוֹב הִבְדַּלְתָּ. וְאֶת-יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִשֵּׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה קִדַּשְׁתָּ. הִבְדַּלְתָּ וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֶת-עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּקְדֻשָּׁתֶךָ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, הַמַּבְדִּיל ומְגַשֵר בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְקֹדֶשׁ:
Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech ha'olam, borei m'orei ha'esh. Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech ha'olam, hamavdil bein kodesh l'chol. Bein or l'choshech, bein Yisrael l'amim, bein yom ha-shvi'i l'sheishet y'mei ha-ma'aseh. Bein k'dushat Shabbat likdushat Yom Tov hivdalta. V'et-yom ha-shvi'i m'sheishet y'mei ha-ma'aseh kidashta. Hivdalta v'kidashta et-amcha Yisrael bikdushatecha. Baruch atah Adonai, hamavdil v'mgasher ben kodesh l'kodesh.
Praised are You, our Eternal God, who creates the lights of fire. Praised are You, our Eternal God, who separates holy from ordinary: light from dark, the people Israel from other peoples, the day of Shabbat from the six days of work. Who separates the holiness of Shabbat from the holiness of this festival, and Who makes Shabbat and festivals holy time. Just so, you separate Israel in holiness. Blessed are You, Adonai, who both separates and creates connections between holy time and holy time.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן.
Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech ha’olam, borei p’ri hagafen.
Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, creator of the fruit of the vine.
THREE QUESTIONS
There is a Sefardic (Iraqi or Afghani) custom of turning to the person beside you, asking these three questions, and offering the three brief answers.
Who are you? (I am Yisrael.)
Where are you coming from? (I am coming from Mitzrayim.)
Where are you going? (I am going to Yerushalayim.)
Who are you?
I'm Yisrael. I'm a God-wrestler. I'm someone who wrestles with the holy, with the Source of All Being, with my understanding of ultimate reality, and I expect God to wrestle back. I dance with God. I waltz with Torah. I stay up all night grappling with angels, and even if I come away limping, I know I come away blessed. I'm a wandering Aramean, and I'm wearing my traveling shoes. I'm a child of the house of Israel, and my community and I—and anyone else who hears freedom's call—are walking into the wilderness together.
Where are you coming from?
I'm coming from Mitzrayim. From the narrow place. From slavery. From constriction. From the birth canal. I'm coming from hard labor. I'm coming from the surfeit of sweetness that lulls me into forgetting the world's imperfections. I've been settling for what hurts, too fearful to risk something new. I'm coming from suffering and isolation. I'm coming from addiction to my work, addiction to success, addiction to separation. I'm coming from "if I stopped working, I'm not even sure who I'd be."
Where are you going?
I'm going to Yerushalayim. I'm going to Ir Shalem, the city of wholeness. I'm going to Ir Shalom, the city of peace. I'm going where talking to God is a local call. I'm heading toward my best imaginings of community and connection. I'm clicking my ruby slippers with fervent kavanah and moving toward the meaning of home. Maybe I'm going to a place; maybe I'm going to a state of mind. Maybe it's an asymptotic progression toward something that can't be reached. Maybe it's the journey that defines me.
Run that by me again?
I am Yisrael. I am coming from Mitzrayim. And the moon is almost full: tomorrow we're packing our bags. Grabbing the flatbread. And setting out. It's time to go.
A note on Israel:
Passover celebrates freedom, exemplified in the story of our Exodus from Egypt. That story leads our entry into Israel—not exactly a simple redemption tale. Especially not now, as Israelis and Palestinians continue to fight for their mutual Promised Land, and to shed blood in pursuit of its ownership.
In light of that situation, some of us may have complicated feelings about identifying with Israel. But “Israel” doesn’t refer only to the Land. “Israel” is the name which was given to Jacob after he spent the night wrestling with an angel of God. Therefore “the people Israel” can be interpreted as “Godwrestling people”—“people who take on the holy obligation of engaging with the divine.”
When I see the word "Israel"
When I see the word Israel I see Isra-el wrestles with God. God isvictorious
When I see the word I do not see the chosen few I see those few who choose
Those few who choose to wrestle with You, a contest in which both wrestlers are one and in which the one is victorious
I see those few who choose, among the many nations among all people, those few who choose to make love to you and those who say: I betroth myself to you whether it feels like honey or a thornbush because even the thornbush sometimes glows with fire of revelation
When I see the world Israel I know many claim it as their own. As a title a privilege a status As if God chose them
they are right in this: God chooses but they are wrong in thinking: only them
God breathes through many begotten sons and daughters. God wrestles through his glorious perverts and professors
and as there is only one contestant for better or for worse in shit and in shine this wrestling is an embrace of recognition and delight
do you seek God? God seeks you. Who will you allow to be victorious?
-Jay Michaelson
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.
This symbolic washing of the hands recalls the story of Miriam's Well. Legend tells us that this well followed Miriam, sister of Moses, through the desert, sustaining the Jews in their wanderings. Filled with mayimei chayyim, waters of life, the well was a source of strength and renewal to all who drew from it. One drink from its waters was said to alert the heart, mind and soul, and make the meaning of Torah become more clear.6
In Hebrew, urchatz means “washing” or “cleansing.” In Aramaic, sister language to Hebrew, urchatz means “trusting.” As we wash each others’ hands, let us rejoice in this act of trust.
When we wash hands again later, just before eating the festive meal, we will say blessings to sanctify that act. Because the feast is still a few pages away, this hand- washing is purely symbolic, and therefore the blessing is unspoken.
Pass the bowl & pitcher around the table, each pouring a few drops of water onto her/his neighbor’s hands. Alternately, symbolize the uplifting of cleansed hands by raising hands into the air .
Optional chant for handwashing:
חַיִים ִים מַ / מַיִם ֵלא ָמ אֱלֹהִיםפֶלֶג
Peleg elohim, malei mayyim /Mayyim chayyim
Fountain of God, full of water /waters of life!
—Rabbi Shefa Gold
Arise my beloved, my fair one ענה דודי ואמר לי
And come away; :קימי לך רעיתי יפתי ולכי–לך For lo, the winter is past. צי–הנה הסתו עבר הגשמ חלף הלך לו Flowers appear on the earth הנצנימ נראו בארץ עת הזמיר The time of singing is here הגיע:וקול התור נשמע בארזנו The song of the doveIs heard in our land.
Let us go down to the vineyards נשכימה לכרמים To see if the vines have budded. נראה אמ פרחה הגפן
There will I give you my love. פתח הסמדר הנזו הרמונימשם אתן את דודי לך
Traditionally we have interpreted the salt water used for dipping as the tears of our ancestors. Perhaps this year as we dip the greens into the salt water, we will understand it as the tears of the earth. In the Exodus story the liberation begins when God hears the cry of the Hebrew slaves, let us hear and taste the cry of the earth. . This moment requires that we hear the cry of the earth itself
Dipping a green vegetable in salt water | karpas | כַּרְפַּס
Passover, like other holidays, have mix celebration of an event from our Jewish memory with a recognize of the cycles of nature. When we remember the liberation from Egypt, also we recognize the stirring and rebirth going on in the world. The symbols on our table bring together elements of both kinds of celebration.
We now take a green leafy biter herb, representing the joy at the start of spring after our long, freezing winter. What ever you’r using for your herb dip it in salt water, a symbol of tears our ancestors shed as slaves. Before you eat it, recite a 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.
This is the bread of affliction which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat; let all who are needy come and celebrate the Passover with us. Now we are here; next year may we be in the Land of Israel. Now we are slaves; next year may we be free.
We break the matzah as we broke the chains of slavery, and as we break chains which bind us today. We will no more be fooled by movements which free only some of us, in which our so - called “freedom” rests upon the enslavement or embitterment of others.
Traditionally, seders require three matzot. Why three? Three are our patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Three are the segments of the people Israel, Kohen, Levi and Yisrael. The three matzot could even represent thesis, antithesis and synthesis: the two opposites in any polarized situation, and the solution which bridges them.
בְּכָל–דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת–עַצְמוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא
מִמִּצְרָיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר: בַּעֲבוּר זֶה עָשָׂה
יְיָ לִי, בְּצֵאתִי מִמִּצְרָיִם. לֹא אֶת–אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בִּלְבָד, גָּאַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ
...הוּא, אֶלָּא אַף אוֹתָנוּ גָּאַל עִמָּהֶם
In every generation on emust see oneself as if one had personally experienced the Exodus from Egypt. As it is written: "You shall speak to your children on that day, saying, this is how the Holy Blessed One redeemed me from Egypt. It wasn't merely my ancestors who were redeemed, but the Holy Blessed One also redeemed us with them...
Maggid means retelling the story of the exodus from Egypt.
In every generation, we must see ourselves as if we personally were liberated from Egypt. We gather tonight to tell the ancient story of a people's liberation from Egyptian slavery. This is the story of our origins as a people. It is from these events that we gain our ethics, our vision of history, our dreams for the future. We gather tonight, as two hundred generations of Jewish families have before us, to retell the timeless tale.
Yet our tradition requires that on Seder night, we do more than just tell the story. We must live the story. Tonight, we will re-experience the liberation from Egypt. We will remember how our family suffered as slaves; we will feel the exhilaration of redemption. We must re-taste the bitterness of slavery and must rejoice over our newfound freedom. We annually return to Egypt in order to be freed. We remember slavery in order to deepen our commitment to end all suffering; we recreate our liberation in order to reinforce our commitment to universal freedom.
Raise the tray with the matzot and say:
This is the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat; whoever is in need, let him come and conduct the Seder of Passover. This year [we are] here; next year in the land of Israel. This year [we are] slaves; next year [we will be] free people.
The tray with the matzot is moved aside, and the second cup is poured.
(Do not drink it yet).
When the founder of modern Hasidism, the Baal Shem Tov, saw misfortune threatening the Jews, it was his custom to go into a certain part of the forest to meditate. There he would light a special fire, say a special prayer, and the trouble would be averted.
Later, when his disciple, the Rabbi Maggid of Mezritch, had occasion for the same reason to intercede with heaven, he would go to the same place in the forest and say: "Master of the Universe, listen! I cannot light the fire, but I know the place and I can say the prayer."
Still later, Rabbi Moshe-Leib of Sasov, in order to save the Jewish people, would go into the forest and say: "I cannot light the fire, I do not know the prayer, but I know the place."
Then it fell to Rabbi Israel of Rizhyn to overcome misfortune. Sitting in his house, his head in his hands, he spoke to God: "I am unable to light the fire and I do not know the prayer; I cannot even find the place in the forest. All I can do is tell the story, and this must be sufficient." And it was sufficient.
עֲבָדִים הָיִינו לְפַרְעהֹ בְמִצְרָיִם, וַיוֹצִיאֵנו יי אֱלֹהֵינו מִשָם בְיָד חֲזָקָה ובִזְרוֹעַ נְטויָה. וְאִלו לֹא הוֹצִיא הַקָדוֹש בָרוךְ הוא אֶת אֲבוֹתֵינו מִמִצְרָיִם, הֲרֵי אָנו ובָנֵינו ובְנֵי בָנֵינו מְשֻעְבָדִים הָיִינו לְפַרְעהֹ בְמִצְרָיִם. וַאֲפִילו כֻלָנו חֲכָמִים, כֻלָנו נְבוֹנִים, כֻלָנו זְקֵנִים, כֻלָנו יוֹדְעִים אֶת הַתוֹרָה, מִצְוָה עָלֵינו לְסַפֵר בִיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם. וְכָל הַמַרְבֶה לְסַפֵר בִיצִיאַת מִצְרַיִם הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻבָח.
We were slaves to Pharoh in Egypt and the Lord freed us from Egypt with a mighty hand and outstretched arm. Had not the holy One liberated our people from Egypt, then we, our children and our children’s children would still be enslaved to Pharoah in Egypt. And even if we were all wise, all men of understanding, all old and learned in the Torah, it is a positive commandment upon us to tell of the story of the Exodus from Egypt. And the more one tells of the Exodus from Egypt, the more he is praised.
הַּלֵילֹות? מִּכָל הַּזֶה הַּלַיְלָה ּנִׁשְּתַּנָהמַה
מַּצָה: ּכֻּלֹו הַּזֶה הַּלַיְלָה ּומַּצָה. חָמֵץ אֹוכְלִין אָנּו הַּלֵילֹותׁשֶּבְכָל מָרֹור: הַּזֶה הַּלַיְלָה יְרָקֹות ׁשְאָר אֹוכְלִין אָנּו הַּלֵילֹותׁשֶּבְכָל פְעָמִים: ׁשְּתֵי הַּזֶה הַּלַיְלָה אֶחָת. ּפַעַם אֲפִילּו מַטְּבִילִין אָנּו אֵין הַּלֵילֹותׁשֶּבְכָל מְסֻּבִין: ּכֻּלָנּו הַּזֶה הַּלַיְלָה מְסֻּבִין. ּובֵין יֹוׁשְבִין ּבֵין אֹוכְלִין אָנּו הַּלֵילֹותׁשֶּבְכָל
Mah nishtanah halaila hazeh mikol halaylot?
Shebakhol halaylot anu okhleen khamaytz u’matzah, halaila hazeh kulo matzah.
Shebakhol halaylot anu okhleen sh’ahr y’rakot, halaila hazeh maror.
Shebakhol halaylot ayn anu matbeeleen afeelu pa’am akhat, halaila hazeh sh’tay f’ameem. Shebakhol halaylot anu okh’leen beyn yoshveen u’vayn m’subeen, halaila hazeh kulanu m’subeen.
Why is tonight different from all other nights?
On all other nights we may eat either leavened bread or matzah; tonight, only matzah, that we may recall the unleavened bread our ancestors baked in haste when they left slavery .
On all other nights we need not taste bitterness; tonight, we eat bitter herbs, that we may recall the suffering of slavery.
On all other nights we needn’t dip our food in condiments even once; tonight we dip twice, in saltwater to remember our tears when we were enslaved, and in haroset to remember the mortar and the bricks which we made.
On all other nights we eat sitting up; tonight, we recline, to remind ourselves to savor our liberation.
In addition to the Four Questions, tonight we ask ourselves a fifth:
We are commanded to celebrate as if each one of us were personally liberated from Egypt. In the last year, how have you been liberated from bondage—and in the next year, how do you hope to bring yourself closer to your place of freedom?
HE FOUR CHILDREN (option one; there's an alternative on p. )21
Four times the Torah bids us tell our children about the Exodus from Egypt. Four times the Torah repeats: “And you shall tell your child on that day” From this, our tradition infers four kinds of children...
ׁשֶאֵינֹו וְאֶחָד ּתָם, וְאֶחָד רָׁשָע, וְאֶחָד חָכָם, אֶחָד תֹורָה. ּדִּבְרָה בָנִים אַרְּבָעָהּכְנֶגֶד
לִׁשְאֹול:יֹודֵעַ
The Torah speaks of four kinds of children: one wise, one wicked, one simple, and one who does not yet know how to ask.
אֱלֹהֵינּו יְיָ צִּוָה אֲׁשֶר וְהַּמִׁשְּפָטִים, וְהַחֻּקִים הָעֵדֹת מָה אֹומֵר? הּוא מַהחָכָם אֲפִיקֹומָן: הַּפֶסַח אַחַר מַפְטִירִין אֵין הַּפֶסַח: ּכְהִלְכֹות אֱמָר–לֹו אַּתָה וְאַףאֶתְכֶם?
The Wise One says: “What is the meaning of the rules, laws and practices which God has commanded us to observe?”
You shall tell him the story of the Exodus and shall teach him Torah, midrash and commentary, down to the last detail.
ׁשֶהֹוצִיא ּולְפִי לֹו. ולֹא לָכֶם לָכֶם? הַּזֹאת הָעֲבֹדָה מָה אֹומֵר? הּוא מַהרָׁשָע זֶה, ּבַעֲבּור וֶאֱמָר–לֹו: אֶת–ׁשִּנָיו, הַקְהֵה אַּתָה וְאַף ּבָעִּקָר. ּכָפַר הַּכְלָל, מִןאֶת–עַצְמֹו נִגְאָל: הָיָה לֹא ׁשָם, הָיָה אִּלּו וְלֹא–לֹו. לִי מִּמִצְרָיִם, ּבְצֵאתִי לִי, יְיָעָׂשָה
The Wicked One says: “What is the meaning of this service to you?”
You shall tell her “I do this because of the wonderful things which God did for me when God brought me out of Egypt.” You shall say “for me,” not “for us,” because in asking what the service means “to you” she has made it clear that she does not
consider herself a part of the community for whom the ritual has meaning.
מִּבֵית מִּמִצְרַיִם יְיָ הֹוצִיאָנּו יָד ּבְחֹזֶק אֵלָיו: וְאָמַרְּתָ ּזֹאת? מַה אֹומֵר? הּוא מַהּתָם עֲבָדִים:
The Simple One asks, “What is this?”
You shall tell him of the deliverance from the house of bondage.
לֵאמֹר: הַהּוא ּבַּיֹום לְבִנְךָ, וְהִּגַדְּתָ ׁשֶּנֶאֱמַר: לֹו. ּפְתַח אַּתְ לִׁשְאֹול, יֹודֵעַוְׁשֶאֵינֹו מִּמִצְרָיִם: ּבְצֵאתִי לִי, יְיָ עָׂשָה זֶהּבַעֲבּור
The One Who Does Not Know How To Question, for her you must open the way.1
The Torah speaks of Four Students:
The Sharp Student says “What are the testimonies, the statutes and the laws which our God has commanded you” and so you shall answer them according to the capacity of their sharpness of wit.
The High EQ one says “What is this service to you?” So you will make an effort to reign in their longings, for s/he also wants to be a part of the integrity and perfection that comes with meaningful rituals. If you are loving, then they will understand devekut / cleaving, and will get a taste of what it means to feel close to God.
The Good one says, “What is this?” and so you shall bear witness to them from your own experience, that hashem yitbarach is assisting you with ‘a strong hand’, to take you out and to take them out of Mitzrayim.
The One who does not question, you will feed them some maror / horseradish, so they will feel their friends’ troubles and so that compassion will be instilled in their heart.
At the time the Haggadah was created, it was safe for the rabbis to assume that most Jewish adults had the knowledge available to teach their children about the Exodus. At that time, perhaps, all adults did know about the Exodus from Egypt and the Jews' struggle against Pharaoh. However, in subsequent generations, not all adults are familiar with the story told in the Haggadah, with the people of Israel, with their history. It isn't only the children that need to be taught, but their parents as well.
To complicate matters, each Jew is coming from a different orientation with regard to his or her Judaism. In today's world, Jews may identify themselves in a variety of ways. One may be ritually, culturally, or intellectually orientedor unconnected. And yet, however modified one's Judaism may be, there is still some level of concern about the Jewish people that causes Jews to at least ask the questions about the Exodus from Egypt. If they weren't interested, they wouldn't ask. We must answer them, and enable them to teach their children.
The ritual Jew asks: "What are the laws that God commanded us? " This Jew defines herself by the rituals, the laws and guidelines of Pesach. We call on her to seek the meaning that underlies all of these acts, so that they have relevance for all of us today.
The unconnected Jew asks: "What does this ritual mean to you?" This Jew feels alienated from the Jewish community and finds it difficult to identify with the rituals, perhaps because of his upbringing or experiences. Yet we recognize that he is still interested, if only because he asks these questions, and we call on him to see these rituals as a way of affirming the universal beliefs that gave rise to them.
The cultural Jew asks: "What is this all about?" She shows little concern with the ritual or psychological ramifications of the Exodus, even while embracing this reenactment of our ancestors; flight from Egypt. We call on her to recognize that it was a deep sense of faith that enabled these rituals to transcend the generations. It was belief in a vision of future freedom that caused us to celebrate our first Exodus and hear the echo of the prophets' call: "Let all people go!"
The intellectual Jew refrains from asking direct questions because he doesn't lean in any direction, preferring instead to let the text speak for itself. We call on him to understand that true freedom can only be obtained when we question authority and challenge power, even if that power be God Himself. It is our responsibility to question not only the text but the status quo too, and share this message of freedom with all people everywhere.
- Jessica Steinberg
On this night, we remember a fifth child. This is a child of the Shoah (Holocaust), who did not survive to ask. Therefore, we ask for that child -- Why? We are like the simple child. We have no answer. We can only follow the footsteps of Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, who could not bring himself to mention the Exodus at night until Ben Zoma explained it to him through the verse: In order that you REMEMBER the day of your going out from Egypt, all the days of your life. (Deut. 16.3) We answer that child’s question with silence. In silence, we remember that dark time. In silence, we remember that Jews preserved their image of God in the struggle for life. In silence, we remember the seder nights spent in the forests, ghettos, and camps; we remember that seder night when the Warsaw Ghetto rose in revol
Said the father to the children
"At the Seder you will dine,
You will eat your fill of matzoh, You will drink four cups of wine."
Now this father had no daughters, But his sons they numbered four, One was wise, and one was wicked, One was simple and a bore.
And the fourth was sweet and winsome, He was young and he was small,
While his brothers asked the questions, He could scarcely speak at all.
Said the wise one to his father "Would you please explain the laws. Of the customs of the Seder
Will you please explain the cause?"
And the father proudly answered "As our fathers ate in speed,
Ate the Pascal lamb 'ere midnight, And from slavery were freed,"
"So we follow their example,
And 'ere midnight must complete,
All the Seder, and we should not After twelve remain to eat."
Then did sneer the son so wicked, "What does all this mean to you?" And the father's voice was bitter As his grief and anger grew.
"If yourself you don't consider, As a son of Israel
Then for you this has no meaning, You could be a slave as well!"
Then the simple son said softly, "What is this?" and quietly
The good father told his offspring "We were freed from slavery."
But the youngest son was silent,
For he could not speak at all,
His bright eyes were bright with wonder As his father told him all.
Now, dear people, heed the lesson And remember evermore,
What the father told his children Told his sons who numbered four!
- Ben Aronin
וְרַּבִי ּבֶן–עֲזַרְיָה, אֶלְעָזָר וְרַּבִי יְהֹוׁשֻעַ, וְרַּבִי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, ּבְרַּבִימַעֲׂשֶה ּבִיצִיאַת מְסַּפְרִים וְהָיּו ּבִבְנֵי–בְרַק, מְסֻּבִין ׁשֶהָיּו טַרְפֹון, וְרַּבִיעֲקִיבָא, רַּבֹותֵינּו, לָהֶם: וְאָמְרּו תַלְמִידֵיהֶם ׁשֶּבָאּו עַד הַּלַיְלָה, ּכָל–אֹותֹומִצְרַיִם, ׁשַחֲרִית: ׁשֶל ׁשְמַע, קְרִיאַת זְמַןהִּגִיעַ |
It came to pass that Rabbi Eliezer, and Rabbi Yehoshua, and Rabbi Elazar son of Azarya, and Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Tarfon were in Bnei Brak discussing the Exodus from Egypt. They discussed it all night, until their students came to them to say, "Our teachers, the time has come for saying the morning Shema!" |
אֲרַמִּיאֹבֵדאָבִי, וַיֵּרֶדמִצְרַיְמָה, וַיָּגָרשָׁםבִּמְתֵימְעָט; וַיְהִי-שָׁם, לְגוֹיגָּדוֹלעָצוּםוָרָב.
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.”
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 God will pass through to smite the first born of the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, God will pass over your doors.”
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.”
( All raise cups of wine)
We praise God Who kept faith with the people of Israel. God's promise of Redemption in ancient days sustains us now.
.ברוך שומר הוטחתו ליסראל. ברוך הוא
והיא שעמדה לאבותינו ולנו
For more than one enemy has risen against us to destroy us. In every generation, in every age, some rise up to plot our anhiliation. But a Divine Power sustains and delivers us.
שלא אחד בלבד עמד עלינו לכלותינו. אלא שבצל–דיר ודור עומדים עלינו לכלותינו. והקדוש ברוך הוא מזילנו מידם
( replace cups untasted).
That's the difficult in these times: ideals, dreams, and cherished hopes rise within us, only to meet the horrible truth and be shattered.
It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness. I hear the ever-approaching thunder, which will destroy us too. I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again.
In the meantime, I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps the time will come when I shall be able to carry them out.
- Anne Frank
I am a Jew because, born of Israel, and having lost her, I have felt her live again in me, more loving than myself.
I am a Jew because, born of Israel and having regained her, I wish her to live after me, more living than myself.
I am a Jew because the faith of Israel demands of me no abdication of the mind.
I am a Jew because the faith of Israel requires of me all the devotion of my heart.
I am a Jew because in every place where suffereing weeps, the Jew weeps.
I am a Jew because every time when despair cries out, the Jew hopes.
I am a Jew because the promise of Israel is the universal promise.
I am a Jew because, for israel, the world is not yet completed: people are completing it.
- adapted from Edmond Fleg
Midrash teaches us that, while watching the Egyptians succumb to the ten plagues, the angels broke into songs of jubilation. God rebuked them, saying "My creatures are perishing, and you sing praises?"
As we recite each plague, we spill a drop of wine - a symbol of job - from our cups. Our joy in our liberation will always be tarnished by the pain visted upon the Egyptians
דָם Blood Dam
Frogs Tzfarde’ah צְפַרְּדֵעַ
Lice Kinim כִּנִי
Wild Beasts Arov עָרֹוב
Blight Dever דֶבֶר
Boils Sh'chin ׁ שְחִין
Hail Barad בָרד
Locusts Arbeh אְרֶּבה
Darkness Choshech חשך
Slaying of the first born Makat B'chorot מַּכַת בכֹורֹות
These plagues are in the past, but today’s world holds plagues as well. Let us spill 10 more drops of wine as we recite these ten new plagues.
Apathy in the face of evil.
Brutal torture of the helpless
Cruel mockery of the old and the weak
Despair of human goodness
Envy of the joy of others
Falsehood and deception corroding our faith
Greedy theft of earth’s resources
Hatred of learning and culture
Instigation of war and aggression
Justice delayed, justice denied, justice mocked...
God, soften our hearts and the hearts of our enemies. Help us to dream new paths to freedom, so that the next sea-opening is not also a drowning; so that our singing is never again their wailing. So that our freedom leaves no one orphaned, childless, gasping for air.
What does this mean, "It would have been enough"? Surely no one of these would indeed have been enough for us. Dayenu means to celebrate each step toward freedom as if it were enough, then to start out on the next step. It means that if we reject each step because it is not the whole liberation, we will never be able to achieve the whole liberation. It means to sing each verse as if it were the whole song—and then sing the next verse.
Had God:
Brought us out of Egypt and not divided the sea for us—Dayenu
Divided the sea and not permitted us to cross on dry land—Dayenu
Permitted us to cross on dry land and not sustained us for forty years in the desert— Dayenu
Sustained us for forty years in the desert and not fed us with manna—Dayenu
Fed us with manna and not given us the Sabbath—Dayenu
Given us the Sabbath and not brought us to Mount Sinai—Dayenu
Brought us to Mount Sinai and not given us the Torah—Dayenu
Given us the Torah and not led us into the land of Israel—Dayenu
Led us into the land ofIsrael and not built for us the Temple—Dayenu
Built for us the Temple and not sent us prophets of truth—Dayenu
Sent us prophets of truth and not made us a holy people—Dayenu
For all these, alone and together, we say—Dayenu!
כַמָה מַעֲלוֹת טוֹבוֹת לַמָקוֹם עָלֵינו!
אִלו הוֹצִיאָנו מִמִצְרַים, וְלֹא עָשָה בָהֶם שְפָטִים,
דַיֵינו.
אִלו עָשָה בָהֶם שְפָטִים, וְלֹא עָשָה בֵאלֹהֵיהֶם,
דַיֵינו.
אִלו עָשָה בֵאלֹהֵיהֶם, וְלֹא הָרַג אֶת בְכוֹרֵיהֶם,
דַיֵינו.
אִלו הָרַג אֶת בְכוֹרֵיהֶם, וְלֹא נָתַן לָנו אֶת
מָמוֹנָם, דַיֵינו.
אִלו נָתַן לָנו אֶת מָמוֹנָם, וְלֹא קָרַע לָנו אֶת הַיָם,
דַיֵינו.
אִלו קָרַע לָנו אֶת הַיָם, וְלֹא הֶעֱבֵירָנו בְתוֹכוֹ
בֶחָרָבָה, דַיֵינו.
אִלו הֶעֱבֵירָנו בְתוֹכוֹ בֶחָרָבָה, וְלֹא שְקַע צָרֵנו
בְתוֹכוֹ, דַיֵינו.
אִלו שִקַע צָרֵנו בְתוֹכוֹ, וְלֹא סִפֵק צָרְכֵנו במִדְבָר אַרְבָעִים שָנָה, דַיֵינו.
אִלו סִפֵק צָרְכֵנו במִדְבָר אַרְבָעִים שָנָה, וְלֹא הֶאֱכִילָנו אֶת הַמָן, דַיֵינו.
אִלו הֶאֱכִילָנו אֶת הַמָן, וְלֹא נָתַן לָנו אֶת הַשַבָת,
דַיֵינו.
אִלו נָתַן לָנו אֶת הַשַבָת, וְלֹא קֵרְבָנו לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי,
דַיֵינו.
אִלו קֵרְבָנו לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי, וְלֹא נַָתַן לָנו אֶת הַתוֹרָה
, דַיֵינו.
אִלו נַָתַן לָנו אֶת הַתוֹרָה, וְלֹא הִכְנִיסָנו לְאֶרֶץ יִשְרָאֵל,
דַיֵינו.
אִלו הִכְנִיסָנו לְאֶרֶץ יִשְרָאֵל, וְלֹא בָנָה לָנו אֶת בֵית הַבְחִירָה, דַיֵינו
Rabban Gamaliel has said: one who has not explained the following three symbols has not fulfilled their duty: Pesach (the paschal lamb), matzah, and maror.
Jewish tradition grows by accretion. Rabban Gamaliel cherished three symbols; tonight we will explain seven!
The Maror, bitter herb or horseradish, which represents the bitterness of slavery.
The Haroset, a mixture of apples and nuts and wine, which represents the bricks and mortar we made in ancient times, and the new structures we are beginning to build in our lives today.
The Lamb Shank (or: beet) which represents the sacrifices we have made to survive.*2 Before the tenth plague, our people slaughtered lambs and marked our doors with blood: because of this marking, the Angel of Death passed over our homes and our first- born were spared.
The Egg, which symbolizes creative power, our rebirth.
The Parsley, which represents the new growth of spring, for we are earthy, rooted beings, connected to the Earth and nourished by our connection.
Salt water of our tears, both then and now.
Matzot of our unleavened hearts: may this Seder enable our spirits to rise.
And what about the orange?
A folk tradition claims that someone once criticized Jewish feminism by shouting, “Women belong on the bimah (pulpit) like oranges belong on the seder plate!” Hence, many today include oranges on their seder plates, as a symbol that women belong wherever Jews carry on a sacred life. Women do belong in Judaism, whether on the bimah or at the seder table, but that’s not actually how the orange tradition began.
§
In the early 1980s, Susannah Heschel attended a feminist seder where bread was placed on the seder plate, a reaction to a rebbetzin who had claimed lesbians had no more place in Judaism than bread crusts have at a seder.
“Bread on the seder plate...renders everything chametz, and its symbolism suggests that being lesbian is transgressive, violating Judaism,” Heschel writes. “I felt that an orange was suggestive of something else: the fruitfulness for all Jews when lesbians and gay men are contributing and active members of Jewish life.”16 To speak of slavery and long for liberation, she says, “demands that we acknowledge our own complicity in enslaving others.”17
§
One additional item on our seder plate, therefore, is an orange, representing the radical feminist notion that there is—there must be—a place at the table for all of us, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. May our lives be inclusive, welcoming, and fruitful.
And the olive?
The final item on our seder plate is an olive. After the Flood, Noah’s dove brought back an olive branch as a sign that the earth was again habitable. Today ancient olive groves are destroyed by violence, making a powerful symbol of peace into a casualty of war.
We keep an olive on our seder plate as an embodied prayer for peace, in the Middle East and every place where war destroys lives, hopes, and the freedoms we celebrate tonight.
The Passover Symbols
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.
The Orange
Even after one has encountered the collection of seemingly unconnected foods on the seder plate year after year, it’s fun to ask what it’s all about. Since each item is supposed to spur discussion, it makes sense that adding something new has been one way to introduce contemporary issues to a seder.
So how was it that the orange found its place on the seder plate as a Passover symbol of feminism and women’s rights?
The most familiar version of the story features Susannah Heschel, daughter of Abraham Joshua Heschel and scholar in her own right, giving a speech about the ordination of women clergy. From the audience, a man declared, “A woman belongs on the bima like an orange belongs on the seder plate!” However, Heschel herself tells a different story.
During a visit to Oberlin College in the early 1980s, she read a feminist Haggadah that called for placing a piece of bread on the seder plate as a symbol of the need to include gays and lesbians in Jewish life. Heschel liked the idea of putting something new on the seder plate to represent suppressed voices, but she was uncomfortable with using chametz, which she felt would invalidate the very ritual it was meant to enhance. She chose instead to add an orange and to interpret it as a symbol of all marginalized populations.
Miriam’s Cup
A decade later, the ritual of Miriam’s Cup emerged as another way to honor women during the seder. Miriam’s Cup builds upon the message of the orange, transforming the seder into an empowering and inclusive experience.
Although Miriam, a prophet and the sister of Moses, is never mentioned in the traditional Haggadah text, she is one of the central figures in the Exodus story.
According to Jewish feminist writer Tamara Cohen, the practice of filling a goblet with water to symbolize Miriam’s inclusion in the seder originated at a Rosh Chodesh group in Boston in 1989. The idea resonated with many people and quickly spread.
Miriam has long been associated with water. The rabbis attribute to Miriam the well that traveled with the Israelites throughout their wandering in the desert. In the Book of Numbers, the well dries up immediately following Miriam’s death. Of course, water played a role in Miriam’s life from the first time we meet her, watching over the infant Moses on the Nile, through her triumphant crossing of the Red Sea.
There is no agreed-upon ritual for incorporating Miriam’s Cup into the seder, but there are three moments in the seder that work particularly well with Miriam’s story.
1) As Moses’s sister, Miriam protected him as an infant and made sure he was safely received by Pharaoh’s daughter. Some seders highlight this moment by invoking her name at the start of the Maggid section when we begin telling the Passover story.
2) Other seders, such as this one, incorporate Miriam’s cup when we sing songs of praise during the Maggid and later during the Hallel as a reminder that Miriam led the Israelites in song and dance during the Exodus.
3) Still others place Miriam’s Cup alongside the cup we put out for Elijah.
Just as there is no set time in the seder to use Miriam’s Cup, there is no set ritual or liturgy either. Some fill the cup with water at the start of the seder; others fill the cup during the seder. Some sing Debbie Friedman’s “Miriam’s Song”; others sing “Miriam Ha-Neviah.” As with all seder symbols, Miriam’s Cup is most effective when it inspires discussion.
What does Miriam mean to you? How do all of her roles, as sister, protector, prophet, leader, singer, and dancer, contribute to our understanding of the Exodus story? Who are the Miriams of today?
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.”
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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.
Why do we eat matzah? Because during the Exodus, our ancestors had no time to waitfor dough to rise. So they improvised flat cakes without yeast, which could be bakedand consumed in haste. The matzah reminds us that when the chance for liberationcomes, we must seize it even if we do not feel ready—indeed, if we wait until we feel fully ready, we may never act at all
ברוך אתה יי אלהינו העולם, המוציא לחם מן הארץ
ברוך אתה יי אלהינו העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על אכילת מצה
Baruch atah, Adonai eloheinu,melech ha’olam, hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz. Baruch atah, Adonai eloheinu, melech ha’olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav, v’tzivanu al achilat matzah.
Blessed are you, Adonai, Breath of Life, who brings forth bread from the earth.
Blessed are you, Adonai, Breath of Life, who sanctifies us with the commandment to eat matzah.
Everyone eats a piece of matzah.
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Why do we eat maror? Maror represents the bitterness of bondage. Why do we eat haroset? It symbolizes the mortar for the bricks our ancestors laid in Egypt. Though it represents slave labor, haroset is sweet, reminding us that sometimes constriction or enslavement can be masked in familiar sweetness
Eating the two together, we remind ourselves to be mindful of life with all its sweetness and bitterness, and to seek balance between the two
ברוץ אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על אכילת מרור
Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech ha’olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat maror.
Blessed are you, Adonai, sovereign of all worlds, who sanctifies us with the commandment to eat the bitter herb.
****
When the Temple still stood, the sage Hillel originated the tradition of eating matzah and maror together, combining the bread of liberation with a remembrance of the bitterness of slavery. In following his example, we create a physical representation of the holiday’s central dialectical tension.
Everyone eats a Hillel Sandwich: maror between two pieces of matzah.
It is customary to begin the meal with hard-boiled eggs flavored with salt water. This was the practice in Roman times. The egg has come to be symbolic of new growth, of new life, of hope. The roasted egg on the Seder plate has come to represent the ancient Temple service in Jerusalem, the holy city.
Find the afikoman and distribute it to all who are seated at the table.
When the Temple still stood in Jerusalem, it was customary to make an offering of a paschal lamb at this season. Now we eat the afikoman in memory of the offering.
Tzafun means “hidden,” and the afikoman is usually hidden for children to find. Why end the meal thus? Because we want the dinner to end with the taste of slavery/freedom in our mouths—thus the taste of matzah, rather than some unrelated sweet.
But this explains eating matzah late, not the charade of hiding it. The hiding works on two levels: it intrigues the kids—and it allows us to affirm our sense of the Hidden and Mysterious. On this theory, we hide the larger half of the broken matzah because we are affirming that there is more that is Hidden and Mysterious in the world than any information we can gather.
שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלות בְּשׁוּב ה' אֶת שִׁיבַת צִיּון הָיִינוּ כְּחלְמִים:אָז יִמָלֵא שחוק פִּינוּ וּלְשׁונֵנוּ רִנָּהאָז יאמְרוּ בַגּויִם הִגְדִּיל ה' לַעֲשות עִם אֵלֶּה:הִגְדִּיל ה' לַעֲשות עִמָּנוּ הָיִינוּ שמֵחִים:שׁוּבָה ה' אֶת שְׁבִיתֵנוּ כַּאֲפִיקִים בַּנֶּגֶב:הַזּרְעִים בְּדִמְעָה בְּרִנָּה יִקְצרוּ:הָלוךְ יֵלֵךְ וּבָכה נשא מֶשֶׁךְ הַזָּרַע בּא יָבא בְרִנָּה נשא אֲלֻמּתָיו:
Shir Hama'alot, b'shuv Adonai et shivat tziyon hayinu k'chol'mim. Az Y'male s'chok pinu ulshoneinu rina. Az yom'ru vagoyim higdil Adonai la'asot im eleh; higdil Adonai la'asot imanu hayinu s'meicheim. Shuva Adonai et shiviteinu ka'afikim banegev. Hazor'im b'dimah b'rinah yiktzoru. Haloch Yelech uvacho, noseh meshech hazarah, bo yavo v'rinah noseh alumotav.
חַבֵרַי נְבָרֵך :Leader
(leader repeats) יְהִי שֵם יי מְברַך מֵעַתָה וְעַד עולָם :All
בִרְשות חַבֵרָי, נְבָרֵ אֱלהֵינו שֶאָכַלנו מִשלו :Leader
בָרוך אֱלהֵינו שֶאָכַלנו מִשלו ובטובו חָיינו :All
בָרוך היא, ובָרוך שְמו:Leader
Leader: Chaverai n'varech
All: Y'hi shem Adonia m'varach me'ata v'ad olam (leader repeats)
Leader: B'irshut chaverai. N'varech eloheinu shel hanu mishelo
All: Baruch eloheinu shel chanu mishelo u'vtuvo chayeinu
Leader: Baruchu u'varuch shemo
Friends, let us bless. Let us bless the Name of Adonai from now until forever! With your permission, friends, let us bless our God from Whom our food comes. We bless the name of God from Whom our food comes, and through whose goodness we live. Blessed is God and blessed is the Name!
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם, הַזָּן אֶת הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ בְּטוּבוֹ בְּחֵן בְּחֶסֶד וּבְרַחֲמִים הוּא נוֹתֵן לֶחֶם לְכָל בָשָׂר כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ. וּבְטוּבוֹ הַגָּדוֹל תָּמִיד לֹא חָסַר לָנוּ, וְאַל יֶחְסַר לָנוּ מָזוֹן לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. בַּעֲבוּר שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל, כִּי הוּא אֵל זָן וּמְפַרְנֵס לַכֹּל וּמֵטִיב לַכֹּל, וּמֵכִין מָזוֹן לְכֹל בְּרִיּוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, הַזָּן אֶת הַכֹּל:
Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech ha'olam, hazan et ha-olam kulo b'tuvo b'chen b'chesed uv'rachamim. Hu noten lechem l'chol basar, ki l'olam chasdo. Uvtuvo hagadol, tamid lo chasar lanu, v'al yachsar lanu mazon l'olam va'ed. Ba'avur shemo hagadol, ki hu el zan um'farnes lakol, umeitiv lakol, u'mechin mazon, l'chol briyotav asher bara. Baruch atah, Adonai, hazan et hakol!
.We bless you now, Wholly One, the power and majesty in all
You gave us this food,
you sustain our lives.
With your grace, with your love, your compassion.
You provide all the food that comes to us,
guiding and nourishing our lives!
Now we hope and we pray
for a wondrous day when no one in our world
will lack bread or food to eat.
We will work to help bring on that time,
when all who hunger will eat and be filled.
Every human will know that Your love is a power
sustaining all life and doing good for all.
We bless you now Wholly One, for feeding everything!
עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו הוּא יַעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן: יְראוּ אֶת יי קְדוֹשָׁיו כִּי אֵין מַחְסוֹר לִירֵאָיו: כְּפִירִים רָשׁוּ וְרָעֵבוּ וְדוֹרְשֵׁי יי לא יַחְסְרוּ כָל טוֹב: הוֹדוּ לַיי כִּי טוֹב כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ: פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶךָ וּמַשְׂבִּיעַ לְכָל חַי רָצוֹן: בָּרוּךְ הַגֶּבֶר אֲשֶׁר יִבְטַח בַּיי וְהָיָה יי מִבְטַחוֹ: נַעַר הָיִיתִי גַם זָקַנְתִּי וְלא רָאִיתִי צַדִּיק נֶעֱזָב וְזַרְעוֹ מְבַקֶּשׁ לָחֶם: יי עֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן יי יְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם:
Oseh shalom bimromav. Hu ya'aseh shalom, aleinu v'al kol Yisrael v'imeru: Amen! Y'ru et Adonai k'doshav ki ein machsor lireyav, k'firim rashu v'raevu, v'doroshei Adonai lo y'chasru kol tov. Hodu l'Adonai ki tov, ki l'olam chasdo, potech et yadecha umasbia l'chol chai ratzon. Baruch hagever asher yivtach ba'Adonai v'haya Adonai mivtacho. Na'ar hayiti gam zakanti v'lo raiti tzadik ne'ezav, v'zaro m'vakesh lachem. Adonai oz v'amo yiten; Adoni n'varech et amo vashalom!
May the One who makes peace in the high heavens make peace for us and for all Israel, and we say: Amen! Have awe of God, you who are holy; those who have awe will be sustained. Those who deny God are lacking and hungry. Those who seek God shall not lack goodness. Give thanks to God, for God is good; God’s mercy endures forever. God opens God’s hand and satisfies every living thing with favor. Blessed is the one who trusts in God, for God will be their protection. I have been young, and I have been old, but I have not seen a righteous person abandoned or that person’s seed destitute. May God give strength to our people; may God bless our people with peace. May all be fed, may all be nourished, and may all be loved.
The third cup of wine represents God’s third declaration of redemption: וגאלתי / V'go'alti —“I will liberate you with an outstretched arm…”
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן:
Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech ha’olam, borei pri hagafen.
Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, creator of the fruit of the vine.
PSALM 114
בֵּצֵאת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם, בֵּית יַעֲקֹב מֵעַם לֹעֵז: הָיְתָה יְהוּדָה לְקָדְשׁוֹ. יִשְׂרָאֵל מַמְשְׁלוֹתָיו: הַיָּם רָאָה וַיָּנֹס, הַיַּרְדֵּן יִסֹּב לְאָחוֹר: הֶהָרִים רָקְדוּ כְאֵילִים. גְּבָעוֹת כִּבְנֵי–צֹאן:מַה–לְּךָ הַיָּם כִּי תָנוּס. הַיַּרְדֵּן תִּסֹּב לְאָחוֹר: הֶהָרִים תִּרְקְדו כְאֵילִים. גְּבָעוֹת כִּבְנֵי–צֹאן: מִלִּפְנֵי אָדוֹן חוּלִי אָרֶץ. מִלִּפְנֵי אֱלוֹהַּ יַעֲקֹב: הַהֹפְכִי הַצּוּר אֲגַם–מָיִם. חַלָּמִישׁ לְמַעְיְנוֹ–מָיִם.
B'tzeit Yisrael mi-Mitzrayim, beit Ya'acov me'am loez: haita y'hudah l'kodsho, Yisrael mamshelovav: Hayam ra'ah vayanos, ha-Yarden yisov l'achor: heharim rakdo k'eilim. G'vaot kivnei-tzon: mah-lecha hayam ki tanus, ha-Yarden tisov l'achor: heharim tir'kdu ch'eilim, g'vaot kivnei-tzon? Milifnei Adon chuli aretz. Milifnei eloha Ya-akov. Ha-hof'chi ha-tzur agam mayim. Halamish l'maino mayim.
When Israel went forth from Mitzrayim,
The house of Jacob from a people of strange speech,
Judah became God’s holy one,
Israel, God’s dominion.
The sea saw them and fled,
The Jordan ran backward,
Mountains skipped like rams,
Hills like sheep.
What alarmed you, O sea, that you fled,
Jordan, that you ran backward,
Mountains, that you skipped like rams,
Hills, like sheep?
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of Adonai,
At the presence of the God of Jacob,
Who turned the rock into a pool of water,
The flinty rock into a fountain.
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I thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(I who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday;this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
How should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any—lifted from the no
of all nothing—human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
(—e.e. cummings)
****
From PSALM 118
מִן הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי יָּהּ, עָנָנִי בַמֶּרְחָב יָהּ.
Min ha-meitzar karati Yah, anani vamerchav yah.
From the straits I called to You; You answered me with great expansiveness.
עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ, וַיְהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה.
Ozi v'zimrat Yah, va-y'hi li li-y'shua.
God is my strength and my song, and will be my salvation.
פִּתְחוּ לִי שַׁעֲרֵי צֶדֶק ,אָבֹא בָם אוֹדֶה יָהּ.
Pitchu li shaarei tzedek, avo vam odeh Yah.
Open for me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter and offer praise.
זֶה הַשַּׁעַר לַיְיָ, צַדִּיקִים יָבֹאוּ בוֹ.
Zeh ha-sha'ar l'Adonai, tzadikim yavo-u vo.
This is the gate of Adonai; righteous people enter through it!
זֶה הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה יְיָ, נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בוֹ.
Zeh hayom asah Yahh; nahgilah v’nismecha bo.
This is the day which God has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Elijah the prophet challenged injustice and overthrew the worship of idols. He healed the humble sick and helped the widowed. Elijah declared that he would return once each generation in the guise of someone poor or oppressed, coming to people's doors to see how he would be treated. Thus would he know whether or not humanity had become ready to participate in the dawn of the Messianic age.
Tonight we welcome two prophets: not only Elijah, but also Miriam, sister of Moses. Elijah is a symbol of messianic redemption at the end of time; Miriam, of redemption in our present lives. Miriam’s cup is filled with water, evoking her Well which followed the Israelites in the wilderness.
After the crossing of the Red Sea, Miriam sang to the Israelites a song. The words in the Torah are only the beginning:
Sing to God, for God has triumphed gloriously; Horse and driver, God has hurled into the sea.
So the Rabbis asked: Why is the Song of Miriam only partially stated in the Torah? And in midrash is found the answer: the song is incomplete so that future generations will finish it. That is our task
Open the door for Elijah and Miriam. We raise Elijah and Miriam’s cups and say together:
You abound in blessings,
God, creator of the universe,
Who sustains us with
living water. May we,
like the children of Israel
leaving Egypt, be guarded
and nurtured & kept alive
in the wilderness
and may You
give
us
eyes
to
see
that
the
journey
itself holds
the promise of redemption. Amen.
.אליָהוּ הןביא, אֵליָהוּ התשׁבּי, אליָהוּ, אליָהוּ, אליָהוּ הגלעָדי, בּנהרָה ביָמֵנוּ יָבא אֵלֵינוּ עם מָשיח בּן דָוד, עם מָשיח בּן דָוד
Eliyahu hanavi, Eliyahu hatishbi, Eliyahu hagiladi. Bimheirah b'yameinu, yavo eileinu, im Mashiach ben David.
May Elijah the prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah of Gilead, quickly in our day come to us heralding redemption.
מִרִיַם הַנְבִעאה עז בְזִמְרָה בְיָדָהמִרִיַם תִרְקד אִתָנוּ לְתַקֵן אֶת הֵעולַםבִמְהֵרַ ה בְיָמֵנוּ הִיא תְבִיאֵנוּ !אֶל מֵי הַיְשוּעָה, אֶל מֵי הַיְשוּאָה
Miriam tirkod itanu l'taken et ha-olam. Miriam ha-n'vi'ah oz v'zimrah b'yadah. Bimheirah v'yameinu hi t'vi'einu El mei ha-y'shuah; el mei ha'y'shuah!
Miriam the prophet, strength and song in her hand; Miriam, dance with us in order to increase the song of the world! Miriam, dance with us in order to repair the world. Soon she will bring us to the waters of redemption!
(Hebrew lyrics by R'Leila Gal Berner)
1. Who knows one? I know one!
One is our God!
In Heaven and the Earth.
אחד אלוהינו שבשמיים ובארץ
2. Who knows two? I know two!
Two are the tablets of the commandments
One is our God!
In Heaven and the Earth.
שני לוחות הברית
3. Who knows three? I know three!
Three are the number of the patriarchs,
Two are the tables of the commandments
One is our God!
In Heaven and the Earth
שלושה אבות
4. Who knows four? I know four!
Four are the number of the matriarchs,
Three are the number of the patriarchs,
Two are the tables of the commandments
One is our God!
In Heaven and the Earth
ארבע אימהות
.ד
5. Who knows five? I know five!
Five books there are in the Torah
Four are the number of the matriarchs
Three are the number of the patriarchs
Two are the tables of the commandments
One is our God!
In heaven and on Earth
חמישה חומשי תורה
6. Who knows six? I know six!
Six sections the Mishnah has,
Five are the books in the Torah
Four are the number of the matriarchs
Three are the number of the patriarchs
Two are the tables of the commandments
One is our God!
In Heaven and on Earth
שישה סידרי משנה
7. Who knows seven? I know seven!
Seven days there are in a week
Six sections the Mishnah has
Five books there are in the Torah
Four are the number of the matriarchs
Three are the number of the patriarchs
Two are the tables of the commadments
One is our God!
In Heaven and on Earth
שיבעה ימי שבתא
8. Who knows eight? I know eight!
Eight are the days to the service of the covenant
Seven days there are in a week
Six sections the Mishnah has
Five books there are in the Torah
Four are the number of the matriarchs
Three are the number of the patriarchs
Two are the tables of the commadments
One is our God!
In Heaven and on Earth
שמונה ימי מילה
9. Who knows nine? I know nine!
Nine are the number of the holidays
Eight are the days to the service of the covenant
Seven days there are in a week
Six sections the Mishnah has
Five books there are in the Torah
Four are the number of the matriarchs
Three are the number of the patriarchs
Two are the tables of the commadments
One is our God!
In Heaven and on Earth
תישעה ירחי לידה
10. Who know ten? I know ten!
Ten commandments were given on Sinai.
Nine are the number of the holidays
Eight are the days to the service of the covenant
Seven days there are in a week
Six sections the Mishnah has
Five books there are in the Torah
Four are the number of the matriarchs
Three are the number of the patriarchs
Two are the tables of the commadments
One is our God!
In Heaven and on Earth
עשרה דיבריא
11. Who knows eleven? I know eleven!
Eleven were the stars in Joseph's dream
Ten commandments were given on Sinai.
Nine are the number of the holidays
Eight are the days to the service of the covenant
Seven days there are in a week
Six sections the Mishnah has
Five books there are in the Torah
Four are the number of the matriarchs
Three are the number of the patriarchs
Two are the tables of the commadments
One is our God!
In Heaven and on Earth
אחד עשר כוכביא
12. Who knows twelve? I know twelve!
Twelve are the tribes of Israel
Eleven were the stars in Joseph's dream
Ten commandments were given on Sinai.
Nine are the number of the holidays
Eight are the days to the service of the covenant
Seven days there are in a week
Six sections the Mishnah has
Five books there are in the Torah
Four are the number of the matriarchs
Three are the number of the patriarchs
Two are the tables of the commadments
One is our God!
In Heaven and on Earth
שנים עשר שיבטיא
13. Who knows thirteen? I know thirteen!
Thirteen are the attributes of God
Twelve are the tribes of Israel
Eleven were the stars in Joseph's dream
Ten commandments were given on Sinai.
Nine are the number of the holidays
Eight are the days to the service of the covenant
Seven days there are in a week
Six sections the Mishnah has
Five books there are in the Torah
Four are the number of the matriarchs
Three are the number of the patriarchs
Two are the tables of the commadments
One is our God!
In Heaven and on Earth
שלשה עשר מדיא
דְזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
וְאָתָא שׁוּנְרָא, וְאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
וְאָתָא כַלְבָּא, וְנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד
גַּדְיָא
וְאָתָא חוּטְרָא, וְהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי
זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
וְאָתָא נוּרָא, וְשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא, דְהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְזַבִּין
אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
וְאָתָא מַיָּא, וְכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא, דְהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה
לְגַדְיָא, דְזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
וְאָתָא תוֹרָא, וְשָׁתָא לְמַיָּא, דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא, דְהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ
לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
וְאָתָא הַשׁוֹחֵט, וְשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא, דְּשָׁתָא לְמַיָּא, דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא,דְהִכָּה
לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
וְאָתָא מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת, וְשָׁחַט לְשׁוֹחֵט, דְּשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא, דְּשָׁתָא לְמַיָּא, דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא,
דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא,דְהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי
זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
וְאָתָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְשָׁחַט לְמַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת, דְּשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא, דְּשָׁתָא לְמַיָּא,
דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְזַבִּין
אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
An only kid, an only kid.
My father bought for two zuzim, had gadya.
1. Then came the cat that ate the kid...
2. Then came the dog
That bit the cat
That ate the kid...
3. Then came the stick
That beat the dog
That bit the cat
That ate the kid...
4. Then came the fire
That burned the stick
Then came the stick
That beat the dog
That bit the cat
That ate the kid...
5. Then came the water
That quenched the fire
That burned the stick
Then came the stick
That beat the dog
That bit the cat
That ate the kid...
6. Then came the ox
That drank the water
That quenched the fire
That burned the stick
Then came the stick
That beat the dog
That bit the cat
That ate the kid...
7. Then came the butcher
That killed the ox
That drank the water
That quenched the fire
That burned the stick
Then came the stick
That beat the dog
That bit the cat
That ate the kid...
8. Then came the angel of death
And slew the butcher
That killed the ox
That drank the water
That quenched the fire
That burned the stick
Then came the stick
That beat the dog
That bit the cat
That ate the kid...
9. Then came the Holy One,
And destroyed the angel of death
And slew the butcher
That killed the ox
That drank the water
That quenched the fire
That burned the stick
Then came the stick
That beat the dog
That bit the cat
That ate the kid...
The fourth cup of wine represents God’s fourth declaration of redemption: “I will claim you for me as a people, and I will be your God
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן
Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech ha’olam, borei pri hagafen.
Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, creator of the fruit of the vine.
We dedicate this fifth cup to our hopes that the Israelis and Palestinians will be released from the bondage of hatred and violence; that the descendants of Isaac and Ishmael may live as brothers, not enemies. Isaac Luria taught that, when the world was made, God’s infinity was too great to be contained, and creation shattered. The world that we know consists of broken vessels, with sparks of God trapped inside. We bless this cup to remind us of our obligation to find the holy sparks in our broken world, and to fix what must be mended.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן:
Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech ha’olam, borei pri hagafen.
Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, creator of the fruit of the vine.
Here concludes the Passover seder,
In accordance with its rules,
All its laws and dictums.
Just as we were fortunate
enough to make this seder,
so may we be fortunate
enough to do it again.
Pure One who dwells on high
raise up a community,
A people beyond counting.
May You soon guide those sturdy stems,
Those freed people, on to Zion with songs of joy.
Next year in Jerusalem!
Next year, may we all be free!
L'shanah haba'ah birushalayim לֹשָנָה הָבאָה ּזבווּשָלָים
.אדיר הוא. אדיר הוא. יבנה ביתו בקרוב. במהרה. במהרה. בימינו בקרוב. אל בנה. על בנה. בנה ביתך בקרוב
Adir hu. Adir hu. Yivneh beito b'karov. Bimheyrah. Bimheyrah. V'yameynu b'karov. El b'nei. El b'nei. B'nei b'eitcha b'karov.
בחור הוא. גדול הוא. דחול הוא. יבנה ביתו בקרוב. במהרה. במהרה. בימינו בקרוב. אל בנה. על בנה. בנה ביתך בקרוב
Bachur hu. Gadol hu. Dachol hu. Yivneh beito b'karov. Bimheyrah. Bimheyrah. V'yameynu b'karov. El b'nei. El b'nei. B'nei b'eitcha b'karov.
נאור הוא. סגיב הוא. עזוז הוא. יבנה ביתו בקרוב. במהרה. במהרה. בימינו בקרוב. אל בנה. על בנה. בנה ביתך בקרוב
Na'or hu. Sagid hu. Azuz hu. Yivneh beito b'karov. Bimheyrah. Bimheyrah. V'yameynu b'karov. El b'nei. El b'nei. B'nei b'eitcha b'karov.
פודה הוא. צדיק הוא. קדוש הוא. יבנה ביתו בקרוב. במהרה. במהרה. בימינו בקרוב. אל בנה. על בנה. בנה ביתך בקרוב
Thine all praise in these days
As in ages of hoary,
Mad'st the proclamation,
To their task are driven;
