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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Praised be Thou, O Lord, our God, King of the universe, who hast sanctified us with Thy commandments, and enjoined upon us the mitzvah of kindling the Festival lights.
Baruh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, asher kideshanu bemitzvotav ve-tsivanu lehadlik ner shel yom tov.
Praised be Thou, O Lord our God, King of theuniverse, who hast kept us in life and sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.
Baruh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, she-he-he-yanu, ve-kiy' manu, ve-higi-anu la-z'man ha-zeh.
Blessing of the children:
_______, be who you are, and may you be blessed in all that you are.
Blessing of everyone assembled:
May God bless you and keep you;
May God cause His spirit to shine upon you and be gracious unto you;
May God turn His Spirit unto you and grant you peace.
Tonight, we are here to share a story.
It is the story of how the Jewish people escaped slavery in Egypt. Although they were afraid, they chose to rise up together. They risked their lives to ensure that their children, and their children's children would live in freedom.
Tonight, we are here to remember.
Through prayer and song, ritual and symbol, custom and ceremony, we fulfill the command to "look upon ourselves although we were among those enslaved and then brought forth unto freedom. "This self-indentification with the past of our people helps us to appreciate the freedom that is ours - and to understand more fully the plight of those of our people who still dwell under the shadow of tyranny. The Seder calls upon us to do all in our power to emancipate them from oppression. If a people is anywhere exploited and oppressed, then nowhere is freedom really secure.The seder summons us to vigilance in the struggle to preserve and advance the cause of freedom and human dignity. Tonight we remember and renew that commitment.
Tonight, we are here to celebrate.
We celebrate family and friendship. We celebrate the freedom that we all share together.
All Jewish celebrations, from holidays to weddings, include wine as a symbol of our 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, who 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. 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!)
Urchatz - Wash Your Hands To Prepare for the Seder
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.
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.
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. However, because Passover is a reminder that often joy and sorrow go hand in hand,we 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 need them.
Yachatz - Breaking the Middle Matzah
(There are three pieces of matzah stacked on the table. We now break the middle matzah into two pieces. The larger piece becomes the afikoman.)
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.
All our welcome at our Seder table. In the struggle for freedom, we are all made family. As a sign of hospitality, we open our doors.
(Open the front door)
(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.
(Close the door. Fill the second cup of wine.)
Maggid - Tell the Story of Passover
The formal telling of the story of Passover is framed as a discussion with lots of questions and answers.Asking questions is a core tradition in Jewish life.
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.
1.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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. On all other nights we eat either sitting normally or reclining. Tonight we recline.
Answers
1. We eat matzah because when our ancestors were about the leave Egypt, they had no time to bake bread with leavening, so they baked it without leaven.
2. We eat bitter herbs to remind us of the bitterness our ancestors experienced when they were oppressed by their Egyptian taskmasters.
3. We dip food twice, the parsley in salt water and the bitter herbs in haroset to remind us that joy and sorrow often come together.
4. We lean when we partake of wine and symbolic foods as a sign of freedom. In antiquity, slaves often ate in a hurry, standing up, while royalty and the wealthy dined on couches. To indicate that the ancient Israelites were free, they too reclined while eating.
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?
To this child, explain all the laws of Passover, even to the last detail, that nothing may be eaten and no entertainment or revelry is to take place after the afikoman.
What does the wicked child say?
The wicked child asks, What does this service mean to you?
The words "to you" suggest that this child does not think this service has any significant to him and that he has separated himself from the Jewish people. Help this child understand the sacrifices that have been made to grant him freedom. Show him that the freedom that he takes for granted is a gift that must not be squandered.
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.
For this child, begin with the story so that he understands the gift of freedom.
God had made a promise to Abraham that his family would become a great nation, but this promise came with a frightening vision of the troubles along the way: “Your descendants will dwell for a time in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and afflicted for four hundred years; however, I will punish the nation that enslaved them, and afterwards they shall leave with great wealth."
Raise the glass of wine and say:
וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ וְלָֽנוּ
V’hi she-amda l’avoteinu v’lanu.
This promise has sustained our ancestors and us.
For not only one enemy has risen against us to annihilate us, but in every generation there are those who rise against us. But God saves us from those who seek to harm us.
The glass of wine is put down.
The story of Exodus is the story of God keeping that promise. Pharaoh tried to enslave us, and God set us free. When Pharaoh refused to let the Jews leave, he set the ten plagues on Egypt.
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. How can we fully rejoice in our freedom when we know that our redemption involved the suffering of the Egyptians. We cannot be happy when any human being, even an enemy, is afflicted. For that reason, the second "Cup of Joy" can't be full. It is a symbol of gladness, but it is lesser by the wine we spill to express sorrow for the Egyptians.
(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
Smiting of the Firstborn | makat b’chorot |מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת
Go to page 23 of the Silverman Haggadah to sing Dayyenu.
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.”
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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.
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.
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?
ברוּךְ אַתָּה יְיַָ 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.
Break the bottom matzah into small pieces. Each person receives two pieces between which are placed some of the bitter herbs.
We eat the Matzah and Maror together because slavery and freedom are one event. The bread of poverty became the bread of freedom and should be tasted together wight he bitter Maror, so that one should know both the bitterness of slavery and the joy of freedom at the same time.
Eat the Matzah and Maror Sandwich.
Mirabelle
Because I am free...
I get to go to horseback riding lessons
I get to go to school
I get to play with all my friends
I might get to join the swim team
Isaac and Quinn:
Because I am free...
I can play with my friends
I can go to school
I got to go to skiing lessons this year
I can hug mommy
I can play with Max and Eli
I can go to swimming
I can ride my bike
Max
"Because I am free I do not have to eat what another person tells me. Because I am free I do not have to do what anyone else tells me to do."
Sadie, Noa, and Miles:
Because I am Free
I can
Skip out of the house
Spill out of the house
Walk out of the house
Jump out of the house
Dance out of the house.
Because I am free
I can say, “I don’t agree. I’m not happy with that.”
Because I am free
I can try it my way,
Gracefully, loudly, softly, happily.
I can row my way down the stream and
I can pick my stream.
Or I can just play in the garden.
I can dress like a cat
Wearing a Moco bow like a flapping bird
And leap into the library and
Read any book I like.
I can sing anything
I can be anything
I can do anything
I can think anything
Because I am free.
Before we enjoy our Festival meal together, let's take a moment to remember those, both near and far, who are not free. Let us remember those who are enslaved, those who are not free to live as they choose, those who are not free from poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia, and all other forms of bigotry and oppression. Let us make a commitment to notice and appreciate everything that we have in our own lives and to work towards helping end oppression for all.
"Oppression" by Langston Hughes
Now dreams
Are not available
To the dreamers,
Nor songs
To the singers.
In some lands
Dark night
And cold steel
Prevail
But the dream
Will come back,
And the song
Break
Its jail.
