Introduction

Pesach is a time of inclusion.

On seder night, there are two moments where we metaphorically open our doors and invite others in. One is at the opening of the Magid portion of the seder, when we say, “All who are hungry come and eat.” There is a beautiful message here: we were once slaves; poor and hungry, and we remember our redemption by sharing what we have with others. The other, comes towards the end of the seder, when we have the custom of pouring a fifth cup of wine, which we claim is for Elijah the Prophet. This is a statement of faith, a statement that says that although we are a free people, our redemption is not yet complete, and we believe that it will come.

From the most downtrodden to the most celebrated, the message is clear: everyone is welcome and everyone is necessary.

The Mishnah (Pesahim 10:5) teaches us that: בכל דור ודור חייב אדם לראות את עצמו כאילו הוא יצא ממצרים

In every generation a person is obligated to see themselves as if they left Egypt

Further, the reliving of the story of the Exodus affords us the opportunity see one’s true self. It is only when we are able to see ourselves clearly, that we are able to be redeemed. But perhaps the only way we are able to see ourselves, is when we are truly able to see those around us. 

#nextyearinperson (- Frankie Gowrie)

The Seder Plate

We place a Seder Plate at our table as a reminder to discuss certain aspects of the Passover story. Each item has its own significance.

Maror – The bitter herb. This symbolizes the harshness of lives of the Jews in Egypt.

Charoset – A delicious mix of sweet wine, apples, cinnamon and nuts that resembles the mortar used as bricks of the many buildings the Jewish slaves built in Egypt

Karpas – A green vegetable, usually parsley, is a reminder of the green sprouting up all around us during spring and is used to dip into the saltwater

Zeroah – A roasted lamb or shank bone symbolizing the sacrifice made at the great temple on Passover (The Paschal Lamb)

Beitzah – The egg symbolizes a different holiday offering that was brought to the temple. Since eggs are the first item offered to a mourner after a funeral, some say it also evokes a sense of mourning for the destruction of the temple.

Orange - The orange on the seder plate has come to symbolize full inclusion in modern day Judaism: not only for women, but also for people with disabilities, intermarried couples, and the LGBT Community.

Matzah

Matzah is the unleavened bread we eat to remember that when the jews fled Egypt, they didn’t even have time to let the dough rise on their bread. We commemorate this by removing all bread and bread products from our home during Passover.

Elijah’s Cup

The fifth ceremonial cup of wine poured during the Seder. It is left untouched in honor of Elijah, who, according to tradition, will arrive one day as an unknown guest to herald the advent of the Messiah. During the Seder dinner, biblical verses are read while the door is briefly opened to welcome Elijah. In this way the Seder dinner not only commemorates the historical redemption from Egyptian bondage of the Jewish people but also calls to mind their future redemption when Elijah and the Messiah shall appear.

Miriam’s Cup

Another relatively new Passover tradition is that of Miriam’s cup. The cup is filled with water and placed next to Elijah’s cup. Miriam was the sister of Moses and a prophetess in her own right. After the exodus when the Israelites are wandering through the desert, just as Hashem gave them Manna to eat, legend says that a well of water followed Miriam and it was called ‘Miriam’s Well’. The tradition of Miriam’s cup is meant to honor Miriam’s role in the story of the Jewish people and the spirit of all women, who nurture their families just as Miriam helped sustain the Israelites.

In the early 1980s, while speaking at Oberlin College Hillel (the campus Jewish organization), Susannah Heschel, a well-known Jewish feminist scholar (and daughter of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel), was introduced to an early feminist Haggadah that suggested adding a crust of bread on the seder plate, as a sign of solidarity with Jewish lesbians (which was intended to convey the idea that there’s as much room for a lesbian in Judaism as there is for a crust of bread on the seder plate). 

Heschel felt that to put bread on the seder plate [leavened food] violates Passover. So at her next seder, she chose an orange as a symbol of inclusion of gays and lesbians and others who are marginalized within the Jewish community. 

See more at: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/an-orange-on-the-seder-plate/

The seder officially begins with a physical act: lighting the candles.  In Jewish tradition, lighting candles and saying a blessing over them marks a time of transition, from the day that is ending to the one that is beginning, from ordinary time to sacred time.  Lighting the candles is an important part of our Passover celebration because their flickering light reminds us of the importance of keeping the fragile flame of freedom alive in the world.

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with laws and commanded us to light the festival lights.

As we light the festival candles, we acknowledge that as they brighten our Passover table, good thoughts, good words, and good deeds brighten our days.

Blessing the Children

Since ancient times, Jewish parents have blessed their children on the eve of Shabbat and holidays with these blessing from the Bible. On this eve of memory, when generations sit together at the table, we bless children both present and absent.

Yivarech’cha Adonai v’yishmerecha, Ya-eir Adonai panav eilecha vichuneka, Yisa Adonai panav eilecha v’yaseim l’cha shalom. May God bless you and watch over you. May God’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May God’s face be lifted up to you, and grant you peace. 

Blessing for daughters

Yisimeich Elohim k’Sarah, Rivkah, Racheil v’Leah                                                                                                                                          May God bless you with the strength and vision of Sarah, with the wisdom and foresight of Rebekah, with the courage and compassion of Rachel, and with the gentleness and graciousness of Leah.

Blessing for sons

Yisimeich Elohim K’Ephrayim v’chiM’nashe                                                                                                                                                 May God bless you with the strength and faithfulness of Ephraim and the wisdom of Menasseh.

Jewish celebrations usually include wine as a symbol of joy.

Wine sanctifies an occasion and makes it holy.

During the Passover Seder we drink four cups of wine, why four?

In the Book of Exodus, God convinced the Jews to leave Egypt using four statements:

I shall take you out
I shall rescue you
I shall redeem you
I shall bring you

We toast each of these statements with a cup of wine.

The First Glass of Wine

Holding the cup of wine in one's right hand, recite:

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.

Karpas - Dipping Parsley in Salt Water 

Parsley is dipped in salt water and then eaten. The parsley symbolizes both the humble origins of the Jewish people as well as the rebirth of spring, which is starting now.  The salt water symbolizes the tears shed during our slavery.

Before eating the vegetable, recite the following blessing:

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה

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

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.

Yachatz - Breaking the Middle Matzah

The middle matzah on the plate is broken in half. One half is put back with the stack; the other half is placed in a napkin (or special holder) and designated the Afikomen (the dessert) and put aside.

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.

Afikomen -

Based on the Mishnah in Pesahim 119b, the afikoman is a substitute for the Passover sacrifice, which was the last thing eaten at the Passover Seder during the eras of the First and Second Temples and during the period of the Tabernacle. The Talmud states that it is forbidden to have any other food after the afikoman, so that the taste of the matzo that was eaten after the meal remains in the participants' mouths.

It is custom for the leader to hide the Afikomen and for children to find before it is eaten after the meal.

There are three commandments connected with Pesach. The three commandments are:
1. To eat Matzah on the first night.  2. To not eat Chametz.  3. To tell the story. 

The central imperative of the Seder is to tell the story. The Bible instructs: “ You shall tell your child on that day, saying: ‘This is because of what Adonai did for me when I came out of Egypt.' ” (Exodus 13:8) We relate the story of our ancestors to regain the memories as our own. Elie Weisel writes: God created man because He loves stories. We each have a story to tell — a story of enslavement, struggle, liberation. Be sure to tell your story at the Seder table, for the Passover is offered not as a one-time event, but as a model for human experience in all generations. 

- We uncover the plate of matzot, and lift up the entire plate. 

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

-   We put down the plate of matzot and cover it once again. 

Written in Aramaic, this statement begins the narration of the Seder by inviting the hungry to our table. Aramaic, Jewish legend has it, is the one language which the angels do not understand. Why then is Ha Lachma spoken in Aramaic? To teach us that where there is hunger, no one should rely upon the angels, no one should pray to the heavens for help. We know the language of the poor, for we were poor in the land of Egypt. We know that we are called to feed the poor and to call them to join our celebration of freedom.

Pour the second glass of wine for everyone.

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

Passover is the celebration of life. The story of the Jewish people is truly a triumph of life. Against the odds of history, the Jewish people have done more than survive - we have adapted creatively to each new time, each new place, from the birth of our people to the present day.

Even though death has pursued us relentlessly, time and time again, we have chosen to live. During the many centuries of the Jewish experience, memories of destruction are tempered by the knowledge that the world can also be good.

We have endured slavery and humiliation. We have also enjoyed freedom and power. Darkness has been balanced by light.

Our forebears traveled the Earth in search of the safety and liberty they knew must exist. We have learned to endure. We have learned to progress.

We are proud survivors. We celebrate our good fortune and seek the advancement of all.

Leader:

One of the customs of the seder is the asking of questions - questions about what the ritual actions of the seder mean. The Passover tradition involves the youngest children asking - actually singing - about these matters in a song we call "The Four Questions." 

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.”

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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?

In the beginning... 

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

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

"And I took Abraham from across the river, and I brought him to the land of Canaan. And I gave him Isaac, and to Isaac I gave Jacob. And Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.”

For thus says the Lord GOD, "My people went down at the first into Egypt to reside there; then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause."

Raise the glass of wine and say:

וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ וְלָֽנוּ

V’hi she-amda l’avoteinu v’lanu.

This promise has sustained our ancestors and us.

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

The glass of wine is put down.

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

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

We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Eternal God took us out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Had not God taken our ancestors out of Egypt, then we, our children and grandchildren would still be enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt. Even if we all were wise, and perceptive, experienced, and versed in Torah, it would still be our duty to tell about the Exodus from Egypt. The more one explores the meaning of the Exodus, the more that person is worthy of praise. 

Avadim hayinu, hayinu.
Ata b’nai chorin, b’nai chorin.
Avadim hayinu, ata ata b’nai chorin Avadim hayinu, ata ata b’nai chorin b’nai chorin. 

We were slaves and now we are free. 

"As Jews, we remember and we cannot let injustice happen again in this country. This is our moment to bend the moral arc and to move racial justice work forward through advocacy, activism, and engagement." -- Tiffany Harris

"Our relative safety in American has allowed many of us to consider the fight for racial justice as struggle we can opt in and out of. But then are we fully honoring our traditional teaching of 'If I am only for myself, what am I?' Now is the moment for us to stand against injustice not only for ourselves, but for the most vulnerable among us." -- Chava Shervington 

"Because those in the grips of Pharoah's institutional oppression have been given a platform to see their greatness and be seen as great. Because the Passover seder tells us to remember and protect them, as it says: 'The night of (worthy) protection for all future generations... (Exodus, 12:42)'" -- Isaiah Rothstein

"Maybe it isn't different and you're just treating it that way. Or maybe it is. But you're insisting that it doesn't need to be treated differently." -- MaNishtana

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Download the PDF Pyramid Cut Out for your seder table at http://rpr.world/passover-pyramid

As all good term papers do, we start with the main idea:

ּעֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ הָיִינו. עַתָּה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין  

Avadim hayinu hayinu. Ata b’nei chorin.

We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt. Now we are free.

We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and God took us from there with a strong hand and outstretched arm. Had God not brought our ancestors out of Egypt, then even today we and our children and our grandchildren would still be slaves. Even if we were all wise, knowledgeable scholars and Torah experts, we would still be obligated to tell the story of the exodus from Egypt.

During the seder, there is a universal custom to “spill” a small drop of wine as each plague is recited. The Midrash tells us that as the Egyptians were meeting their horrible end in the churning waters of the Sea of Reeds (Red Sea), the angels wished to sing out praise to the A-lmighty. God rebuked them and said “My creations are drowning in the sea, and you wish to sing praises?!” (Talmud Megillah 10b). The custom of spilling the wine, explained by Abrabanel (a famous medieval Spanish commentator), is because wine is a sign of rejoicing and one should not rejoice when an enemy falls.

We will spill a total of 16 drops of wine: three for "blood, fire and pillars of smoke," 10 more for the plagues, and another three for Rabbi Yehudah's abbreviation.   

The Haggadah elaborates that the prophet Joel foresaw blood, fire, and pillars of smoke as signs of the final redemption. However, it is also understood that when the Nile turned to blood, it boiled and emitted pillars of steam. 

As one says the following, drops of wine are spilled from a full cup:

Dam (Blood) 

Va’aish (Fire) 

V’timrot Ashan (Pillars of Smoke) 

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 Final Three Drops / The mnemonic device

The Haggadah relates that Rabbi Yehuda, a Talmudic Sage, grouped the plagues by their initials, which underscores the importance of not only remembering the plagues, but of remembering them in order.

As one says “D’tzach,” “A’dash,” and “B’ah’ch’av,” three final drops of wine are spilled from their full cup.

We’ve finished telling the Exodus story, we’re about to sing “Dayenu” and get to the food. But first, let's discuss the plague count. As the story tells, there were ten plagues. But according to Rabbi's Yossi, Eliezer and Akiva there were more than that.

How Many Plagues?

Rabbi Yossi the Galilean said: "How do you know that the Egyptians were struck by 10 plagues in Egypt and 50 plagues at the sea? Because regarding the plagues of Egypt it says: 'The magicians said to Pharaoh, this is the finger of God' (Exodus 8:15). While at the sea it says: 'And the Jewish people saw the great hand which God had used in Egypt, and the people feared God, and they believed in God and in Moses His servant' (Exodus 14:31).

How many plagues did they receive with the finger? Ten. Therefore if in Egypt they received 10 plagues then at the sea (when smitten by God's hand) they must have had 50 plagues.'"

Rabbi Yossi the Galilean said there were 50 plagues.  

Rabbi Elazar says that the number of plagues was four-fold (40 plagues and at sea 200). This is an allusion to the four-letter Name of God –  Yud, Heh, Vav, Heh  – which represents God's attributes of kindness and mercy. Because in Rabbi Elazar's opinion, the purpose of the plagues was to sensitize the Jewish people to the love and care shown to them by God.

Rabbi Akiva, meanwhile, says that the plagues were primarily for sake of punishing the Egyptians. The number of plagues was therefore five-fold, corresponding to the five letters of  Elokim  – the Name of God which represents strict justice (50 plagues and at sea 250).  

Thus if we were to count the number of plagues and the plagues at sea, there were hundreds of plagues. 

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. 

דַּיֵּנוּ

Dayenu - A Passover Song

אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמְּצָרִים
וְלֹא עָשָׂה בָּהֶם שְׁפָטִים
דַּיֵּנוּ :

דַּיֵּנוּ
דַּיֵּנוּ דַּיֵּנוּ
דַּיֵּנוּ דַּיֵּנוּ

אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בָּהֶם שְׁפָטִים
וְלֹא עָשָׂה בֶּאֱלֹהֵיהֶם
דַּיֵּנוּ :

אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בֶּאֱלֹהֵיהֶם
וְלֹא הָרַג אֶת בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם
דַּיֵּנוּ :

אִלּוּ הָרַג אֶת בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם
וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם
דַּיֵּנוּ :

אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם
ןלא קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם
דַּיֵּנוּ :

אִלּוּ קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם
וְלֹא הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ בַּחָרְבָּה
דַּיֵּנוּ :

אִלּוּ הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ בַּחָרְבָּה
וְלֹא שָׁקַע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ
דַּיֵּנוּ :

אִלּוּ שֶׁקַע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ
וְלֹא סָפַק צָרַכְנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה
דַּיֵּנוּ :

אִלּוּ סְפֵק צְרָכֵינוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה
וְלֹא הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן
דַּיֵּנוּ :

אִלּוּ הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן
וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת
דַּיֵּנוּ :

אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת
וְלֹא קָרַבְנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינִי
דַּיֵּנוּ :

אִלּוּ קָרַבְנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינִי
וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה
דַּיֵּנוּ :

אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה
וְלֹא הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל
דַּיֵּנוּ :

אִלּוּ הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל
וְלֹא בָּנָה לָנוּ אֶת בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ
דַּיֵּנוּ :

Ilu hotzianu mimitzrayim, v'lo asah vahem sh'fatim, dayeinu.
IIu asah vahem sh'fatim, v'lo asah veiloheihem, dayeinu.
Ilu asah veiloheihem, v'lo harag et b'choreihem, dayeinu.
Ilu harag et b'choreihem, v'lo natan lanu et mamonam, dayeinu.
Ilu natan lanu et mamonam, v'lo kara lanu et hayam, dayeinu.
Ilu kara lanu et hayam, v'lo heeviranu v'tocho vecharavah, dayeinu.
Ilu heeviranu v'tocho vecharavah, v'lo shika tzareinu b'tocho, dayeinu.
Ilu shika tzareinu b'tocho, v'lo sipeik tzor'keinu bamidbar arbaim shanah, dayeinu.
Ilu sipeik tzor'keinu bamidbar arbaim shanah, v'lo heechilanu et haman, dayeinu.
Ilu heechilanu et haman, v'lo natan lanu et hashabat, dayeinu.
Ilu natan lanu et hashabat, v'lo keir'vanu lifnei har sinai, dayeinu.
Ilu keir'vanu lifnei har sinai, v'lo natan lanu et hatorah, dayeinu.
Ilu natan lanu et hatorah, v'lo hichnisanu l'eretz yisraeil, dayeinu.
Ilu hichnisanu l'eretz yisraeil, v'lo vanah lanu et beit hab'chirah, dayeinu.

Dayenu - English

If He had brought us out from Egypt,
and had not carried out judgments against them,
Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

If He had carried out judgments against them,
and not against their idols,
Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

If He had destroyed their idols,
and had not smitten their first-born,
Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

If He had smitten their first-born,
and had not given us their wealth
Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

If He had given us their wealth,
and had not split the sea for us,
Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

If He had split the sea for us,
and had not taken us through it on dry land,
Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

If He had taken us through the sea on dry land,
and had not drowned our oppressors in it,
Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

If He had drowned our oppressors in it,
and had not supplied our needs in the desert for forty years,
Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

If He had supplied our needs in the desert for forty years,
and had not fed us the manna,
Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

If He had fed us the manna,
and had not given us the Sabbath,
Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

If He had given us the Sabbath,
and had not brought us before Mount Sinai,
Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

If He had brought us before Mount Sinai,
and had not given us the Torah,
Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

If He had given us the Torah,
and had not brought us into the land of Israel,
Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

If He had brought us into the land of Israel,
and not built for us the Holy Temple,
Dayenu, it would have sufficed!

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.

We now conclude the Magid section of the Seder:
Tradition teaches us that in every generation, we ought to look upon ourselves as if we personally had gone out of Egypt. Therefore, it is our duty to thank the One who performed all the miracles for generations past and present.

Psalm 114

When Israel came forth out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah became His sanctuary, Israel His dominion. The sea saw it, and fled; the Jordan River turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. What ails you, O that sea, that you flee? The Jordan River, that you turn back? You mountains, that you skip like rams; you hills, like lambs? Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; Who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters.

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.

Dipping the bitter herb in sweet charoset | maror  |מָרוֹר   

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eating the meal! | shulchan oreich | שֻׁלְחָן עוֹרֵךְ

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

Finding and eating the Afikomen | tzafoon | צָפוּן

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

Refill everyone’s wine glass.

We now say grace after the meal, thanking God for the food we’ve eaten.

On Passover, this becomes something like an extended toast to God, culminating with drinking our third glass of wine for the evening:

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

As it says in the Torah:

When you have eaten and are satisfied, give praise to your God who has given you this good earth. We praise God for the earth and for its sustenance. Renew our spiritual center in our time. We praise God, who centers us. May the source of peace grant peace to us, to the Jewish people, and to the entire world.

Amen.

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam,
ha-zan et ha-olam kulo
be-tuvo be-chein be-chesed uve-rachamim
hu notein lechem le-chol basar,
ki le-olam chasdo.
Uve-tuvo ha gadol
tamid lo chasar lanu
ve'al yechsar lanu mazon le-olam vaed.
Ba'avur shemo ha gadol
ki hu El zan u-mefarneis la-kol
u-meitiv la-kol u-meichin mazon
le-chol beriyotav asher baro.
Baruch ata Adonai, ha-zan et ha-kol.

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!

A modern tradition instructs us to symbolically remember Miriam the prophet by placing a cup of spring water on the seder table. The Cup for Miriam recalls a Midrash that wherever our ancestors wandered in the Wilderness Miriam’s Well would appear and sustain them.

- Point to the cup and recite:

Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went after her in dance with timbrels. And Miriam chanted for them:  Sing to the Eternal One, for God has triumphed gloriously! Horse and driver God has hurled into the sea. 

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.

Hodu Ladonai, ki tov, ki l'olam hasdo.

Yo-mar, na', Yisrael. Ki l'olam hasdo.

Yom-ru, na', beit Aharon. Ki l'olam has-do.

Yom-ru na', yir-ei Adonai, Ki l'olam has-do.

Give thanks to the Eternal, for God is good! God’s love is everlasting!

Let Israel now say: God’s love is everlasting.

Let the house of Aaron now say: God’s love is everlasting.

Let all who revere the Eternal now say: God’s love is everlasting.

Our Seder is almost over. We lift our cups for the last time.

With this fourth cup of wine we remember the fourth promise to the Jewish people: “And I will take you to be my people.” We learn that God loves us.

I will take you to me as a people, and I will be for you God, that you will know that I, the Eternal, am your God, who brought you out from under the burden of the Egyptians. This is the promise of covenant.

As God has kept this promise for five thousand years, so may we keep our commitments to others, building connections of justice and integrity, seeking to make this world a better place.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

Barukh ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melekh HaOlam, Borei P’re Hagafen.

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of Existence, who creates the fruit of the vine.

All drink the fourth cup while reclining

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. 

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.

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!

The Wandering is Over Haggadah - Who Knows One

Who knows one? I know one.

One Hashem, One is Hashem, One is Hashem, On the Heaven and the Earth, On the Heaven and the Earth, Badaba, Badabadababah, Badabah, Yeah! 

Who knows two? I know two.

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One Hashem, One is Hashem, One is Hashem, On the Heaven and the Earth, On the Heaven and the Earth, Badaba, Badabadababah, Badabah, Yeah! 

Who knows three? I know three.

Three are the Father's of Israel, Two are the tablets of the covenant, One Hashem, One is Hashem, One is Hashem, On the Heaven and the Earth, On the Heaven and the Earth, Badaba, Badabadababah, Badabah, Yeah! 

Who knows four? I know four.

Four are the Mother's of Israel, Three are the Father's of Israel, Two are the tablets of the covenant, One Hashem, One is Hashem, One is Hashem, On the Heaven and the Earth, On the Heaven and the Earth, Badaba, Badabadababah, Badabah, Yeah! 

Who knows five? I know five.

Five are the books of the Torah, Four are the Mother's of Israel, Three are the Father's of Israel, Two are the tablets of the covenant, One Hashem, One is Hashem, One is Hashem, On the Heaven and the Earth, On the Heaven and the Earth, Badaba, Badabadababah, Badabah, Yeah! 

Who knows six? I know six.

Six are the books of the Mishnah, Five are the books of the Torah, Four are the Mother's of Israel, Three are the Father's of Israel, Two are the tablets of the covenant, One Hashem, One is Hashem, One is Hashem, On the Heaven and the Earth, On the Heaven and the Earth, Badaba, Badabadababah, Badabah, Yeah! 

Who knows seven? I know seven.

Seven are the days of the week, Six are the books of the Mishnah, Five are the books of the Torah, Four are the Mother's of Israel, Three are the Father's of Israel, Two are the tablets of the covenant, One Hashem, One is Hashem, One is Hashem, On the Heaven and the Earth, On the Heaven and the Earth, Badaba, Badabadababah, Badabah, Yeah! 

Who knows eight? I know eight.

Eight are the days before circumcision, Seven are the days of the week, Six are the books of the Mishnah, Five are the books of the Torah, Four are the Mother's of Israel, Three are the Father's of Israel, Two are the tablets of the covenant, One Hashem, One is Hashem, One is Hashem, On the Heaven and the Earth, On the Heaven and the Earth, Badaba, Badabadababah, Badabah, Yeah! ​

Who knows nine? I know nine.

Nine are the months of childbirth, Eight are the days before circumcision, Seven are the days of the week, Six are the books of the Mishnah, Five are the books of the Torah, Four are the Mother's of Israel, Three are the Father's of Israel, Two are the tablets of the covenant, One Hashem, One is Hashem, One is Hashem, On the Heaven and the Earth, On the Heaven and the Earth, Badaba, Badabadababah, Badabah, Yeah! ​

Who knows ten? I know ten.

Ten are the Commandments, Nine are the months of childbirth, Eight are the days before circumcision, Seven are the days of the week, Six are the books of the Mishnah, Five are the books of the Torah, Four are the Mother's of Israel, Three are the Father's of Israel, Two are the tablets of the covenant, One Hashem, One is Hashem, One is Hashem, On the Heaven and the Earth, On the Heaven and the Earth, Badaba, Badabadababah, Badabah, Yeah! ​

Who knows eleven? I know eleven.

Eleven are the stars in Joseph's Dream, Ten are the Commandments, Nine are the months of childbirth, Eight are the days before circumcision, Seven are the days of the week, Six are the books of the Mishnah, Five are the books of the Torah, Four are the Mother's of Israel, Three are the Father's of Israel, Two are the tablets of the covenant, One Hashem, One is Hashem, One is Hashem, On the Heaven and the Earth, On the Heaven and the Earth, Badaba, Badabadababah, Badabah, Yeah! ​

Who knows twelve? I know twelve.

Twelve are the tribes of Israel, Eleven are the stars in Joseph's Dream, Ten are the Commandments, Nine are the months of childbirth, Eight are the days before circumcision, Seven are the days of the week, Six are the books of the Mishnah, Five are the books of the Torah, Four are the Mother's of Israel, Three are the Father's of Israel, Two are the tablets of the covenant, One Hashem, One is Hashem, One is Hashem, On the Heaven and the Earth, On the Heaven and the Earth, Badaba, Badabadababah, Badabah, Yeah! 

Who knows thirteen? I know thirteen

Thirteen are the God's attributes, Twelve are the tribes of Israel, Eleven are the stars in Joseph's Dream, Ten are the Commandments, Nine are the months of childbirth, Eight are the days before circumcision, Seven are the days of the week, Six are the books of the Mishnah, Five are the books of the Torah, Four are the Mother's of Israel, Three are the Father's of Israel, Two are the tablets of the covenant, One Hashem, One is Hashem, One is Hashem, On the Heaven and the Earth, On the Heaven and the Earth, Badaba, Badabadababah, Badabah, Yeah! 

Chad Gadya

חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא דְזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא.

Chad gadya, chad gadya

One little goat, one little goat: Which my father brought for two zuzim. Chad gadya, chad gadya 

Then came the cat and ate the goat
my father bought for two zuzim; had gadya, had gadya.

Then came the dog and bit the cat that ate the goat
my father bought for two zuzim; had gadya, had gadya.

Then came the stick and beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat
my father bought for two zuzim; had gadya, had gadya.

Then came the fire and burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat
that ate the goat my father bought for two zuzim; had gadya, had gadya.

Then came the water and quenched the fire that burned the stick
that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat my father bought for two zuzim; had gadya, had gadya.

Then came the ox and drank the water that quenched the fire
that burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat, that ate the goat my father bought for two zuzim; had gadya, had gadya.

Then came the butcher and 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 goat my father bought for two zuzim; had gadya, had gadya.

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 that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat my father bought for two zuzim; had gadya, had gadya.

Then came the Holy One, Blessed be God, and slew 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 goat my father bought for two zuzim; had gadya, had gadya. 

When Israel was in Egypt's land,
Let my people go;
Oppressed so hard they could not stand, Let my people go.

Chorus
Go down, Moses,
Way down in Egypt's land; Tell old Pharaoh
To let my people go!

"Thus saith the Lord," bold Moses said, Let my people go;
"If not, I'll smite your first-born dead," Let my people go.

Chorus

No more shall they in bondage toil, Let my people go;
Let them come out with Egypt's spoil, Let my people go.

Chorus    

Oh, Listen. Oh, Listen. Oh, Listen King Pharoah.

Oh, Listen. Oh, Listen. Please Let My People Go.

They Want To Go Away.

They Work Too Hard All Day!

King Pharoah, King Pharoah, What Do You Say?

No, No, No! I Will Not Let Them Go.

No, No, No, I Will Not Let Them Go. 

Eliyahu is the traditional song Jewish people sing as it closes before wishing each other a Shavua Tov – or a good week. 

אֵלִיָהוּ הַנָבִיא, אֵלִיָהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּי, אֵלִיָהוּ הַגִלְעָדִי בִּמְהֵרָה יָבוֹא אֵלֵינוּ עִם מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָוִד

Eliyahu haNavi
Eliyahu haTishbi,
Eliyahu, Eliyahu, Eliyahu haGil'adi

Bim'hera v'yameinu yavoh eleinu,
im mashiach ben David,
im mashiach ben David

Eliyahu haNavi
Eliyahu haTishbi,
Eliyahu, Eliyahu, Eliyahu, haGil'adi

Eliyahu haNavi
Eliyahu haTishbi,
Eliyahu, Eliyahu, Eliyahu, haGil'adi

Bim'hera v'yameinu yavoh eleinu,
im mashiach ben David,
im mashiach ben David 

Elijah the prophet, Elijah of Tishbi, Elijah of Gilead, may he soon come to us along with the Messiah, son of David.

ADIR HU - MIGHTY IS GOD

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. 
בִּמְהֵרָה,בִּמְהֵרָה, בְּיָמֵינוּ בְּקָרוֹב. 
אֵל בְּנֵה, אֵל בְּנֵה, בְּנֵה בֵּיתְךָ בְּקָרוֹב.

הָדוּר הוּא, וָתִיק הוּא, זַכַּאי הוּא יִבְנֶה בֵּיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב. 
בִּמְהֵרָה,בִּמְהֵרָה, בְּיָמֵינוּ בְּקָרוֹב. 
אֵל בְּנֵה, אֵל בְּנֵה, בְּנֵה בֵּיתְךָ בְּקָרוֹב.

חָסִיד הוּא, טָהוֹר הוּא, יָחִיד הוּא יִבְנֶה בֵּיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב. 
בִּמְהֵרָה,בִּמְהֵרָה, בְּיָמֵינוּ בְּקָרוֹב. 
אֵל בְּנֵה, אֵל בְּנֵה, בְּנֵה בֵּיתְךָ בְּקָרוֹב.

כַּבִּיר הוּא, לָמוּד הוּא, מֶלֶךְ הוּא יִבְנֶה בֵּיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב. 
בִּמְהֵרָה,בִּמְהֵרָה, בְּיָמֵינוּ בְּקָרוֹב. 
אֵל בְּנֵה, אֵל בְּנֵה, בְּנֵה בֵּיתְךָ בְּקָרוֹב.

נוֹרָא הוּא, סַגִּיב הוּא, עִזּוּז הוּא יִבְנֶה בֵּיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב. 
בִּמְהֵרָה,בִּמְהֵרָה, בְּיָמֵינוּ בְּקָרוֹב. 
אֵל בְּנֵה, אֵל בְּנֵה, בְּנֵה בֵּיתְךָ בְּקָרוֹב.

פּוֹדֶה הוּא, צַדִיק הוּא, קָּדוֹשׁ הוּא יִבְנֶה בֵּיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב. 
בִּמְהֵרָה,בִּמְהֵרָה, בְּיָמֵינוּ בְּקָרוֹב. 
אֵל בְּנֵה, אֵל בְּנֵה, בְּנֵה בֵּיתְךָ בְּקָרוֹב.

רַחוּם הוּא, שַׁדַּי הוּא, תַּקִּיף הוּא יִבְנֶה בֵּיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב. 
בִּמְהֵרָה,בִּמְהֵרָה, בְּיָמֵינוּ בְּקָרוֹב. 
אֵל בְּנֵה, אֵל בְּנֵה, בְּנֵה בֵּיתְךָ בְּקָרוֹב.

Adir hu, adir hu ...

Chorus:  
Yivneh veito bekarov,
Bimheirah, bimheirah,
Beyameinu beka'rov.
Ehl benei, Ehl benei
Benei veit-cha beka'arov.

Bachur hu, gadol hu, dagul hu (chorus)

Hadur hu, vatik hu, zakai hu (chorus)

Chassid hu, tahor hu, yachid hu (chorus)

Kabir hu, lamud hu, melech hu (chorus)

Nora hu, sagiv hu, iizuz hu (chorus)

Podeh hu, tzadik hu, kadosh hu (chorus)

Rachum hu, shaddai hu, takif hu

Yivneh veito bekarov,
Bimheirah, bimheirah,
Beyameinu beka'arov.
Ehl benei, Ehl benei
Benei veit-cha beka'arov!

Bashana haba'a
Neishev al hamirpeset
Ve'nispor tziporim nodedot,

Yeladim bechufsha
Yesachak'u tofeset
Bein habayit l've'in hasadot 

Od tireh, od tireh
Kama tov yihiyeh
Bashana, bashana haba'a

Anavim adumim
Yavshilu ad ha'erev
Ve'yugshu tzone'nim lashulchan,

Ve'ruchot redumim
Yis'u al em haderech
Itonim yeshanim v'anan.

Od tir eh, od tir eh,

Bashana haba'a
Nifros kapot yadayim
Mul ha'or hanigar halavan,

Anafa levana
Tifros ka'or k'nafayim
V'hashemesh tizrach b'tochan.

Od tir eh, od tir eh, 

Next year we will sit on the porch and count migrating birds.
Children on vacation will play catch between the house and the fields.

You will yet see, you will yet see, how good it will be next year.

Red grapes will ripen till the evening, and will be served chilled to the table.
And languid winds will carry to the crossroads old newspapers and a cloud. 

You will yet see, you will yet see, how good it will be next year.

Next year we will spread out our hands towards the radiant light.
A white heron like a light will spread her wings and within then the sun will rise.

You will yet see, you will yet see, how good it will be next year.

Would you Rather?

• Eat only maror the rest of your life OR drink only saltwater?
• Be covered from head to toe in boils OR covered from head to toe in lice?
• Recline whenever you eat OR dip everything you eat?
• Die from extreme Marror Heart Burn or from Matzah Choking?
• Hit the Dog OR Bite the Cat?
• Still be in Eygpt OR still be in school 100 hours a week?
• Drink 4 cups of maror juice OR 10 drops of blood?
• Eat kosher for Passover all year round OR eat exclusively bread on Pesach?
• Eat only matzah brei all year OR eat only cholent?
• Have freed the Jews but brought them to Uganda OR Enslaved the Jews but enslaved them in Israel?
• Live always in darkness but be rich OR live always in light but be poor?
• Have a 1 hour seder with OK food OR a 9 hour seder with just gourmet food?
• Have the 4 sons as your children OR have an only child that is wise?

LIGHTNING ROUND!!!!

How many of these can you answer in a minute…!!!

QUESTIONS

1. Why do we eat Matzah on Passover?

2. Name the Four Sons?

3. How many cups of wine do we drink at the Seder? 

4. What things connected with Seder night are associated with the number four? 

5. Why four cups of wine? 

6. What is the fourth plague? 

7. Why do we dip in the Charoset? 

8. What does the shank bone remind us of? 

9. Can you say all ten plagues in order?

10. Can you say the ten plagues backwards? 

11. Who am I? I am the last thing you eat before you bensch, say the blessing after the meal. There are often lots of fights over who hides me and who finds me. Who am I? 

12. Who am I? I am one of the key figures in the story of the going out of Egypt. I lost my whole army and half my country in my stubbornness. Who am I?

13. Who am I? I am one of the plagues. I made the Egyptians itch like crazy all over. Who am I?

14. Who am I? My name does not appear once in the Haggadah, but I went several times to Pharoah with my brother to try and persuade him to let the Jewish people go. Who am I? 

15. Who do we fill a cup for on the Seder table and hope he comes and joins our Seder?.

ANSWERS

1. To remind us of the dough that didn’t have time to rise as our forefathers were rushed out of Egypt.

2. The Wise, The Wicked, The Simple and the Child Who Doesn't Know How to Ask 

3. Four.

4. Four sons, four cups of wine, four questions.

5. To celebrate our freedom.

6. Whild beasts/ ערוב

7. The Charoset represents the cement that the Jews used to cement the bricks together in their slavery. Today we dip as a sign of freedom.

8. The Passover lamb which our forefathers sacrificed to God when they came out of Egypt.

9. Blood, frogs, lice, wild beasts, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, plague of the firstborn.

10. Plague of the firsborn, darkness, locusts, hail, boils, pestilence, wild beasts, lice, frogs, blood.

11. The Afikoman.

12. Pharoah.

13. Lice.

14. Moses.

15. Elijah.

Shalom Aleichem

Sha-lom a-lei-chem,
mal-a-chei ha-sha-reit,
mal-a-chei el-yon,
mi-me-lech ma-l'chei ha-m'la-chim,
ha-ka-dosh ba-ruch hu.
Repeat three times

Bo-a-chem l'sha-lom,
mal-a-chei ha-sha-lom,
mal-a-chei el-yon,
mi-me-lech ma-l'chei ha-m'la-chim,
ha-ka-dosh ba-ruch hu.
Repeat three times

Bar-chu-ni l'sha-lom,
mal-a-chei ha-sha-lom,
mal-a-chei el-yon,
mi-me-lech ma-l'chei ha-m'la-chim,
ha-ka-dosh ba-ruch hu.
Repeat three times

Tsei-t'chem l'sha-lom,
mal-a-chei ha-sha-lom,
mal-a-chei el-yon,
mi-me-lech ma-l'chei ha-m'la-chim,
ha-ka-dosh ba-ruch hu.
Repeat three times

Bim bam bim bim bim bam
Bim bim bim bim bim bam

Shabbat shalom Shabbat shalom
Shabbat Shabbat Shabbat Shabbat shalom
 
Shabbat Shabbat Shabbat Shabbat shalom (2x)

Hanukkah, Oh, Hanukkah
Let's light the menorah
Let's have a party
We'll all dance the hora
Gather 'round the table, we'll give you a treat
A dreidal to play with and latkes to eat

And while we are playing
The candles are burning low
One for each night, they shed a sweet light
To remind us of days long ago
One for each night, they shed a sweet light
To remind us of days long ago

Hanukkah, Oh, Hanukkah
Let's light the menorah
Let's have a party
We'll all dance the hora
Gather 'round the table, we'll give you a treat
A dreidal to play with and latkes to eat!

Hinei ma tov umanain
Shevet achim gam yachad
Hinei ma tov umanain
Shevet achim gam yachad
Hinei ma tov (hinei ma tov)
Lai lai lai lai lai, lai lai lai lai lai

Hinei ma tov umanain
Shevet achim gam yachad
Hinei ma tov umanain
Shevet achim gam yachad
Hinei ma tov (hinei ma tov)
Lai lai lai lai lai, lai lai lai lai lai