Blessing for Lighting Holiday Candles

Barukh Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-Olam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu l'hadlik neir shel (Shabbatv'shel)Yom Tov.

You are Blessed, O God, Spirit of the World, who makes us holy with mitzvot and commands us to kindle the light of (Shabbat and of) the festival day.

Next we recite, as we do each time we experience a new ritual or event, the Shehechiyanu:

Barukh Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-Olam shehekheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higianu laz'man hazeh.

You are Blessed, Our God, Spirit of the World, who keeps us in life, who sustains us and who enables us to reach this season.

On this night we retrace our steps from then to now, reclaiming years of desert wandering.

On this night we ask questions, ancient and new, speaking of servitude and liberation, service and joy.

On this night we welcome each soul, sharing stories of courage, strength, and faith.

On this night we open doors long closed, lifting our voices in songs of praise.

On this night we renew ancient hopes and dream of a future redeemed.

On this night we gather around Seder tables remembering our passage from bondage to freedom.

On this night we journey from now to then, telling the story of our people’s birth.

From Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan’s Reconstructionist “New Haggadah,” published in 1941:

“On this night, long ago, our forefathers hearkened to the call of freedom. Tonight, that call rings out again, sounding its glorious challenge, commanding us to champion the call of all the oppressed and downtrodden.” 

We include a Miriam’s cup in our seder to remind ourselves of the women who were responsible for the creation of the Jewish people: Yocheved, the mother of Moses, Aaron and Miriam, Batya, the Pharaoh’s daughter who saves Moses from the Nile, Miriam, the Prophetess, and Shifra and Puah, the midwives who courageously went against Pharaoh’s edict to kill all first-born Hebrew males. In the desert, mayyim hayyim, the well of Miriam, followed the Israelites throughout their journey while Miriam was alive and among them. Miriam’s Well was said to hold Divine power to heal and renew. Its fresh waters sustained our people as we were transformed from a generation shaped by non-consensual slavery into a free nation.

The ritual created with Miriam’s Cup is the filling of her cup using the water from every participant’s own glass. This not only immediately creates a sense of participation in the seder, it also acknowledges that the presence of each person at the table will add something to the seder.
When Miriam’s Cup is filled by all of us, we are enacting our hope of refilling the magical healing Well through inclusiveness and collectively. 

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.

Pour and raise your first cup of wine/grape juice. This cup is dedicated to the renewal of spring, to the renewal of ourselves.

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 your first cup of wine/grape juice!

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.

DIPPING A GREEN VEGETABLE IN SALT WATER

Passover, like many of our holidays, combines the celebration of an event from our Jewish memory with 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. We now take a vegetable, representing spring, and 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, Spirit of Everything, who creates the fruits of the earth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J04xvWWDVzc

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. 

- 

Ha lachma anya d’achaloo avhatana b’ara d’meetzrayeem. Kol dichfeen yay-tay vi’yachool, kol deetzreech yay-tay viyeesfsach. Hashata hach. Li’shana ha-ba-aa bi’arah di’yeesrael. Hashata av’day, li’shana ha-ba a bi’nay choreen.

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.

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. 

Breaking the matzah

There are three pieces of matzah stacked on the table. We now break the middle matzah into two pieces. The host should wrap up the larger of the pieces and, at some point between now and the end of dinner, hide it. This piece is called the afikomen, literally "dessert." After dinner, the guests will have to hunt for the afikomen.

Reader 1: Ha lachma anya—this is the bread of affliction. At the seder we begin as slaves. We eat matzah, the bread of affliction, which leaves us hungry and longing for redemption. It reminds us of a time when we couldn’t control what food was available to us, but ate what we could out of necessity. The matzah enables us to taste slavery— to imagine what it means to be denied our right to live free and healthy lives.

But, while we will soon enjoy a large meal and end the seder night as free people, millions of people around the world can not leave the affliction of hunger behind. Let us awaken to their cries and declare:

Kol dichfin yeitei v’yeichol—let all who are hungry, come and eat. As we sit at our seder and contemplate our people’s transition from slavery to freedom, let us hope for a time when all who are hungry will eat as free people. Let us pray:

Let all people gain autonomy over their sources of sustenance.

Let local farms flourish and local economies strengthen.

Let exploitation of natural resources cease so that the land may nourish its inhabitants.

Let communities bolster themselves against the destruction wrought by flood and drought.

Let our world leaders recognize food as a basic human right and implement policies and programs that put an end to world hunger.

Hashata avdei—this year we are still slaves. Leshanah haba’ah b’nei chorin—next year we will be free people.

This year, hunger and malnutrition are still the greatest risks to good health around the world. Next year, may the bread of affliction be simply a symbol, and may all people enjoy the bread of plenty, the bread of freedom.

Now comes the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Before we tell the story, we need to pour a second glass of juice or wine, but we do not drink it until after the story. We need to let everyone know this is the time of the year we eat matzah, the bread the Jews ate when they were working very hard and very unfairly for Pharaoh.  This matzah also reminds us that others may not be so fortunate as us, so it is the time we let all who need some help to join us with the Passover meal. 

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.

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.

https://youtu.be/rT0XziWZrfU

The Ballad of the Four Sons (to the tune of "Clementine")

Said the father to his 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 paschal 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 12 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 you yourself don't consider, a son of Israel, Then for you this has no meaning, you could be a slave as well."

Then the simple son said simply, "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 ask at all. His bright eyes were bright with wonder as his father told him all.

My dear children, heed the lesson and remember ever more What the father told his children told his sons that numbered four.

At Passover each year, we read the story of our ancestors’ pursuit of liberation from oppression. When confronting this history, how do we answer our children when they ask us how to pursue justice in our time?

What does the activist child ask? “The Torah tells me, ‘Justice, justice you shall pursue,’ but how can I pursue justice?”

Empower her always to seek pathways to advocate for the vulnerable. As Proverbs teaches, “Speak up for the mute, for the rights of the unfortunate. Speak up, judge righteously, champion the poor and the needy.”

What does the skeptical child ask? “How can I solve problems of such enormity?”

Encourage him by explaining that he need not solve the problems, he must only do what he is capable of doing. As we read in Pirkei Avot—The Ethics of Our Ancestors, “It is not your responsibility to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.”

What does the indifferent child say? “It’s not my responsibility.”

Persuade her that responsibility cannot be shirked. As Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel writes, “The opposite of good is not evil; the opposite of good is indifference. In a free society where terrible wrongs exist, some are guilty, but all are responsible.”

And the uninformed child who does not know how to ask ... Prompt him to see himself as an inheritor of our people’s legacy. As it says in Deuteronomy, “You must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” At this season of liberation, let us work toward the liberation of all people. Let us respond to our children’s questions with action and justice.

Avadim hayinu l’pharoh b’mitzrayim. Vayotzieinu Adonai Eloheinu misham, b’yad chazakah uvizroa netuyah
We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and Adonai, our God, brought us out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm.

Jews are a people of memory and action. On Passover, we use stories and rituals to remember and retell the narrative of our collective liberation. We share the ancient Exodus story, year after year, so that it resonates through the generations as a narrative of deliverance from slavery to freedom. In Hebrew, Egypt is called Mitzrayim, which means “a narrow place.” Every year, the Haggadah asks us not only to share the story of the Exodus, but challenges us to actively engage in the process of combating oppression. We are encouraged to connect the biblical story of Exodus to communal and individual struggles for liberation, and are reminded that the fight for freedom is ongoing.

Let’s discuss the process of Exodus, moving from “a narrow place” to a place of freedom. Every day, people fight for freedom on interpersonal, systemic, global and local levels. What are modern struggles for liberation? Discuss the following questions either in pairs or as a group to inspire thought, conversation and action:

Why do you think the text starts with “We were slaves” instead of “Our ancestors were slaves?” How does this quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. "no one is free until we are all free," connect to Avadim Hayinu? How are we free today? How are we still struggling? Share something that you are doing or can commit to doing to help move yourself or others from “a narrow place” to a place of shared freedom.

Three Insights from the Tale of a Young Egyptian Woman

This Passover, we suggest adding the story of a courageous woman to round out your seder – that of Bat Paro, the daughter of Pharaoh. Adding reeds to the table will recall Bat Paro’s spirit and remind us to stand up for what is right.

Sometimes You Need to Rebel against Authority

The Midrash states that when Bat Paro was in the reeds by the river and saw the basket containing an abandoned Hebrew baby, her guards warned her not to defy her father’s command and save the child.  Bat Paro refused to obey their orders, and the angel Gabriel struck down the guards before they were able to harm her.  (Sotah 12b)

Take Action and Go Beyond Your Expectations

The Midrash states that when Bat Paro was in the river and the basket floated by, she could not reach the baby through the reeds. Miraculously, her arms stretched out beyond their normal reach and she was able to draw Moses forth from the water.  (Megillah 15b)

Accept Help

Once Bat Paro held the baby, the Midrash tells us that Miriam, who was only five years old at the time, ran up through the reeds and offered her a midwife to help care for the child. Bat Paro agreed to have Yocheved, Moses’s and Miriam’s mother, nurse the child. (Sotah 12b)

Questions to Explore in Partners or Around the Table

Think about a time in your life when you saw a wrong being committed but you did not speak out or take action.

What prevented you from speaking out against injustice?

Now think about a time when you saw a wrong being committed and you spoke up or took action.

What inspired you to take the risk and advocate for what is right?

 V'he She'amdah by Hanah. Tiferet Siegle

Vehi she'amdah l'avoteinu velanu. She'lo echad bilvad amad aleinu lechaloteinu. Ela sheb'chol dor vador omdim aleinu lechaloteinu. Vehakadosh baruch hu matzileinu miyadam.

And this is that (promise) which sustained our fathers and us. That it is not one (enemy) alone that stood up against us to destroy us. But that in each generation there are those standing up against us to destroy us. But the Holy One Blessed Be He saves us from their hand.

Joseph and his brothers and their families came to Egypt, and over the generations there became more and more and more Hebrew people in Egypt.  The Egyptians enslaved the Children of Israel with back-breaking labour, and embittered their lives with hard labour, with clay and with bricks and with all kinds of labour in the fields.

But still there were so many Hebrews!  So the Pharaoh commanded two Egyptian midwives, called Shifts and Puah, to GET RID OF all of the boy Hebrew babies as they were born! But these good women did not listen to Pharaoh, they helped the Hebrew women save and hide their babies then lied to Pharaoh about it. G-d rewarded these brave midwives.

Still many Egyptain soldiers were finding and getting rid of Hebrew babies. One woman, named Yocheved, had a baby boy and managed to hide him for three months.  But when she couldn't hide him any longer she made a basket out of reeds and hid the baby in the bushes by the Nile.  She told her daughter, Miriam, the baby's sister, to hide as well and see what would happen to the baby.

Before long, Pharaoh's daughter came down to the river with her ladies-in-waiting for a swim. She spotted the basket in the bushes, and asked a maidservant to fetch it.  When the princess saw the crying baby inside, she exclaimed "This must be one of the Hebrew babies!" Clever Miriam saw the opportunity to jump out of the bushes and offer "Shall I get a Hebrew woman to come and feed the baby milk for you?" The princess agreed so Miriam brought her own mother, the baby's mother, to the palace to feed and care for the baby.  The princess adopted the baby and named him Moses "Because I drew him from the water."

One day when Moses was a grown up man he saw an Egyptian taskmaster beating a Hebrew slave very badly. Moses hit the Egyptian and killed him! So Moses knew he had to run away from Egypt. 

He ran far away, through the desert, and came to a well.  Seven sisters came to the well to get water for their sheep,but some horrible shepherd men wouldn't let them get water and chased their sheep away. Moses helped them with their sheep, chased away the horrible men, and helped them get water.  Moses then stayed with them, and married one of the sisters named Zipporah.  They had a son named Gershom, and another one.

Moses lived for many years with Zipporah and his new family, but meanwhile the Hebrew slaves in Egypt were being forced to work harder than ever. They cried out, and G-d heard their cry.

One day Moses was out looking after the sheep, when he saw a bush that was on fire but not burning!  Moses couldn't believe his eyes.

Then the voice of G-d called to Moses from the fire, "Moses! Moses!"
And Moses replied "Here I am."  G-d told Moses to take off his shoes, because he was standing on holy ground.  Moses covered his face because he was so scared to look at G-d.

G-d said "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their slave drivers, for I know their pains.  I have descended to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land, to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey.  And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression that the Egyptians are oppressing them.  So now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, and take My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."

"Who am I to go to Pharaoh? To lead the people?"

"You are the one I have chosen," replied G-d

"How will I get the Hebrew people to believe me? What shall I say your name is?"

 " I was and I am and i will be what I will be."

Moses was very reluctant. He didn't think anyone would listen. So G-d showed Moses how he could turn his sodden staff into a snake.  G-d said he would send many terrible miracles to Egypt before the Hebrew slaves would be released.  Moses said he doesn't speak clearly, couldn't someone else go? G-d said he could take Aaron, his brother the Hebrew slave, to speak for him.

Moses, Zipporah and their sons left for Egypt.  One night an angel came to kill Moses, but Zipporah woke up, saw the angel, and quickly picked up a sharp stone and circumcised her son. She wiped the blood on the feet of an angel, saying "Now you are a bridegroom  of blood to me."

They were met outside Egypt by Aaron, and they went to ask Pharaoh to felt the Hebrews go.  Pharaoh did not believe in G-d and he gave the Hebrew people even more work to do, and they were beaten even more.  The Hebrew people were angry with Moses, and Moses complained to G-d. But G-d said that soon, the terrible plagues would cause Pharaoh to positively chase the Hebrews out of Egypt!

While the Jews endured harsh slavery in Egypt, God chose Moses to lead them out to freedom. Moses encountered God at the burning bush and then returned to Egypt to lead the people out of Egypt. He demanded that Pharaoh let the Jewish people go. That part of our Passover story is best described in the familiar song “Go Down Moses.”

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.

Listen King Pharoah (Shirley Cohen)

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, he will not let them go."

A 2015 parody of "All About That Bass". Filmed in 4K on March 15, 2015, by Chuck Green. hi

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

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

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

Blood | dam | דָּם

Frogs | tzfardeiya |  צְפַרְדֵּֽעַ

Lice | kinim | כִּנִּים

Beasts | arov | עָרוֹב

Cattle disease | dever | דֶּֽבֶר

Boils | sh’chin | שְׁחִין

Hail | barad | בָּרָד

Locusts | arbeh | אַרְבֶּה

Darkness | choshech | חֹֽשֶׁךְ

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

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

B'TZEIT YISRAEIL
Traditional melody
Lyrics from Psalm 114:1-4

[Chorus (2x)]
B'tzeit Yis-ra-eil mi-Mitz-ra-yim
Beit Ya-a-kov mei-am lo-eiz

Ha-y'ta (2x) Y'hu-da l'kod-sho Yis-ra-eil mam-sh'lo-tav
Ha-yam (2x) ra-a va-ya-nos
Ha-Yar-dein yi-sov l'a-chor
[Repeat Chorus]

He-ha-rim rak'du ch'ei-lim g'va-ot kiv-nei tzon (2x)
[Repeat Chorus]

When Israel went out of Egypt, when the house of Jacob emerged from a babel of tongues, Judah became God's dwelling place, Israel, God's dominion. The sea looked and fled. the Jordan turned back. The mountains danced like lambs, the hills like young sheep.

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. Rabban Gamliel cherished three symbols; tonight we will explain seven! One for each day of the week; one for each of the seven lower sefirot/aspects of divinity.

And they are:

The Maror, bitter herb or horseradish, which represents the bitterness of slavery.

The Charoset, 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.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? 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.” 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.

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 one must see oneself as if one had personally experienced the Exodus from Egypt. Liberation wasn't a one-time thing that happened to our ancestors in bygone times; it is an ongoing experience, something that can ripple into our consciousness every day. We too were redeemed from Egypt, and we are perennially offered the possibility of liberation if only we will open our hearts and our eyes.

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!

A Cup to our Teachers: To those we have known and those whose work has inspired us, and made space for our lives. We are grateful to you who did and said things for the first time, who claimed and reclaimed our traditions, who forged new tools. Thank you to the teachers around us of all ages-- the people we encounter everyday--who live out their values in small and simple ways, and who are our most regular and loving reminders of the world we are creating together. (Love and Justice Haggadah)

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

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

We thank a higher power, shaper and maker, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Drink the second glass of wine!

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH

One of most beloved songs in the Passover Seder is "Dayeinu". Dayeinu commemorates a long list of miraculous things God did, any one of which would have been pretty amazing just by itself. For example, “Had God only taken us out of Egypt but not punished the Egyptians – it would have been enough.” Dayeinu, translated liberally, means, “Thank you, God, for overdoing it.”

Dayeinu is a reminder to never forget all the miracles in our lives. When we stand and wait impatiently for the next one to appear, we are missing the point of life. Instead, we can actively seek a new reason to be grateful, a reason to say “Dayeinu.”

Ilu ho-tsi, Ho-tsi-a-nu, Ho-tsi-a-nu mi-Mitz-ra-yim, Ho-tsi-a-nu mi-Mitz-ra-yim, Da-ye-nu!
If he had brought us all out of Egypt, it would have been enough!

CHORUS: .. Dai, da-ye-nu, .. Dai, da-ye-nu, .. Dai, da-ye-nu, .. Da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu!

Ilu na-tan, na-tan la-nu, Na-tan la-nu et-ha-Sha-bat, Na-tan la-nu et-ha-Sha-bat, Da-ye-nu!
If he had given us Shabbat it would have been enough!

CHORUS: .. Dai, da-ye-nu, .. Dai, da-ye-nu, .. Dai, da-ye-nu, .. Da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu!

Ilu na-tan, na-tan la-nu, Na-tan la-nu et-ha-To-rah, Na-tan la-nu et-ha-To-rah, Da-ye-nu!
If he had given us the Torah it would have been enough!

CHORUS: .. Dai, da-ye-nu, .. Dai, da-ye-nu, .. Dai, da-ye-nu, .. Da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu!
.. .. Dai, da-ye-nu, .. Dai, da-ye-nu, .. Dai, da-ye-nu, .. Da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu!

Sorry Zaide and Andrew, The Maccabeats are going to sing Dayenu this year. Try to keep up!

Had we not been to China, Dayenu
If Costco had not sold out of tissues, Dayenu
If my stockbroker had not mysteriously disappeared, Dayenu
If we could now only choose to fly El Al, Dayenu
If Lemsip was kosher for Pesach, Dayenu
If it was only the meme’s that were viral, Dayenu

Corona Virus Haggadah
by Andrew Blitz

It’s time to wash hands again, but this time with the blessing. It’s customary not to speak at all between washing your hands and saying the blessings over the matzo:

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al n’tilat yadayim.

We praise God, Spirit of Everything, who commands 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.

It is altogether proper that matzah is called the bread of affliction, because it has been afflicted more than any other foodstuff on earth. It is born in a searing-hot oven and then completely ignored for fifty-one weeks of the year while people walk around shamelessly eating leavened bread and crackers. Then, Passover rolls around, and it is smeared with various substances, ground up into balls, and, in the morning, fried up into a counterfeit version of French toast. Everyone eats it and nobody likes it, and there's always one last box that sits untouched in a cupboard for months afterward, lonely, broken, and utterly unloved.

Of course it is practically impossible for free and fortunate people such as ourselves to envision a life of slavery, but as an exercise in imagining our ancestors, place a large square of matzah in your mouth and eat it. Listen to the cacophonous crunches in your ears like the blows of the slavedriver's whip. Feel the searing dryness in your mouth like the tirst of the Hebrew slaves for freedom. And then, with your mouth full of matzah, try to say the Shema, and watch the particles of oppression scatter across the table. Slavery spreads like a spray of crumbs, and it is very difficult to rid ourselves of slavery's great moral shame, which is why, even thousands of years after the Exodus, there are so many people enslaved, and why, even weeks after Passover, there are so many matzah crumbs in the house.

Why do we eat maror?

Tradition says that this bitter herb is to remind us of the bitterness of our slavery.

We force ourselves to taste pain so that we may more readily value pleasure.

How big a piece of maror do I have to eat to fulfill my obligation?

And what if I"ve known enough pain this year already?

And what if I eat the whole root and my tongue catches on fire and my ears burn? Then will I know slavery?

All take a taste of maror on a piece of matzah, then we'll say together:

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.

Blessed are you, Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us with your commandments, and commanded us to eat bitter herbs.

We dedicate the fourth cup of wine tonight to our daughters and our dreams for the world in which our daughters will live.

In honor of the fourth cup:

What is your one word prayer for the world

- the world we will build for our daughters and for their daughters?

~~~

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

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

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Drink the fourth glass of wine!

Go outside to plant your dreams for a freer world!

~~~

Freedom. It isn’t once, to walk out under the Milky Way, feeling the rivers of light, the fields of dark—freedom is daily, prose-bound, routine remembering. Putting together, inch by inch the starry worlds. From all the lost collections. 

~~~

לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בִּירוּשָׁלָֽיִם

L’shana haba-ah biy’rushalayim

NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!

The Afikoman, the other half of the middle matzo which was hidden at the beginning of the Seder, must now be eaten.

This matzah is a reminder of the Pesach sacrifice in the days of the Temple which was eaten on a full stomach. 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.

The third cup of wine is filled.

After we’ve eaten, we bless God for the good land that God has given us. We bless You, Adonai, for the land and for the food it yields. It is our responsibility to make sure that it is distributed so that every person gets the nutrition he or she needs to thrive.

I will redeem you... ...

Emboldened to welcome refugees into our communities, may we remember that true welcome is not completed upon a person’s safe arrival in our country but in all the ways we help people to rebuild their lives. As God provided for our needs on the long journey from slavery to the Promised Land, let us give the refugees in our communities the tools they need not just to survive but to thrive: safe homes to settle into, quality education for their children, English language tutoring, access to jobs, and all of the things we would want for ourselves and our families. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, who gives us the opportunity to be your partner in ongoing redemption.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

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

Blessed are You, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. 

Have a participant open the door for Elijah. Make sure that all participants have an extra wine glass that has not been used for the previous three cups of wine and will not be used for the fourth cup of wine. Pour a cup of wine into the additional wine glass. Raising the additional cup of wine and read as a group:

Gathered around the Seder table, we ultimately pour four cups, remembering the gift of freedom that our ancestors received centuries ago. We delight in our liberation from Pharaoh’s oppression.

We drink four cups for four promises fulfilled.

The first cup as God said, “I will free you from the labors of the Egyptians.”

The second as God said, “And I will deliver you from their bondage.”

The third as God said, “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.”

The fourth because God said, “I will take you to be My People.”

We know, though, that all are not yet free. As we welcome Elijah the Prophet into our homes, we offer an additional cup, a cup not yet consumed.

An additional cup for the more than 68 million refugees and displaced people around the world still waiting to be free – from the refugee camps in Chad to the cities and towns of Ukraine, for the Syrian refugees still waiting to be delivered from the hands of tyrants, for the thousands of asylum seekers in the United States still waiting in detention for redemption to come, for all those who yearn to be taken in not as strangers but as fellow human beings.

This Passover, let us walk in the footsteps of the One who delivered us from bondage. When we rise from our Seder tables, may we be emboldened to take action on behalf of the world’s refugees, hastening Elijah’s arrival as we speak out on behalf of those who are not yet free.

Place this additional cup of wine down untasted.

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

Eliyahu Hanavie, Eliyahu Hatishbi, Elyahu Hagiladi, Bimherah Yavo Elenu Im Mashiach Ben David.

Elijah the Prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah the Giladite, May he soon come to us...

CHORUS: And the women dancing with their timbrels  
Followed Miriam as she sang her song  
Sing a song to the One whom we've exalted.  
Miriam and the women danced and danced  
the whole night long.

And Miriam was a weaver of unique variety.
The tapestry she wove was one which sang our history.
With every thread and every strand
she crafted her delight.
A woman touched with spirit, she dances
toward the light.

CHORUS

As Miriam stood upon the shores and gazed across the sea,
The wonder of this miracle she soon came to believe.
Whoever thought the sea would part with an outstretched hand,
And we would pass to freedom, and march to the promised land.

CHORUS

And Miriam the Prophet took her timbrel in her hand,
And all the women followed her just as she had planned.
And Miriam raised her voice with song.
She sang with praise and might,
We've just lived through a miracle, we're going to dance tonight!

CHORUS

This is the time set aside for singing. We’re at least three glasses of wine into the night, so just roll with it.

Fourth Glass of Wine

As we come to the end of the seder, we drink one more glass of wine. With this final cup, we give thanks for the experience of celebrating Passover together, for the traditions that help inform our daily lives and guide our actions and aspirations.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן:

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

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Drink the fourth and final glass of wine!

In a moment, our Seder will be complete. However, we remember that working against oppression in the world is our never-ending responsibility. We recommit ourselves to the vision of a world filled with peace and justice for all. We work for a world where "nation shall not lift-up sword against nation nor study war anymore." We work for a world where people are not treated differently because of their race, their religion, their gender, their age, their marital status, their skin color, the people they love, their profession or their politics. We work for a world that affirms the inherent worth and dignity of every person on our planet and assures basic human rights for everyone, everywhere. Like Nachshon standing at the shore of the Red Sea, we are not waiting for a miracle but rather proceeding with faith that G-d will support us and give us the strength and resolve to work together to heal the world.

We close our Seder by saying, "L'Shanah Haba'ah B'Yerushalyim", which means "Next Year in Jerusalem." For centuries, this declaration expressed the Jewish people's goal to return to our homeland. Even after the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, these words still resonate with us. We all have our own personal aspirations and dreams that we are striving for. As we conclude our Seder, may we have the strength and the will to continue working toward our personal Jerusalem and toward a world where all people will live in shalom -- peace, safety and freedom.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Translation:

One little goat, one little goat that my father bought for two zuzim.
A cat came and ate the goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
A dog came and bit the cat that ate the goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
A stick came and hit the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
A fire came and burned the stick that bit the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
Water​ came and put out the fire that burned the stick that bit the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
An ox came and drank the water that put out the fire that burned the stick that bit the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
A butcher came and slaughter​​​​​​ed the ox that drank the water that put out the fire that burned the stick that bit the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
The angel of death came and slaughter​​​​​​ed the butcher who slaughter​​​​​​ed the ox that drank the water that put out the fire that burned the stick that bit the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
Then the Holy One, Blessed be He, came and slaughter​​​​​​ed the angel of death who slaughter​​​​​​ed the butcher who slaughter​​​​​​ed the ox that drank the water that put out the fire that burned the stick that bit the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.

Trans​lation by Eve Levavi.

Transliteration:

Chad gadya, chad gadya.

D’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,chad gadya, chad gadya.

V’ata shunra v’achlah l’gadya,d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,chad gadya, chad gadya.

V’ata chalba v’nashach l’shunrah,d’achlah l’gadya,d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,chad gadya, chad gadya.

V’ata chutra v’hika l’chalba,d’nashach l’shunrah,d’achlah l’gadya,d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,chad gadya, chad gadya.

V’ata nura v’saraf l’chutra,d’hikah l’chalba,d’nashach l’shunrah,d’achlah l’gadya,d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,chad gadya, chad gadya.

V’ata maya v’chava l’nura,d’saraf l’chutra,d’hikah l’chalba,d’nashach l’shunrah,d’achlah l’gadya,d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,chad gadya, chad gadya.

V’ata tora v’shatah l’maya,d’chava l’nura,d’saraf l’chutra,d’hikah l’chalba,d’nashach l’shunrah,d’achlah l’gadya,d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,chad gadya, chad gadya.

V’ata hashocheit v’shachat l’tora,d’shata l’maya,d’chava l’nura,d’saraf l’chutra,d’hikah l’chalba,d’nashach l’shunrah,d’achlah l’gadya,d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,chad gadya, chad gadya.

V’ata malach hamavet v’shachat l’shocheit,d’shachat l’tora,d’shata l’maya,d’chava l’nura,d’saraf l’chutra,d’hikah l’chalba,d’nashach l’shunrah,d’achlah l’gadya,d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,chad gadya, chad gadya.

V’ata Hakodesh Baruch Hu v’shachat l’malach hamavet,d’shachat l’shocheit,d’shachat l’tora,d’shata l’maya,d’chava l’nura,d’saraf l’chutra,d’hikah l’chalba,d’nashach l’shunrah,d’achlah l’gadya,d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,chad gadya, chad gadya.

Take Me Out To The Seder (To the tune of , of course, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame!")

Take me out to the Seder Take me out with the crowd.

Feed me on matzah and chicken legs, I don't care for the hard-boiled eggs.

And its root, root, root for Elijah That he will soon reappear.

And let's hope, hope, hope that we'll meet Once again next year!

Take me out to the Seder Take me out with the crowd.

Read the Haggadah And don't skip a word. Please hold your talking, We want to be heard.

And lets, root, root, root for the leader That he will finish his spiel So we can nosh, nosh, nosh and by-gosh Let's eat the meal!!!

[Verse 1]
Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing "Hallelujah"

[Chorus]
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

[Verse 2]
Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

[Chorus]
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

[Verse 3]
You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light in every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

[Chorus]
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

[Verse 4]
Maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

[Chorus]
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

[Verse 5]
I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

[Chorus]
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

אַדִּיר הוּא

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

בְּנֵה בֵּיתְךָ בְּקָרוֹב.

בָּחוּר הוּא, גָּדוֹל הוּא, דָּגוּל הוּא, יִבְנֶה בֵּיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב. בִּמְהֵרָה,בִּמְהֵרָה, בְּיָמֵינוּ בְּקָרוֹב. אֵל בְּנֵה, אֵל בְּנֵה, בְּנֵה בֵּיתְךָ בְּקָרוֹב.

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

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

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

Adir hu, yivei baito b’karov. Bimheirah, bimheirah, b’yamainu b’karov. El b’nai, El b’nai, b’nai baitcha b’karov.

Bachur hu, gadol hu, dagul hu, yivei baito b’karov. Bimheirah, bimheirah, b’yamainu b’karov. El b’nai, El b’nai, b’nai baitcha b’karov.

Hadur hu, vatik hu, zakai hu, chasid hu, yivei baito b’karov. Bimheirah, bimheirah, b’yamainu b’karov. El b’nai, El b’nai, b’nai baitcha b’karov.

Tahor hu, yachid hu, kabir hu, lamud hu, melech hu yivei baito b’karov. Bimheirah, bimheirah, b’yamainu b’karov. El b’nai, El b’nai, b’nai baitcha b’karov.

Nora hu, sagiv hu, izuz hu, podeh hu, tzadik hu, yivei baito b’karov. Bimheirah, bimheirah, b’yamainu b’karov. El b’nai, El b’nai, b’nai baitcha b’karov.

Kadosh hu, rachum hu, shadai hu, takif hu yivei baito b’karov. Bimheirah, bimheirah, b’yamainu b’karov. El b’nai, El b’nai, b’nai baitcha b’karov.

Chorus: 
May God build the Bet HaMikdash soon,
Speedily in our time, soon.


God - build; God - build,
Build your House soon!

Supreme is God, Great is God, Outstanding is God (chorus)

Glorious is God, Faithful is God, Worthy is God (chorus)

Kind is God, Pure is God, Unique is God (chorus)

Mighty is God, Wise is God, Majestic is God (chorus)

Awesome is God, Strong is God, Powerful is God (chorus)

Redeeming is God, Righteous is God, Holy is God (chorus)

Compassionate is God, Almighty is God, Resolute is God,

May God build the Bet HaMikdash soon,
Speedily in our time, soon.God - build; God - build,
Build your House soon!