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As Jews we recognize the beginning of a new day at sunset with lighting of the candles. Tonight, as we light the candles we leave the ordinary routine of our daily life and enter this special celebration of our ancestors and the freedoms we enjoy today.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֺלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֺתָּיו, וְצִוָֽנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל יוֹם טוֹב
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, Creator of the Universe,
who has sanctified us with laws and commanded us to celebrate the creation of lights.
The Hebrew calendar is a lunisolar calendar, meaning that months are based on lunar months, but years are based on solar years. The calendar year features twelve lunar months of twenty-nine or thirty days, with a leap month added periodically to synchronize the twelve lunar cycles with the longer solar year. These extra months are added seven times every nineteen years in the month before Passover.
Passover is a spring festival celebrated on the 15th day of Nisan, typically begins on the night of a full moon after the northern vernal equinox. However, due to leap months falling after the vernal equinox, Passover sometimes starts on the second full moon after vernal equinox, as in 2016.
Before the 4th century, when the calendar was fixed mathematically, to ensure that Passover did not start before spring, the tradition in ancient Israel held that the first day of Nisan would not start until the barley was ripe. If the barley was not ripe this indicated that spring was not yet imminent, a leap month (Adar II) would be added.
In Israel, Passover is the seven-day holiday of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, with the first and last days observed as legal holidays and as holy days involving abstention from work, special prayer services, and holiday meals. Before the calendar was set mathematically, the length of a month was determined by the time that the new moon was observed or at the time that the last crescent of the moon disappeared. This made observing holidays that occurred on the first day of the month difficult to plan, so Jews historically observed these festivals for two days. Although Passover is celebrated on the full moon, which is easy to discern, many Jews observe Passover for an extra day, so that their celebration will coincide with that in Israel.
Ancient Origins of Passover
The Passover Seder is one of the most recognized and widely practiced of Jewish rituals, yet had our ancestors visited one of these modern-day celebrations, they would be baffled. Not only does our modern Seder wildly diverge from the Passover of old: during antiquity itself the holiday underwent radical changes.
As the centralized Israelite state took shape about 3,000 years ago, the religion of the people varied from place to place. Among the different folk beliefs and polytheistic practices the early Israelites gave special status to the coming of spring. Two of these rituals would later become celebrated during Passover: Pesach and Hag Hamatzot.
Pesach was a pastoral apotropaic ritual, that is: its purpose is to ward off evil. It was carried out by the semi-nomadic segment of Israelite society that subsisted on livestock. Spring was a critical time of the year for them, a time of lambing and a sign that soon they would have to migrate to find a summer pasture for their flock. In order to protect their families and flocks from the dangers ahead, they would slaughter their flock’s youngest lamb or goat as an offering and then celebrated the offering with a feast.
Hag Hamatzot was celebrated by the settled segment of Israelite society, who lived in villages and who drew their subsistence from farming. For them spring was also crucial. It meant the start of the harvest of the grains on which they depended. The leavening agent for making bread was generally to use a portion of the previous batch of dough. This holiday marked when the ancient israelis would start anew, creating a new batch of active dough. Without the leavening agents from the previous batch, the first spring batch of dough would not rise. Although this made for inferior bread, it was highly prized, since it marked the transition to the growing season.
Seder means order. There are 15 parts that tradition dictates for our celebration. They are:
1. KADESH - a blessing over wine
2. URCHATZ - ritual washing of hands without the usual blessing
3. KARPAS - eating some leafy greens or green vegetables
4. YACHATZ - raising up and breaking the middle Matzah
5. MAGGID - the telling of the Exodus story
6. RACHTZH - ritual washing of hands before eating
7. MOTZI – the blessing over bread and the meal
8. MATZAH – the blessing over the Matzah, emphasizing the special nature of eating Matzah
9. MARROR – eating bitter herbs
10. KORECH – eating a sandwich of Matzah and bitter herbs and the charoset
11. SHULCHAN ORECH – the festive meal
12. TZAFUN – eating the Afikomen (more on that later)
13. BARECH – grace after meals
14. HALLEL – singing psalms of praise
15. NIRTZAH – conclusion
All Jewish celebrations, from holidays to weddings, include wine as a symbol of our joy – not to mention a practical way to increase that joy. The seder starts with wine and then gives us three more opportunities to refill our cup and drink.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.
We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Drink the first glass of wine!
URCHATZ
Before the Cohen (priest) could perform any of his duties in the Temple, he had to wash his hands and feet from the copper urn in the courtyard. Silently he prayed, "Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Your will. Make me an instrument of Your purpose, take away my difficulties that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Your power, Your love and Your way of life".
Washing of hands, (before the advent of theories regarding hygiene) is a singularly Jewish ritual with no counterpart in any contemporary or adjacent cultures and religion. Greeks and Romans had no such symbolical actions in their lives. So its real meaning is closely reflected in the metaphor "I wash my hands of it ".
The Leader of the Seder only, now washes his/her hands from an ewer into a bowl held by another celebrant, wiping them dry on a hand towel. We have accepted the need for leadership, we wash the leaders's hands. This small, formal act of service is a symbol of our recognition of their leadership.
The dipping and eating of Karpas is the first part of the seder that makes this night different from all other nights. So far, the first glass of wine and the hand washing, though significant, do not serve to mark any sort of difference. The karpas, however, is celebrated only at Passover.
Passover is the spring festival. Spring breeds hope. Seeds that have been frozen in the earth haven't died, and in the spring they re-awaken. Even when all is cold and dark, the indomitable force of spring and life works beneath the surface. The first growth of spring, the first green stem to rise up, gives us hope during the lingering harsh weather of late winter.
We begin the Seder by eating the karpas , a fresh green sprig. With it, we ingest the resolute force of new life. Its color, smell, and taste, remind us of the tough power of life within. But with this excitement we also need to remember the pain and tears of the winter months.
Some say, we dip the karpas in salt water to remind ourselves of Joseph, whose brothers sold him into slavery and then dipped his fabulous, technicolor dream coat into blood to bring back to their father, Jacob. Some say, the salt water is to represent the tears of the slaves in Egypt. Of course, we can remember and honor both memories.
Take a piece of the karpas, dip it into salt-water, and recite the following blessing:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha’olam, borei p’ri ha’adamah.
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.
The top Matzoh and bottom Matzoh represent the two loaves of challah that we bless on Shabbat. They serve as a reminder of the two portions of manna that the Hebrews received in the desert every Friday before Shabbat. When the dough for the week is prepared, the dough would be split in half to form two balls, then in each ball would be split in half again to form 4 balls, and then each ball would be split in half one last time to make 8 loaves, allowing for one loaf for each day of the week and two for the Shabbat.
But what is the middle matza for? That's for the sedar. We call it the bread of affliction, Just like the unleavened bread we ate as we fled slavery.
Break the middle Matza, Take one half to hide.
We will eat one half now, as we remember the hardships of slavery and the bravery in the choice to leave the comforts of the known.
After the meal, we will search for the Afikomen. When we find it, we eat the Afikomen together, as we celebrate our history as well as our present.
Raise one half and say:
This is the bread of affliction. Let all who are hungry come and eat.
There are five grains that according to Jewish law can be fermented and become hametz. These are wheat, barley, farro, oats and rye. These are the only grains that can be made into matzah. Millet came from China and India and was imported to the Mideast and Europe around 100 BCE Soybean and rice are Asian and only made their way to east Europe around 1000 CE Corn or Maize came from the Americas to Europe in 1500 CE Potatoes were the newest addition to the European diet, added around 1700 CE
Rabbis from the 3rd to 6th century had discussions that are recorded in the Talmud that allow the eating of millet and other grain-like plants during Passover. Then in the 13 century, Ashkenazic Rabbis decided that rice, dried beans, millet and lentils were too close in usage to the forbidden grains and people might get confused, so they included them as forbidden grains. In the 15th and 16th centuries, additions to the prohibited list included peas, caraway, fennel , mustard, garlic, corn and peanuts. These are collectively known as kitniyot.
Potatoes provide an interesting contrast. Potatoes can be used to make flour and by all reasoning should be not allowed. But when potatoes where introduced to Europe it quickly became a main staple of their diet. Rabbis in the 1800's were unwilling to expand the list of prohibited foods to include potatoes.
Today in Israel, as of December of 2015, the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards ruled that all kitniyot are now permitted on Passover.
Asking questions is a core tradition in Jewish life, but in the formal setting of a seder, the rabbis found that the children where often shy in participating. 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. They assigned the task of asking them to the youngest person with the hope of involving everyone in the seder. Tonight we will all sing them 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.
We will go around the table and share with each other a little bit of our lives, so that we can better know each other. We will give Elijah's Cup a new purpose and pass it to each guest as they speak.
Mah Nishtana: What's New? What significant change or event has occurred in your life since this time last year?
Let us go around the table again. This time answering the next two at the same time.
Avadim Hayinu: Our Slavery. Identify a problem that enslaves you today? What's holding you back from being freer, happy, and creative?
Dayenu: Enough. Identify possible solutions.
Finally, one last time around the table.
L'shana Ha'baa: Future Vision . Where do you see yourself in the next 1-5 years?
Traditionally, The Four Children include a wise son, a wicked son, a simple son and one who does not even know enough to ask. The Rabbis created these four prototypes to show us that we must teach a child according to the child's level. These categories are no longer acceptable ways to describe our children or any group of people.
In today's world, Jews may identify themselves in a variety of ways. One may be ritually, culturally, intellectually oriented or unconnected. And yet, however modified one's Judaism may be, there is still some level of concern about the Jewish people and a desire to take part in our Passover sedar.
The ritual Jew asks: "What are the laws that God commanded us? " This Jew defines himself by the rituals, the laws and guidelines of Torah. We call on him to seek the meaning that underlies all of these acts, so that they have relevance for all of us today.
The cultural Jew asks: "What is this all about?" He shows little concern with the details and the rituals of the Exodus, even while embracing this reenactment of our ancestors; flight from Egypt. We call on him to recognize that it was a deep sense of faith that enabled these rituals to transcend the generations. It was belief in a vision of future freedom that caused us to celebrate our first Exodus and hear the echo of the prophets' call: "Let all people go!"
The intellectual Jew refrains from asking direct questions because he doesn't lean in any direction, preferring instead to enjoy the debate without conclusion. We call on him to understand that true freedom can only be obtained when we question authority and challenge power, even if that power be God Himself. And it is our responsibility to question not only the text and the status quo, but also to share this message of freedom with all people everywhere, so that all our lives can be richer.
The unconnected Jew asks: "What does this ritual mean to you?" This Jew feels alienated from the Jewish community and finds it difficult to identify with the rituals. Yet we recognize that he is still interested, if only because he asks these questions, and we call on him to see these rituals as a way of affirming the universal beliefs that gave rise to them.
A long long time ago, during a famine our ancestor Jacob and his family fled to Egypt where food was plentiful. His son Joseph had risen to high position in Pharaoh’s court. How he got there is a story for another time. Our people were well-respected and well-regarded immigrants , secure in the power structure of the time.
Generations passed and our people remained in Egypt. In time, our numbers grew and we became a nation within a nation. Speaking a different language and having a different god was too much for the new Pharaoh. We were a valuable part of the economy, so expulsion or genocide was not an option. In order to control us the Pharaoh ordered our people enslaved and decreed that all Hebrew baby boys be killed. Two midwives placed a newborn baby in a basket and floated him down the Nile. He was found, and adopted, by Pharaoh’s daughter, who named him Moses because she drew him forth from the water and was raised him as a Prince of Egypt.
As Moses grew, he became aware of the slaves who worked in the brickyards. When he saw an overseer mistreat a slave, Moses struck the overseer and killed him. He fled into the desert. Moses encountered a burning bush in the desert, and a Voice called him to lead the Hebrew people to freedom. Moses argued with that Voice, pleading inadequacy, but the Voice disagreed seeing potential where Moses felt fear.
Moses returned to Egypt and went to Pharaoh to argue the injustice of slavery. "Let my people go!" he demanded. Pharaoh refused, and Moses warned him that his cruelty would cause great suffering. These threats were not idle; ten terrible plagues were unleashed upon the Egyptians. Only when his nation lay in ruins did Pharaoh agree to our liberation.
Fearful that Pharaoh would change his mind, our people fled. Our people did not leave Egypt alone; a “mixed multitude” went with them. From this we learn that liberation is not for us alone, but for all the people of the earth. Even Pharaoh’s daughter came with us.
Pharaoh’s army followed us to the Sea of Reeds. We plunged into the waters and the waters parted for us. Pharaoh’s army drowned, and so, our liberation is bittersweet because people died in our pursuit. To this day we relive our liberation, that we may not become complacent, that we may always rejoice in our freedom.
As we rejoice about becoming free, we regret that our freedom came at the cost of the Egyptians’ suffering. 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 the Egyptians suffered:
Blood דָּם ( dam )
Frogs צְפַרְדֵּֽעַ ( tzfardeiya )
Lice כִּנִּים ( kinim )
Flies עָרוֹב ( arov )
Livestock disease דֶּֽבֶר ( dever )
Boils שְׁחִין ( sh’chin )
Hail בָּרָד ( barad )
Locusts אַרְבֶּה ( arbeh )
Darkness חֹֽשֶׁךְ ( choshech )
Death of the Firstborn מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת ( makat b’chorot )
The Egyptians suffered from ten plagues because after each one, Pharaoh refused to open up his heart, change his perspective, and let the Israelites go.
Historical scientists have found some evidence and made some suppositions concerning the progression of the plagues. This does not discount the "miracle", for the timing of the events supported Moses' plead.
Sometime between 1650-1500BC, there is evidence that the volcano Santorini erupted, covering Cairo and the Nile River in ash. The exodus of the Hebrews is thought to occurred between 1550-1400BC. This is an possible series of events.
1st Plague. The ash from the volcano changes the PH level of the river allowing an algae to bloom. This makes the river look red like blood.
2nd Plague. The algae kills fish. Fish eat frog eggs. No fish, record number of frogs. Frogs can't live in polluted water and so they leave the river.
3rd and 4th Plague. The river became foul due to the high levels of dead fish, and the frogs lay dead in the fields. This brings the Lice and Flies.
5th Plague. Lice and Flies are attracted to the livestock carrying bacteria from the dead fish and frogs, and cause disease of the livestock.
6th Plague. Lice and flies bite the people. Once infected, the wounds can progress to boils.
7th Plague. The ash in the air makes the upper atmosphere less stable and more volatile. The ash laden water droplets circulate and freeze. Instead of rain, hail fell.
8th Plague. Locusts hatch when the ground is very damp. After record amount of hail, the ground stayed wet for an extended amount of time. Locust eggs hatched allowing the locusts swarm.
9th Plague. Darkness. Ash in the upper atmosphere will reduce penetrating sunlight to the ground.
10th Plague. Death of First born. A common tradition practiced at the time, was to feed the first born male first, when food was scarce. This tended to be the oldest most productive son. After the hail destroyed the fields and the locusts ate everything left, the stores of food became contaminated with locust feces, ash and dust. In the dark, food was not prepared properly. The first born ate the largest amount of food, causing their death in higher proportions.
בְּכָל־דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת־עַצְמוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרָֽיִם
B’chol dor vador chayav adam lirot et-atzmo, k’ilu hu yatzav mimitzrayim.
In every generation, everyone is obligated to see themselves as though they personally left Egypt.
The seder reminds us that it was not only our ancestors whom God redeemed; God redeemed us too along with them. That’s why the Torah says “God brought us out from there in order to lead us to and give us the land promised to our ancestors.”
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We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who redeemed us and our ancestors from Egypt, enabling us to reach this night and eat matzah and bitter herbs. May we continue to reach future holidays in peace and happiness.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.
We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Drink the second glass of wine!
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.
The shank bone represents the Pesach, the special lamb sacrifice made in the days of the Temple for the Passover holiday. It is called the pesach, from the Hebrew word meaning “to pass over,” because God passed over the houses of our ancestors in Egypt when visiting plagues upon our oppressors.
The matzah reminds us that when our ancestors were finally free to leave Egypt, there was no time to pack or prepare. Our ancestors grabbed whatever dough was made and set out on their journey, letting their dough bake into matzah as they fled.
The bitter herbs provide a visceral reminder of the bitterness of slavery, the life of hard labor our ancestors experienced in Egypt.
The 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 Egg symbolizes fertility of spring, creative power, and rebirth.
The Parsley represents the new growth of spring. Reminding us that we are earthy, rooted beings, and nourished by our connections.
The blessing over the first cup of wine is made before drinking it.
However, one cannot just use any wine. There is widespread agreement among Republican Jews that it is prohibited to use French wine or indeed, any foreign wine, for the four cups; more stringent opinions also prohibit the use of wine from the tumahdik state of California.
The truly stringent Republican Jews will only use wine from vineries where the grapes are picked by foreign guest workers.
Instead of reclining to the left while drinking the wine, Republican Jews of course recline to the right.
We are now finished with the Passover story.
If you wish to wash your hands before the meal, now is the time to do so.
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.
בְָּרוּךְ 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?
ברוּךְ אַתָּה יְיַָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מרוֹר:
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat maror.
We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who made us holy through obligations, commanding us to eat bitter herbs.
Eating a sandwich of matzah and bitter herb | koreich | כּוֹרֵךְ
When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the most significant ritual 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, we honor this custom by eating a sandwich of the matzah and bitter herbs.
Charoset is the only element of the Seder plate that is not mentioned in the Torah; it is from the Talmud, where the link between charoset and mortar is established. We 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
We typically begin our Passover meal, with a gefilte fish appetizer. It is traditional to eat fish on Fridays, because in the story of Creation - God created the fish and the oceans on the fifth day. We eat gefilte fish, because separating the bones from the flesh of the fish is considered work, and we must refrain from work on the Sabbath and holidays.
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 game of hiding the afikoman and the accompanying bargaining for a gift is an activity to engage the kids and make sure that they don’t fall asleep during what is invariably a long evening.
We will use this time to reflect on how important family is to us. In our busy daily life do not get the time to talk and reminisce about the great things that happened in the past. Only through story telling will the lives of our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents be remembered. We will pass Elijah's cup to each participant, so they can share a story about one or both of their parents.
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.
May the source of peace grant peace to us, to the Jewish people, and to the entire world. Amen.
The Third Glass of 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!
In the Talmudic literature, Elijah would visit rabbis to help solve particularly difficult legal problems. Thus, when confronted with reconciling impossibly conflicting laws or rituals, the rabbis would set aside any decision "until Elijah comes."
One such decision was whether the Passover Seder required four or five cups of wine. Each serving of wine corresponds to one of the "four expressions of redemption" in the Book of Exodus:
"I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an out-stretched arm and with great acts of judgment, and I will take you for my people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians" (Exodus 6:6–7).
The next verse, "And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord." (Exodus 6:8) was not fulfilled until the generation following the Passover story, and the rabbis could not decide whether this verse counted as part of the Passover celebration (thus deserving of another serving of wine). Thus, a cup was left for the arrival of Elijah.
In practice the fifth cup has come to be seen as a celebration of future redemption. Today, a place is reserved at the seder table and a cup of wine is placed there for Elijah. During the seder, the door of the house is opened and Elijah is invited in. Traditionally, the cup is viewed as Elijah’s and is used for no other purpose.
Singing songs that praise God | hallel | הַלֵּל
This is the time set aside for singing. Some of us might sing traditional prayers from the Book of Psalms. Others take this moment to sing any of their favorite songs. What song would you like to sing?
Fourth Glass of Wine
As we come to the end of the sedar, we drink one more glass of wine. With this final cup, we give thanks for the experience of celebrating Passover together, for the traditions that help inform our daily lives and guide our actions and aspirations.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן:
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.
We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Drink the fourth and final glass of wine!
Nirtzah marks the conclusion of the seder. Our bellies are full, we have had several glasses of wine, we have told stories and sung songs, and now it is time for the evening to come to a close. At the end of the seder, we honor the tradition of declaring, “Next year in Jerusalem!”
For some people, the recitation of this phrase expresses the anticipation of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem and the return of the Messiah. For others, it is an affirmation of hope and of connectedness with Klal Yisrael, the whole of the Jewish community. Still others yearn for peace in Israel and for all those living in the Diaspora.
Though it comes at the end of the seder, this moment also marks a beginning. We are beginning the next season with a renewed awareness of the freedoms we enjoy and the obstacles we must still confront. We are looking forward to the time that we gather together again. Having retold stories of the Jewish people, recalled historic movements of liberation, and reflected on the struggles people still face for freedom and equality, we are ready to embark on a year that we hope will bring positive change in the world and freedom to people everywhere.
In The Leader's Guide to the Family Participation Haggadah: A Different Night, Rabbi David Hartman writes: “Passover is the night for reckless dreams; for visions about what a human being can be, what society can be, what people can be, what history may become.”
What can we do to fulfill our reckless dreams? What will be our legacy for future generations?
Our seder is over, according to Jewish tradition and law. As we had the pleasure to gather for a seder this year, we hope to once again have the opportunity in the years to come. We pray that God brings health and healing to Israel and all the people of the world, especially those impacted by natural tragedy and war. As we say…
לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בִּירוּשָׁלָֽיִם
L’shana haba-ah biy’rushalayim
NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!
Nirtzah marks the conclusion of the sedar. Our bellies are full, we have had several glasses of wine, we have told stories and sung songs, and now it is time for the evening to come to a close. At the end of the sedar, we honor the tradition of declaring, “Next year in Jerusalem!”
For some people, the recitation of this phrase expresses the anticipation of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem and the return of the Messiah. For others, it is an affirmation of hope and of connectedness with Klal Yisrael, the whole of the Jewish community. Still others yearn for peace in Israel and for all those living throughout the world.
Our sedar is over, according to Jewish tradition and law. As we had the pleasure to gather for a sedar 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!
