Happy Passover! The staff at WashU Hillel are so glad you are joining us and our families for our First Night Seder. Passover is not only the holiday during which we commemorate our ancestors' going out of Egypt, but it also represents the time in our people's history when the Israelites went from a conglomeration of tribes with a common ancestor to one people, linked by a common narrative. As we enjoy this ritual of the Seder and our festive meal, let us reflect upon how we have grown as a community over the past year, the experiences we've shared, and look forward to the rest of our journey!

Chag Sameach!

We pour the first cup of wine and and uncover the matzah.

Leader

סַבְרִי מָרָנָן וְרַבָּנָן וְרַבּוֹתַי. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, borei pr'ri hagafen.

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

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בָּנוּ מִכָּל-עָם וְרוֹמְמָנוּ מִכָּל-לָשׁוֹן וְקִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו. וַתִּתֶּן לָנוּ ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּאַהֲבָה מוֹעֲדִים לְשִׂמְחָה, חַגִּים וּזְמַנִּים לְשָׂשוֹן, אֶת יוֹם חַג הַמַּצּוֹת הַזֶּה זְמַן חֵרוּתֵנוּ, מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. כִּי בָנוּ בָחַרְתָּ וְאוֹתָנוּ קִדַּשְׁתָּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים, וּמוֹעֲדֵי קָדְשֶׁךָ בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְשָׂשוֹן הִנְחַלְתָּנוּ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', מְקַדֵּשׁ לשבת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַזְּמַנִּים

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher bachar banu mikol am v'rom'manu mikol lashon v'kid'shanu b'mitzvotav. Vatiten lanu Adonai Eloheinu b'ahavah moadim l'simchah chagim uz'manim l'sason et yom chag hamatzot hazeh z'man cheiruteinu b'ahavah mikra kodesh zeicher litziat Mitzrayim. Ki vanu vacharta v'otanu kidashta mikol haamim umoadei kodsh'cah b'simchah uv'sason hinchaltanu. Baruch atah Adonai, m'kadeish Yisrael v'hazmanim.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the universe, who has chosen us and has sanctified us with God's commandments. And You have given us, God, appointed times for happiness, holidays and special times for joy, this Festival of Matzot, our season of freedom a holy convocation in memory of the Exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us and sanctified in Your gracious love and You have granted us special times for happiness and joy. Blessed are You, Adonai, who sanctifies Israel, and the appointed times.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה

Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu v’kiy’manu v’higianu laz’man hazeh.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the universe, who has granted us life and sustenance and permitted us to reach this season.

Drink while reclining to the left.

Leader

Water is representative of life and cleanliness and it therefore makes sense that so many cultures utilize it in purification rituals. We will wash our hands twice during our Seder: now, with no blessing, to get us ready for the rituals to come; and then later, we’ll wash again with a blessing to prepare us for the meal. In recent weeks we've heard, time and agian, of the importance of hand washing as well proper technique. Now, however, we wash not for the promotion of health and hygine but rather in a moment designed to allow us to reflect on the Seder ritual that follows. 

Leader

Karpas, the green vegetable, is the first element of the seder that makes this night different from all other nights. So far, the first glass of wine and the hand washing do not mark a significant departure from the Shabbat and holiday protocol. Both rituals are regular parts of all festival meals. The karpas, however, is unique to the Seder. Tonight is a night which embraces differences in order to create opportunities for learning and discussion. Traditonally, we understand karpas to be representative of spring time.  The green color of parsley is indicative of life and growth.  Tonight as we celebrate Passover in the midst of this pandemic, let us recognize the value that Judaism places on human life and that our sacrifice in celebrating this holiday separated from our friends and family is an affirmation of that value. Let us also take a moment to think about how we would like to grow during this time.  What, in ourselves are we looking to nourish and how will we grow during this period of social distancing?

We take a small piece from the vegetables at your table, dip it into saltwater, and recite the following blessing.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, borei p’ri ha’adamah.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.

Leader

Yachatz, or the breaking of the middle matzah, holds a great deal of importance to many people. The word “yachatz” means “divide” in Hebrew. During Yachatz, the middle matzah is broken and the larger piece is hidden to later be found by the children at the Seder. This hidden piece, known as the “afikomen” can be seen as many different things. It might be seen as entertainment for the children. It might be seen as just tradition. But it also symbolizes both division and connection and tonight’s Seder is no exception — the Seder would not be happening without each and every one of you. As recited during the Seder, “All who are needy, let them come and eat!” Passover is a holiday that celebrates the liberation of the Israelites from Egypt. The Israelites were discriminated against while in Egypt, so on Passover we celebrate by including everyone.

Contributed by Julie Cole, HLC Past President (WU '17)

We take the middle matzah and break it into two, one piece larger than the other. We put the smaller piece back, between the two matzot. This smaller piece, along with the top matzah is what will be used for the “Motzi-Matzah” and “Korech”

We raise the tray with the matzot.

Leader

.הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם. כָּל דִכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל, כָּל דִצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח. הָשַׁתָּא הָכָא, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל. הָשַׁתָּא עַבְדֵי, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין

Ha lachma anya dee achalu avhatana b'ara d'meetzrayeem. Kol deechfeen yeitei v'yeichol, kol deetzreech yeitei v'yeefsach. Hashata hacha, l'shanah haba-ah b'ara d'yisra-el. Hashata avdei, l'shanah haba-ah b'nei choreen.

All Together

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 share the Pesach meal. This year, we are here. Next year, in the land of Israel. This year, we are slaves. Next year, we will be free.

We refill the wine cups, but don’t drink yet.

Leader

Passover is a time for asking questions. The Seder's departures from the regular flow of festival meals prompts us to engage in conversation and ask why these differences exist. These questions are meant to only be the beginning of a larger discussion. In times like these, it is normal to ask questions and benficial to speak with others.  As we read the four questions of the Seder, let us embrace this practice and commit to contining to quesiton and engage with others

The Youngest Participant of the Seder reads:

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.

Leader

The Torah speaks of four types of children: one is wise, one is wicked, one is simple, and one does not know how to ask. We can understand these children as representative of the various types of people we encounter in our campus community. People come to us with different backgrounds and levels of understanding in any given subject and field. It is our job to make our stories accessible to the members of our broader campus community, so we think about how we might best reach each type of child:

What does the wise child say?

All Together

With regard to our Passover Seder, the wise child asks, “ What are the testimonies and laws which God commanded you?”

And so we must teach this child the rules of observing the holiday of Passover.

What does the wicked child say?

All Together

The wicked child asks, “ What does this Passover service mean to you?”

Because they say "To 'you' but not to 'us' they take themselves out of the community and miss the point entirely. Therefore we must set this child’s teeth on edge and say to them: “It is because of what God did for me in taking me out of Egypt.” Me, not them. Had that child been there, they would have been left behind.

What does the simple child say?

All Together

In reference to the Seder, the simple child asks, “ What is this?”

To this child, we 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?

All Together

Help this child ask and start by telling the story:

“It is because of what God did for me in taking me out of Egypt.”

Leader

עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם,

Avadim hayinu l'faroh b'mitzrayim.

We were slaves in Egypt and God freed us from Egypt with a mighty hand. Had not the Holy One liberated our people from Egypt, then we, our children and our children's children would still be enslaved.

Seder of our Sages : Telling of the Story

מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻעַ וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה וְרַבְּי עֲקִיבָא וְרַבִּי טַרְפוֹן שֶהָיוּ מְסֻבִּין בִּבְנֵי בְרַק,

Ma-aseh b'rabi Eli-ezer, v'rabi Y'hoshua, v'rabi Elazar ben azaryah, v'rabi Akiva, v'rabi Tarfon, she-hayu m'subin bivnei vrak

It once happened that Rabbis Eliezer, Joshua, Elazar ben Azaryah, Akiva and Tarfon were reclining at the Seder table in B'nei Brak. They spent the whole night discussing the Exodus until their students came and said to them: "Rabbis, it is time for us to recite the Shema."

Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah said: "I am like a seventy-year old man and I have not succeeded in understanding why the Exodus from Egypt should be mentioned at night, until Ben Zoma explained it by quoting: "In order that you may remember the day you left Egypt all the days of your life." The Torah adds the word "all" to the phrase the days of your life to indicate that the nights are meant as well. The sages declare that "the days of your life" means the present world and "all " includes the world to come.

The Story

At first our forefathers worshiped idols, but then the Omnipresent brought us near to divine service, as it is written, "Joshua said to all the people: so says the God of Israel--your fathers have always lived beyond the Euphrates River, Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor; and they worshiped other gods. I took your father Abraham from the other side of the river and led him through all the land of Canaan. I multiplied his family and gave him Isaac. To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau; to Esau I gave Mount Seir to inherit, however Jacob and his children went down to Egypt."

Praised be the One who keeps Their promise to Israel; praised be God. The Holy One, predetermined the time for our final deliverance in order to fulfill what God had pledged to our father Abraham in a covenant, as it is written: "God said to Abram, your descendants will surely sojourn 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."

V’hee She-amdah

We lift up our cup of wine and cover the matzah, as we recite the following and recall God's promise to Abraham, emphasizing eternal divine watchfulness.

וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְלָנוּ, שֶׁלֹּא אֶחָד בִּלְבָד עָמַד עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר עוֹמְדִים עָלֵינוּ לְכַלוֹתֵנוּ, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַצִּילֵנוּ מִיָּדָם.

V'hi she-am'dah la-avoteinu v'lanu. Shelo echad bilvad, amad aleinu l'chaloteinu. Ela sheb'chol dor vador, om'dim aleinu l'chaloteinu, v'hakadosh Baruch hu matzileinu mi-yadam.

This covenant that remained constant for our ancestors and for us.  God has saved us against any who arose to destroy us in every generation, and throughout history when any stood against us to annihilate us, God has continued to save us from them.

We lower the wine cup and continue with the recitation of the traditional Midrash or Rabbinic discussion of the Passover Exodus story as recorded in the Torah.

צֵא וּלְמַד, מַה בִּקֶּשׁ לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת לְיַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ

Go and learn what Lavan the Aramean sought to do to Jacob our father! Pharaoh the evil only decreed against the men, but Lavan sought to uproot everything, as it is written: "A wandering Aramean was my father and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there." This teaches that he did not descend to live there permanently, but rather temporarily. "And they said unto Pharaoh: 'To sojourn in the land we have come; for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks; for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. Now therefore we ask, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.'"

Few in number --as it is written: "Your ancestors went down into Egypt with 70 people; and now God has made you as many as the stars of the heavens."

And he became there a nation --this teaches that the Israelites were distinguishable from others there. Great, powerful --"And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them."

And the Egyptians dealt ill with us --as it is written: "come, let us deal wisely with them, otherwise they may multiply, and it might come to pass, that, when we experience war, they will join with our enemies and fight against us, and get escape from the land."

And afflicted us --as it is written: "Therefore they did set over them task masters to afflict them with their harsh slavery. And they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Raamses."

וַיּוֹצִאֵנוּ יי מִמִצְרַים בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה, וּבְמֹרָא גָּדֹל, וּבְאֹתוֹת וּבְמֹפְתִים.

“Adonai brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great awe, miraculous signs and wonders.”

Adonai brought us out of Egypt – not by an angel, not by a seraph, not by a messenger, but by the Holy One, as it is written: “I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night; I will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt from person to beast; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments; I am God.”

Leader

We Refill Our Cups

Tonight we drink four cups of wine, an act that is filled with symbolism. A full cup of wine symbolizes complete happiness. The triumph of Passover is diminished by the sacrifice of many human lives when the Ten Plagues were visited upon the people of Egypt. In the story, the plagues that befell the Egyptians resulted from the decisions of tyrants, but the greatest suffering occurred among those who had no choice but to follow.

It is fitting that we mourn their loss of life, and express our sorrow over their suffering. Therefore, let us diminish the wine in our cups, drop by drop as we recall the ten plagues that befell the Egyptian people.

As we recite the name of each plague, in English and then in Hebrew, please dip a finger in your wine and then touch your plate to remove the drop.

All Together

Blood- Dam (Dahm)
Frogs- Ts'phardea (Ts'phar-DEH-ah)
Lice- Kinim (Kih-NEEM)
Flies- Arov (Ah-ROV)
Cattle Disease- Dever (DEH-vehr)
Boils- Sh'hin (Sh'-KHEEN)
Hail- Barad (Bah-RAHD)
Locusts- Arbeh (Ar-BEH)
Darkness- Hoshekh (KHO-shekh)
Death of the Firstborn- Makkat B'khorot (Ma-katB'kho-ROT)

Sing Together:

Dayenu!

Ilu hotzi hotzi'anu, hotzi'anu mi'mitzrayim, hotzi'anu mi'mitzrayim - dayenu!

Dai dai einu, dai dai einu, dai dai einu, dayenu dayenu!

Leader:

If God had brought us out of Egypt, and not executed judgments against the Egyptians, It would have been enough – Dayenu

If God had executed judgments against the Egyptians, and not their gods, It would have been enough – Dayenu

If God had executed judgments against their gods and not put to death their firstborn, It would have been enough – Dayenu

If God had put to death their firstborn, and not given us their riches, It would have been enough – Dayenu

If God had given us their riches, and not split the Sea for us, It would have been enough – Dayenu

If God had split the Sea for us, and not led us through it on dry land, It would have been enough – Dayenu

If God had led us through it on dry land, and not sunk our foes in it, It would have been enough – Dayenu

If God had sunk our foes in it, and not satisfied our needs in the desert for forty years, It would have been enough – Dayenu

If God had satisfied our needs in the desert for forty years, and not fed us the manna, It would have been enough – Dayenu

If God had fed us the manna, and not given us the Sabbath, It would have been enough – Dayenu

If God had given us the Sabbath, and not brought us to Mount Sinai, It would have been enough – Dayenu

If God had brought us to Mount Sinai, and not given us the Torah, It would have been enough – Dayenu

If God had given us the Torah, and not brought us into Israel, It would have been enough – Dayenu

If God had brought us into Israel, and not built the Temple for us, It would have been enough – Dayenu

Together

Rabban Gamliel would teach that all those who had not spoken of three things on Passover had not fulfilled their obligation to tell the story, and these three things are:

Point to the shank bone.

The Pesah which our ancestors ate when the Second Temple stood: what is the reason for it? They ate the Pesah because The Holy One, “passed over” the houses of our ancestors in Egypt, as it is written in the Torah: “And You shall say, ‘It is the Passover offering for Adonai, who passed over the houses of the Israelites saving us in Mitzrayim but struck the houses of the Egyptians.

Point to the matza.

Matzah - what does it symbolize in the Seder? There was insufficient time for the dough of our ancestors to rise when The Holy One, was revealed to us and redeemed us, as it is written in the Torah: “And they baked the dough which they brought forth out o Egypt into matzah – cakes of unleavened bread – which had not risen, for having been driven out of Egypt they could not tarry, and they had made no provisions for themselves.”

Point to the maror.

Why do we eat Maror? For the reason that the Egyptians embitter the lives of our ancestors in Mitzrayim, as the Torah states: “And they embittered their lives with servitude, with mortar and bricks without straw, with every form of slavery in the field and with great torment.”

Therefore we are obligated, to thank, sing the Hallel, praise, glorify, exalt, honor, bless, elevate and raise our voices for joy to The Holy One, Who performed all these miracles for our ancestors and therefore for us! You brought us from human servitude to freedom, from sorrow to joy, for a time of mourning to a festive day, from deep darkness to great light and from slavery to redemption! In Your presence we renew our singing as in ancient days.

Cover the matza and raise the cup of wine until it is drunk at the end of Maggid.

Therefore it is our duty to thank and praise, pay tribute and glorify, exalt and honor, bless and acclaim the One who performed all these miracles for our fathers and for us. He took us out of slavery into freedom, out of grief into joy, out of mourning into a festival, out of darkness into a great light, out of slavery into redemption. We will recite a new song before God! Halleluyah!

Leader

The Second Cup of Wine

בָּרוּךְ אתה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ העוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר גְּאָלָנוּ וְגָּאַל אֶת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִמִּצְרַים , וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה לֶאֱכָל בּוֹ מַצָּה וּמָרוֹר. כֵּן יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ יַגִּיעֵנוּ לְמוֹעֲדִים וְלִרְגָלִים אֲחֵרִים הַבָּאִים לִקְרָאתֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם, שְׂמֵחִים בְּבִנְיַן עִירֶךָ וְשָׂשִׂים בַּעֲבוֹדָתֶךָ. וְנֹאכַל שָׁם מִן הַזְּבָחִים וּמִן הַפְּסָחִים אֲשֶׁר יַגִּיעַ דָּמָם עַל קִיר מִזְבַּחֲךָ לְרָצוֹן, וְנוֹדֶה לְךָ שִׁיר חָדָש עַל גְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ ועַל פְּדוּת נַפְשֵׁנוּ. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי גָּאַל יִשְׂרָאֵל.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, asher g’alanu v’ga’al et avoteinu mimitzrayim, v’higianu lalaylah hazeh le’echol bo matzah umaror. Kein Adonai Eloheinu vEilohei avoteinu yagi’einu l’mo’adim v’lirgalim acheirim haba’im likrateinu l’shalom, s’meichim b’vinyan irecha v’sasim ba’avodatecha. V’nochal sham min hazvachim umin hapsachim asher yagia damam al kir mizbachacha l’ratzon, v’nodeh l’cha shir chadash al g’ulateinu v’al p’dut nafsheinu. Baruch Atah Adonai, ga’al Yisrael.

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, borei p’ri hagafen.

Praised are you, Adonai, our God, ruler of the universe, who has redeemed us and our ancestors from Egypt and enabled us to reach this night that we may eat matzo and marror. God and God of our ancestors, enable us to reach also the forthcoming holidays and festivals in peace, rejoicing in the rebuilding of Zion your city, and joyful at your service. Praised are you, Adonai, who has redeemed Israel.

Praised are you, Adonai, our God, sovereign of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine.