“I want to be as free as the spirits of those who left

I'm talking Malcom, Coltrane, my man Yusef

Through death-grew conception

New breath and resurrection

For moms, new steps in her direction

In the right way

Told inside is where the fight lay”

-Common, Be

To begin the Seder, we make Kiddush and sanctify the day. The word "kiddush" means special and unique. The first step to personal freedom is to recognize that you are special. You have a distinct combination of talents, skills and experiences that qualifies you to make a unique contribution to the world.

In Egypt, the Jews were forced to build the store-cities of Pitom and Ramses. Why was this tortuous labor? Because these cities rested on swamp-land, and every time the Jews built one level, it sunk into the ground. Slavery is a life with no accomplishment, no achievement, and no meaning.

On Passover, we begin our journey toward personal freedom by asking: What is humanity's biggest need? What can I contribute most profoundly to nurture and protect the world? And... what am I going to do about it?

ברוך אתה אדוני אלוהינו מלך העולם בורא פרי הגפן

Water is refreshing, cleansing, and clear, so it’s easy to understand why so many cultures and religions use water for symbolic purification. Water used to be at the center of human existence, tribes chose their living locations based on water supply. Now, water is accessible with just the turn of a knob, and is something that we take for granted. Instead we are focused on other things, that seem vital to us but, the body can function without. Are we moving forwards or backwards?

"And I can do anything but move backwards
The hardest thing is to keep from being distracted
My big sister still claim me on them taxes
Tell Uncle Sam I just need a second to add this
 

Stepped in the waters
The water was cold
Chill in my body
But not in my soul"

-Anderson .Paak, The Waters

The green Karpas serves as a symbol of the bounty of vegetables and fruits in the springtime harvest. It also represents the period of Jewish flourishing before the period of Egyptian slavery began. Green represents spring, growth, and prosperity.

In our lives, green also plays the role of money. On one hand, money gives us the freedom to express ourselves and to build our lives in the way we want to. Money also restricts us, altering the way we see other people and our selves. The following Kanye West quotes illustrate his struggle with consumerism, as he uses brand name clothes to cover up his insecurity, and feed it at the same time:

"And I can't even go to the grocery store

Without some Ones that's clean and a shirt with a team

It seem we livin' the American Dream

But the people highest up got the lowest self-esteem

We buy our way out of jail, but we can't buy freedom

We'll buy a lot of clothes, but we don't really need 'em

Things we buy to cover up what's inside

'Cause they made us hate ourself and love they wealth

I want to act like it's all terrific

I got a couple past-due bills, I won't get specific

I got a problem with spendin' before I get it

We all self-conscious, I'm just the first to admit it"

-Kanye West, All Falls Down

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה

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” in Greek. After dinner, the guests will have to hunt for the afikomen in order to wrap up the meal… and win a prize.

We eat matzah in memory of the quick flight of our ancestors from Egypt. As slaves, they had faced many false starts before finally being let go. So when the word of their freedom came, they took whatever dough they had and ran with it before it had the chance to rise, leaving it looking something like matzah.

Uncover and hold up the three pieces of matzah and say:

This is the bread of poverty which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. All who are hungry, come and eat; all who are needy, come and celebrate Passover with us. This year we are here; next year we will be in Israel. This year we are slaves; next year we will be free.

These days, matzah is a special food and we look forward to eating it on Passover. Imagine eating only matzah, or being one of the countless people around the world who don’t have enough to eat.

What does the symbol of matzah say to us about oppression in the world, both people literally enslaved and the many ways in which each of us is held down by forces beyond our control? How does this resonate with events happening now?

Chicago rapper, Common Sense, paints a picture here of the desperation of hungry people: 

"With self I go toe to toe
Wondering if it's for the art or for the doe
Though I know to grow, gotta learn to let go
Though I know the doe I got to bring back to the ghetto
Arrows on Terot cards pointing to the grind
Poor living in more prisons, pointing to my mind, shine the light up
Clench my fists tight, holding the right up
Freedom fight in dark gear for the years to get brighter
Situations, and jobs get tighter
My man trying to get his weight and height up, c'mon!

I walked in the crib, got two kids
And my baby mama late (uh oh! uh oh! uh oh!)
So I had to did, what I had to did
Cause I had to get (dough! dough! duough!)
I'm up all night, getting my money right
Until the blue and white (po po! po po! po po!)
Now the money coming slow, but a least a - know
Slow motion better than (no-oh! no-oh! no-oh!)"

-Common, The Food
 

Pour the second glass of wine for everyone.

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

Nassir Jones, known as "Nas" was 19 years old when he released the album "Illmatic". It is widely regarded as the greatest rap album of all time and stands far above all of Nas's later work. The fact that a 19 year old, could create such an incredible work of art magnifies the importance of youth, and how great wisdom can come from young people. Take this Haggadah as an example. 

"Odds against Nas are slaughter
Thinkin a word best describin my life, to name my daughter
My strength, my son, the star, will be my resurrection
Born in correction all the wrong shit I did, he'll lead a right direction"

-Nas, The World is Yours 

Jewish culture and Passover in particular encourages asking questions. The youngest at the Seder usually sings the four questions. In some ways this is a sign of wisdom. Jewish lore teaches that the wisest are those who are the most curious.  

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.

The Four Sons Raps

The story of the Jewish traverse

Is one that is undeniably diverse

So we meet here to converse

That’s the purpose of this verse:

Four sons, and each one speaks in turn

About a history he didn’t earn

Just inherited, but is expected to defend

Keeping traditions alive, so they don’t end

The wise son accepts this legacy

Tells the tale with joy and glee

Of how his ancestors broke free

He tells it all like it was he

Another one is wicked

Doesn’t care where he descended

His past, he won’t even mention

Focuses elsewhere, his attention 

The third son is simple

And doesn’t comprehend

The importance of what happened then

The youngest can’t even speak

But watches in awe

The way they break and keep Jewish law

Understanding that one day it will be his

Choice to defend or forget

But he has time, no need to fret 

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

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

Raise the glass of wine and say:

וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ וְלָֽנוּ

V’hi she-amda l’avoteinu v’lanu.

This promise has sustained our ancestors and us.

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

The glass of wine is put down.

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

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

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. 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? J. Cole talks about how revolution isn't always the answer, because it just contributes to the cyclical nature of oppression. 

"Here's a thought for my revolutionary heart
Take a deeper look at history, it's there to pick apart
See the people at the top, they get to do just what they want
Till after while the people at the bottom finally get smart
Then they start to holla revolution, tired of living here, destitution
F*** that looting, can you tell me what's the best solution?
I used to think it was to over throw oppressors
See, if we destroy the system that means we'll have less of greed
But see, it's not that simple
I got to thinking bout the history of human nature
While this instrumental, play
Then I realized something that made me wonder if revolution was really ever the way
Before you trip and throw a fit over these words I say
Think about this for second, you heard the way
The children in abusive households grow up knocking girlfriends out cold
That's called a cycle
Abused becomes the abuser and that how life go, so understand
Look at the power, but you know what power does to man
Corruption always leads us to the same thing again
So when you talk about revolution dawg, I hear just what you saying

What good is taking over, when we know what you gon' do
The only real revolution happens right inside of you"

-J. Cole, High For Hours 

The plagues and our subsequent redemption from Egypt are but one example of the care God has shown for us in our history. Had God but done any one of these kindnesses, it would have been enough – dayeinu.

אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָֽנוּ מִמִּצְרַֽיִם, דַּיֵּנוּ

Ilu hotzi- hotzianu, Hotzianu mi-mitzrayim Hotzianu mi-mitzrayim, Dayeinu

If God had only taken us out of Egypt, that would have been enough!

אִלּוּ נָתַן לָֽנוּ אֶת־הַתּוֹרָה, דַּיֵּנוּ

Ilu natan natan lanu, natan lanu et ha-Torah, Natan lanu et ha-Torah , Dayeinu

If God had only given us the Torah, that would have been enough.

 The complete lyrics to Dayeinu tell the entire story of the Exodus from Egypt as a series of miracles God performed for us. (See the Additional Readings if you want to read or sing them all.)

Dayeinu also reminds us that each of our lives is the cumulative result of many blessings, small and large. 

בְּכָל־דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת־עַצְמוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרָֽיִם

B’chol dor vador chayav adam lirot et-atzmo, k’ilu hu yatzav mimitzrayim.

In every generation, everyone is obligated to see themselves as though they personally left Egypt.

The seder reminds us that it was not only our ancestors whom God redeemed; God redeemed us too along with them. That’s why the Torah says “God brought us out from there in order to lead us to and give us the land promised to our ancestors.”

---

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who redeemed us and our ancestors from Egypt, enabling us to reach this night and eat matzah and bitter herbs. May we continue to reach future holidays in peace and happiness.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

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

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

Drink the second glass of wine!

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?

Our struggles are what define us, and without the low points in life, the high points cannot exist. 

Kendrick Lamar tells the story of how he broke free from the gangster mentality he was raised with. He found inspiration in the very walls that confined him, and once he finally broke free he was an empowered person who had many stories to tell. 

"If these walls could talk they’d tell me to go deep
Yelling at me continuously I can see
Your defense mechanism is my decision
Knock these walls down that’s my religion
Walls feeling like they ready to close in
I suffocate then catch my second wind
I resonate in these walls
I don’t know how long I can wait in these walls
I’ve been on these streets too long looking at you from the outside in
They sing the same old song about how they walls are always the cleanest
I beg to differ, I must’ve missed them
I’m not involved I’d rather diss them
I’d rather call all you put your wall up
Cause when I come around demolition gon’ crush"

-Kendrick Lamar, These Walls 

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.

In this part of the Seder, we take the chance to be grateful for everything that we have. Our lives are full of restrictions and obstacles, that can feel daunting. We chase both superficial things to appease certain desires, but also spiritual things. We want friendship, love and community. Ultimately though, the key to happiness is gratitude for what you have. When you chase something, you can never get enough. You can always have more friends or more money. Gratitude, on the other hand, fills you up in it of itself. 

"For what's money without happiness?
Or hard times without the people you love
Though I'm not sure what's 'bout to happen next
I asked for strength from the Lord up above
Cause I've been strong so far
But I can feel my grip loosening
Quick, do something before you lose it for good
Get it back and use it for good
And touch the people how you did like before
I'm tired of living with demons cause they always inviting more
Think being broke was better
Now I don't mean that phrase with no disrespect
To all my n**** out there living in debt
Cashing minimal checks
Turn on the TV see a Rolex
And fantasize about a life with no stress
I mean this shit sincerely
And that's a man who was once in your shoes
Living with nothin' to lose
I hope one day you hear me
Always gon' be a bigger house somewhere, but feel me
Long as the people in that motherfucker love you dearly
Always gon' be a whip that's better than the the one you got
Always gon' be some clothes that's fresher than the ones you rock
But you ain't never gon' be happy till you love yours"

J. Cole, Love Yourz 

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!

Eating the meal! | shulchan oreich | שֻׁלְחָן עוֹרֵךְ

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

We end our seder having broken free. From a young age we are exposed to lots of influences, both positive and negative. As time passes, we ourselves become part of the same structure that influenced us, and begin to impact the world around us. For this reason, we have to strive to be best people and role models that we can be. We have to embody the change we want to see: 

"The caterpillar is a prisoner to the streets that conceived it
Its only job is to eat or consume everything around it, in order to protect itself from this mad city
While consuming its environment the caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive
One thing it noticed is how much the world shuns him, but praises the butterfly
The butterfly represents the talent, the thoughtfulness, and the beauty within the caterpillar
But having a harsh outlook on life the caterpillar sees the butterfly as weak and figures out a way to pimp it to his own benefits
Already surrounded by this mad city the caterpillar goes to work on the cocoon which institutionalizes him
He can no longer see past his own thoughts
He's trapped
When trapped inside these walls certain ideas start to take roots, such as going home, and bringing back new concepts to this mad city
The result?
Wings begin to emerge, breaking the cycle of feeling stagnant
Finally free, the butterfly sheds light on situations that the caterpillar never considered, ending the eternal struggle
Although the butterfly and caterpillar are completely different, they are one and the same." 

-Kendrick Lamar, Mortal Man 

לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בִּירוּשָׁלָֽיִם

L’shana haba-ah biy’rushalayim

NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!