The Matzah Show
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Bangitout.com

(to the theme of "The Muppet Show")

It's time to burn some chometz
It's time to bless the lights
It's time to start the seder, on the Matzah Show tonight

It's time to put on kittels
It's time to lean left, not right
It's time to raise the 4 cups, on the Matzah Show tonight

It's time to ask some questions
It's time to leave Egypt tonight
It's time to get things started on the most sensational
Inspirational, celebrational, sederational
This is what we call the Matzah Show!!!!!

(Discussion #1: How could Kermit be a plague?)

We come together from our separate lives, each of us bringing our concerns, our preoccupations, our hopes, and our dreams. We are not yet fully present: The traffic, the last-minute cooking, the final details still cling to us. Our bodies hold the rush of the past few hours.

It is now time to let go of these pressures and really arrive at this seder. We do this by meditating together. Make yourself comfortable, you can close your eyes if you wish. Now take a few deep breaths, and as you exhale, let go of the tensions in your body. You’ll begin to quiet within.

When you’re ready, repeat silently to yourself: “Hineini,” or “Here I am.” Hineini is used in the Torah to signify being present in body, mind, and spirit. It means settling into where we are and simply being “here.”

If you prefer, you can visualize the word. Let the word become filled with your breath. Merge with it, so that you experience being fully present. Everything drops away, and you’re left in the unbounded state of here-ness. When a thought arises, just notice it and return to hineini again and again. Let yourself be held in the state of hineini.

Meditate in this way for several minutes, long enough to become more present. Slowly open your eyes, and look around the room at the people in your circle. Now, we begin our journey together.

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.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who chose us from all peoples and languages, and sanctified us with commandments, and lovingly gave to us special times for happiness, holidays and this time of celebrating the Holiday of Matzah, the time of liberation, reading our sacred stories, and remembering the Exodus from Egypt. For you chose us and sanctified us among all peoples. And you have given us joyful holidays. We praise God, who sanctifies the people of Israel and the holidays.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
 שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam,
she-hechiyanu v’key’manu v’higiyanu lazman hazeh.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything,
who has kept us alive, raised us up, and brought us to this happy moment.

Drink the first glass of wine!

Ideas for Spicing Up Kiddush

-Have an empty cup in the middle. Have everyone add a little form their own cups to the middle cup. This cup then will be Elijah’s cup, and everyone will have shared with Elijah from their own.

-Pour the wine or grape juice for each other, each person pouring for the person to their right, to give a sense of sharing and elegance.

-Have the younger participants pour everyone’s glasses, playacting as if the adults are the Egyptians and the children are the Israelites serving them. For the second cup of wine, have the adults serve the children!

The four cups of wine are traditionally linked to the four promises God made to the children of Israel:

As it is written: "I will bring you out from under the burdens of Egypt. I will deliver you from bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great judgements. I will take you to be my people and I will be your God" (Exodus 6: 6-7).

Tonight we dedicate the four cups of wine to important or inspirational women in our lives- individually or as a community- who have worked towards redemption and freedom in their own ways. Please take a minute to think about who you would like to dedicate the first cup to.

Traditional Masculine Blessing

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha'olam borei p'ri hagafen.

Traditional Feminine Blessing

B'rucha At Yah Eloheinu Ruach ha'olam boreit p'ri hagafen.

You are blessed, Our God, Spirit of the World, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Non-gendered Blessing

The following alternative kiddush was written by Marcia Falk, a prominent Jewish feminist liturgist. Her blessings avoid the problem of God’s gender because they do not reference God as a person-like being. In addition, they locate the power of blessing with the people ("Let us bless" rather than with God’s inherent blessedness ("Blessed are you")

N’vareykh et Eyn Hahayim matzmihat p’ri hagefen.

Let us bless the Source of Life that ripens the fruit on the vine.

Some of this clip originally appeared on Ritualwell.org.

Jewish law requires the ritual washing of the hands before eating bread. This washing is accompanied by a blessing. But why do we wash before eating the green vegetable and why in this case is no blessing recited?    

Fruits or vegetables dipped in water can acquire ritual impurity (Lev. 11:34). Washing before eating vegetables which have come into contact with water is a hold-over from Talmudic times. In that period many Rabbis attempted to eat all their foods in a state of ritual purity – trying to experience in their daily eating the sense of sacredness associated with the Temple. To emphasize that this is only a pious custom, and not even a rabbinic requirement, no blessing is recited.     

Except for the seder night the custom has fallen into general disuse, even among the strictly observant. But on seder night we wash at the beginning of the evening to create the spirit of a sacred gathering conducted in purity and devotion.

Passover, like many of our holidays, combines the celebration of an event from our Jewish memory with a 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. The symbols on our table bring together elements of both kinds of celebration.

We now take a vegetable, representing our joy at the dawning of spring after our long, cold winter. Most families use a green vegetable, such as parsley or celery, but some families from Eastern Europe have a tradition of using a boiled potato since greens were hard to come by at Passover time. Whatever symbol of spring and sustenance we’re using, we now 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, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruits of the earth.

We look forward to spring and the reawakening of flowers and greenery. They haven’t been lost, just buried beneath the snow, getting ready for reappearance just when we most needed them.

-

We all have aspects of ourselves that sometimes get buried under the stresses of our busy lives. What has this winter taught us? What elements of our own lives do we hope to revive this spring?

Leader: We come now to the first element of the Seder Plate: Karpas, the green vegetable.

Reader: The Karpas is a symbol of the Spring. It represents the reawakening of life and reminds us that beneath the snow, the earth is not dead, but dormant. It signifies the life-sustaining crops of our ancestors, and with this blessing, we make favorable their growth.

Reader: The parsley is also historically symbolic of the biblical herb, ezov. It was this plant the Hebrews used to sprinkle the blood of the sacrifical lamb on their doorposts so that they would not be sticken by the 10th plague, the slaying of the first-born.

Leader: We temper this symbol of hope and rebirth by dipping it in salt water, symbolic of the tears of our enslaved forefathers. For without sorrow, how can we know joy? Without struggle, how can we know strength of will?

Take a sprig of parsley, and dip it in salt water.

All: Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha’olam, borei p’ri ha’adamah.

(Blessed art thou, the LORD our God, King of the Universe, who createth the fruit of the earth)

Eat the parsley.

Our tale to tell, both happy and sad,

like all great lore, some good, some bad

On our table the symbols abound

you needn't look far, they're all around

Look on your plate, for parsley green

a sign of Spring when it is seen.

And somewhere near there is salt water,

tears of slavery, hard work with mortar

And so together, we now recall

the green around, the tears that fall.

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,

Bo-rei pe-ree ha-a-da-mah.

Oh Holy One of Blessing, Your presence fills creation,

We praise You for creating the fruit of the ground!

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?

Hey, look here, a plate with Matzah ...

let's see ... one, two, three

there sure is "lotsa"

Three matzot, all set to ear

I'll break the middle,

...an afikomen treat

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.

So here's the story ...

When history started

when people began

they would bow down to idols

that just looked like a man.

But then came a moment

a long time ago

when a fellow named Abraham

realized something ... so, soooo

...So amazing that it changed everything ...

one God, one Creator, one Lord, one King

that God cares for all that is found in our sight

every elephant, octopus, human and mite

To Abraham, God made a promise,

a brit so to speak

our people would find shelter

from a life short and bleak

And we Jews, we agreed,

to this God we'd be faithful

We respect all God's laws,

we'd avoid all that's hateful

Well in time Abraham died

but the brit, it lived on

first to Isaac then Jacob

from father to son

Then came Joseph

with all of his dreams and his style

his heroics saved Egypt

from the Red Sea to the Nile

But time went on

the years went fast

and as things happened

the good life passed

There arose in Egypt a Pharaoh new

he was mean and selfish and forgetful too

of Joseph's greatness, he knew not

so against our people he did plot

This Pharaoh, he looked 'round and 'round

and lots of Hebrews he sure found

he devised a nasty and most devious plan

to enslave each Hebrew

every child, woman and man

The slaves endured the work and toil

in the hot sun, they did broil

they had no peace;  they had no choice

they thought that none would hear their voice

Just when it seemed as though all was a loss

that Pharaoh forever would be their cruel boss 

God heard the cry, the wail of the slaves

and God is a caring Creator who saves

And God set about to change Pharaoh's mind

Sending messengers like Moses and Aaron to find ...

…To find out if perchance...

Pharaoh might behave as mentsch

and release all the Hebrews from servitude's clench

But Pharaoh was nasty, he thought it was funny

that a God yet unseen, a God without money

could actually tell him what to do

So Pharaoh laughed, and just wouldn't give

the slaves labored on, no live and let live

Now God has love and God cares too

God certainly looks out for me and you

But God can sometimes get mad

and Pharaoh ... he was worse and bad

God had to act

with plagues, in fact

that would make all of Egypt feel sad.

Fill the second cup of wine. Tell the story. When you get to the description of the plagues, remove a little bit of wine from the cup at the mention of each plague. When you get to the happy ending, pick up the wine cup and recite:

Baruch ata Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam asher g'alanu v'ga'al et avoteinu mimitzrayim, v'higiyanu halailah hazeh le'echol bo matzah umaror. Ken Adonai eloheinu velohei avoteinu, yagi'einu l'mo'adeinu v'lir'galim acherim haba'im likrateinu l'shalom, s'meichim b'vinyan irecha v'sasim bavodatecha, v'nochal sham min haz'vachim umin hap'sachim asher yagia damam al kir mzbachacha l'ratzon. V'nodeh l'cha shir chadash al g'ulateinu v'al p'dut nafsheinu. Baruch ata Adonai, ga'al Yisrael.

Baruch ata Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam borei p'ri hagafen.

Which means approximately:

We bless you, Lord our God, ruler of the world, who saved us and our anscestors from Egypt and brought us to this night to eat matzah and maror. In the same way, may the Lord our God and God of our ancestors bring us in peace to future holidays, and may we be gladdened by the rebuilding of Jerusalem and happy in serving you, and may we be able to eat the Passover offering there, according to your will. And may we have the chance to praise you with a new song for saving us and making us free. We bless you, Lord, who has saved Israel.

We bless you, Lord our God, ruler of the world, who creates the fruit of the vine. 

And then you drink.

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.

The second cup has now been filled and the children come into their own. There can be very few Jews who are so estranged from things Jewish that they have never heard of the "Ma Nishtane"

the famous ‘Four Questions’. "Why" we are asked by our children, is this night different from all the other nights in the year". ”Why” do we eat Matzah, “Why” do we eat bitter vegetable. “Why” do we dip our food, and “Why” do we eat while leaning”?

These questions have been asked throughout the ages by generations of Jewish children. They are the very essence of the Seder and the rest of the evening is devoted to answering them. In some families, it is the custom for the youngest to do the asking, whereas in others all the children make the recitation, separately or in unison. Where there are no children present an adult will ask the questions, (Pesachim 116a) the Rabbis tell us that if a person is celebrating the Seder on his own he should ask himself (Mish. Ber. 473 .V. ).

The purpose of the Seder is twofold. Firstly, to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt celebrating our freedom and the welding of the Children of Israel into one Jewish Nation. Secondly, to pass on to the next generation, our children, our Laws, traditions, customs and the fulfillment of the commandments so that they in their turn will do the same to their children and children's children thus continuing the unbroken chain reaching back to the founders of our nation Abraham and his wife Sarah (Ex. Ch. 12. V. 26).

We hope, that the whole of the preparation of the Seder together with the unusual display of items on the Seder dish, the Matzoth on the table instead of bread, the wine, the copies of the Haggadah at hand, and the general ambience and excitement will stimulate the children to ask what it all means. There is a view that says that if a child asks just a simple question "what does this all mean", the Seder can commence. However, it is traditional that the children should ask all the four questions.

These four questions form the central theme of all Seder meals during Passover and refer to how and why Passover is different from all days of the year. These questions are traditionally given to the youngest child in the family at the Seder table to be read aloud. The traditional format of the story is that there is one question with four clauses. The main question is "why is this night different from all other nights?" This story is then continued with the story about The Four Sons. This is an effort by early Jewish communities to encourage the future generation children and youth to be aware of their traditions and history.

The Four Important Questions:
1. Why do we eat only Matzah on Pesach and not all kinds of breads and crackers like other nights? When Pharaoh finally ordered Jews to get out of Egypt after the tenth plague, they were in such a hurry to get away from slavery that they had no time to let their dough rise and bake their bread, so they took the raw dough with them on their journey and baked it into hard crackers called Matzah in the hot dessert. That is why we eat only Matzah on this day to remind us of their struggles.
 2. Why do we eat bitter herbs or Maror at our Seder? Maror or the bitter herbs are eaten to remind us of the bitterness of slavery and harsh and cruel ways in which Israelite people were treated as slaves under the Pharaoh in Egypt.
 3. At our Seder, why do we dip the parsley in salt water and the bitter herbs in charoset? Parsley represents new life and spring while salt water represents tears of Israelite slaves and how hard they worked in Egypt. Parsley dipped in salt water that represents new life that emerged from the tears and hardship of the Israelite slaves. Charoset has a coarse texture like clay used to make bricks for the Pharaoh's buildings.
 4. Why do we lean on a pillow while eating tonight and do not sit straight like other nights? Leaning on a pillow signifies the comforts of freedom. As slaves, our ancestors had little comforts, so we lean on a pillow to assert that we are free now and we can sit straight or lean on a pillow as much as we like.
Discussion Question: What other questions about the uniqueness of the Seder can you think of?

As we tell the story, we think about it from all angles. Our tradition speaks of four different types of children who might react differently to the Passover seder. It is our job to make our story accessible to all the members of our community, so we think about how we might best reach each type of child:

What does the wise child say?

The wise child asks, What are the testimonies and laws which God commanded you?

You must teach this child the rules of observing the holiday of Passover.

What does the wicked child say?

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

To you and not to himself! Because he takes himself out of the community and misses the point, set this child’s teeth on edge and say to him: “It is because of what God did for me in taking me out of Egypt.” Me, not him. Had that child been there, he would have been left behind.

What does the simple child say?

The simple child asks, What is this?

To this child, answer plainly: “With a strong hand God took us out of Egypt, where we were slaves.”

What about the child who doesn’t know how to ask a question?

Help this child ask.

Start telling the story:

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

-

Do you see yourself in any of these children? At times we all approach different situations like each of these children. How do we relate to each of them?

The Torah speaks of four Daughters: one possessing wisdom of the heart, one rebellious, one simple and pure, and one who cannot ask questions.

The daughter possessing wisdom of the heart what does she say? "Father, your decree is harsher than Pharoah's. The decree of the wicked Pharoah may or may not have been fulfilled, but you who are righteous, your decree surely is realized." The father heeded his daughter (Miriam). So we too follow in her steps with drums and dancing, spreading her prophecy amongst the nations

The rebellious daughter, what does she say? "Recognize" the ways of enslavement and the tyranny of man's rule over man. Although she rebels against authority it is said: She was more righteous than he, and we enjoy no freedom until we have left our unjust ways.

The simple and pure daughter, what does she say? "Wherever you go, so shall I go, and where you rest your head so there will I rest mine. Your people are mine, and your God my God" (Ruth,1:16). We shall indeed fortify her in her loyalty to those she loved, and it was said to her: "May God make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built up the House of Israel."

And the daughter who cannot ask– only her silent weeping is heard, as it is written, "and she wept for her father and mother." We will be her mouthpiece and she will be for us a judge. We will return her to her mother's house and to her who conceived her, and we will proclaim "liberty in the land for all its inhabitants."

Each of the Four Daughters expresses a unique path from bondage to freedom in a national and human sense. They learn from examining their parents' lives and from the struggle of their nation, while their parents themselves are exposed to new spiritual layers as a result of their daughter's education.

Wise of Heart: According to the Midrash, young Miriam persuaded her father Amram and the other enslaved men of Israel not to separate from their wives despite Pharoah's decree to destroy all male newborns. When her mother Yocheved gave birth to a boy, the two worked together to save the new son/brother. Miriam recognized the historical significance of this nascent struggle, as she did at the splitting of the Red Sea, and thus led her people to redemption ( Talmud Bavli, Sotah 12 ).

Rebellious: Tamar's complex relationship with her father-in-law, Judah, son of Jacob our forefather, expresses a rebellion whose result was critical to the continuation of the tribe of Judah and the Jewish people. With her deeds, Tamar barricaded herself against her loss of freedom as an imprisoned widow. She eventually achieves the yibum (levirate marriage) to which she is entitled, and becomes the "founding mother" of the Davidic dynasty, symbol of messianic redemption (Tamar, Genesis 38:26).

Simple and Pure: Ruth the Moabitess remained true to her mother-in-law Naomi, and her ingenious loyalty is absolute. This wonderful emotional closeness that Ruth so adamantly demonstrates rescues both of them from poverty and internal bondage (Ruth 4:11).

The One Who Cannot Ask: This last of the four daughters lacks sufficient freedom to taste even slightly the redemption and thus remains weeping in utter slavery. Although the 'beautiful captive' from war is allowed to grieve for her parents before she is taken (Deuteronomy 21:13), she is a reminder of the reality of silenced bondage, which continues to exist in our midst in various ways. The silent weeping that erupts from this dark reality is a call to action for the cause of freedom and liberty of every man and woman (Leviticus 25:10), born in the image of God, in order to live securely in their homes, among their people and loving family (Song of Songs 3:4).

Rabbi Einat Ramon, is the first Israeli-born woman to be ordained as a Rabbi.

This clip originally appeared on Ritualwell.org.

Blessed is God, blessed is He. Blessed is He who gave the Torah to His people, Israel. Blessed is He.

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.

The Wise One asks: “What is the meaning of the laws and traditions God has commanded?” (Deuteronomy 6:20) You should teach him all the traditions of Passover, even to the last detail.

The Wicked One asks: “What does this ritual mean to you?” (Exodus 12:26) By using the expression “to you” he excludes himself from his people and denies God. Shake his arrogance and say to him: “It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt...” (Exodus 13:8) “For me” and not for him -- for had he been in Egypt, he would not have been freed.

The Simple One asks: “What is all this?” You should tell him: “It was with a mighty hand that the Lord took us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”

As for the One Who Does Not Know How To Ask, you should open the discussion for him, as it is written: “And you shall explain to your child on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did.’

On all other nights, we eat either leavened bread or matzah;  

on this night ... only matzah.

On all other nights, we eat all kinds of greens;  

on this night, we especially eat bitter herbs.

On all other nights, we do not dip our greens at all; 

on this night we dip them twice.

On all other nights, we eat in an ordinary manner.  

For this celebration, we have a special ceremony.

You ask good questions

sung clear and loud

of each of  you,

we all are proud

And now some answers you shall hear

this is your story

come, draw near.

No matter what your age ...

no matter how you think ...

from the sweet well of Torah, all can drink.

Perhaps you're wise, you want to know

from whence we've come

to where we'll go

Maybe you're rebellious,

could be you're rude,

if this is the case, yourself you exclude.

Some of us are simple,

basic questions we ask,

straightforward answers

no long drawn out task.

And then there are some

who are just very young ...

they don't even know what to say

we tell them of wonders,

God's strength, Pharaoh's blunders

the rest to be told another day

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, 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? 

Chorus: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 plagues in Egypt land. (2x)

Blood in the water made the river run red, 10 plagues in Egypt land.
Pharaoh shoulda' listened to what God said, 10 plagues in Egypt land. chorus

Frogs were jumping in Pharaoh's hair, 10 plagues in Egypt land
Pharaoh didn't like it but the frogs didn't care, 10 plagues in Egypt land. chorus

Creepy, crawly, itchy lice, 10 plagues in Egypt land
Mess with the Holy One, better think twice, 10 plagues in Egypt land. chorus

Filthy flies so dirty and vile, 10 plagues in Egypt land
Not exactly Pharaoh's style, 10 plagues in Egypt land. chorus

The cattle and the horses and the oxen died, 10 plagues in Egypt land
"I won't give up!" old Pharaoh cried, 10 plagues in Egypt land. chorus

Boils and blisters on his skin, 10 plagues in Egypt land
Give it up Pharaoh you're never gonna win, 10 plagues in Egypt land. chorus

The hail rained down from the heavens on high, 10 plagues in Egypt land
Hurt so much made Pharaoh cry, 10 plagues in Egypt land. chorus

Swarms of locusts ate the crops, 10 plagues in Egypt land
Hard-hearted Pharaoh just wouldn't stop, 10 plagues in Egypt land. chorus

Dark descended in the light of the day, 10 plagues in Egypt land
Pharaoh was lost, couldn't find his way, 10 plagues in Egypt land. chorus

First-born, the final blow, 10 plagues in Egypt land
Finally Pharaoh let the people go, 10 plagues in Egypt land. chorus

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. 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:

דָּם Blood | dam |

צְפַרְדֵּֽעַ Frogs | tzfardeiya |

כִּנִּים Lice | kinim |

עָרוֹב Beasts | arov |

דֶּֽבֶר Cattle disease | dever |

שְׁחִין Boils | sh’chin |

בָּרָד Hail | barad |

אַרְבֶּה Locusts | arbeh |

חֹֽשֶׁךְ Darkness | choshech |

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

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? 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? 

Cruel Pharaoh believed having slaves, it was fun

that's until God changed his mind with plague number one

Think where there's water

in oceans and sinks

in lakes and in clouds and in fountains for drinks

Now imagine the horror

to say nothing of dread

if all that clear water

should like blood become red 

Well in Egypt it happened

the Nile turned to blood

all the people they panicked

as red seeped through the mud 

Pharaoh seemed ready

to let the slaves go

but then the plaque ended

and Pharaoh said "No!

Pharaoh was stupid, he hadn't a clue

But God caught his attention with plague number two

You may know a frog

a tadpole from birth

now imagine if frogs

covered all of the earth

Well in Egypt it happened

frogs everywhere

in gardens and basements

on clothes and in hair

No one could stand it

the green and the slime  

and everywhere "ribbit"

certainly not a good time.

Pharaoh seemed ready 

to let the slaves go

but then the plague ended

and Pharaoh said "No!"

Pharaoh was foolish, believing the bad was no more

until there appeared plagues three and then four

After frogs, there came lice

causing itching and scratching

and then came the beasts

with their growling and snatching

With each plague, Pharaoh seemed ready

to let the slaves go

but then the plague ended

and Pharaoh said "No!"

Pharaoh believed that the plagues were just tricks

until God opened his eyes with plagues five and then six

Along came a sickness that killed all livestock

the cattle, the camels, the sheep in the flock

And after that plague came boils o' so sore

all the people were screaming,

they could bear it no more.

And yet again with each plague, Pharaoh seemed ready

to let the slaves go

 but then the plague ended

and Pharaoh said "No!"

The worn out Egyptians then faced plague number seven

as hail it poured forth from the reaches of heaven

there was no escaping the hard ice as it struck

it seemed certain that Pharaoh had run out of luck

And again, Pharaoh seemed ready

to let the slaves go

but then the plague ended

and Pharaoh said "No!"

Just when Pharaoh perceived a slight change in his fate

God tormented Egypt with a plague number eight

Locusts are insects,

in great swarms they do fly

hovering over the horizon

they darken the sky

Locusts cause trouble where ever they land

for they eat all the crops

and make fields become sand

Well in Egypt they landed

and they ate all the wheat

the people soon panicked

afraid of nothing to eat

And yet again, Pharaoh seemed ready

to let the slaves go

but then the plague ended

and Pharaoh said "No"!

Pharaoh relaxed for he thought all was fine

But then God struck his kingdom with plague number nine

Try to think, if you will

of a day without light

incredible darkness

a terrible fright

Well, in Egypt it happened

the sun didn't shine

Not a thing could be seen,

just a horrible time

Once again, Pharaoh seemed ready

to let the slaves go

but then the plague ended

and Pharaoh said "No!"

Pharaoh was stubborn,

he thought he was smart

with the end of each plague he would harden his heart

he was cruel, he was foolish, he was dumb, he was mean

to ignore all the warnings of that God yet unseen

The God of compassion had really no choice

for Pharaoh would not listen to God's clear holy voice

The Hebrews still suffered

slavery without end

God demanded freedom, but Pharaoh just wouldn't bend

I shudder to tell you of plague number ten

it was tragic and painful

it was it was very sad when ...

…When on that still and restless night ...

the angel of death passed through Egypt

causing sorrow, leaving fright.

All the first born Egyptians

where wealthy or poor

there were no exceptions

each went through death's dark door

The anguish was felt in every city and town

the kingdom was shattered

only death to be found

And then, in the shadow of that awesome tragedy 

there emerged a small ray of hope  

Pharaoh finally relented

he gave up and repented

no more plagues, nor more death could he cope

Pharaoh was defeated, his arrogance depleted

the moment of truth had arrived

the Hebrews went free

what a great victory!

That brit, God's great promise survived.

(Leaving a drop of wine/juice for each plague:

Dam/Blood, Tzfardeya/Frogs, Kinim/Lice, Arov/Wild Beasts, Dever/Blight, Sh'hin/Boils, Barad/Hail, Arbeh/Locusts, Hoshech/Darkness, Makat B'chorot/Slaying of the First Born

Our ancestors found freedom

on that incredible night

by the thousands they left Egypt

what a staggering sight!

There's much more to our story

of traditions so dear

of wonders to tell you

so much you should hear

But for the moment, at least, I think that we've told

enough of our story, of our God strong and bold

The story is wondrous

it's yours and it's mine

it's my hope and my prayer

that in freedom you'll find ... 

 ... All of the opportunity 

to learn and to grow

to read and to listen

more Torah you'll know

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 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. 

We have now told the story of Passover…but wait! We’re not quite done. There are still some symbols on our seder plate we haven’t talked about yet. Rabban Gamliel would say that whoever didn’t explain the shank bone, matzah, and marror (or bitter herbs) hasn’t done Passover justice.

The shank bone represents the Pesach, the special lamb sacrifice made in the days of the Temple for the Passover holiday. It is called the pesach, from the Hebrew word meaning “to pass over,” because God passed over the houses of our ancestors in Egypt when visiting plagues upon our oppressors.

The matzah reminds us that when our ancestors were finally free to leave Egypt, there was no time to pack or prepare. Our ancestors grabbed whatever dough was made and set out on their journey, letting their dough bake into matzah as they fled.

The bitter herbs provide a visceral reminder of the bitterness of slavery, the life of hard labor our ancestors experienced in Egypt.

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!

We are grateful that we are together on this night as a family ~ Dayenu

We are grateful that we are together to share this moment ~ Dayenu

We are grateful that we are together, alive and healthy ~ Dayenu

We are grateful that we are able to eat together ~ Dayenu

We are grateful that we have a light shining upon us ~ Dayenu

We are grateful for everything and everyone that we have ~ Dayenu

We are grateful for all that has touched our lives ~Dayenu

We are grateful that our ancestors never gave up home, and to them we drink the second glass of wine together ~ Dayenu

The song is about being grateful to God for all of the gifts he gave the Jewish people, such as taking them out of slavery, giving them the Torah and Shabbat, and had God only given one of the gifts, it would have still been enough. This is to show much greater appreciation for all of them as a whole.

Dayenu

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!

.. 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!

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!

.. (CHORUS)

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!

.. (CHORUS) 

(A singable English version:)

Had He brought all, brought all of us, brought all of us 
out from Egypt, 
then it would have been enough. Oh, dayenu.

Chorus: 
Da-da-yeinu_____, da-da-yeinu_____, da-da-yeinu_____, 
dayeinu, dayeinu, dayeinu.

(repeat)

Had He given, given to us, given to us all the Sabbath, 
then it would have been enough. Oh, dayenu.

Chorus

Had He given, given to us, given to us all the Torah, 
then it would have been enough. Oh, dayenu.

Chorus 

As we now transition from the formal telling of the Passover story to the celebratory meal, we once again wash our hands to prepare ourselves. In Judaism, a good meal together with friends and family is itself a sacred act, so we prepare for it just as we prepared for our holiday ritual, recalling the way ancient priests once prepared for service in the Temple.

Some people distinguish between washing to prepare for prayer and washing to prepare for food by changing the way they pour water on their hands. For washing before food, pour water three times on your right hand and then three times on your left hand.

After you have poured the water over your hands, recite this short blessing.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ  עַל נְטִילַת יָדָֽיִם

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

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who made us holy through obligations, commanding us to wash our hands.

The moment's near when we shall eat

a snack, a meal, a Seder treat

Our customs held in high esteem

that when we eat our hands be clean

For all that we can do or say

a blessing must precede the way

(Participants should wash their hands and recite the following blessing:) 

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,

a-sheer keed-sha-nu be-meetz-vo-tav, vee-tzee-va-nu

al n'tee-lat ya-da-yeem.

O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation;

You made us special with your mitzvot, and You have

instructed 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.

Two times so far we've talked about

this matzah here to figure out

And now's our chance to take a bite

to remind us of the slaves rushed flight

But first some blessings say we should

Thank God for our gifts so good

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,

Ha-mo-tzee le-chem meen ha-a-retz.

O Holy One of Blessing, Your Presence fills creation;

Thank you for the nourishing goodness of bread.

Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-o-lam,

a-sher keed-sha-nu be-meetz-vo-tav, vee-tzee-va-nu

al a-chee-lat ma-tzah.

O Holy One of Blessing, your Presence fills creation;

You have made us special with your Mitzvot, and You have

Instructed us to eat Matzah during Pesach

Dipping the bitter herb in sweet charoset | maror  |מָרוֹר   

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

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

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

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

Each person receives some bitter herbs and ḥaroses, which he places between two pieces of matzo. The leader then reads:

This was the practice of Hillel, at the time the Temple was still in existence. He combined the unleavened bread and the bitter herbs and ate them together, to carry out the injunction concerning the Passover sacrifice: "With unleavened bread and with bitter herbs, they shall eat it."

All read in unison:

BORUCH ATTO ADONOI ELOHENU MELECH HO‘OLOM ASHER KIDD’SHONU B’MITZVOSOV V’TZIVONU AL ACHILAS MOROR.

Praised art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast sanctified us by Thy commandments, and ordained that we should eat bitter herbs.

Eat the Moror.

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

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

Charoset is a smooth mixture of various chopped fruits including apples, and nuts, as well as wine and spices. It represents the mixture of clay and straw from which we made the mortar during our bondage. It also calls to mind the women of Israel who bore their children in secret beneath the apple trees of Egypt,  and, like the apple tree that first produces fruit and then sprouts leaves to protect the fruit, our heroic mothers first bore children without any assurance of security or safety. This beautiful and militant devotion sweetened the misery of slavery, even as we dip our bitter herbs in Charoset. The pattern of our celebration is the mixture of the bitter and the sweet, sadness and joy, of tales of shame that end in praise.

Take a piece of the bottom matzah, and some extra matzah if you like, and some more maror. Dip the maror in charoset, then shake off the charoset. Make a matzah-maror sandwich, recite or read or think about the following text, then eat the sandwich.

The text is:

Zecher l'mikdash k'hillel. Ken asah hillel bizman shebeit hamikdash hayah kayam. Haya korech matzah umaror v'ochel b'yachad. L'kayam mah shene'emar, al matzot um'rorim yochluhu.

Which means:

This is a reminder of what Hillel used to do in the time of the Temple. When the Temple stood, he used to combine matzah and maror in a sandwich and eat them together, doing as the Torah says: "They will eat the Pesach offering together with matzah and maror."

Shulchan orech

It’s traditional to begin the actual Seder meal with each person eating a hardboiled egg. A hard-boiled egg, symbolizing the korban chagigah (festival sacrifice) that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem and was then eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. The egg is a sign of mourning. On every festive occasion, we remember to mourn for the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem.

 We are now ready to consume this passover lunch! at this time please put down our haggdahs, recline, and enjoy our festive meal.

.

Eating the meal! | shulchan oreich | שֻׁלְחָן עוֹרֵךְ

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

Finding and eating the Afikomen | tzafoon | צָפוּן

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

Some time ago, as we spoke

this matzah here we held and broke

It's called afikomen -- desert by and by

a fun tradition now to try

Well that matzah has now been hidden

for the moment at least, it's been lost

but I'll make you a deal, I'll give you my word

if you can find it, we'll pay the cost

(Young participants search for Afikomen.)

Refill everyone’s wine glass.

We now say grace after the meal, thanking God for the food we’ve eaten. On Passover, this becomes something like an extended toast to God, culminating with drinking our third glass of wine for the evening:

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

As it says in the Torah: When you have eaten and are satisfied, give praise to your God who has given you this good earth. We praise God for the earth and for its sustenance.

Renew our spiritual center in our time. We praise God, who centers us.

May the source of peace grant peace to us, to the Jewish people, and to the entire world. Amen.

The Third Glass of Wine

The blessing over the meal is immediately followed by another blessing over the wine:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

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

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

Drink the third glass of wine!

Bareich is when two things happen:

(1) We say the 'grace after meals' or 'birkat hamazon' (or not)

(2) We fill our glasses again, say the prayer and drink a third cup of wine to honour the joy of being together around this table on this festive evening.

Baruch atah adonai, elohaynu melech ha'olam, borei p'ri ha'gafen.

The Fourth Cup of Wine

The Cup of Elijah, The Cup of Hope

Leader: Let us all fill our wine glasses.

{Picks up Elijah's cup for all to see.}

This is the cup of Elijah. According to tradition, we open the door to permit the possible entry of the prophet Elijah, who is, according to tradition, the herald of the Mashiach (Messiah) or (is there a difference?) an era of peace and freedom for all human beings.  If the weather is nice, we leave the door open; if not, then Elijah has to be quick about it. Wine waits for no man, even a prophet.

Reader: We, too, open the door to peace, knowing that Elijah's task is really our own. Only when we have made a world where nation shall not lift up sword against nation, where justice is universal, and where each person is free, will the age-old dream of peace be real.

{The door is opened.}

All sing: Eliyahu ha-navee, Eliyahu ha-Tish-bee Eliyahu, eliyahu, Eliyahu ha-Giladee Beem-hei-ra b'ya-mei-nu Yavo ei-leinu Eem ma-shee-ach ben David Eem ma-shee-ach ben David

Leader: We now bless our fourth cup of wine:

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

Miriam’s Cup

Reader: Although Miriam, a prophet and the sister of Moses, is never mentioned in the traditional Haggadah text, she is one of the central figures in the Exodus story.

According to Jewish feminist writer Tamara Cohen, the practice of filling a goblet with water to symbolize Miriam’s inclusion in the Seder originated in Boston in 1989. The idea resonated with many people and quickly spread.

Reader 2: The story has been told of a miraculous well of living water which had accompanied the Jewish people since the world was spoken into being. The well comes and goes, as it is needed, and as we remember, forget, and remember again how to call it to us. In the time of the exodus from Mitzrayim, Miriam called the well to her and stayed with the Jews as they wandered the desert. Upon Miriam’s death, the well again disappeared.

Reader 3: It is the women of our story who make its unfolding possible: Shifrah and Puah, the midwives who disobey Pharaoh's order to kill all newborn boys; Yocheved and Miriam, the mother and sister of Moses; Pharaoh's daughter who rescues Moses from the Nile. It is because of them that we are here tonight; it is because of them that we are able to celebrate our freedom.

{Whatever wine remains in the wine glasses is now emptied into a bowl. Water is then poured into everyone’s wine glass.}

Reader: We have escaped bondage and crossed the sea. We enter the arid land before us, made hesitant by generations of servitude; yet we are heady in our new freedom. We have thirsted for freedom, but now, in the desert, we thirst for water. Our Sages spoke of Miriam’s Well, created in the twilight of creation’s week. It now lies hidden in the Sea of Galilee, waiting to be restored to us. Its waters, we are told, taste of old wine and new wine, of milk and of honey. This is the well of the Ancestors of the world: the leaders of olden times searched for it; prophets and wizards of legend caused it to flow with their staves. But we have not been worthy of it. Now, as we begin a season of renewal, may cleansing, refreshing waters, reminiscent of Miriam’s well, recall for us a purity of purpose and help us focus on the tasks ahead to help bring freedom to all the peoples of the world.

{All drink the water from Miriam’s well.}

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 for favorites like Chad Gadya & Who Knows One, which you can find in the appendix. To celebrate the theme of freedom, we might sing songs from the civil rights movement. Or perhaps your crazy Uncle Frank has some parody lyrics about Passover to the tunes from a musical. 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! 

The Cup of Elijah

We now refill our wine glasses one last time and open the front door to invite the prophet Elijah to join our seder.

In the Bible, Elijah was a fierce defender of God to a disbelieving people. At the end of his life, rather than dying, he was whisked away to heaven. Tradition holds that he will return in advance of messianic days to herald a new era of peace, so we set a place for Elijah at many joyous, hopeful Jewish occasions, such as a baby’s bris and the Passover seder.

אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַנָּבִיא, אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּיאֵלִיָּֽהוּ, אֵלִיָּֽהוּ,אֵלִיָּֽהוּ הַגִּלְעָדִי

בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵֽנוּ יָבוֹא אֵלֵֽינוּ

עִם מָשִֽׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד

עִם מָשִֽׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד

Eliyahu hanavi
Eliyahu hatishbi
Eliyahu, Eliyahu, Eliyahu hagiladi
Bimheirah b’yameinu, yavo eileinu
Im mashiach ben-David,
Im mashiach ben-David

Elijah the prophet, the returning, the man of Gilad:
return to us speedily,
in our days with the messiah,
son of David.

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!

Who Knows One? 
At some seders, people go around the table reading the question and all 13 answers in one breath. Thirteen is hard!

Who knows one?

I know one.

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows two?

I know two.

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows two?

I know two.

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows four?

I know four.

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows five?

I know five.

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows six?

I know six.

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows seven?

I know seven.

Seven are the days of the week

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows eight?

I know eight.

Eight are the days for circumcision

Seven are the days of the week

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows nine?

I know nine.

Eight are the days for circumcision

Seven are the days of the week

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows ten?

I know ten.

Ten are the Words from Sinai

Nine are the months of childbirth

Eight are the days for circumcision

Seven are the days of the week

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows eleven?

I know eleven.

Eleven are the stars

Ten are the Words from Sinai

Nine are the months of childbirth

Eight are the days for circumcision

Seven are the days of the week

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows twelve?

I know twelve.

Twelve are the tribes

Eleven are the stars

Ten are the Words from Sinai

Nine are the months of childbirth

Eight are the days for circumcision

Seven are the days of the week

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Who knows thirteen?

I know thirteen

Thirteen are the attributes of God

Twelve are the tribes

Eleven are the stars

Ten are the Words from Sinai

Nine are the months of childbirth

Eight are the days for circumcision

Seven are the days of the week

Six are the orders of the Mishnah

Five are the books of the Torah

Four are the matriarchs

Three are the patriarchs

Two are the tablets of the covenant

One is our God in Heaven and Earth

Chad Gadya

חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא

דְזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי

חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא

Chad gadya, chad gadya

Dizabin abah bitrei zuzei

Chad gadya, chad gadya.

One little goat, one little goat:

Which my father brought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The cat came and ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The dog came and bit the cat

That ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The stick came and beat the dog

That bit the cat that ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The fire came and burned the stick

That beat the dog that bit the cat

That ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The water came and extinguished the

Fire that burned the stick

That beat the dog that bit the cat

That ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The ox came and drank the water

That extinguished the fire

That burned the stick that beat the dog That bit the cat that ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The butcher came and killed the ox,

That drank the water

That extinguished the fire

That burned the stick that beat the dog That bit the cat that ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The angle of death came and slew

The butcher who killed the ox,

That drank the water

That extinguished the fire

That burned the stick that beat the dog That bit the cat that ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

One little goat, one little goat:

The Holy One, Blessed Be He came and

Smote the angle of death who slew

The butcher who killed the ox,

That drank the water

That extinguished the fire

That burned the stick that beat the dog That bit the cat that ate the goat,

Which my father bought for two zuzim.

(to the tune of "Clementine")

1. Said the father to his children
At the seder you will dine
You will eat your fill of matzah
You will drink four cups of wine.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Said the wise son to his father
"Would you please explain the laws
Or the customs of the Seder
Will you please explain the cause?"

5. And the father proudly answered,
"As our fathers ate in speed,
Ate the Paschal lamb 'ere midnight
And from slavery were freed."

6. "So we follow their example
And 'ere midnight must complete
All the Seder; and we should not
After twelve remain to eat."

7. 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.

8. If yourself you don't consider
As a son of Israel
Then for you this has no meaning
You could be a slave as well."

9. Then the simple son said softly,
"What is this?" and quietly
The good father told his offspring
"We were freed from slavery."

10. But the youngest son was silent
For he could not ask at all.
And his eyes were bright with wonder
As his father told him all.

11. Now dear children, heed the lesson
And remember ever more
What the father told his children
Told his sons who numbered four.

An only kid! An only kid

My father bought for two zuzim 

Chad gadya, Chad gadya

Then came the cat and ate the kid

My father bought For two zuzim.

Chad gadya, Chad gadya

Then came the dog And bit the cat

That ate the kid

My father bought For two zuzim.

Chad gadya, Chad gadya

Then came the stick and beat the dog

That bit the cat that ate the kid

My father bought For two zuzim.

Chad gadya, Chad gadya

 Then came the fire and burned the stick

That beat the dog That bit the cat

That ate the kid

My father boughtFor two zuzim.

Chad gadya, Chad gadya

 Then came the water and quenched the fire

That burned the stick That beat the dog

That bit the cat That ate the kid

My father bought For two zuzim.

Chad gadya, Chad gadya

 Then came the ox and drank the water

That quenched the fire That burned the stick

That beat the dog That bit the cat

That ate the kid

My father boughtFor two zuzim.

Chad gadya, Chad gadya

8. Then came the butcher And killed the ox . . . 

9 Then came the angel of deathAnd slew the butcher . . 

10. Then came the Holy One, blest be He!And destroyed the angel of death . .