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TABLE OF CONTENTS
"It is not your obligation to complete the task [of creating a better world] but neither are you free to desist from it."
~ Rabbi Tarfon
"If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
But if I am only for myself, what am I?
And if not now, when?"
~ Rabbi Hillel
Hine ma tov
uma nayim
shevet achim gam yachad.
Hine ma tov
uma nayim
shevet achim gam yachad.
How good and pleasant it is when people live together in harmony
Blessing Over the Candles
Baruch Atah Ado-nai, Elo-heinu Melech Ha-olam, Asher Kid’shanu
B’mitzvotav V’tzivanu L’hadlik Ner Shel Yom Tov.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has
sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us that
we kindle the Yom Tov (Holiday) lights.
Blessing Over the Wine
Ba-ruch a-tah A-do-nai, E-lo-hey-nu Me-lech ha-o-lam,
Bo-rey p’-ri ha-ga-fen.
Praised are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
(Let's drink the first cup of wine!)
As we wash our hands
We pray,
Blessed is the Soul of the Universe,
Breathing us in and breathing us out.
May our breaths continue
And our health and the health of all
Be preserved
In this time of sickness and fear of sickness.
Holy Wholeness,
We take as much responsibility for this as we can
By observing the obligation to wash our hands
Thoroughly:
For as long as it takes to say this prayer.
Amen
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה הָ׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדַיִם
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה.
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha’olam, borei p’ri ha’adamah.
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.
Raise the Matzah
This is the bread of affliction, which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in need, come and celebrate Passover. Today, we are here. Next year, in the land of Israel.
Today, we are slaves. Next year, we will be free.
Raise the Matzah
Ha lachma anya di achalu avhatana b’ara d’mitzrayim. Kol dichfin yeitei v’yeichol, kol ditzrich yeitei v’yifsach. Hashata hacha, l’shanah habaah b’ara d’Yisrael. Hashata avdei, l’shanah habaah b’nei chorin.
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Ha lachma anya d’achaloo avhatana b’ara d’meetzrayeem. Kol dichfeen yay-tay vi’yachool, kol deetzreech yay-tay viyeesfsach. Hashata hach. Li’shana ha-ba-aa bi’arah di’yeesrael. Hashata av’day, li’shana ha-ba a bi’nay choreen.
This is the bread of affliction, which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in need, come and celebrate Passover. Today, we are here. Next year, in the land of Israel. Today, we are slaves. Next year, we will be free.
Written in Aramaic, this statement begins the narration of the Seder by inviting the hungry to our table. Aramaic, Jewish legend has it, is the one language which the angels do not understand. Why then is Ha Lachma spoken in Aramaic? To teach us that where there is hunger, no one should rely upon the angels, no one should pray to the heavens for help. We know the language of the poor, for we were poor in the land of Egypt. We know that we are called to feed the poor and to call them to join our celebration of freedom.
In every generation, we must see ourselves as if we personally were liberated from Egypt. We gather tonight to tell the ancient story of a people's liberation from Egyptian slavery. This is the story of our origins as a people. It is from these events that we gain our ethics, our vision of history, our dreams for the future.
We gather tonight, as two hundred generations of Jewish families have before us, to retell the timeless tale. Yet our tradition requires that on Seder night, we do more than just tell the story. We must live the story. Tonight, we will re-experience the liberation from Egypt. We will remember how our family suffered as slaves; we will feel the exhilaration of redemption. We must re-taste the bitterness of slavery and must rejoice over our newfound freedom. We annually return to Egypt in order to be freed. We remember slavery in order to deepen our commitment to end all suffering; we recreate our liberation in order to reinforce our commitment to universal freedom.
Mah nishtanah halaylah hazeh mikol haleilot?
Sheb’chol haleilot anu och’lin chameitz umatzah,
-halaylah hazeh kulo matzah.
Sheb’chol haleilot anu och’lin sh’ar y’rakot,
-halaylah hazeh maror.
Sheb’chol haleilot ein anu matbilin afilu pa’am echat,
-halaylah hazeh sh’tei f’amim.
Sheb’khol haleilot anu okhlim bein yoshvin uvein m’subin,
-halailah hazeh kulanu m’subin.
The Ballad of the Four Sons(to the tune of "Clementine") wriiten by Ben Aronin in 1948
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."
Now this father had no daughters,
But his sons they numbered four.
One was wise and one was wicked,
One was simple and a bore.
And the fourth was sweet and winsome,
he was young and he was small.
While his brothers asked the questions
he could scarcely speak at all.
Said the wise one to his father
"Would you please explain the laws?
Of the customs of the seder
Will you please explain the cause?"
And the father proudly answered,
"As our fathers ate in speed,
Ate the paschal lamb 'ere midnight
And from slavery were freed."
So we follow their example
And 'ere midnight must complete
All the seder and we should not
After 12 remain to eat.
Then did sneer the son so wicked
"What does all this mean to you?"
And the father's voice was bitter
As his grief and anger grew.
"If you yourself don't consider As son of Israel,
Then for you this has no meaning
You could be a slave as well."
Then the simple son said simply "What is this," and quietly
The good father told his offspring
"We were freed from slavery."
But the youngest son was silent
For he could not ask at all.
His bright eyes were bright with wonder
As his father told him all.
My dear children, heed the lesson
and remember evermore
What the father told his children
Told his sons that numbered four.
1.
Once upon a time our people went into galut, exile, in the land of Egypt. During a famine, our ancestor Jacob and his family fled to Egypt where food was plentiful. Through a complicated set of plot twists, his son Joseph had risen to high position in Pharaoh's court, and our people were well-respected and well-regarded, secure in the power structure of the time.
2.
Generations passed and our people remained in Egypt. As rulers came and went, a new Pharaoh ascended to the throne. He felt threatened by the strangers in his people's midst, and ordered our people enslaved.
In fear of rebellion, Pharaoh decreed that all Hebrew boy-children be killed. Two midwives named Shifrah and Puah defied his orders, claiming that "the Hebrew women are so hardy, they give birth before we arrive!" Through their courage, a boy survived.
Fearing for his safety, his family placed him in a basket and he floated down the Nile. He was found and adopted, by Pharaoh's daughter, who named him Moshe because min ha-mayim m'shitihu, from the water she drew him forth. She hired his mother Yocheved as his wet-nurse. Thus he survived to adulthood and was raised as Prince of Egypt.
3.
Although a child of privilege, as he grew he became aware of the slaves who worked in the brickyards of his father. When he saw an overseer mistreat a slave, he struck the overseer and killed him. Fearing retribution, he set out across the Sinai alone.
God spoke to him from a burning bush, which though it flamed was not consumed. The Voice called him to lead the Hebrew people to freedom. Moses argued with God, pleading inadequacy, but God disagreed. Sometimes our responsibilities choose us.
4.
Moses returned to Egypt and went to Pharaoh to argue the injustice of slavery. He gave Pharaoh a mandate with resounds through history: Let my people go.
Pharaoh refused, and Moses warned him that Mighty God would strike the Egyptian people. These threats were not idle: ten terrible plagues were unleashed upon the Egyptians. Only when his nation lay in ruins did Pharaoh agree to our liberation.
5.
Fearful that Pharaoh would change his mind, our people fled, not waiting for their bread dough to rise. (For this reason we eat unleavened bread as we take part in their journey.) Our people did not leave Egypt alone; a "mixed multitude" went with them. From this we learn that liberation is not for us alone, but for all the nations of the earth.
Even Pharaoh's daughter came with us, and traded her old title ( bat-Pharaoh, daugther of Pharaoh) for the name Batya, "daughter of God."
Pharaoh's army followed us to the Sea of Reeds. We plunged into the waters. Only when we had gone as far as we could did the waters part for us. We mourn, even now, that Pharaoh's army drowned: our liberation is bittersweet because people died in our pursuit.
7.
To this day we relive our liberation, that we may not become complacent, that we may always rejoice in our freedom.
When Israel was in Egypt land --- Let my people go
Oppressed so hard they could not stand --- Let my people go.
Chorus: Go down Moses, Way down to Egypt land, Tell old Pharoah To let my people go.
And G-d told Moses what to do --- Let my people go!
To lead the children of Israel through --- Let my people go!
Chorus: Go down Moses, Way down to Egypt land, Tell old Pharoah To let my people go.
Midrash teaches that, while watching the Egyptians succumb to the ten plagues, the angels broke into songs of jubilation. God rebuked them, saying, "My creatures are perishing, and you sing praises?"
As we recite each plague, we spill a drop of wine - symbol of joy - from our cups. Our joy in our liberation will always be tarnished by the pain visited upon the Egyptians.
Blood
Frogs
Lice
Insect Swarms
Cattle Plague
Boils
Hail
Locusts
Darkness
Death of the First-Born
Today's world holds plagues as well. Let us spill drops of wine as we recite:
Apathy in the face of evil
Brutal torture of the helpless
Cruel mockery of the old and the weak
Despair of human goodness
Envy of the joy of others
Falsehood and deception corroding our faith
Greedy theft of the earth's resources
Hatred of learning and culture
Instigation of war and aggression
Justice delayed, justice denied, justice mocked...
Shekhinah, soften our hearts and the hearts of our enemies. Help us to dream new paths to freedom, so that the next sea-opening is not also a drowning; so that our singing is never again their wailing. So that our freedom leaves no one orphaned, childless, gasping for air.
One morning when Pharaoh awoke in his bed,
there were frogs in his bed. And frogs on his head.
Frogs on his toes and frogs on his nose.
Frogs here! Frogs there! Frogs were jumping everywhere!
One of most beloved songs in the Passover seder is "Dayenu". The stanzas are read one at a time, and the participants respond, "Dayenu" – meaning, “it would have been enough”.
How many times do we forget to pause and notice that where we are is exactly where we ought to be? Dayenu is a reminder to never forget all the miracles in our lives. When we stand and wait impatiently for the next one to appear, we are missing the whole point of life. Instead, we can actively seek a new reason to be grateful, a reason to say “Dayenu.”
And now, for something completely different: we’re going to channel the Persian and Afghani Jews, who hit each other over the heads and shoulders with scallions every time they say Dayeinu! They especially use the scallions in the ninth stanza which mentions the manna that the Israelites ate everyday in the desert, because Torah tells us that the Israelites began to complain about the manna and longed for the onions, leeks and garlic. So hit your neighbor – gently!
Dayenu means “it would have been enough.” The idea is to practice gratitude, in spite of all the crappy shit Jews are always dealing with. So thinking back over the trashfire of the past year, let's name some of the stuff we've felt grateful for and sing Dayenu!
We stayed healthy. Dayenu!
We had a safe home to live in. Dayenu!
etc.
One of most beloved songs in the Passover seder is "Dayenu". A few of us will read the stanzas one at a time, and the everyone else will respond, "Dayenu" – meaning, “it would have been enough”.
How many times do we forget to pause and notice that where we are is exactly where we ought to be? Dayenu is a reminder to never forget all the miracles in our lives. When we stand and wait impatiently for the next one to appear, we are missing the whole point of life. Instead, we can actively seek a new reason to be grateful, a reason to say “Dayenu.”
Fun fact: Persian and Afghani Jews hit each other over the heads and shoulders with scallions every time they say Dayenu! They especially use the scallions in the ninth stanza which mentions the manna that the Israelites ate everyday in the desert, because Torah tells us that the Israelites began to complain about the manna and longed for the onions, leeks and garlic. Feel free to be Persian/Afghani for the evening if you’d like.
| English translation | Hebrew | |
| Ilu hotzianu mimitzrayim, | אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם | |
| and had not carried out judgments against them | v'lo asah bahem sh'fatim, | וְלֹא עָשָׂה בָּהֶם שְׁפָטִים |
| — Dayenu, it would have been enough! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ |
| If He had carried out judgments against them, | Ilu asah bahem sh'fatim | אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בָּהֶם שְׁפָטִים |
| and not against their idols | v'lo asah beloheihem, | וְלֹא עָשָׂה בֵּאלֹהֵיהֶם |
| — Dayenu, it would have been enough! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ |
| If He had destroyed their idols, | Ilu asah beloheihem, | אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בֵּאלֹהֵיהֶם |
| and had not smitten their first-born | v'lo harag et b'choreihem, | וְלֹא הָרַג אֶת בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם |
| — Dayenu, it would have been enough! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ |
| If He had smitten their first-born, | Ilu harag et b'choreihem, | אִלּוּ הָרַג אֶת בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם |
| and had not given us their wealth | v'lo natan lanu et mamonam, | וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם |
| — Dayenu, it would have been enough! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ |
| If He had given us their wealth, | Ilu natan lanu et mamonam, | אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם |
| and had not split the sea for us | v'lo kara lanu et hayam, | ןלא קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם |
| — Dayenu, it would have been enough! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ |
| If He had split the sea for us, | Ilu kara lanu et hayam, | אִלּוּ קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם |
| and had not taken us through it on dry land | v'lo he'eviranu b'tocho becharavah, | וְלֹא הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ בֶּחָרָבָה |
| — Dayenu, it would have been enough! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ |
| If He had taken us through the sea on dry land, | Ilu he'eviranu b'tocho becharavah, | אִלּוּ הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ בֶּחָרָבָה |
| and had not drowned our oppressors in it | v'lo shika tzareinu b'tocho, | וְלֹא שִׁקַע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ |
| — Dayenu, it would have been enough! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ |
| If He had drowned our oppressors in it, | Ilu shika tzareinu b'tocho, | אִלּוּ שִׁקַע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ |
| and had not supplied our needs in the desert for forty years | v'lo sipeik tzorkeinu bamidbar arba'im shana, | וְלֹא סִפֵּק צָרַכֵּנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה |
| — Dayenu, it would have been enough! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ |
| If He had supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, | Ilu sipeik tzorkeinu bamidbar arba'im shana, | אִלּוּ סִפֵּק צָרַכֵּנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה |
| and had not fed us the manna | v'lo he'echilanu et haman, | וְלֹא הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן |
| — Dayenu, it would have been enough! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ |
| If He had fed us the manna, | Ilu he'echilanu et haman, | אִלּוּ הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן |
| and had not given us the Shabbat | v'lo natan lanu et hashabbat, | וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת |
| — Dayenu, it would have been enough! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ |
| If He had given us the Shabbat, | Ilu natan lanu et hashabbat, | אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת |
| and had not brought us before Mount Sinai | v'lo keirvanu lifnei har sinai, | וְלֹא קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי |
| — Dayenu, it would have been enough! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ |
| If He had brought us before Mount Sinai, | Ilu keirvanu lifnei har sinai, | אִלּוּ קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי |
| and had not given us the Torah | v'lo natan lanu et hatorah, | וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה |
| — Dayenu, it would have been enough! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ |
| If He had given us the Torah, | Ilu natan lanu et hatorah, | אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה |
| and had not brought us into the land of Israel | v'lo hichnisanu l'eretz yisra'eil, | וְלֹא הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל |
| — Dayenu, it would have been enough! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ |
| If He had brought us into the land of Israel, | Ilu hichnisanu l'eretz yisra'eil, | אִלּוּ הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל |
| and not built for us the Holy Temple | v'lo vanah lanu et beit hamikdash, | וְלֹא בָּנָה לָנוּ אֶת בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ |
| — Dayenu, it would have been enough! | dayeinu! | דַּיֵּנוּ |
--Rabbi Menachem Creditor, Congregation Netivot Shalom, Berkeley, CA
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, asher kidshanu bemitvotav vetzivanu al netilat yadayim.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶך הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִּם.
Blessed are You ETERNAL our God, Master of time and space, who has sanctified us with commandments and instructed us regarding lifting up our hands.
We arrive at a second moment of hand-washing. A practical moment since we are about to begin our meal. However, in this time of constantly washing and sanitizing to protect ourselves and those we love, our hands may feel raw and chapped. We say a blessing after washing to sanctify the act and elevate from the hundreds of other times we have washed our hands today.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al n’tilat yadayim.
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.
Rabban Gamliel insists that we must say these three things in order to fulfill our obligation on Pesach: Pesach, Matzah, Maror. It is surprising that we must say the words. Isn't it enough just to eat them? We must talk them out because these three mitzvot convey three fundamental principles in our belief in Hashem. Each of them describes a way in which Hashem is subtle and exact in how He relates to us and provides for us.
'Pesach - For what? To acknowledge that Hashem pasach (skipped over) the houses of our ancestors in Egypt.' This represents Hashem's willingness/capacity to act in a precise way toward us. By not giving license to the forces of destruction to act freely during the plague of the first-born sons, Hashem was expressing willingness to give each and every person exactly what he or she needs. And this is essential to appreciating the events in our lives. As Rebbe Nachman says, Hashem sends each of us hints, according to the time, place, and person, about how to come close to Him. If Hashem isn't exact, there are no hints. But if He is, then everything around is is calibrated to convey very specific messages to us.
The second statement of faith, matzah , corresponds to Hashem's precision in time. 'The dough was not allowed to leaven before the King of Kings, the Holy One Blessed is He, appeared to them and redeemed them.' Now, matzah takes 18 minutes to become chometz. That means we started making dough like it would be a normal day, with no sense that today was The Day, and within 18 minutes it became clear that this would be the day of redemption. The situations and challenges that Hashem gives us are not open-ended: It may be that such-and-such an illness, or situation, or suffering is meant to last exactly 7 months, 12 days, 3 hours and 5 minutes before that job offer/chance meeting/ doctor's appointment happens. Hashem is precise in time.
The third foundation of faith - maror - reminds us of how the Egyptians embittered our lives in slavery. The goal is to believe that suffering and bitterness are among the tools Hashem uses in order to bring about our full tikkun, our full fixing. We might forget this in the midst of our suffering, but as R' Tzvi Meir Zilberberg says, “Every moment of struggle, of confinement and test, whether it concerns our character, our desires, or any matter concerning G-d-service, everything is exactly measured, that it will be precisely oriented toward the benefit, lights and needs of this particular soul, and all the souls dependent upon it─not more and not less.”
Eating these three special foods ingrains these levels of belief into our bodies. But saying and discussing them establishes them in the world of conversation, of interaction, and of intellect. By declaring our faith to the world, we let each other know that we want our relationships to be infused with this faith.
In the early 1980s, the Hillel Foundation invited me to speak on a panel at Oberlin College. While on campus, I came across a Haggadah that had been written by some Oberlin students to express feminist concerns. One ritual they devised was placing a crust of bread on the Seder plate, as a sign of solidarity with Jewish lesbians, a statement of defiance against a rebbetzin’s pronouncement that, “There’s as much room for a lesbian in Judaism as there is for a crust of bread on the seder plate.”
At the next Passover, I placed an orange on our family's Seder plate. During the first part of the Seder, I asked everyone to take a segment of the orange, make the blessing over fruit, and eat it as a gesture of solidarity with Jewish lesbians and gay men, and others who are marginalized within the Jewish community.
Bread on the Seder plate brings an end to Pesach-- it renders everything chametz. And it suggests that being lesbian is being transgressive, violating Judaism. I felt that an orange was suggestive of something else: the fruitfulness for all Jews when lesbians and gay men are contributing and active members of Jewish life. In addition, each orange segment had a few seeds that had to be spit out--a gesture of spitting out, repudiating the homophobia of Judaism.
When lecturing, I often mentioned my custom as one of many new feminist rituals that have been developed in the last twenty years. Somehow, though, the typical patriarchal maneuver occurred:
My idea of an orange and my intention of affirming lesbians and gay men were transformed. Now the story circulates that a man said to me that a woman belongs on the bimah as an orange on the Seder plate. A woman's words are attributed to a man, and the affirmation of lesbians and gay men is simply erased.
Isn't that precisely what's happened over the centuries to women's ideas? And isn’t this precisely the erasure of their existence that gay and lesbian Jews continue to endure, to this day?
- Excerpted from an Email from Professor Susannah Heschel
Olive trees mature slowly, so only when there was an extended time of peace, with agriculture left undisturbed, could the olive tree produce its fruit. In 2008, Jewish Voice for Peace promoted putting an olive on the seder plate as part of its Trees of Reconciliation project, which sought to donate 3,000 olive saplings to Palestinian farmers to replant trees torn down to make room for Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
This year, we have olives on our seder plate to remind us that not only are we not free until everyone is free, but we are not free until there is peace in our homes, in our community and in our world.
Adonai oz l’amo yitein, Adonai yivarech v’et amo v’shalom.
God give strength to our people, God bless our people with peace.
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha’olam, borei p’ri ha’eitz.
Blessed are you, Adonai, who gives us the fruit of the tree.
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.
While the English Earl of Sandwich is generally credited for inventing the snack of his namesake, Hillel may have originated it two thousand years ago by combining matzah, a slice of paschal lamb, and a bitter herb. Jews no longer sacrifice and eat the lamb, so the Passover sandwich is only matzah, charoset, and a bitter herb now.
Each person receives some bitter herbs and ḥaroses, which they place between two pieces of matzo.
All say in unison: “Kein ah-saw Hillel” and eat the sandwich reclining.
After the meal, take the Afikoman and divide it among all the members of the household, by giving everyone a kezayit (the volume of one olive).
Take care not to eat or drink (only water allowed, but not recommended) after the Afikoman.
It is to be eaten in the reclining position and this ought to be done before midnight.
Many questions have arisen about this snippet of text. What were these rabbis doing in B’nei Brak, which was the hometown of Rabbi Akiva only?
Why didn’t their students join them in celebrating the seder? Why didn’t the rabbis themselves notice the rising of the sun?
Context is everything. This story takes place during the rule of the Roman emperor Hadrian, who ordered that the Temple be moved so he could put a temple to Jupiter on the Temple Mount.
In the year 123 of the Common Era, a guerilla insurgency began, which resulted in a crack-down by the Roman authorities. B’nei Brak was the headquarters of the rebellion against Roman occupation, a rebellion of which Rabbi Akiva was a leader. Because of rebel activities, the Roman authorities had forbidden gatherings of Jews, on pain of death. The seder described in this passage was used not only as a chance to discuss the liberation from Egypt—but also to plan a strategy of resistance against Roman occupation. The students were standing guard, ready to caution the rabbis to disband at daybreak, lest they be caught. This tale may be read as an encouragement to become so joyfully immersed in the seder that we don’t notice the passing of time...and it may also be read as a story of how one liberation begets another. Celebrating our freedom from servitude can be a radical act. It was Rabbi Akiva, after all, who famously answered the query, “Which is better, study or action?” with the response, “Study—if it leads to action.
Have a participant open the door for Elijah. Make sure that all participants have an extra wine glass that has not been used for the previous three cups of wine and will not be used for the fourth cup of wine. Pour a cup of wine into the additional wine glass. Raising the additional cup of wine and read as a group:
Gathered around the Seder table, we ultimately pour four cups, remembering the gift of freedom that our ancestors received centuries ago. We delight in our liberation from Pharaoh’s oppression.
We drink four cups for four promises fulfilled.
The first cup as God said, “I will free you from the labors of the Egyptians.”
The second as God said, “And I will deliver you from their bondage.”
The third as God said, “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.”
The fourth because God said, “I will take you to be My People.”
We know, though, that all are not yet free. As we welcome Elijah the Prophet into our homes, we offer an additional cup, a cup not yet consumed.
An additional cup for the more than 68 million refugees and displaced people around the world still waiting to be free – from the refugee camps in Chad to the cities and towns of Ukraine, for the Syrian refugees still waiting to be delivered from the hands of tyrants, for the thousands of asylum seekers in the United States still waiting in detention for redemption to come, for all those who yearn to be taken in not as strangers but as fellow human beings.
This Passover, let us walk in the footsteps of the One who delivered us from bondage. When we rise from our Seder tables, may we be emboldened to take action on behalf of the world’s refugees, hastening Elijah’s arrival as we speak out on behalf of those who are not yet free.
Place this additional cup of wine down untasted.
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!
Excerpts from The Song of Songs, as translated by Chana and Ariel Bloch
Now he has brought me to the house of wine,
and his flag over me is love.
Let me lie among vine blossoms,
in a bed of apricots!
I am in the fever of love.
His left hand beneath my head,
his right arm
holding me close.
Daughters of Jerusalem, swear to me
by the gazelles, by the deer in the field,
that you will never awaken love
until it is ripe.
-----
Look, winter is over,
the rains are done,
wildflowers spring up in the fields.
Now is the time of the nightingale.
In every meadow you hear
the song of the turtledove.
The fig tree has sweetened
its new green fruit
and the young budded vines smell spicy.
Hurry, my love, my friend
and come away.
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.
In the years of wandering in the desert, Miriam's well accompanied the Israelites. Accodring to tradition, Miriam's well is still with us. Every Saturday night, at the end of Shabbat, its waters flow out into wells everywhere in the world.
While the return of Elijah is left to the future and all its potential, Miriam is present with us always. She and her waters sustain us as we await Elijah. She is here to provide healing, inspiration, and wisdom.
There is still a long journey to freedom, a long time before Elijah will herald the Messicanic age. Miriam calls is to work for -- not to passively wait for -- that day. She sustains us with the most basic substance on earth: water. She also lifts our hears as she leads us in song and dance.
Elijah's cup remains untouched by us. But we now drink from Miriam's cup, the nurtuing waters of Miriam's well.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ.
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam shehakol niyah bidvaro.
Praised are you, Eternal our God, Ruler of the Universe, by whose word all things are created.
ושאבתם מים בששון
ממעייני הישועה.
מים, מים, מים מים
הוי מים בששון.
Ushavtem mayim b'sason
mimainei hayeshua .
Ushavtem mayim b'sason
mimainei hayeshua
Chorus:
Mayim - Mayim - Mayim - Mayim
Hey, mayim b'sason
Mayim - Mayim - Mayim - Mayim
Hey, mayim b'sason
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Mayim - Mayim
Mayim - Mayim
Mayim - Mayim - b'sason
Mayim - Mayim
Mayim - Mayim
Mayim - Mayim - b'sason
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!
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
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 . .
Chad gadya, chad gadya.
D’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,
chad gadya, chad gadya.
V’ata shunra v’achlah l’gadya,
d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,
chad gadya, chad gadya.
V’ata chalba v’nashach l’shunrah,
d’achlah l’gadya,
d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,
chad gadya, chad gadya.
V’ata chutra v’hika l’chalba,
d’nashach l’shunrah,
d’achlah l’gadya,
d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,
chad gadya, chad gadya.
V’ata nura v’saraf l’chutra,
d’hikah l’chalba,
d’nashach l’shunrah,
d’achlah l’gadya,
d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,
chad gadya, chad gadya.
V’ata maya v’chava l’nura,
d’saraf l’chutra,
d’hikah l’chalba,
d’nashach l’shunrah,
d’achlah l’gadya,
d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,
chad gadya, chad gadya.
V’ata tora v’shatah l’maya,
d’chava l’nura,
d’saraf l’chutra,
d’hikah l’chalba,
d’nashach l’shunrah,
d’achlah l’gadya,
d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,
chad gadya, chad gadya.
V’ata hashocheit v’shachat l’tora,
d’shata l’maya,
d’chava l’nura,
d’saraf l’chutra,
d’hikah l’chalba,
d’nashach l’shunrah,
d’achlah l’gadya,
d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,
chad gadya, chad gadya.
V’ata malach hamavet v’shachat l’shocheit,
d’shachat l’tora,
d’shata l’maya,
d’chava l’nura,
d’saraf l’chutra,
d’hikah l’chalba,
d’nashach l’shunrah,
d’achlah l’gadya,
d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,
chad gadya, chad gadya.
V’ata Hakodesh Baruch Hu v’shachat l’malach hamavet,
d’shachat l’shocheit,
d’shachat l’tora,
d’shata l’maya,
d’chava l’nura,
d’saraf l’chutra,
d’hikah l’chalba,
d’nashach l’shunrah,
d’achlah l’gadya,
d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,
chad gadya, chad gadya.
ECHAD MI YODE'A
Echad mi yode'a
Echad ani yode'a
Echad Elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz.
Shnaim mi yode'a
Shnaim ani yode'a
shnei luchot habrit
echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz.
Shlosha mi yode'a,
Shlosha ani yode'a.
Shlosha avot,
shnei luchot habrit
echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz.
Arba mi yode'a
arba ani yode'a
arba imahot
Shlosha avot,
shnei luchot habrit
echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz.
Chamisha, mi yode'a
Chamisha, ani yode'a
Chamisha chumshei torah
arba imahot
Shlosha avot,
shnei luchot habrit
echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz.
Shisha, mi yode'a?
Shisha, ani yode'a
Shisha, sidre mishna
Chamisha chumshei torah
arba imahot
Shlosha avot,
shnei luchot habrit
echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz.
Shiv'ah mi yode'a
shiv'ah ani yode'a.
shiv'ah yemei shabatah
Shisha, sidre mishna
Chamisha chumshei torah
arba imahot
Shlosha avot,
shnei luchot habrit
echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz.
Shmonah mi yode'a
shmonah ani yode'a
shmonah yemei milah
shiv'ah yemei shabatah
Shisha, sidre mishna
Chamisha chumshei torah
arba imahot
Shlosha avot,
shnei luchot habrit
echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz.
Tish'ah mi yode'a
tish'ah ani yode'a.
tish'ah chodshei leidah
shmonah yemei milahshiv'ah yemei shabatah
Shisha, sidre mishna
Chamisha chumshei torah
arba imahot
Shlosha avot,
shnei luchot habrit
echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz.
Asara mi yode'a
asara ani yode'a
asara dibraya
tish'ah chodshei leidah
shmonah yemei milah
shiv'ah yemei shabatah
Shisha, sidre mishna
Chamisha chumshei torah
arba imahot
Shlosha avot,
shnei luchot habrit
echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz.
Achad asar mi yode'a
achad asar ani yode'a
achad asar kochvaya
asara dibraya
tish'ah chodshei leidah
shmonah yemei milah
shiv'ah yemei shabatah
Shisha, sidre mishna
Chamisha chumshei torah
arba imahot
Shlosha avot,
shnei luchot habrit
echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz.
Shneim-asar mi yode'a
shneim-asar ani yode'a
shneim-asar shivtaya
achad asar kochvaya
asara dibraya
tish'ah chodshei leidah
shmonah yemei milah
shiv'ah yemei shabatah
Shisha, sidre mishna
Chamisha chumshei torah
arba imahot
Shlosha avot,
shnei luchot habrit
echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz.
Shlosha-asar mi yode'a
Shlosha-asar ani yode'a
Shlosha-asar midaya
shneim-asar shivtaya
achad asar kochvaya
asara dibraya
tish'ah chodshei leidah
shmonah yemei milah
shiv'ah yemei shabatah
Shisha, sidre mishna
Chamisha chumshei torah
arba imahot
Shlosha avot,
shnei luchot habrit
echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz.
I KNOW ONE
1 who knows 1
1 I know 1
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.
2 who knows 2
2 I know 2
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.
3 who knows 3
3 I know 3
3 are our forefathers
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.
4 who knows 4
4 I know 4
4 are our matriarchs,
3 are our forefathers
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.
5 who knows 5
5 I know 5
5 are the books of the torah,
4 are our matriarchs,
3 are our forefathers
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.
6 who knows 6
6 I know 6
6 are the orders of the mishnah
5 are the books of the torah,
4 are our matriarchs,
3 are our forefathers
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.
7 who knows 7
7 I know 7
7 are the days in a week till Shabbat
6 are the orders of the mishnah
5 are the books of the torah,
4 are our matriarchs,
3 are our forefathers
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.
8 who knows 8
8 I know 8
8 are the days to the brit milah
7 are the days in a week till Shabbat
6 are the orders of the mishnah
5 are the books of the torah,
4 are our matriarchs,
3 are our forefathers
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.
9 who knows 9
9 I know 9
9 are the months before birth,
8 are the days to the brit milah
7 are the days in a week till Shabbat
6 are the orders of the mishnah
5 are the books of the torah,
4 are our matriarchs,
3 are our forefathers
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.
10 who knows 10
10 I know 10
10 are the commandments
9 are the months before birth,
8 are the days to the brit milah
7 are the days in a week till Shabbat
6 are the orders of the mishnah
5 are the books of the torah,
4 are our matriarchs,
3 are our forefathers
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.
11 who knows 11
11 I know 11
11 are the stars in Joseph's dream
10 are the commandments
9 are the months before birth,
8 are the days to the brit milah
7 are the days in a week till Shabbat
6 are the orders of the mishnah
5 are the books of the torah,
4 are our matriarchs,
3 are our forefathers
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.
12 who knows 12
12 I know 12
12 are the Tribes of Israel
11 are the stars in Joseph's dream
10 are the commandments
9 are the months before birth,
8 are the days to the brit milah
7 are the days in a week till Shabbat
6 are the orders of the mishnah
5 are the books of the torah,
4 are our matriarchs,
3 are our forefathers
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.
13 who knows 13
13 I know 13
13 are the attributes of God
12 are the Tribes of Israel
11 are the stars in Joseph's dream
10 are the commandments
9 are the months before birth,
8 are the days to the brit milah
7 are the days in a week till Shabbat
6 are the orders of the mishnah
5 are the books of the torah,
4 are our matriarchs,
3 are our forefathers
2 are the tablets of the commandments
1 is Our God who is in the heavens and on earth.
Adir hu, Adir hu
Yivei baito b’karov.
Bimheirah, bimheirah,
b’yamainu b’karov.
El b’nai, El b’nai,
b’nai baitcha b’karov.
Bachur hu, gadol hu, dagul hu
Hadur hu, vatik hu, zakai hu, chasid hu
Tahor hu, yachid hu, kabir hu, lamud hu, melech hu
Nora hu, sagiv hu, izuz hu, podeh hu, tzadik hu
Kadosh hu, rachum hu, shadai hu, takif hu
As with any work of verse, Chad Gadya is open to interpretation. According to some modern Jewish commentators, what appears to be a light-hearted song may be symbolic. One interpretation is that Chad Gadya is about the different nations that have conquered the Land of Israel: The kid symbolizes the Jewish people; the cat, Assyria; the dog, Babylon; the stick, Persia; the fire, Macedonia; the water, Roman Empire; the ox, the Saracens; the slaughterer, the Crusaders; the angel of death, the Turks. At the end, God returns to send the Jews back to Israel. The recurring refrain of 'two zuzim' is a reference to the two stone tablets given to Moses on Mount Sinai (or refer to Moses and Aaron). Apparently this interpretation was first widely published in pamphlet published in 1731 in Leipzig by Philip Nicodemus Lebrecht.[5] This interpretation has become quite popular, with many variations of which oppressor is represented by which character in the song.[6]
Though commonly interpreted as an historical allegory of the Jewish people, the song may also represent the journey to self-development. The price of two zuzim, mentioned in every stanza, is (according to the Targum Jonathan to First Samuel 9:8) equal to the half-shekel tax upon every adult Israelite male (in Exodus 30:13); making the price of two zuzim the price of a Jewish soul. In an article first published in the Journal of Jewish Music & Liturgy in 1994, Rabbi Kenneth Brander, the co-author of The Yeshiva University Haggadah, summarized the interpretations of three rabbis: (1) Rabbi Jacob Emden in 1975, as a list of the pitfalls and perils facing the soul during one's life. (2) Rabbi Jonathan Eybeschuetz (1690-1764) as a very abbreviated history of Israel from the Covenant of the Two Pieces recorded in Genesis 15 (the two zuzim), to slavery in Egypt (the cat), the staff of Moses (the stick) and ending with the Roman conqueror Titus (the Angel of Death). And (3) from Rabbi Moses Sofer, the Hatim Sofer (1762-1839), in which the song described the Passover ritual in the Temple of Jerusalem - the goat purchased for the Paschal sacrifice, according to the Talmud dreaming of a cat is a premonition of singing such as occurs in the seder, the Talmud also relates that dogs bark after midnight which is the time limit for the seder, the priest who led the cleaning of the altar on Passover morning would use water to wash his hands, many people at the Temple that day would bring oxen as sacrifices, the Angel of Death is the Roman Empire that destroyed the Second Temple, etc.[7
