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.

While the word seder literally means order, for our family it has another special meaning, it also means memories.  Each year of our lives we have sat at our family's seder table, building a treasure chest  of memories rich with tradition, love, and yiddishkeit, from which we draw each day of our lives.  As children we sat at the table of our parents and as we became parents, we set the table for our children.  \We thank everyone here for joining us tonight and helping us add to the beauty of the memory of all those with whom we have been blessed to share a seder over the years.  In the words of someone most of here remember, "Thanks for the memories" - for being part of them and for helping us to make more of them.  Now, let's get started.

You may be wondering why this Haggadah claims to be written by you. The answer is that parts of tonight’s service will be uniquely yours. The written Haggadah is our road map, but what we see along the way will be based on who we are.

Judaism has evolved into a tradition without high priest, sage, or ultimate leader. It is the joy and responsibility of every Jew to engage with the tradition. Because of this, our seder has no leader and no followers. It is incumbent upon on all of us to lead, follow, create space, ask, and answer.

My name is ____________________ , and my favorite Passover food is  ______________________________ .

Questions are not only welcome during the course of the evening but are vital to

tonight’s journey. Our obligation at this seder involves traveling from slavery to

freedom, prodding ourselves from apathy to action, encouraging thetransformation

of silence into speech, and providing a space where all different levels of belief and

tradition can co-exist safely. Because leaving Mitzrayim--the narrow places, the

places that oppress us—is a personal as well as a communal passage, your

participation and thoughts are welcome and encouraged. 

We remember that questioning itself is a sign of freedom. The simplest question

can have many answers, sometimes complex or contradictory ones, just as life

itself is fraught with complexity and contradictions. To see everything as good or

bad, matzah or maror, Jewish or Muslim, Jewish or “Gentile”, is to be enslaved to

simplicity. Sometimes, a question has no answer. Certainly, we must listen to the

question, before answering.

Passover celebrates freedom, exemplified in the story of our Exodus from Egypt. That

story leads our entry into Israel—not exactly a simple redemption tale. Especially not

now, as Israelis and Palestinians continue to fight for their mutual Promised Land, and

to shed blood in pursuit of its ownership.

In light of that situation, some of us may have complicated feelings about identifying

with Israel. But “Israel” doesn’t refer only to the Land. “Israel” is the name which was

given to Jacob after he spent the night wrestling with an angel of God. Therefore “the

people Israel” can be interpreted as “Godwrestling people”—“people who take on the

holy obligation of engaging with the divine.”

The Matzah Show
Humorous
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?)

It's time for Kiddush - crunk it up!

Tonight we drink four cups of wine. Why four? Some say the cups represent our matriarchs—Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah—whose virtue caused God to liberate us from slavery.

Another interpretation is that the cups represent the Four Worlds: physicality, emotions, thought, and essence.

Still a third interpretation is that the cups represent the four promises of liberation God makes in the Torah: I will bring you out, I will deliver you, I will redeem you, I will take you to be my people (Exodus 6:6-7.) The four promises, in turn, have been interpreted as four stages on the path of liberation: becoming aware of oppression, opposing oppression, imagining alternatives, and accepting responsibility to act.

Water is refreshing, cleansing, and clear, so it’s easy to understand why so many cultures and religions use water for symbolic purification. We will wash our hands twice during our seder: now, with no blessing, to get us ready for the rituals to come; and then again later, we’ll wash again with a blessing, preparing us for the meal, which Judaism thinks of as a ritual in itself. (The Jewish obsession with food is older than you thought!)

To wash your hands, you don’t need soap, but you do need a cup to pour water over your hands. Pour water on each of your hands three times, alternating between your hands. If the people around your table don’t want to get up to walk all the way over to the sink, you could pass a pitcher and a bowl around so everyone can wash at their seats… just be careful not to spill!

Too often during our daily lives we don’t stop and take the moment to prepare for whatever it is we’re about to do.

Let's pause to consider what we hope to get out of our evening together tonight. Go around the table and share one hope or expectation you have for tonight's seder.

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.

A cup to our teachers: To those we have known and those whose work has inspired us, and made space for our lives. We are graeful to you who did and said things for the first time, who claimed and reclaimed our traditions, who forged new tools. Thank you to the teacher around us of all ages -- the people we encounter everyday -- who live out their values in small and simple ways, and who are our most regular and loving reminders of the world we are creating together. 

A) Some of the questions people are really asking as they participate in a seder: 

1. How many more hours until we eat?

2. Why on this night do some of us traditionally eat balls of reconstituted fish parts?

3. Will G-d strike me down if I get up to go to the bathroom during the maggid?

4. Why on this night do said fish balls always have slice of carrot on top, and is it true that jelled broth is in fact the Jewish people’s most enduring contribution to humanity?

Said the parents to their children,

“From your bondage you’ll cut loose,

You will eat your fill of matzah,

you will drink four cups of juice.”

Now these parents had four children,

yes their kids they numbered four,

One was wise and one was wicked,

one was simple and a bore.

And the fourth was sweet and winsome,

was so young and also small,

While the other asked the questions,

this one could not speak at all.

Said the wise one to the parents,

“Would you please explain the laws...

Of the customs of the Seder,

will you please explain the cause?”

And the parents proudly answered,

“’Cause our forebears ate in speed,

Ate the Pesach lamb ’ere midnight,

and from slavery were freed.

“So we follow their example,

and ’ere midnight we must eat

The afikoman (O so tasty!)

which will be our final treat.”

Then did sneer the child so wicked,

“What does all this mean to you?”

And the parents’ voice was bitter,

as their grief and anger grew.

“If yourself you don’t consider

as a child of Yisrael,

Then for you this has no meaning,

you could be a slave as well.”

Then the simple child said simply,

“What is this?” And quietly,

The good parents told their offspring.

“We were freed from slavery.”

But the youngest child was silent,

and just could not ask at all,

but with eyes all bright with wonder,

listened to the details all.

Now dear children heed this lesson,

and remember evermore,

What the parents told their children,

told their kids that numbered four.

Every Seder tells a story that belongs to you and me,

You and I were slaves in Egypt.

Now we’re blessed with liberty.

Some scholars believe there are four kinds of parents as well.

The Wise Parent is an utter bore. "Listen closely, because you are younger than I am," says the Wise Parent, "and I will go on and on about Jewish history, based on some foggy memories of my own religious upbringing, as well as an article in a Jewish journal I have recently skimmed." The Wise Parent must be faced with a small smile of dim interest.

The Wicked Parent tries to cram the story of our liberation into a set of narrow opinions about the world. "The Lord led us out of Egypt," the Wicked Parent says, "which is why I support a bloodthirsty foreign policy and am tired of certain types of people causing problems." The Wicked Parent should be told in a firm voice, "With a strong hand God rescued the Jews from bondage, but it was my own clumsy hand that spilled hot soup in your lap."

The Simple Parent does not grasp the concept of freedom. "There will be no macaroons until you eat all your brisket," says the Simple Parent, at a dinner honoring the liberation of oppressed peoples. "Also, stop slouching at the table." In answer to such statements, the Wise Child will roll his eyes in the direction of the ceiling and declare, "Let my people go!"

The Parent Who Is Unable to Inquire has had too much wine, and should be excused from the table.

The problem is all inside your head

God said to me

The answer is easy if you

Take it logically

I'd like to help you in your struggle

To be free

There must be fifty ways

To leave your Pharaoh

He said it's easy as throwing

Down your staff

I’m sure that Pharaoh and his

Court will get a laugh

But I'll repeat myself

Entirely on your behalf

There must be fifty ways

To leave your Pharaoh  

Fifty ways to leave your Pharaoh

Just turn water to blood, Bud

Get some amphibians,Vivian

Send in some lice, Bryce

Just get yourself free

Fetch a few flies, Guy

Just make the cows sick,

Rick Hit ‘em with hail, Gail

And get yourself free

God said it grieves me so

To see you in such pain

I wish there was something I could do

To make you smile again

I said I appreciate that

And would you please explain

About the fifty ways

God said to smear some blood

Above my door tonight

And I believe in the morning

You'll begin to see the light

And then He blessed me

And I realized He probably was right

There must be fifty ways

To leave your Pharaoh

Fifty ways to leave your Pharaoh

Just turn water to blood, Bud

Get some amphibians, Vivian

Send in some lice, Bryce

Just get yourself free

Keep the locusts in focus, Joseph

Navigate the dark, Mark

Cross the Red Sea, Bea

And get yourself free

watercolor and pen on paper
Beth Flusser,  2011

1. Wherever you live, it is probably Mitzrayim.

2. There is a better place, a promised land.

3. The way to this promised land is through the wilderness -- there is no way to get there except by joining together and marching.

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!

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	Transliteration	Hebrew
	If He had brought us out from Egypt,	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

Here are some occurances at the annual Obama White House seder:

*An the annual reading of the Emancipation Proclamation right before Elijah sneaks in.

*The President has a vocal impersonation of Pharaoh.

*the Secret Service always knows where the afikomen is hidden. “It’s no different than you hiding it at your grandmother’s house, except there’s a Secret Service person watching you stash it away. And the house is a bit bigger,”

*The group uses the Maxwell House Haggadah, serves Manischewitz wine and shmura matzo, and still use the line  “Next Year in the White House” to the end of the Seder.

*The evening’s readings are done, as always, as a round robin.

*Malia and Sasha Obama recite the Four Questions. They also hunt down the afikomen in exchange for small gifts — like a rubber chicken for their dog, Bo, and bottles of nail polish

EVERY JEWISH FAMILY produces a unique version of the Passover seder—the big ritual meal of traditional foods, served after and amid liturgy, storytelling, and song. We’re all surprised at each other’s customs: You eat lamb? You don’t sing “Chad Gad Ya”? And yet, virtually every seder does share a few common elements. Matzoh crumbs all over the floor. Wine stains on the tablecloth. A seder plate containing the traditional symbols of the holiday: a roasted shank bone and hardboiled egg, recalling the days of the Temple sacrifices; horseradish and salt water for the bitterness of oppression; parsley for spring; haroset, a mixture of wine, nuts, and fruit symbolizing mortar and the heavy labor performed by the Israelite slaves. And for lots of us, an orange. The ancient Hebrews who fled into the wilderness didn’t know from citrus fruit, and there certainly weren’t any Valencias on Grandma’s seder plate. Starting in the 1980s, the new holiday symbol has been showing up on an ever-increasing number of Passover tables. The custom originated with the teacher and writer Susannah Heschel, who first set it out as a symbol of inclusion for lesbian and gay Jews, and in following years for all those who have been marginalized in the Jewish community. Thanks largely to the Internet, Jewish women adopted the fruit as a symbol of their inclusion, and now there are oranges on seder plates all over the world, as well as alternative stories about how they got there in the first place. Regardless of its genesis, that orange now makes several subtle spiritual and political statements. For one thing, it represents the creative piety of liberal Jews, who honor tradition by adding new elements to the old. The orange also announces that those on the margins have fully arrived as coauthors of Jewish history, as does the presence of another new ritual item, the Miriam’s Cup, which acknowledges the role of Moses’ sister, the singer-songwriter-prophet, in the story. The orange is a living part of the ancient pedagogic strategy of Passover. We are commanded to teach our children about the Exodus from Egypt in a manner so vivid that everyone at the table—but especially the kids—remembers (not merely imagines but actually remembers) what it feels like to be a hungry, hunted slave. The seder makes memory manifest, tangible, and solid as Grandpa’s kiddush cup. Just like the shank bone, the orange is there so that someone under the age of thirteen will ask, “What’s that thing doing on the seder plate?” The orange is there so that Mom or Dad can say, “I’m so glad you asked that question. The orange is a symbol of the struggle by Jews who used to be ignored by our tradition—like gays and lesbians, and women, and Jews by choice—to become full partners in religious and community life. The orange is a sign of change, too, because now all kinds of Jews are rabbis and cantors and teachers and leaders. And the orange is a mark of our confidence in the Jewish future, which means that someday maybe you too will bring something new to the seder plate.” The orange on the seder plate is both a playful and a reverent symbol of Judaism’s ability to adapt and thrive. It also celebrates the abundant diversity of creation. After all, God, who made the heavens and the earth, and dinosaurs and lemurs and human beings, is clearly a lover of variety and change—not to mention oranges.

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 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.

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!

Because tomorrow we eat: brisket tacos!

Matzah Tortillas (makes 12)

2 cups matzah cake meal

1 tsp. salt

1 cup warm water

1 Tbs. olive oil, plus additional oil for frying

Place the matzah cake meal, salt, warm water and 1 Tbs. oil in a bowl. Mix ingredients very well with your hands, until soft dough forms. With your hands, form

11⁄2-inch balls. Roll balls between plastic wrap to form a tortilla shape. Preheat additional oil on a nonstick griddle or pan on a medium flame. Fry the matzah tortillas until browned.

Slice left over brisket and reheat in klp bbq sauce, serve on tortillas with garnish.

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.

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!

I have taken in the light
that quickened eye and leaf.
May my brain be bright with praise
of what I eat, in the brief blaze
of motion and of thought.
May I be worthy of my meat.

-Wendell Berry

ALL: We raise our cups in remembrance.

Remember all the people we have touched.

Remember all the gardens we have tended and the battles we have won.

Remember all the steps we have taken and the decisions we have made.

Remember our friends and allies.

Remember all that is good and rejoice.

We think, on this night of reflection and remembrance, as we celebrate together, the liberation from Egypt.

Remember the liberation of each and all of us.

L'CHAIM!

(Drink wine)

"Do not burn yourself out. Be as I am-a reluctant enthusiast... a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it is still there. So get out there and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, encounter the grizz, climb the mountains. Run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to your body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those deskbound people with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: you will outlive the bastards."

-Edward Abbey

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.