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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
The long history of our people is one of contrasts — freedom and slavery, joy and pain, power and helplessness. Passover reflects these contrasts. Tonight as we celebrate our freedom, we remember the slavery of our ancestors and realize that many people are not yet free.
Each generation changes — our ideas, our needs, our dreams, even our celebrations. So has Passover changed over many centuries into our present
holiday. Our nomadic ancestors gathered for a spring celebration when the sheep gave birth to their lambs. Theirs was a celebration of the continuity of life. Later, when our ancestors became farmers, they celebrated the arrival of spring in their own fashion. Eventually these ancient spring festivals merged with the story of the Exodus from Egypt and became a new celebration of life and freedom.
As each generation gathered around the table to retell the old stories, the symbols took on new meanings. New stories of slavery and liberation, oppression and triumph were added, taking their place next to the old. Tonight we add our own special chapter as we recall our people’s past and we dream of the future.
For Jews, our enslavement by the Egyptians is now remote, a symbol of communal remembrance. As we sit here in the comfort of our modern world, we think of the millions who still suffer the brutality of the existence that we escaped thousands of years ago.
Dipping a green vegetable in salt water | karpas | כַּרְפַּס
Passover, like other holidays, have mix celebration of an event from our Jewish memory with a recognize of the cycles of nature. When we remember the liberation from Egypt, also we recognize the stirring and rebirth going on in the world. The symbols on our table bring together elements of both kinds of celebration.
We now take a green leafy biter herb, representing the joy at the start of spring after our long, freezing winter. What ever you’r using for your herb dip it in salt water, a symbol of tears our ancestors shed as slaves. Before you eat it, recite a 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.
Dipping a green vegetable in salt water | karpas | כַּרְפַּס
Passover combines the celebration of the journey toward libeartion with a recognition of the cycles of nature. As we reflect on the process of liberation, 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 parsley, representing our joy at the dawning of spring, and dip it into salt water, a symbol of the sweat we exude during the process of self-liberation.
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.
[ALL take the green vegetable, dip in the salt water, and say together:]
ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, You have created the fruit of the soil.
[ALL eat the vegetable.]
Breaking the middle matzah | yachatz | יַחַץ
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 must hunt for the afikomen in order to wrap up the meal. Because the meal cannot end until all guests taste the afikomen, whoever has found it may ransom it back to the other guests.
We eat matzah in memory of the quick flight of our ancestors from Egypt. As slaves, they faced many false starts before finally securing their freedom. 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, letting it bake in the sun, and thus looking something like matzah.
The host uncovers and holds up the three pieces of matzah and says:
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 may we be in Israel. This year we are slaves; next year we will be free.
FOUR QUESTIONS
Traditionally, the youngest person present asks:
Why is this night different from all other nights?
1. On all other nights we eat either bread or matsah. Why, on this night, do we eat only matsah?
2. On all other nights we eat herbs of any kind. Why, on this night, do we eat only bitter herbs?
3. On all other nights, we do not dip our herbs even once. Why, on this night, do we dip them twice?
4. On all other nights, we eat either sitting or leaning. Why, on this night, do we eat while leaning?
A different guest readers each ANSWER:
1. MATZAH:
Matzah is the symbol of our affliction and our freedom. Legend has it that when Moses and his followers fled Egypt, they moved so quickly that the bread they baked did not have time to rise. However, scholars have noted that long before the Jews celebrated Passover, farmers of the Middle East celebrated Khag Ha-matsot, the festival of unleavened bread, at this time of year. This was a festival where unleavened bread was made from the new grain harvest that took place at this time of the year. The old fermented dough was thrown out so that last year's grain would not be mixed with this year's. Therefore, the new season began with the eating of unleavened bread--matsah. Later on, the Jewish people incorporated this agricultural festival into the celebration of freedom and renewal we now call Passover. Let us all eat a piece of matzah.
2. BITTER HERBS
Tradition says that this root is to remind us of the time of our slavery. We force ourselves to taste pain so that we may more readily value pleasure. Scholars inform us that bitter herbs were eaten at the Spring festival in ancient times. The sharpness of the taste awakened the senses and made the people feel at one with nature's revival. Thus, the horseradish is the stimulus of life, reminding us that struggle is better than the complacent acceptance of injustice. Let us all eat bitter herbs.
3. DIPPING
The first time, the salty taste reminds us of the tears we cried when we were slaves. The second time, the salt water and
the green help us to remember the ocean and green plants and the Earth, from which we get air and water and food that enable us to live. Let us all dip the parsley in salt water twice.
4. RECLINING
This question goes back to ancient times in Rome, when it was the custom for rich people to eat while lying on a couch leaning on one elbow as slaves and servants fed them. The Jewish people thought of this relaxed type of eating as a sign of freedom and prosperity, so they would lean to one side eating at the Seder on Passover, the festival of freedom. Today, we who are free eat while sitting up, even at Passover, but the question remains in the service as a reminder of how it was when our people longed for freedom.
MORE QUESTIONS:
Reader: We have answered the four traditional questions, but there are still more questions to be answered. There are other special foods on our Seder plate: a sweet condiment (kharoset), a roasted shank bone (z'ro-ah), and a roasted egg (baytsa). Why are they here?
A different guest reads each answer:
Charoset: Apples, nuts, cinnamon, and wine are combined to make this sweet condiment. It is the color of clay or mortar. It reminds us of the bricks and mortar that the Israelites are said to have made when they built the Pharaohs' palaces and cities. At the same time, the taste of kharoset is sweet, and it reminds us of the sweetness
of freedom. Let us now all eat kharoset on a piece of matsah.
Shank bone: The bone represents the lamb that was the special Paschal sacrifice on the eve of the exodus from Egypt, and annually, on the afternoon before Passover, in the Holy Temple.
Egg: The egg represents life. Each of us begins as an egg and grows to adulthood. The egg reminds us of our evolutionary past and the gifts of human inheritance. But the egg is fragile. It represents potential that can be destroyed. Left alone, it would perish. Growing life needs warmth and love and security, guidance, hope, and vision. To achieve their full potential, human beings need the support and encouragement of family and community. The egg symbolizes the fragility and interdependence of life.
Key Elements to Include in your Telling of the Passover Story
by Isaac Zones
o Context: Joseph sold to slavery by brothers and heads to Egypt. Interprets Pharoah’s dreams and helps Egypt stock up on food before predicted famine. Joseph rescues rest of family and brings them to Egypt when they are starving. Jews begin living in Egypt.
o Centuries later the new Pharoah fears the power of the many Jews and enslaves them before they can rise up against him. He also orders the death of the first born sons.
o Moses is the first born son in his family. He is sent out in a basket on the Nile river and sister Miriam follows. He is adopted by the Pharoah’s daughter and becomes a “Prince of Egypt.”
o At an older age he fights an Egyptian slave master who is beating a Jewish slave and Moses kills the slave master. He then flees the palace and becomes a shepherd and marries.
o While tending his flock Moses comes across G-d disguised as a burning bush and G-d tells Moses to instruct Pharoah to “let his people go.” Moses brings his brother Aaron because he’s got a stutter and is timid.
o Moses’ plea is denied and G-d sends a plague: turning water to blood. After each plague Moses returns to pharaoh to demand he let his people go. Each time he is denied. G-d sends 10 plagues: Blood, Frogs, Lice, Beasts, Pestilence, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness and finally the death of the first born son.
o At the sight of his firstborn son’s death, Pharoah instructs Moses to take the Jews away. The Jews had marked their doors with lamb’s blood so that the angel of death would “pass-over” their homes and not kill their first born.
o The Jews fled quickly with only enough time to make matzah instead of bread.
o Pharoah’s army chased them and soon they were stuck when they approached the Red Sea.
o Nachshon entered the water and only when he had gone in past his nose did the sea part and allow the Jews to cross safely. The waters crashed down on the Egyptians when they tried to cross and the army drowned.
o Jews celebrated on the other side with Moses’s sister Miriam leading the way. G-d reminded the Jews not to celebrate the death of the Egyptians – for they were also his children.
o This began a 40 year journey through the desert where they searched for the promised land. Over this time they receive the torah and 10 commandments at Mt. Sinai and learned who they were as a people. No Jew from Egypt lived to see the promised land and the Jews entered the land of milk and honey as a people who had been born free.
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.
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?
The Fourth Cup of Wine
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן.
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, borei p’ri hagafen.
Praised are you, Adonai, Ruler of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine.
Drink the wine, then recite the concluding blessing:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ העוֹלָם, עַל הַגֶּפֶן וְעַל פְּרִי הַגֶּפֶן ,וְעַל תְּנוּבַת הַשָּׂדֶה וְעַל אֶרֶץ חֶמְדָּה טוֹבָה וּרְחָבָה שֶׁרָצִיתָ וְהִנְחַלְתָּ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ לֶאֱכֹל מִפִּרְיָהּ וְלִשְׂבֹּעַ מִטּוּבָהּ רַחֶם נָא יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמֶּךָ וְעַל יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עִירֶךָ וְעַל צִיּוֹן מִשְׁכַּן כְּבוֹדֶךָ וְעַל מִזְבְּחֶךָ וְעַל הֵיכָלֶךָ וּבְנֵה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עִיר הַקֹדֶשׁ בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ וְהַעֲלֵנוּ לְתוֹכָהּ וְשַׂמְחֵנוּ בְּבִנְיָנָהּ וְנֹאכַל מִפִּרְיָהּ וְנִשְׂבַּע מִטּוּבָהּ וּנְבָרֶכְךָ עָלֶיהָ בִּקְדֻשָׁה וּבְטָהֳרָה (בשבת: וּרְצֵה וְהַחֲלִיצֵנוּ בְּיוֹם הַשַׁבָּת הַזֶּה) וְשַׂמְחֵנוּ בְּיוֹם חַג הַמַּצּוֹת הַזֶּה , כִּי אַתָּה יי טוֹב וּמֵטִיב לַכֹּל וְנוֹדֶה לְּךָ עַל הָאָרֶץ וְעַל פְּרִי הַגֶּפֶן. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי עַל הַגֶּפֶן וְעַל פְּרִי הַגֶּפֶן.
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, al ha-gafen v’al p’ri ha-gafen, al t’nuvat hasadeh v’al aretz chemdah tovah u’r’chavah sheratzita v’hinchalta la’avoteinu le’echol mipiryah v’lisboa mituvah racheim na Adonai Eloheinu al Yisrael amecha v’al Yerushalayim irecha v’al tzion mishkan k’vodecha v’al mizbecha v’al haichalecha u’vnei Yerushalayim ir hakodesh bimheirah b’yamenu v’ha’aleinu l’tochah v’samcheinu b’vinyanah v’nochal mipriyah v’nisba mituvah u’nivarechecha aleha bikdushah u’vtaharah (u’rtzei v’hachalitzeinu b’yom haShabbat hazeh) v’samcheinu b’yom chag hamatzot hazeh, ki Atah Adonai tov u’maitiv lakol v’nodeh l’cha al ha’aretz v’al p’ri hagefen. Baruch Atah Adonai, al ha-gafen v’al p’ri ha-gafen.
Praised are you, Adonai, Ruler of the universe, for the vine and the fruit, and for produce of the field, for the beautiful and spacious land, which you gave to our ancestors as a heritage. Have mercy, Adonai our God, on Israel your people, on Jerusalem your city. Rebuild Jerusalem, the holy city, speedily in our days. Bring us there and cheer us with its restoration; may we eat Israel’s produce and enjoy its goodness; we praise you for Jerusalem’s centrality in our lives. (On Shabbat add: Favor us and strengthen us on this Sabbath day) and grant us happiness on this Feast of Matzot, For you, Adonai are good and beneficent to all, and we thank you for the land and the fruit of the vine. Praised are you, Adonai, for the land and the fruit of the vine.
The Fourth Cup of Wine
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן.
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, borei p’ri hagafen.
Praised are you, Adonai, Ruler of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine.
Drink the wine, then recite the concluding blessing:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ העוֹלָם, עַל הַגֶּפֶן וְעַל פְּרִי הַגֶּפֶן ,וְעַל תְּנוּבַת הַשָּׂדֶה וְעַל אֶרֶץ חֶמְדָּה טוֹבָה וּרְחָבָה שֶׁרָצִיתָ וְהִנְחַלְתָּ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ לֶאֱכֹל מִפִּרְיָהּ וְלִשְׂבֹּעַ מִטּוּבָהּ רַחֶם נָא יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמֶּךָ וְעַל יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עִירֶךָ וְעַל צִיּוֹן מִשְׁכַּן כְּבוֹדֶךָ וְעַל מִזְבְּחֶךָ וְעַל הֵיכָלֶךָ וּבְנֵה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עִיר הַקֹדֶשׁ בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ וְהַעֲלֵנוּ לְתוֹכָהּ וְשַׂמְחֵנוּ בְּבִנְיָנָהּ וְנֹאכַל מִפִּרְיָהּ וְנִשְׂבַּע מִטּוּבָהּ וּנְבָרֶכְךָ עָלֶיהָ בִּקְדֻשָׁה וּבְטָהֳרָה (בשבת: וּרְצֵה וְהַחֲלִיצֵנוּ בְּיוֹם הַשַׁבָּת הַזֶּה) וְשַׂמְחֵנוּ בְּיוֹם חַג הַמַּצּוֹת הַזֶּה , כִּי אַתָּה יי טוֹב וּמֵטִיב לַכֹּל וְנוֹדֶה לְּךָ עַל הָאָרֶץ וְעַל פְּרִי הַגֶּפֶן. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי עַל הַגֶּפֶן וְעַל פְּרִי הַגֶּפֶן.
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, al ha-gafen v’al p’ri ha-gafen, al t’nuvat hasadeh v’al aretz chemdah tovah u’r’chavah sheratzita v’hinchalta la’avoteinu le’echol mipiryah v’lisboa mituvah racheim na Adonai Eloheinu al Yisrael amecha v’al Yerushalayim irecha v’al tzion mishkan k’vodecha v’al mizbecha v’al haichalecha u’vnei Yerushalayim ir hakodesh bimheirah b’yamenu v’ha’aleinu l’tochah v’samcheinu b’vinyanah v’nochal mipriyah v’nisba mituvah u’nivarechecha aleha bikdushah u’vtaharah (u’rtzei v’hachalitzeinu b’yom haShabbat hazeh) v’samcheinu b’yom chag hamatzot hazeh, ki Atah Adonai tov u’maitiv lakol v’nodeh l’cha al ha’aretz v’al p’ri hagefen. Baruch Atah Adonai, al ha-gafen v’al p’ri ha-gafen.
Praised are you, Adonai, Ruler of the universe, for the vine and the fruit, and for produce of the field, for the beautiful and spacious land, which you gave to our ancestors as a heritage. Have mercy, Adonai our God, on Israel your people, on Jerusalem your city. Rebuild Jerusalem, the holy city, speedily in our days. Bring us there and cheer us with its restoration; may we eat Israel’s produce and enjoy its goodness; we praise you for Jerusalem’s centrality in our lives. (On Shabbat add: Favor us and strengthen us on this Sabbath day) and grant us happiness on this Feast of Matzot, For you, Adonai are good and beneficent to all, and we thank you for the land and the fruit of the vine. Praised are you, Adonai, for the land and the fruit of the vine.
Verse 1:
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 sufficed!
dayeinu!
דַּיֵּנוּ
Verse 2:
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 sufficed!
dayeinu!
דַּיֵּנוּ
Verse 3:
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 sufficed!
dayeinu!
דַּיֵּנוּ
Verse 4:
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 sufficed!
dayeinu!
דַּיֵּנוּ
Verse 5:
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 sufficed!
dayeinu!
דַּיֵּנוּ
Verse 6:
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 sufficed!
dayeinu!
דַּיֵּנוּ
Verse 7:
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 sufficed!
dayeinu!
דַּיֵּנוּ
Verse 8:
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 sufficed!
dayeinu!
דַּיֵּנוּ
Verse 9:
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 sufficed!
dayeinu!
דַּיֵּנוּ
Verse 10:
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 sufficed!
dayeinu!
דַּיֵּנוּ
Verse 11:
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 sufficed!
dayeinu!
דַּיֵּנוּ
Verse 12:
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 sufficed!
dayeinu!
דַּיֵּנוּ
Verse 13:
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 sufficed!
dayeinu!
דַּיֵּנוּ
Verse 14:
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 sufficed!
dayeinu!
דַּיֵּנוּ
Psalm 113
LEADER: Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord.
ALL: Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth and forever.
LEADER: From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.
ALL: The Lord is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens.
LEADER: WHo is like the Lord our G-d? Who is enthroned on high?
ALL: Who humbles himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth
LEADER: He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
ALL: To make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.
LEADER: He makes the barren woman abide in the house as a joyful mother of children.
ALL: Praise the Lord!
Psalm 118:
ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our G-d, King of the Universe; You bring forth bread from the earth.
[Distribute the upper Matzoh and the half of the middle Matzoh not hidden.]
ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our G-D, King of the Universe; You have sanctified us by Your commandments and commanded us to eat unleavened bread.
[ALL eat Matzoh.]
[Distribute and combine Maror & Charoses. Save some enough Maror for later.]
LEADER: We now eat the Bitter Herbs, combined with Charoses. We recall the bitterness of slaver but in the Charoses, the sweetness of G-d's redemption. We recite the blessing:
ALL: Blessed are You, O Lord our G-D, King of the Universe; You have sanctified us by Your commandments and commanded us to eat the Bitter Herbs.
[ALL eat Herbs & Haroses]
[LEADER: distribute bottom Matzoh. ALL: place some Bitter Herbs and Charoses between two pieces of Matzoh and say the following:]
ALL: In memory of the Temple, as Hillel did in days of old, we combine Matzoh and Bitter Herbs and eat them together.
[ALL eat]
[serve dinner]
