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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Shabbat Shalom and welcome to the Rockin Rocklin Sedar! I am very happy to have you here and happy to say this is my second year attempting to write a Haggadah, which is the thing you're reading now. I'm graduated with a minor in Religious Studies, so if this flops, blame NYU.
Passover tells the story of Moses ultimately leading the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt. Passover happened around 1200 BCE, but it is far from the last time we, and others, have had to fight and escape for our rights and our freedom. Two quotes said by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are as follows:
We Ukrainians are a peaceful nation. But if we remain silent today, we will be gone tomorrow!
It’s a victory when the weapons fall silent and people speak up.
Moses spoke up and asked the Pharaoh and then God to "let my people go." Again and again, the Jewish people have had to yell to be heard, and yet we persist and we persist and we persist into 2023. At a moment in our service, we will hear the phrase, Next year in Jersusalem. Sitting on zoom in New York City during my family's sedar 2 year2 year ago, "next year in Jerusalem," for me meant this year, here with all of you. Let's get started because we're still a while away from dinner.
Our sedar begins with the physical act of lighting the candles. The lighting of the candles signifies a moment of transition, from before to during. From apart to together, from our every day brain space to a space of mindfulness, and if you choose, a transition from an ordinary time to a holy one. The flame reminds us of our own flickering flame, and how we must care for it to keep it alive.
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with laws and commanded us to light the festival lights.
The sedar has now truly begun, and like I tell my students before rehearsal, you are welcome and empowered to leave the stress of your everyday life with the shoes by the door. I promise they'll be there to pick up later if you need them, or you can just forget them with us.
The Seder Plate
We place a Seder Plate at our table as a reminder to discuss certain aspects of the Passover story. Each item has its own significance.
Maror – The bitter herb. This symbolizes the harshness of lives of the Jews in Egypt.
Charoset – A delicious mix of sweet wine, apples, cinnamon and nuts that resembles the mortar used as bricks of the many buildings the Jewish slaves built in Egypt
Karpas – A green vegetable, usually parsley, is a reminder of the green sprouting up all around us during spring and is used to dip into the saltwater
Zeroah – A roasted lamb or shank bone symbolizing the sacrifice made at the great temple on Passover (The Paschal Lamb)
Beitzah – The egg symbolizes a different holiday offering that was brought to the temple. Since eggs are the first item offered to a mourner after a funeral, some say it also evokes a sense of mourning for the destruction of the temple.
Orange - The orange on the seder plate has come to symbolize full inclusion in modern day Judaism: not only for women, but also for people with disabilities, intermarried couples, and the LGBT Community.
Matzah
Matzah is the unleavened bread we eat to remember that when the jews fled Egypt, they didn’t even have time to let the dough rise on their bread. We commemorate this by removing all bread and bread products from our home during Passover.
Elijah’s Cup
The fifth ceremonial cup of wine poured during the Seder. It is left untouched in honor of Elijah, who, according to tradition, will arrive one day as an unknown guest to herald the advent of the Messiah. During the Seder dinner, biblical verses are read while the door is briefly opened to welcome Elijah. In this way the Seder dinner not only commemorates the historical redemption from Egyptian bondage of the Jewish people but also calls to mind their future redemption when Elijah and the Messiah shall appear.
Miriam’s Cup
Another relatively new Passover tradition is that of Miriam’s cup. The cup is filled with water and placed next to Elijah’s cup. Miriam was the sister of Moses and a prophetess in her own right. After the exodus when the Israelites are wandering through the desert, just as Hashem gave them Manna to eat, legend says that a well of water followed Miriam and it was called ‘Miriam’s Well’. The tradition of Miriam’s cup is meant to honor Miriam’s role in the story of the Jewish people and the spirit of all women, who nurture their families just as Miriam helped sustain the Israelites.
Havdalah
הַבְדָּלָה
Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech ha'olam, borei m'orei ha'esh.
Blessed are You, Adonai Our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fire's light.
Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech ha'olam, hamavdil bein kodesh l'chol. Bein or l'choshech, bein Yisrael l'amim, bein yom ha-shvi'i l'sheishet y'mei ha-ma'aseh. Bein k'dushat Shabbat likdushat Yom Tov hivdalta. V'et-yom ha-shvi'i m'sheishet y'mei ha- ma'aseh kidashta. Hivdalta v'kidashta et-amcha Yisrael bikdushatecha.
Blessed are You, Adonai Our God, Sovereign of the universe. You distinguish between holiness and dailiness, between light and darkness, between Israel and the nations, between the seventh day and the six days of creation, between the holiness of the Sabbath and the holiness of the Festival Days. You sanctify the seventh day from the six days of Creation. You distinguish and make holy your people Israel.
Baruch atah Adonai, hamavdil v'mgasher ben kodesh l'kodesh
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
בּוֹרֵא מְאוֹרֵי הָאֵשׁ.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹֽדֶשׁ לְחוֹל, בֵּין אוֹר לְחֹֽשֶׁךְ, בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעַמִּים, בֵּין יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי לְשֵֽׁשֶׁת יְמֵ הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. בֵּין קְדֻשַּׁת שַׁבָּת לִקְדֻשַּׁת יוֹם טוֹב הִבְדַּֽלְתָּ, וְאֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִשֵּֽׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה קִדַּֽשְׁתָּ, הִבְדַּֽלְתָּ וְקִדַּֽשְׁתָּ אֶת עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּקְדֻשָּׁתֶֽךָ.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ, הַמַּבְדִּיל בֵּין קֹֽדֶשׁ לְקֹֽדֶשׁ.
Blessed are You, Our God, who distinguishes between holiness and holiness.
Shehecheyanu שֶׁהֶחֱיָֽנוּ
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu v’kiy’manu v’higianu laz’man hazeh.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה‚ יְיָ‚ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם‚
שֶׁהֶחֱיָֽנוּ וְקִיְּמָֽנוּ וְהִגִּיעָֽנוּלַזְּמַן הַזֶּה
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season.!
Many, if not all, Jewish rituals begin with Kiddush, the prayer over the wine. While in some ways this could make it seem less remarkable than other moments, it is this monotony, this tradition, that we can be so grateful to be able to demonstrate so freely. As free people, our time is our own, our words are our own, and perhaps best of all, our wine is our own (so it's country club pours tonight). We are blessed to have the freedom to have moments of normalcy, moments of unrushed gratitude that is in our control to give.
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.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam,
she-hechiyanu v’key’manu v’higiyanu lazman hazeh.
We praise God, Ruler of Everything,
who has kept us alive, raised us up, and brought us to this happy moment.
Drink the first glass of wine!
If we agree to serve one volunteer committee, but not two or three… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we work 45 hours in a week, but not 60… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we serve two courses for Shabbat dinner, but not three or four… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we buy a dessert, instead of making one from scratch… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we wash the floor every other Friday morning, instead of every Friday morning… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we clear away the clutter, but don’t dust the shelves… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we buy a gift certificate, instead of spending hours searching for the perfect gift… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we usually schlep to the less expensive supermarket, but not always… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we take on one of the big projects coming up at work, but not all of them… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we go to one of the events organized by our friends this week, but not all them… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we do what we can, and then go to bed at a reasonable hour… דַּיֵּנוּ
Dayenu
Ilu ho-tsi, ho-tsi-a-nu, .. CHORUS: Ilu na-tan, na-tan la-nu, .. (CHORUS) Ilu na-tan, na-tan la-nu, .. (CHORUS) | (A singable English version:) Had Gpd brought all, brought all of us, brought all of us Chorus: (repeat) Had God given, given to us, given to us all the Sabbath, Chorus Had God given, given to us, given to us all the Torah, Chorus |
How many levels of favors has the Omnipresent One bestowed upon us:
If He had brought us out from Egypt, and had not carried out judgments against them Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had carried out judgments against them, and not against their idols Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had destroyed their idols, and had not smitten their first-born Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had smitten their first-born, and had not given us their wealth Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had given us their wealth, and had not split the sea for us Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had split the sea for us, and had not taken us through it on dry land Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had taken us through the sea on dry land, and had not drowned our oppressors in it Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had drowned our oppressors in it, and had not supplied our needs in the desert for forty years Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, and had not fed us the manna Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had fed us the manna, and had not given us the Shabbat Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had given us the Shabbat, and had not brought us before Mount Sinai Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had brought us before Mount Sinai, and had not given us the Torah Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had given us the Torah, and had not brought us into the land of Israel Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had brought us into the land of Israel, and had not built for us the Beit Habechirah (Chosen House; the Beit Hamikdash) Dayenu, it would have been enough!
Thus how much more so should we be grateful to the Omnipresent One for the doubled and redoubled goodness that He has bestowed upon us; for He has brought us out of Egypt, and carried out judgments against them, and against their idols, and smote their first-born, and gave us their wealth, and split the sea for us, and took us through it on dry land, and drowned our oppressors in it, and supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, and fed us the manna, and gave us the Shabbat, and brought us before Mount Sinai, and gave us the Torah, and brought us into the land of Israel and built for us the Beit Habechirah to atone for all our sins.
Dayenu-song
Ilu hotzi, hotzi anu
Hotzi anu mi mitzrayim
hotzi anu Mi mitzrayim, Dayenu!
Refrain:
Da-dayenu, da-dayenu, da-dayenu
Dayenu, dayenu, dayenu
Da-dayenu, da-dayenu, da-dayenu
Dayenu, dayenuIlu
Ilu natan, natan lanu
Natan lanu et ha torah
Natan lanu et ha torah Dayenu!
(Refrain)
Ilu natan, natan lanu
Natan lanu et ha Shabbat
Natan lanu Et ha Shabbat, Dayenu!
(Refrain)
There are several moments in tonight's sedar where we are welcomed to wash our hands. This tradition predated COVID, and once again upholds the value of mindfulness that you are invited to utilize during tonight's Sedar. In the pace of our world today, we often forget to stop and mindfully prepare for things we are about to do and gifts we are about to receive. By washing our hands, not once, but twice in our sedar, we prepare our minds and bodies for the blessings upon us. By creating a moment of cleanliness in an otherwise messy world, and then using it to continue our sedar, we show our gratitude for the opportunity to celebrate together by doing so at our best.
Passover, like many of our holidays, combines the celebration of an event from our Jewish memory with a recognition of the cycles of nature. As we remember the liberation from Egypt, we also recognize the stirrings of spring and rebirth happening in the world around us. The symbols on our table bring together elements of both kinds of celebration.
We now take a vegetable, representing our joy at the dawning of spring after our long, cold winter. Most families use a green vegetable, such as parsley or celery, but some families from Eastern Europe have a tradition of using a boiled potato since greens were hard to come by at Passover time. Whatever symbol of spring and sustenance we’re using, we now dip it into salt water, a symbol of the tears our ancestors shed as slaves. Before we eat it, we recite a short blessing:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree ha-adama.
We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruits of the earth.
We look forward to spring and the reawakening of flowers and greenery. They haven’t been lost, just buried beneath the snow, getting ready for reappearance just when we most needed them.
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We all have aspects of ourselves that sometimes get buried under the stresses of our busy lives. What has this winter taught us? What elements of our own lives do we hope to revive this spring?
Dipping the bitter herb in sweet charoset | maror |מָרוֹר
In creating a holiday about the joy of freedom, we turn the story of our bitter history into a sweet celebration. We recognize this by dipping our bitter herbs into the sweet charoset. We don’t totally eradicate the taste of the bitter with the taste of the sweet… but doesn’t the sweet mean more when it’s layered over the bitterness?
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מרוֹר
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat maror.
We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who made us holy through obligations, commanding us to eat bitter herbs.
In the middle of the table there are 3 pieces of Matzo. While one will soon be hidden as the afikomen, later to be searched for, the middle matzah is to be broken. Matzah represents in part the urgency felt in leaving Egypt. Perhaps the first instance of what we now recognize as the need for immediate gratification, it was time to go, and it was time go now. There was not time to raise the bread, so instead we walked into the desert with unleavened dough, putting freedom over prefernce, putting survival over luxury. We remember:
This is the bread of poverty which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. All who are hungry, come and eat; all who are needy, come and celebrate Passover with us. This year we are here; next year we will be in Israel. This year we are slaves; next year we will be free.
The next line of that passage said something about how while we now look forward to the special occaision of eating matzo once a year, the Jewish people who fled Israel may not have found pleasure, but just substanance, in the 40 years that is kept the wandering Jews alive. To be honest, I'm not sure that matzah is the culinary star of Passover now either, but the gratitude still prospers.
Yachatz: Some do not get the chance to rise ...
By Tamara Cohen
Some do not get the chance to rise and spread out like golden loaves of challah, filled with sweet raisins and crowned with shiny braids.
Rushed, neglected, not kneaded by caring hands, we grow up afraid that any touch might cause a break. There are some ingredients we never receive.
Tonight, let us bless our cracked surfaces and sharp edges, unafraid to see our brittleness and brave enough to see our beauty.
Reaching for wholeness, let us piece together the parts of ourselves we have found and honor all that is still hidden.
Eating a sandwich of matzah and bitter herb | koreich | כּוֹרֵךְ
When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the biggest ritual of them all was eating the lamb offered as the pesach or Passover sacrifice. The great sage Hillel would put the meat in a sandwich made of matzah, along with some of the bitter herbs. While we do not make sacrifices any more – and, in fact, some Jews have a custom of purposely avoiding lamb during the seder so that it is not mistaken as a sacrifice – we honor this custom by eating a sandwich of the remaining matzah and bitter herbs. Some people will also include charoset in the sandwich to remind us that God’s kindness helped relieve the bitterness of slavery.
Lastly, we see an orange that sits on the sedar plate. This orange and the meaning behind it dates back to the 1980s when we first saw a crust of bread, preceisely what we cannot eat over these 8 days, grace the sedar plate of Susannah Heschel, a Jewish feminist scholar. It followed a comment made by a male leader in Judaism that "a lesbian in Judaism is like a crust of bread on a sedar plate." The following year, Heschel realized it probably didn't make the most sense to have bread on a sedar plate, so instead replaced it with an orange, following yet another comment by a man who said "a woman on the bimah is like an orange on the sedar plate." Why these men see the Sedar plate as the ultimate qualifier for what is normal is unknown, but an orange on the sedar plate now represents the fruitfulness of a Judaism that welcomes all.
The joke in Judaism goes: if you ask a Jewish leader a question, be prepared to get one as a response. Judaism is based on asking questions and thinking critically about the information given to us. This is why we invite the youngest member at the sedar table to ask these following four questions. This tradition offers an opportunity to open a space for questions to be asked, and for those who may not feel empowered to ask to hear the answers.
מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילות
Ma nishtana halaila hazeh mikol haleilot?
Why is this night different from all other nights?
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָֽנוּ אוֹכלין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלּוֹ מצה
Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin chameitz u-matzah. Halaila hazeh kulo matzah.
On all other nights we eat both leavened bread and matzah.
Tonight we only eat matzah.
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָֽנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה מָרוֹר
Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin shi’ar yirakot haleila hazeh maror.
On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables,
but tonight we eat bitter herbs.
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָֽנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּֽעַם אחָת הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעמים
Shebichol haleilot ain anu matbilin afilu pa-am echat. Halaila hazeh shtei fi-amim.
On all other nights we aren’t expected to dip our vegetables one time.
Tonight we do it twice.
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָֽנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין. :הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלָּֽנוּ מְסֻבין
Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin bein yoshvin uvein m’subin. Halaila hazeh kulanu m’subin.
On all other nights we eat either sitting normally or reclining.
Tonight we recline.
There is a parable told by Rabbi Hiyya that says that there are four types of children, the wise one, who asks "What are the rituals of Passover ", this child wants to learn how to observe Passover, and is not fearful of coming off as dumb. It is said that the wicked child asks, " what does this service mean to you ", to you, but not to them. The assumed wickedness comes from their suggestion that the tradition of Passover and the history of suffering of Jews is not part of their life, but of others. The simple child asks, "What is Passover. " The fourth child is the one that does not know how to ask.
All this said, it is worth challenging the idea that asking "what does this service mean to you" makes a child wicked. This question relies on traditional ideolgoies that children ought to accept and fully buy into beliefs because someone older tells them. As we know from young people such as Greta Thunberg and Malala, sometimes it takes the courage of a young person to say they don't agree for the people older than them to see what may actually be right or wrong. If this "wicked" child asks "What does this service mean to you?" and the adult doesn't even have an answer, perhaps they are just revealing a gap in understanding across generations, one that is valuable to shine light upon.
"What does this service mean to you" does not show an exclusionary perspective, but a curious one. The adult now has the chance to invite the child into their values, and that child may find peace and understanding within that answer, or they may seek another one. The four children represent different parts of all of us, regardless of age. The curious, the critical, the unknowing, and the scared. At the Passover table, there is a place for everyone.
The Story of Passover begins with God speaking to Moses through a burning bush. As the story goes in Exodus 3:
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.”
Remember the days of old:consider the years of many generations (Deut. 32:7)
Every year, hundreds of giant sea turtles swim hundreds of miles from their homes near Brazil to a tiny island in the Atlantic Ocean in order to find their mates. For years, scientists tried to understand how the turtles could find their way every time, from so far away. It was a tiny island, and even airplanes sometimes had trouble finding it.
What do you think it was??
Once upon a time, a very, very long time ago, when the dinosaurs lived, that little island was closer to Brazil, and it used to be a short swim from where the turtles lived. It is in their memory to know where to go, even though they themselves don't remember, they have a memory together of the way that it used to be, and they heard stories from their turtle parents about that special place.
Each year, they go there together to remind themselves of the trip that their ancestors used to take.
Tonight, we are just like those turtles.
On this night
I remember Nachshon
who was not Moses who
walked into the Red Sea
and called for God
to meet him there
On this night
I am only a body and you
are only a body
On this night
nothing is hidden
only the afikomen
On this night
God was here and I
I knew it
Tonight we drink four cups of the fruit of the vine.
There are many explanations for this custom.
They may be seen as symbols of various things:
the four corners of the earth, for freedom must live everywhere;
the four seasons of the year, for freedom's cycle must last through all the seasons;
or the four matriarchs: Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel.
A full cup of wine symbolizes complete happiness.
The triumph of Passover is diminished by the sacrifice of many human lives
when ten plagues were visited upon the people of Egypt.
In the story, the plagues that befell the Egyptians resulted from the decisions of tyrants,
but the greatest suffering occurred among those who had no choice but to follow.
It is fitting that we mourn their loss of life, and express our sorrow over their suffering.
For as Jews and as Humanists we cannot take joy in the suffering of others.
Therefore, let us diminish the wine in our cups
as we recall the ten plagues that befell the Egyptian people.
As we recite the name of each plague, in English and then in Hebrew,
please dip a finger in your wine and then touch your plate to remove the drop.
Everyone:
Blood - Dam (Dahm)
Frogs - Ts'phardea (Ts'phar-DEH-ah)
Gnats - Kinim (Kih-NEEM)
Flies - Arov (Ah-ROV)
Cattle Disease - Dever (DEH-vehr)
Boils - Sh'hin (Sh'-KHEEN)
Hail - Barad (Bah-RAHD)
Locusts - `Arbeh (Ar-BEH)
Darkness - Hoshekh (KHO-shekh)
Death of the Firstborn - Makkat B'khorot (Ma-katB'kho-ROT)
In the same spirit, our celebration today also is shadowed
by our awareness of continuing sorrow and oppression in all parts of the world.
Ancient plagues are mirrored in modern tragedies.
In our own time, as in ancient Egypt, ordinary people suffer and die
as a result of the actions of the tyrants who rule over them.
While we may rejoice in the defeat of tyrants in our own time,
we must also express our sorrow at the suffering of the many innocent people
who had little or no choice but to follow.
As the pain of others diminishes our joys,
let us once more diminish the ceremonial drink of our festival
as we together recite the names of these modern plagues:
Hunger
Plague
War
Tyranny
Greed
Bigotry
Injustice
Poverty
Ignorance
Pollution of the Earth Indifference to Suffering
Everyone pours a half-glass of wine.
The second cup of wine is the Cup of Redemption. Now, we toast the Israelites for escaping from slavery in Egypt.
The Midrash relates that when the Egyptians were drowning in the Red Sea, angels wished to join in Israel's song of victory, but God rebuked them. In this spirit, we fill our second cup only half way, because our gladness is diminished by the suffering of others, even the suffering of our enemies.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree hagafen.
Thank you, God, for grapes, so we may drink this wine.
Everyone drinks their second glass of wine.
If we agree to serve one volunteer committee, but not two or three… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we work 45 hours in a week, but not 60… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we serve two courses for Shabbat dinner, but not three or four… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we buy a dessert, instead of making one from scratch… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we wash the floor every other Friday morning, instead of every Friday morning… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we clear away the clutter, but don’t dust the shelves… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we buy a gift certificate, instead of spending hours searching for the perfect gift… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we usually schlep to the less expensive supermarket, but not always… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we take on one of the big projects coming up at work, but not all of them… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we go to one of the events organized by our friends this week, but not all them… דַּיֵּנוּ
If we do what we can, and then go to bed at a reasonable hour… דַּיֵּנוּ
How many levels of favors has the Omnipresent One bestowed upon us:
If He had brought us out from Egypt, and had not carried out judgments against them Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had carried out judgments against them, and not against their idols Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had destroyed their idols, and had not smitten their first-born Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had smitten their first-born, and had not given us their wealth Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had given us their wealth, and had not split the sea for us Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had split the sea for us, and had not taken us through it on dry land Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had taken us through the sea on dry land, and had not drowned our oppressors in it Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had drowned our oppressors in it, and had not supplied our needs in the desert for forty years Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, and had not fed us the manna Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had fed us the manna, and had not given us the Shabbat Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had given us the Shabbat, and had not brought us before Mount Sinai Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had brought us before Mount Sinai, and had not given us the Torah Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had given us the Torah, and had not brought us into the land of Israel Dayenu, it would have been enough!
If He had brought us into the land of Israel, and had not built for us the Beit Habechirah (Chosen House; the Beit Hamikdash) Dayenu, it would have been enough!
Thus how much more so should we be grateful to the Omnipresent One for the doubled and redoubled goodness that He has bestowed upon us; for He has brought us out of Egypt, and carried out judgments against them, and against their idols, and smote their first-born, and gave us their wealth, and split the sea for us, and took us through it on dry land, and drowned our oppressors in it, and supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, and fed us the manna, and gave us the Shabbat, and brought us before Mount Sinai, and gave us the Torah, and brought us into the land of Israel and built for us the Beit Habechirah to atone for all our sins.
Dayenu-song
Ilu hotzi, hotzi anu
Hotzi anu mi mitzrayim
hotzi anu Mi mitzrayim, Dayenu!
Refrain:
Da-dayenu, da-dayenu, da-dayenu
Dayenu, dayenu, dayenu
Da-dayenu, da-dayenu, da-dayenu
Dayenu, dayenuIlu
Ilu natan, natan lanu
Natan lanu et ha torah
Natan lanu et ha torah Dayenu!
(Refrain)
Ilu natan, natan lanu
Natan lanu et ha Shabbat
Natan lanu Et ha Shabbat, Dayenu!
(Refrain)
Our hands were touched by this water earlier during tonight's seder, but this time is different. This is a deeper step than that. This act of washing our hands is accompanied by a blessing, for in this moment we feel our People's story more viscerally, having just retold it during Maggid. Now, having re-experienced the majesty of Israel's journey from degradation to dignity, we raise our hands in holiness, remembering once again that our liberation is bound up in everyone else's. Each step we take together with others towards liberation is blessing, and so we recite:
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, asher kidshanu bemitvotav vetzivanu al netilat yadayim.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
