Passover 2018: Let’s Begin!

READER: We gather now to retell the story of the liberation of the ancient
Hebrews from slavery in Egypt. The Passover holiday commemorates the struggle
for freedom and dignity. The story has its roots more than 3,000 years ago, when
ancient farmers and shepherds held festivals celebrating the sacred season of
rebirth – Spring!

READER: Over the generations, that story merged with another story of rebirth:
the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt. What we’re reading now is our version of
the Haggadah, which means “the retelling.” The meal we’re about to enjoy is the
seder, the Hebrew word for “order.” By guiding us through the order of events,
and by explaining the symbolic foods we’re about to eat, the Haggadah will help
us relive the timeless story that fuses the renewal of the seasons with the renewal
of the Jewish people.

READER: We’re glad that so many of us could be here on this festive night. But
let’s now take a moment to remember those who can’t be with us. Let’s bring
them into our presence by speaking their names.

(Please say aloud the names of all those whom you wish to remember at this
time.)

HOST: Haggadahs come in all sizes. The shortest ones tell the story in about 10
minutes – basically boiling it down to “They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat.”
And some seders stretch for hours. We’ll aim for the middle ground. We’ve put
together our own version that should do the job in about 30 minutes. This
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Haggadah draws from many others, especially the excellent ones created by
Naomi, Carol Hall, a friend of Julie’s, and Cokie and Sam Roberts.

READER: But why keep telling a story that we know and has been told many times
over? The answer is that we are not merely retelling the story. We are being
called to have empathy, to feel as if we too are being set free, here in this place
and now in this moment. We are here because the struggle for human freedom
never stops. We are here to remember all people who are still struggling for their
freedom.

1. KIDDUSH

READER: To usher in the holiday, we light candles and say a blessing:

TOGETHER: Boruch atah Adonai, eloheynu melech ha-alam, asher kidshanu

b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel yom tov.

Blessed is the spirit of God who has sanctified us with the commandment to
kindle the lights of this Passover holiday, the season of Freedom. May the rays of
these candles bring light to all who dwell in darkness.

READER: We say another prayer to celebrate special occasions and the fact we’re
fortunate to have gathered together.

TOGETHER: Boruch atah Adonai, elohaynu melechhaolam, she-hechiyanu, v’ki-

manu, v’higiyanu lazman ha-zeh.

We praise God or a godly spirit, who has kept us alive, raised us up, and brought
us to this very happy moment.

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READER: We drink four cups of wine during the Seder. Now we say a prayer of
thanksgiving before drinking the first cup. At this time, we will also fill a special
cup for Elijah the Prophet for whom we will open the door later on so that he may
join us at the seder table. Let us dedicate the special cup of wine to Spring, a time
of rebirth that has been a long time coming.

TOGETHER: Boruch atah Adonai, elohaynu melech ha-olam, boray pree ha guffen.

Blessed art Thou, our God, Ruler of the Universe, who brings forth the fruit of the
vine.

HOST: We now say Kiddush, a prayer whose name means “sanctification.” Who
would like to read the Kiddush for us?

READER: Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheynu melech ha’olam, asher bakhar banu im
kol ha-amim, v’rom'manu im kol lashon, v’kidshanu b’mitzvotav. Va-titen lanu
Adonai eloheynu, b’ahavah mo’adim l’simkha, hagim u-z’manim l’sason, et yom
ha-Pesach hazeh, z’man cheruteinu, mikra kodesh, zecher l’tziat mitzrayim. Ki
vanu vacharta, v’otanu kidashta, im kol ha’amim u-moadim kadshekha v’simcha
uv-sason hin-khaltanu. Baruch atah, Adonai, m’kadesh Yisrael v’hazmanim.

(ALL drink the first cup of wine.)

2. URCHATZ: The Washing of Hands

READER: Now comes Urchatz: The Washing of Hands. We will symbolically wash
our hands to show we are purified and prepared to participate in the Seder.

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3. KARPAS: Dipping parsley in salt water and eating it

READER: This green parsley, called karpas, is a symbol of the coming of spring.
The salt water is a reminder of the tears shed by Jews as slaves in Egypt. As we dip
the karpas in the salt water, we honor the Earth as a sacred place and renew our
commitment to protect the natural world. Before we eat the parsley, together we
say:

TOGETHER: Boruch atah adonai, elohenu melech ha-olam, boray pri ha – adamah.

Blessed art Thou, our God, Ruler of the universe, who brings forth the fruit from
the ground.

4. YACHATZ: Breaking the Middle Matzah (the Afikomen)

(The host takes the middle matzah from the stack of three and breaks it in two.)

READER: Behold the matzah, the bread of affliction our ancestors ate when they
were slaves in Egypt. Would that all who are hungry and in distress could come
and celebrate with us. Would that all who are in need could join our Passover
feast.

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We now take the middle matzah, which we call the afikomen. This Greek word
literally means “that which comes after the meal,” or dessert. The afikomen will
be hidden and must be found before the end of the seder.

5. MAGGID: Telling the Story of Passover – The Four Questions

READER: In our tradition, we tell of the story of Passover as a discussion with

questions and answers. The question we seek to answer is: Why is this night
different from all other nights? At many seders, the youngest one present asks
The Four Questions. Tonight, though, we may all read them together.

TOGETHER:

1. Ma nishtana halaila hazeh mikol haleilot? Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin

chameitz u-matzah. Halaila hazeh kulo matzah.

‫תה נִּ ְּׁש ַּתנָה הַּ לַּ יְּׁלָ ה הַּ זֶּ ה ִּמכָל הַּ לֵּ ילֹומ‬
‫ּומצָ ה‬
ַּ ‫ש ְּׁבכָל הַּ לֵּ ילֹות אָ נּו אֹוכְּׁ ִּלין חָ ֵּמץ‬, ֶּ
-‫הַּ לַּ יְּׁלָ ה הַּ זֶּ ה כּולֹו ַּמצָ ה‬.
Any other night we eat leavened bread, but on this night why do we eat only
matzah (unleavened bread)?

2. Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin shi’ar yirakot haleila hazeh maror.

‫ןבכָל ַּהלֵּ ילֹות אָ נּו אֹוכְּׁ ִּל ירקות שאר‬

ְּׁ ‫ש‬,
‫מרֹור‬.
ָ ‫הַּ זֶּ ה הַּ לַּ יְּׁלָ ה‬

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Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs, but on this night we eat
only bitter herbs?

3. She-b’chol ha-leilot ein anu matbilin, afilu pa-am echat, Ha-lailah hazeh, ,
sh’tei f’amim.

Other nights we do not dip parsley in salt water even once, but this night why do
we dip the parsley twice?

4. Sheb'chol haleilot anu ochlin bein yoshvin uvein m'subin; halailah hazeh,
kulanu m'subin.

‫הַּ לַּ יְּׁלָ ה הַּ זֶּ ה כֻּלָ נו ְּׁמסֻּ ִּבין‬

On all other nights, we eat either sitting upright or reclining. Why on this night do
we all recline?

READER: We will now hear the answers to the Four Questions.

READER: Why do we eat only unleavened bread? When the Jews left Egypt it was
in great haste. The dough had no time to rise.

READER: Why do we eat bitter herbs? Because the lives of the Jews in Egypt were
bitter with hard labor.

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READER: Why do we dip the herbs twice? The first time, the salty taste reminds
us of the tears we shed as slaves. The second time, the salt water and the greens
remind us of the ocean and plants, essential for our survival on this planet.

READER: Why do we recline? Reclining at the table was the sign of a free person-
so we commemorate the freedom of Passover.

6. THE EXODUS

READER: We now continue by telling the story of the Exodus: Once we were
slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but God brought us forth with a strong hand and an
outstretched arm. The legend tells us that one day, Moses -- roving the hills
tending his sheep -- came upon a bush that was burning but wasn’t being
consumed by the fire. From the flames came the voice of God, who told Moses he
must return to Egypt and lead the Israelites out of slavery.

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SONG: Go Down Moses (Let My People Go)
TOGETHER:
When Israel was in Egypt land,
Let my people go.
Oppressed so hard they could not stand,
Let my people go.
Go down, Moses, way down in Egypt land,
Tell ol’ Pharaoh, let my people go.

Thus saith the Lord, bold Moses said,

Let my people go.
If not I’ll smite your people dead,
Let my people go.
Go down, Moses, way down in Egypt land,
Tell ol’ Pharaoh, let my people go.

As Israel stood by the water side,

Let my people go.
By God’s command it did divide,
Let my people go.
Go down, Moses, way down in Egypt land,
Tell ol’ Pharaoh, let my people go.

7. THE 10 PLAGUES

READER: Moses, along with his older brother Aaron, went to Pharaoh and
demanded the release of the Israelites. Pharaoh said no – he said no nine times.
But each time he said no, another plague struck Egypt. Finally, God sent the Angel
of Death to strike dead all the first-born sons, all throughout the land.

READER: But before Angel arrived, God told the Israelites to protect their own
children by sacrificing a lamb and smearing her blood on the doorposts of their
homes. The Angel saw those signs and passed over the homes of the Jews, sparing
their first-born sons. And that is how this holiday got its name.

READER: After this tenth and most devastating plague, Pharaoh finally let Moses’s
people go. They fled in such a hurry that the bread they were baking did not have
time to rise.

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READER: We celebrate the freeing of the slaves but are instructed not to take
pleasure in the suffering of the Egyptians. To commemorate this suffering now we
dip a finger into our wine and place a drop on our plate or napkin as we recite the
ten plagues.

TOGETHER:
• dam (blood)
• tz’fardeyah (frogs)
• kineme (vermin)
• dever (cattle disease)
• sheheen (boils)
• barad (hail)
• arbeh (locusts)
• hosheh (darkness)
• makat b’chorot (slaying of the first born)

“I miss that sense of fulfillment I had when I was part of a plague.”

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READER:
But Pharaoh grew angry that he had freed his slaves. He changed his mind and
sent his army to chase the Israelites, who had come to the shores of the Red Sea
and who could go no further. As the army bore down upon them, they feared for
their lives. But suddenly the sea miraculously parted and they crossed safely to
the distant shore. When the Egyptians tried to follow them, the waters flowed
back -- and the mighty army vanished in the swirling waves.

8. THE SYMBOLS OF PASSOVER: The Seder Plate

READER: The objects on the seder plate symbolize many aspects of the Passover
story. First maror and chazeret – the bitter herbs that represent the bitterness of
slavery.

READER: Next is the zeroah, the roasted bone that symbolizes the lamb who was
sacrificed and whose blood told the Angel of Death to pass over the homes of the
Israelites and leave their sons unharmed.

READER: As we have heard, the matzah represents the exodus from Egypt by the
Israelites, who left in such haste that their bread didn’t have time to rise.
READER: The charoset is a mixture of fruit, wine, and spices and is meant to
symbolize the mortar that the Israelite slaves used to make bricks.

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READER: This roasted egg, called the Baytza, is a traditional symbol of mourning
and according to some authorities recalls the festival sacrifice to commemorate
the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem. However, the egg is also a symbol of
fertility and renewal, and thus is a fitting part of this Passover festival, which
celebrates the arrival of spring.

(And now: Egg boxing!)

READER: The last object on the plate is a newcomer to our tradition. According to
one story, in 1980 a leading scholar, Susannah Heschel, added the orange to her
seder as gesture of solidarity and as a way of welcoming to her feast all those who
may feel marginalized within the Jewish community. The orange symbolizes our
belief that, at its best, Judaism is an inclusive religion that welcomes all who seek
to embrace its values of human dignity, lifelong learning, social justice, and the
sanctity of life.

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SONG: Dayenu

READER: As we conclude telling the story of Passover, we sing a song listing the
wonderful acts God performed for the Israelites when they left Egypt. The song is
called “Dayenu” – which means “It would have been enough.”

TOGETHER:
Ilu ho-tsi, ho-tsi-a-nu
Ho-tsi-anu mi-Mitz-ra-yim
Ho-tsi-anu mi-Mitz- ra-yim
Da-ye-nu
[Chorus]
Da-da-ye-nu, Da-da-ye-nu,
Da-da-ye-nu, Da-da-ye-nu Da-ye-nu (Da-ye-nu)

Ilu natan natan lanu

Natan lanu et ha Torah
Natan lanu et ha Torah
Dayenu
[Chorus]

Translation:
Had he brought us out of Egypt,
Only brought us out of Egypt,
Had he brought us out of Egypt,
It would have been enough. (Dayenu!)

Had he given us the Torah,

Only given us the Torah,
Had he given us the Torah,
It would have been enough. (Dayenu!)

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READER: Let’s now bring the concept of Dayenu into the present, but with a bit of
a twist. Let’s now ask ourselves whether we are doing enough to make our world
a better place.

I will begin by saying: If we were to free the peoples of the world, but not beat the
weapons of war of every nation -- especially this one -- into plow shares…
TOGETHER: It would not be enough!
READER: If we were to beat the swords of every nation into plowshares, but not
free our earth and air of poison…
TOGETHER: It would not be enough!
READER: If we were to free our earth and air of poison, but not share our food
and end all hunger…
TOGETHER: It would not be enough!
READER: If we were to share our food and end all hunger, but not allow the
poets’ voices to be heard…
TOGETHER: It would not be enough!
READER: If we were to allow the poets’ voices to be heard, but not free all
women, men, and children to become the fullest manifestation of their individual
personhood…
TOGETHER: It would not be enough!
READER: If we were to free all humans to be persons, but not free ourselves to
love and respect one another…
TOGETHER: It would not be enough!

9. THE SECOND CUP OF WINE

READER: To celebrate going from slavery to freedom, and from sorrow to joy, and
from darkness to light we will say a blessing over the second cup of wine.

TOGETHER: Boruch atah Adonai, elohaynu melech ha-olam, boray pree ha guffen.
Blessed art Thou, our God, Ruler of the Universe, who brings forth the fruit of the
vine.
(That’s your cue -- Drink the wine!)

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10. BLESSING OVER THE MATZAH
READER: Everyone should now take a piece of matzah so we can say two
blessings: the regular blessing over bread, and then one specifically mentioning
the command to do a good deed by eating the matzah.

TOGETHER:
Baruch atah Adonai, elohaynu melech ha-olam ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, who brings forth bread from the earth.

Baruch atah Adonai, elohaynu melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu bmitzvotov

v’tzivanu al achilat matza.
Blessed art you Lord who has instructed us in the eating of matzah.

(That’s your cue -- Eat the matzah!)

12. MAROR: BITTER HERBS

READER: As we have heard, we eat bitter herbs because they represent the
bitterness of slavery. But we mix the bitter with the sweet in the form of
charoses, the mixture of fruits, nuts, and wine representing the mixture of clay
and straw from which bricks were made during slavery. Put a few spoonsful of
maror and charoses on a piece of matzah. We call this the “Hillel Sandwich,” and
it honors Rabbi Hillel, a revered sage of the first century BCE, who originated the
tradition. And now say the blessing over the bitter herbs:
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TOGETHER:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha’olam asher kidshunu b’mitzvotav
v’tzivanu al achilat maror.

Blessed art thou creator of the universe who has commanded us to eat maror.

(That’s your cue -- Eat the sandwich!)

13. THE THIRD CUP OF WINE

TOGETHER:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha’olam borei p’ri hagafen.

14. CELEBRATING FREEDOM

READER: Passover is a story about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, but it is
also a universal story too about people world-wide desiring freedom. Let’s take a
moment now to hear the thoughts of other figures in history that echo the
Passover message of freedom.

READER: “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that
respects and enhances the freedom of others.” -- Nelson Mandela

READER: “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes
through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for
our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.” -- Martin Luther King
Jr.
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READER: “When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth
and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time
they see invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it: ALWAYS.” --
Gandhi

READER: “Every time we liberate a woman, we liberate a man.” -- Margaret Mead

READER: “It is possible to become discouraged about the injustice we see

everywhere. But god did not promise us that the world would be humane and just.
He gives us the gift of life and allows us to choose the way we will use our limited
time on earth. It is an awesome opportunity.” -- Cesar Chavez

READER: “Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to
do what we ought”. -- Pope John Paul II

READER: “You have heard that they were told, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.’ But what I tell you is this: Love your enemies and pray for your
persecutors.” -- Jesus of Nazareth

READER: “God doesn’t require us to succeed. He only requires that you try.” --
Mother Theresa

READER: “Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in our
bosoms. Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the
heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere.” -- Abraham Lincoln

15. LET THE PASSOVER FEAST BEGIN!

(So eat already!)

16. THE FOURTH CUP OF WINE

READER: We are thankful for the meal we have just eaten together Let’s drink to
that.

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TOGETHER:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha’olam borei p’ri hagafen.

(Drink the wine)

READER: At this point in the seder we open the door for Elijah, the prophet, who
according to tradition will herald the coming of the Messiah.

(Someone open the door, please)

SONG: ELIYAHU )ELIJAH THE PROPHET(

TOGETHER:
Eliyahu hanavi
Eliyahu hatish'bi
Eliyahu hagil'adi
Bim'herah (beyameinu) yavo eleinu
im Mashi'ach ben David. (x2)

Translation:
Elijah the prophet
Elijah the Tishbite
Elijah the Giladite
May he soon (in our days) come to us,
with the messiah son of David.

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Additional songs:

S’KUMPT DER FREELING

S’kumpt der Freeling und gleich mit em
Kumpt der lieber yontov tsu uns.
Zog’zhe kinder aber ir veyst
Vi der lieber yontov heist.
Ya, mir veyst, und mir veyst und gevis
[Next part, sing twice:]
Ya mir veyst und gevis
Das is Pesach mit nis
Und mit ceysalech vein
La’mir alleh freilich zein.

Translation of the Yiddish:

WHEN SPRING COMES

When spring comes we know we’ll soon celebrate a happy holiday.
Tell me children if you know what that happy holiday is called.
(Children:)
Yes, we know truly.
It’s Pesach with nuts and cups of wine.
Let us all be happy.

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OYFN PRIPETCHIK
‫אױֿפן ּפריּפעטשיק‬

Oyfn pripetchik brent a fayerl

un in shtub is heys.
Un der rebbe lernt kleyne kinderlekh
dem alef-beyz.

Gedenkt'zhe, kinderlekh,
gedenkt'zhe, tayere,
vos ir lernt do.
Zogt'zhe nokhamol un take nokhamol,
komets alef-o.

Translation of the Yiddish:

ON THE WOODEN STOVE ON THE HEARTH

A fire burns on the hearth

and it is warm in the little house.
And the rabbi is teaching little children
the alphabet.

Remember, children,
remember, dear ones,
what you learn here.
Repeat and repeat yet again,
komets alef-o.

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