candle blessing

Haggadah Section: Introduction

We ask for God's blessing. What is the meaning of this? Many of us were given a picture of God when we were young that roughly corresponds to an old white man with a beard. Not meaning to say anything critical about old, white men with beards, but many of us don't hold to this. As Rabbi David Cooper put it "I don't believe in the God you don't believe in."

"All images or metaphors (including the word God) attempting to render an ineffable experience are necessary and even noble, sacred projections that hide as much as they reveal and to confuse an image with God or to make any image a literal and exhaustive representation of God is the classic definition of idolatry. Descriptions of God should never be confused with God anymore than the description of passionate love making should be confused with making love... my tradition names [God as} Ein Sof which literally means "There is No End" and which the mystic poets of the Bible cal YHWH from the Hebrew root Becoming." (Rabbi Irwin Kula, "How Big Is Your God?") No white man, no beard.

So what is prayer? Clearly prayer is not any one thing, it ranges from a communal action to honor one's heritage; to a very personal need to speak aloud and identify what is important to you; to a practice to allow one to experience touching the divine. In some cases we accept using language that we do not believe in (that old man with a white beard) to send a message to others, just as we say (Rabbi David Cooper again) the "Sun is going down" even though we know it is the Earth that is turning.

Tonight may we all find something in these prayers that speaks to each of us.

Inspired to create
your own Haggadah?

Make your own Haggadah and share with other Seder lovers around the world

Have an idea
for a clip?

People like you bring their creativity to Haggadot.com when they share their ideas in a clip

Support Us
with your donation

Help us build moments of meaning and connection through
home-based Jewish rituals.

OUR TOP CONTRIBUTORS

contributor image
Esther Kustanowitz
4 Haggadahs44 Clips
contributor image
JQ International
1 Haggadah40 Clips
contributor image
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
5 Haggadahs109 Clips
contributor image
18Doors
1 Haggadah13 Clips
contributor image
JewishBoston
1 Haggadah78 Clips
contributor image
Truah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights
1 Haggadah36 Clips
contributor image
American Jewish World Service
1 Haggadah44 Clips
contributor image
JewBelong
3 Haggadahs57 Clips
contributor image
Repair the World
12 Clips
contributor image
HIAS
5 Haggadahs48 Clips
contributor image
Be'chol Lashon
2 Haggadahs27 Clips
contributor image
PJ Library
1 Haggadah17 Clips
contributor image
Jewish World Watch
3 Haggadahs42 Clips
contributor image
Secular Synagogue
10 Clips
contributor image
SVIVAH
1 Haggadah9 Clips
contributor image
The Blue Dove Foundation
20 Clips
contributor image
ReformJudaism.org
24 Clips
contributor image
Jewish Emergent Network
1 Haggadah22 Clips

Passover Guide

Hosting your first Passover Seder? Not sure what food to serve? Curious to
know more about the holiday? Explore our Passover 101 Guide for answers
to all of your questions.

Haggadot

Haggadot.com by Recustom, is a free resource for all backgrounds and experiences. Consider making a donation to help support the continuation of this free platform.

Copyright © 2024 Custom and Craft Jewish Rituals Inc, dba Recustom, dba Haggadot.com.
All Rights Reserved. 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. EIN: 82-4765805.