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As we (pretend to) wash our hands, let's pause to consider what we hope to get out of our evening together tonight. 

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As we mentioned when we dipped our karpas earlier, so too in the case of the dipping of drops of wine for each of the following plagues, we should recall that various elements of the story of the exile and exodus are mirrors for each other. Dip a finger or a spoon into your wine glass for a drop for each plague. ***** Blood | dam |דָּם Frogs | tzfardeiya |צְפַרְדֵּֽעַ Lice | kinim |כִּנִּים Beasts | arov |עָרוֹב Cattle disease...

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We’re Gonna Sing Dayenu Start the Torah, Genesis, Ark, Noah, what a mess Babel’s Tower, God has power, Abraham let’s go, Sarah’s barren, can’t have children, Isaac isborn, try to kill him, Sarah’s Dying, Isaac’s crying, Rivka is hisbeau Esau’s tricked, too bad, birthright sold, brother’s blessed, Beth El, to find a wife, andthen Jacob marries twice Rachel’s hotter, Leah’s first, Twelve sons, it could be worse Joseph’s dreaming, brothers hate him, throw him down there, goodbye We’re gonna sing Dayenu...

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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!

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“By spilling a drop of wine, from the Pesach cup for each plague, we acknowledge that our own joy is lessened and incomplete. For our redemption had to come by means of the punishment of other human beings. Even though these are just punishments for evil acts, it says ‘Do not rejoice at the fall of your enemy.’” (Proverbs 24:17)

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Despite the odd way in which Brian Klug spells some of the words in the passage below, the words are well-chosen and offer an additional perspective on the question of Jewish election. ***** "‘The people of God’: the very idea is outrageous. Not only the ultimate chutzpah, it carries a double dose of mortal danger. For a chosen people is a proud people, the envy of the nations. Pride and envy: the one begets arrogance and chauvinism, the other breeds hatred...

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An Apple Will Not Fall [Oon Apple Vil Nisht Fuln] [Note: According to Brian Klug, this is a (very) rough translation from the Yiddish (see below for the Yiddish).] Show me a peasant anywhere in the world who tries to pick an apple and he can’t – because the apple will not fall. Show me a cat anywhere in the world who tries to scratch the peasant who tries to pick an apple and he can’t – because the apple will...

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One element of the story of the exodus that the Roberts' version elides is God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart. Moses Maimonides (ca 1135 - 1204 CE) recognized this element of the story as a significant paradox since it seemed to suggest that God forced Pharaoh to make the wicked decisions that brought about the punishment of the plagues. As Maimonides recognizes, if this were so, then the notion that the plagues were a punishment as well as a means of the...

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Like most religions, Judaism developed within a patriarchal society. Men recorded and interpreted religious law and wrote the traditional prayers. Miriam's Cup is a newer ritual object that is placed on the seder table beside the Cup of Elijah to represent her importance in the Passover story. Miriam's Cup is filled with water, rather than wine, and serves as a symbol of Miriam's Well, which was the source of water for the Israelites in the desert for 40 years. Filling Miriam's...

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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. ***** ברוּךְ אַתָּה יְיַָ 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.

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The section of the Seder that is called the Bareich is traditionally initiated by expressions of gratitude for that which sustains life. At this point we pour our third glass of wine, give thanks for the meal and for the fruit of the vine. You may drink the wine after the third blessing below. ***** יְהִי שֵׁם יְיָ מְבֹרָךְ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם. Y’hee sheim Adonai m’vo-rach mei-atah v’ad olam. Praised be the name of the Lord now and forever. בָּרוּךְ (אֱלֹהֵינוּ)...

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Below is a traditional Kiddush for Passover. On Shabbat, add the words in parentheses. ***** בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha’olam, borei p'ri hagafen. Praised are you, Adonai, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who has created the fruit of the vine. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בָּנוּ מִכָּל עָם וְרוֹמְמָנוּ מִכָּל לָשׁוֹן וְקִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו. וַתִּתֶּן לָנוּ יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּאַהֲבָה (שַׁבָּתוֹת לִמְנוּחָה וּ) מוֹעֲדִים לְשִׂמְחָה, חַגִּים וּזְמַנִּים לְשָׂשׂוֹן,...

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As we now transition from the formal telling of the Passover story to the celebratory meal, we once again (pretend to) wash our hands to prepare ourselves and say the following 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.

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The dipping of greens is reminiscent of the historic "dipping" that led Israel into exile in Egypt. The descent to Egyptian slavery began when Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery and dipped his coat of many colors into a slaughtered goat’s blood in order to mislead their father Israel about his beloved son’s true fate. The ascent from exile – moral and physical – began when every family gathered together with their neighbors to share a lamb on seder night and...

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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...

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This version of the exodus story is taken from Cokie and Steve Roberts' Our Haggadah (Harper Collins 2011), which they say is adapted from the Revised English Bible. We will take turns reading paragraphs below: ***** When there was famine in Canaan, “Jacob and all his family with him, his sons and their sons, his daughters and his sons’ daughters, he brought them all to Egypt.” Jacob’s son Joseph was the prime minister to the Pharaoh, who welcomed into his land...

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Traditionally, the Maggid opens with the Ma Nishtana--the Four Questions. Tonight, however, we will also ask our own questions. Let's begin, though, by reading the traditional four questions along with Don Isaac Abrabanel's responses (for a biography of Don Isaac look further down in the Haggadah). ***** 1. Why eat plain matza which is hard to digest? Poor laborers and slaves are fed matza not only because it is cheap but because it is filling and requires a long digestion period....

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As we come to the end of the seder, we drink one more glass of wine. With this final cup, we give thanks for the experience of celebrating Passover together, for the traditions that help inform our daily lives and guide our actions and aspirations. *** 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. לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בִּירוּשָׁלָֽיִם L’shana...