First Cup Of Wine

In the Pesach story, freedom is discussed in many different ways. We stop to think about this four different times in the seder with a cup of wine.

We dedicate this first cup of wine to Sping, openness to learning and change, to new beginnings

(The wine is poured as these blessings are said by everyone):

Nvarech et ruach ha’olam boray pri hagafen.

Let us bless the source of life that nurtures fruit on the vine

as we weave the branches of our lives into the tradition

and tradition into the branches of our lives.

(Everyone drinks the first cup of wine or juice)

haggadah Section: Kadesh

Source: original

Featured clips

Introduction

Adrienne Rich on freedom

by Hila Ratzabi

Freedom. It isn’t once, to walk outunder the Milky Way, feeling the riversof light, the fields of dark—freedom is daily, prose-bound, routineremembering. Putting together, inch by inchthe starry worlds. From all the lost collections.

Tzafun

TZAFUN

by Rabbi Michael Lerner

Find the Aﬁkomen, symbolizing part of you that was split off and must be reintegrated into your full being to be a whole and free person.

Kadesh

by Arielle Angel

Motzi-Matzah

Motzi Matzah

by Arielle Angel

-- Four Children

Four Children

by Clare Kinberg

Why do we talk about 4 children? (This part of the seder comes from Rabbinic midrash or Rabbis interpretation of the torah. The Torah speaks about children in connection with the Pesach story 4 times using the exact same words. Rabbis made sense of why the same thing was said 4 times by explaining that each time was supposed to represent different types of children.) How would we respond to each of these 4 types of children? The eager child: (Teach...

-- Ten Plagues

Plagues

by Clare Kinberg

Naming the Plagues We remove a drop from our cups at the mention of the plagues. Removing wine reminds us that our freedom came at the same time as terrible misfortunes were visited upon the Egyptians. The ten plagues are:(For each plague from the story, somebody mention a modern day problem in our society)Dom (blood), Tzfardaya (frogs), Keeneem (lice), Orov (flies), Dever (cattle disease), Shcheen (boils), Barad (hail), Arbeh (locusts), Choschech (darkness), Makat bchorot (slaying of the first born) (What are...

Nirtzah

by Arielle Angel

Hallel

Fourth Cup of Wine Dedicated to Hope

by Clare Kinberg

The Fourth Cup of Wine Dedicated to HopeThe swords have not yet been put aside, and the time of the plowshare and the pruning hooks is still to come. But the journey has begun. Towards that redemption, let us lift once again our glasses of wine and join in the blessing:We remember the words of Anne Frank: “That's the difficulty in these times: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to meet the horrible truth and be shattered. It's...

-- Exodus Story

Magid2

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Even though they were slaves, the Children of Israel continued to have more children. Pharoah was scared of them because of their large population. Pharoah thought that the Children of Israel might join with his other enemies and try to overthrow him and his family as rulers of Egypt. Because Pharoah was scared of the Hebrews, he decided to make things difficult for Hebrew mothers (all male, Hebrew babies were to be killed). He ordered the two head Hebrew midwives, Shifrah...

Maror

by Clare Kinberg

Maror: Bitter Herbs (perceived) – We take a break from the story here to eat Maror. Why? (We are taught that “In every generation all of us are obliged to regard ourselves as if we ourselves went forth from the land of Egypt.” So it is not enough to remember, we must ourselves enter the story and, through symbols and ceremony and food, make it our own. Maror helps reminds us of the bitterness of slavery, the bitterness of being treated...

More clips from Clare Kinberg

Kadesh

by Clare Kinberg

Yachatz

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Yachatz - Breaking of the middle matzah – why now?(Something broken reminds us of how things are made of parts. In Mitzrayim each slave was a part of the group called the Israelites. In order for each part to be strong and healthy each Hebrew had to take responsibility for helping other Hebrews. Only with teamwork, each part helping the other parts, could the Hebrews remain hopeful that they would not be slaves forever.)

-- Exodus Story

Songs: Go Down Moses and Woke Up this Morning

by Clare Kinberg

SongGo Down Moses When Israel was in Egypt’s land, “Let my people go.”Oppressed so hard they could not stand , “Let my people go.” Go down Moses, Way down in Egypt’s land,Tell ol’ Pharoah, , “Let my people go.” Your foes shall not forever stand , “Let my people go.”You shall possess your own good land , “Let my people go.”Go down Moses, Way down in Egypt’s land,Tell ol’ Pharoah, , “Let my people go.” O let us all from bondage...