Kadesh- Bless

Jewish celebrations usually include wine as a symbol of joy.

Wine sanctifies an occasion and makes it holy.

During the Passover Seder we drink four cups of wine, why four?

In the Book of Exodus, God convinced the Jews to leave Egypt using four statements:

I shall take you out
I shall rescue you
I shall redeem you
I shall bring you

We toast each of these statements with a cup of wine.

Pour and raise your first cup of wine/grape juice. This cup is dedicated to the renewal of spring, to the renewal of ourselves.

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 your first cup of wine/grape juice!

haggadah Section: Kadesh

Featured clips

Introduction

Stranger in a Strange Land

by Tom Koppel

Just about everybody experiences the sense of being foreign sometime in their lives. Most of the adults at this table have immigrated from a foreign country. But even if you have lived in the same city your entire life, as an adult you no longer live in the same neighborhood you lived in when you were growing up. Your home is defined not only by place but also by time. People have changed; circumstances have changed. As a foreigner in that...

Kadesh

by Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee

Jewish celebrations usually include wine as a symbol of joy. Wine sanctifies an occasion and makes it holy. During the Passover Seder we drink four cups of wine, why four? In the Book of Exodus, God convinced the Jews to leave Egypt using four statements: I shall take you out I shall rescue you I shall redeem you I shall bring you We toast each of these statements with a cup of wine. Pour and raise your first cup of wine/grape...

Kadesh

MLK+50 Interfaith Freedom Seder: The First Cup

by Shalom Center

The First Cup: We drink to Ending Racism and Poverty, and Birthing Racial and Economic Justice We begin with the teaching of Dr. Martin Luther King 50 years ago, on the evening before his death. He came to Memphis, Tennessee to support the striking sanitation workers of the city, and he spoke to a gathered crowd: “The issue is the refusal of Memphis to be fair and honest in its dealings with its public servants, who happen to be sanitation workers....

Urchatz

Revenge of Dinah: Urchatz

by JUF Chicago / DePaul - Research Training Internship

Leader: Women in biblical times to modern day have been subject to harsh standards, subordination, and violence. Yet it is in the waters that Miriam and Batya nd empowerment, the ability to purify their minds of old pains and memories. Tonight, not only do we clean our hands, but we also cleanse our spirits, following the steps left by these two women. In facing the dark truth of dismissed oppressions, Urchatz is a chance to take a mental pause in order...

Urchatz

Water and Chaos Theory in Jurassic Park and the Exodus Story

by Esther Kustanowitz

Urchatz

Urchatz – Access to Clean Water

by Linda and Dan Berkowicz

This symbolic washing of the hands recalls the story of Miriam's Well. Legend tells us that this well followed Miriam, sister of Moses, through the desert, sustaining the Jews in their wanderings. Filled with mayim chayim, waters of life, the well was a source of strength and renewal to all who drew from it. One drink from its waters was said to alert the heart, mind and soul, and make the meaning of Torah become alive. As we prepare to wash...

Karpas

Dipping Greens in Salt Water

by Machar Congregation

SALT WATER - Why do we dip our food in salt water two times on this night? The first time, the salty taste reminds us of the tears we cried when we were slaves. [Greens held up for all to see.] KARPAS - Parsley and celery are symbols of all kinds of spring greenery. The second time, the salt water and the green can help us to remember the ocean and green plants and the Earth, from which we get the...

Karpas

by Jews for Racial and Economic Justice

A small piece of onion, parsley, or boiled potato is dipped into saltwater and eaten (after reciting the blessing over vegetables). Dipping the karpas is a sign of luxury and freedom. The saltwater represents the tears of our ancestors in Mitzrayim. This year may it also represent tears of Black parents and families mourning the loss of their Black youth at the hands of police brutality.

Yachatz

A MEDITATION BEFORE YAHATZ

by Jonathan Lubliner

Our God and God of our ancestors, help those who are fleeing persecution today, as our ancestors did thousands of years ago. Show loving kindness and compassion to those hemmed in by misery and captivity, to those who take to the open seas or traverse treacherous landscapes seeking freedom and liberty. Rescue and recover them -- deliver them from gorge to meadow, from darkness to light. Inspire us to act on behalf of those we do not know, on behalf of...

Maggid - Beginning

MLK Quote

by Shalom Center

-- Exodus Story

Avadim Hayinu "We Were Slaves"

by Repair the World

Introduction

Jonathan Safran Foer Quote

by Haggadot

-- Four Questions

Four Questions

by Rachel Kann

We encourage you to ask four questions of your own... about anything... ask them of yourselves and of each other. Can we be humble enough to admit when we do not know something, rather than pretending to have the answer? Can we be gracious enough to answer another’s question without shaming them for not knowing? Can we be brave enough to inquire within, and ask ourselves our own hard questions? Can we open our hearts to the love that wants to...

More clips from Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee

Yachatz

Break the Matzah

by Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee

Three matzot are stacked on the seder table; at this stage, the middle matzah of the three is broken in half. The larger piece is hidden somewhere in the house. Later, the children get to search for it, and whoever finds it gets a prize. Much of the Seder is about engaging children to ask questions - to learn the stories and be curious. This part simply keeps them awake and excited to search for the hidden matzah at the end...

Nirtzah

Redemption

by Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee

This is the end. Now we pause and reflect on our experience. We have taken our steps out of Egypt, out of oppression and towards freedom. We realize although we are no longer slaves, there is still a long way to go. The last prayer echoes our hope for G-d to heal our broken world, that the promise for a world of peace becomes a reality. Every year, we sing: לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בִּירוּשָׁלָֽיִם L’shana haba-ah biy’rushalayim NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM! The...

Introduction

The Symbols of Passover

by Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee

Elijah's Cup- In Jewish tradition, Elijah is the harbinger of the Messiah, or the Messianic era, a time of peace, solidarity, friendship, and wholeness. Elijah's cup is filled and left untouched, waiting for his arrival. Miriam's Cup- A recent addition to the Passover table, Miriam’s Cup is filled with water and serves as a symbol of Miriam’s Well, which was the source of water for the Israelites in the desert. Matzah- The Israelites left Egypt in a haste and did not...

Kadesh- Bless

TOP HAGGADAHS FOR 2021:

Featured clips

Mindfulness Practices for Every Step of the Seder

Passover, #MeToo, and a Mirror on Your Seder Plate

#SecondSederPlate for Today's Refugees

Science Seder Plate

Preparing For The Journey

Stranger in a Strange Land

Kadesh- Bless

MLK+50 Interfaith Freedom Seder: The First Cup

Revenge of Dinah: Urchatz

Water and Chaos Theory in Jurassic Park and the Exodus Story

Urchatz – Access to Clean Water

Dipping Greens in Salt Water

Karpas

A MEDITATION BEFORE YAHATZ

MLK Quote

Avadim Hayinu "We Were Slaves"

Jonathan Safran Foer Quote

Four Questions

More clips from Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee

Break the Matzah

Redemption

The Symbols of Passover