---

The blessing over the meal and matzah | motzi matzah | מוֹצִיא מַצָּה The familiar hamotzi blessing marks the formal start of the meal. Because we are using matzah instead of bread, we add a blessing celebrating this mitzvah. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמּוֹצִיא לֶֽחֶם מִן הָאָֽרֶץ Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha-aretz. We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who brings bread from the land. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתַָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ...

---

Barech בָּרֵךְ Pour the third cup of wine and recite Birkat Hamazon (Blessing after the Meal). כְּחֹלְמִים. אָז יִמָּלֵא שְׂחוֹק פִּינוּ וּלְשׁוֹנֵנוּ רִנָּה, אָז יֹאמְרוּ בַגּוֹיִם, הִגְדִּיל יְיָ לַעֲשׂוֹת עִם אֵלֶּה. הִגְדִּיליְיָ לַעֲשׂוֹת עִמָּנוּ, הָיִינוּ שְׂמֵחִים. שׁוּבָה יְיָ אֶת שְׁבִיתֵנוּ, כַּאֲפִיקִים בַּנֶּגֶב. הַזֹּרְעִים בְּדִמְעָה בְּרִנָּה יִקְצֹרוּ. הָלוֹךְ יֵלֵךְ וּבָכֹה נֹשֵׂא מֶשֶׁךְ הַזָּרַע, בֹּא יָבֹא בְרִנָּה נֹשֵׂא אֲלֻמֹּתָיו. תְּהִלַּת יְיָ יְדַבֶּר פִּי, וִיבָרֵךְ כָּל בָּשָׂר שֵׁם קָדְשׁוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. וַאֲנַחְנוּ נְבָרֵךְ יָהּ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם הַלְלוּיָהּ. הוֹדוּ לַייָ כִּי טוֹב כִּי לְעוֹלָם...

---

The cup of Elijah holds wine; the cup of Miriam holds water. Wine is more precious until you have no water. Water that flows in our veins water that is the stuff of life for we are made of breath and water, vision and fact. Elijah is the extraordinary; Miriam brings the daily wonders: the joy of a fresh morning like a newly prepared table, a white linen cloth on which nothing has yet spilled. The descent into the heavy waters...

---

Pesach, matzoh, and maror have symbolic meaning for us. They are so important and so meaningful that no Seder is really complete unless they are fully explained. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS PESACH? This roasted shank bone is the symbol of the Pesach lamb. Each year at Passover, the Israelites would gather at the Temple to commemorate the Exodus from slavery. Each family would bring a lamb as an offering, to remember the time when our ancestors were spared the...

---

מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילותMa nishtana halaila hazeh mikol haleilot?Why is this night different from all other nights?:שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָֽנוּ אוֹכלין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה  הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלּוֹ מצה  Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin chameitz u-matzah. Halaila hazeh kulo matzah.On all other nights we eat both leavened bread and matzah. Tonight we only eat matzah.שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָֽנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת הַלַּֽיְלָה הַזֶּה מָרוֹר:Shebichol haleilot anu ochlin shi’ar yirakot haleila hazeh maror.On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables, but tonight we...

---

חַד גַּדְיָא,חַד גַּדְיָא  דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא,חַד גַּדְיָא.  וְאָתָא שׁוּנְרָא וְאַָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא,חַד גַּדְיָא.  וְאָתָא כַלְבָּא וְנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאַָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא,חַד גַּדְיָא.  וְאָתָא חוּטְרָא והִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאַָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא,חַד גַּדְיָא.  וְאָתָא נוּרָא וְשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאַָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא.  וְאָתָא מַיָא וְכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאַָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא...

---

Why are these questions asked and never directly answered in the Haggadah? To this question there are more than four answers:1. Questioning is a sign of freedom, proof that we are free to investigate, to analyze, to satisfy our intellectual curiosity.2. The simplest question can have many answers, sometimes complex and contradictory ones, even as life itself is fraught with complexity and contradictions. To see everything as good or bad,  matzah or  maror, is to be enslaved to simplicity.3. The Haggadah...

---

The olive branch is a universal symbol of peace, associated with the dove in the story of Noah's Ark and the Flood. Olive trees mature slowly, so only when there was an extended time of peace, with agriculture left undisturbed, could the olive tree produce its fruit. In 2008, Jewish Voice for Peace promoted putting an olive on the seder plate as part of its Trees of Reconciliation project, which sought to donate 3,000 olive saplings to Palestinian farmers to replant...

---

ECHAD MI YODEA WHO KNOWS ONE Echad mi yode'a? Echad ani yode'a. Echad Elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz. Shnaim mi yode'a? Shnaim ani yode'a shnei luchot habrit, echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz. Shlosha mi yode'a, Shlosha ani yode'a. Shlosha avot, shnei luchot habrit, echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz. Arba mi yode'a? arba ani yode'a arba imahot Shlosha avot, shnei luchot habrit echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz. Chamisha, mi yode'a Chamisha, ani yode'a Chamisha chumshei torah arba imahot Shlosha avot, shnei luchot habrit, echad elokeinu shebashamaim uva'aretz....

---

"Instructions for living a life:Pay attention.Be astonished. Tell about it.”

---

It’s time to drink the second cup of wine .....ברוך אתה ה' א‑לוהינו מלך העולם, בורא פרי הגפן. Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha'olam, bo're p'ri ha'gafen. "Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine." Amen.

---

Along with the cup for the Prophet Elijah, we have on our table a cup for the Prophetess Miriam, who helped lead the Israelites out of Egypt, and provided them with life-sustaining water during their wandering in the desert. Even after her death, the Israelites were sustained by the fresh waters of Miriam's Well. Zot Kos Miryam, kos mayim hayim. Zeikher l'yitziat Mitztrayim. This is the Cup of Miriam, the cup of living waters. Let us remember the Exodus from Egypt....

---

Four times the Torah commands us to tell our children about the Exodus from Egypt and because of this, traditional Haggadot speak of four kinds of sons. The Hebrew word for “children” is the same word as “sons” and either can be used. Our sages teach that perhaps there is really a part of each of the four children in us all. The wise child questions, “What is the meaning of the laws and observanc- es which the Lord, our God,...

---

The first hand-washing of the seder is unusual. The rabbis point out that even a child would wonder at least two things: why do we wash without a blessing and why do we bother to wash when we will not be eating our meal for some time. They suggest that we wash our hands here in order to raise questions. Questions, both of wonder and of despair, are crucial to our time at the seder and, really, our growth as human...

---

Kiddush (the blessing over wine) | kadeish | קַדֵּשׁAll celebrations have wine/grape juice as a symbol of joy. The seder starts with wine/grape juice and then we refill the cup three times and drink.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.We praise G!d, who chose us from all people and languages, and blessed us with commandment, and gave us our...

---

The first words in the creation of the universe out of the unformed, void and dark earth were God’s “Let there be light." Therein lies the hope and faith of Judaism and the obligation of our people: to make the light of justice, compassion, and knowledge penetrate the darkness of our time. One person lights the candles and says: ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להדליק נר של יום טובBaruch atah Adonai Elohaynu melech ha-olam, asher kideshanu...

---

Let's eat! Dig in! Bon Appetit! !בתאבון

---

Along with the cup for the Prophet Elijah, we have on our table a cup for the Prophetess Miriam, who helped lead the Israelites out of Egypt, and provided them with life-sustaining water during their wandering in the desert. Even after her death, the Israelites were sustained by the fresh waters of Miriam's Well. Zot Kos Miryam, kos mayim hayim. Zeikher l'yitziat Mitztrayim. This is the Cup of Miriam, the cup of living waters. Let us remember the Exodus from Egypt....