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Here is the conclusion of the exodus narrative in Cokie and Steve Roberts' Our Haggadah : ***** And so with the terrible tenth plague, “Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron while it was still night and said, ‘Up with you! Be off, and leave my people, you and the Israelites. Go and worship the Lord, as you request.’ And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt. Then Moses said to the people, ‘Remember this day, the day...

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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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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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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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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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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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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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מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, כֻּלּוֹ מַצָּה שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, כֻּלּוֹ מָרוֹר שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, כֻּלָּנוּ מְסֻבִּין Mah Nishtana halayla hazeh mikol haleylot? Mikol haleylot? Sheb-ch-ol haleylot anu o-ch-lim ch-ametz umatzah, ch-ametz umatzah. Halaylah hazeh, halaylah hazeh kulo matzah. (x2) Sheb-ch-ol haleylot anu o-ch-lim she-ar yerakot.She-ar yerakot. Halayla...

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Thank you for accepting our invitation to the seder and the celebration of the pesach. It is worth noting at the outset that the seder is a religious observance that takes place not in a synagogue but in a home. We therefore welcome you as family to be full and equal participants in this communal celebration. As a religious celebration, the traditional requirements governing eating and reading at the pesach meal emphasize the sanctity of this meal. Nevertheless, we have chosen...

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Nicholas of Cusa's De pace fidei was written in 1453 in response to the fall of Constantinople. Although many contemporary Cusanus scholars tend to emphasize the ecumenical themes of the text, there is a deep tension between these ecumenical impulses and its apologetic bent. Depressingly, the apologetic bent is most noticeable in the ways in which representatives of Islam are depicted as being persuaded to accept several central tenets of trinitarian theology as well as several unsavory characterizations of Jews and...

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Nirtzah  marks the conclusion of the seder. Our bellies are full, we have had several glasses of wine, we have told stories and sung songs, and now it is time for the evening to come to a close. At the end of the seder, we honor the tradition of declaring, “Next year in Jerusalem!” For some people, the recitation of this phrase expresses the anticipation of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem and the return of the Messiah. For others, it is...

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Who knows one? At some seders, people go around the table reading a question and the answers in one breath. Thirteen is hard! Who knows one? I know one. One is our God in Heaven and Earth Who knows two? I know two. Two are the tablets of the covenant One is our God in Heaven and Earth Who knows two? I know two. Three are the patriarchs Two are the tablets of the covenant One is our God in Heaven...

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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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There are various interpretations for some of these traditional symbolic items of the passover plate: Maror and chazeret: Bitter herbs Charoset: “Mortar” Karpas: A vegetable other than bitter herbs to be dipped in salt water Z'roa or Zeroah: Lamb shankbone Beitzah: A roasted hard-boiled egg

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As if the 10 plagues just enumerated weren't bad enough, Midrashic literature suggests that some biblical passages might support the conclusion that God's wrath expressed itself according to the following possible formulas:  Rabbi Yossi, the Galilean posed the riddle this way: How do we know that the Egyptians suffered 10 plagues in Egypt and on the see they suffered 50 plagues? In Egypt what does it say? “The magicians said to Pharaoh: It is the finger of God.” (Shemot 8:15) On...

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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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As we pour a glass of wine for Elijah and open the door for him, let us offer the following prayer together from the Maharal of Prague. HaRachaman! May the Merciful One send Elijah the prophet to announce good news about redemption and comfort--just as You promised: "Here I will send you Elijah the prophet before the Lord's great and awesome day. He will reconcile the hearts of parents to their children and children to their parents..." (Malachi 3.24)

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מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, כֻּלּוֹ מַצָּה שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, כֻּלּוֹ מָרוֹר שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, כֻּלָּנוּ מְסֻבִּין Mah Nishtana halayla hazeh mikol haleylot? Mikol haleylot? Sheb-ch-ol haleylot anu o-ch-lim ch-ametz umatzah, ch-ametz umatzah. Halaylah hazeh, halaylah hazeh kulo matzah. (x2) Sheb-ch-ol haleylot anu o-ch-lim she-ar yerakot.She-ar yerakot. Halayla...