Urchatz

Haggadah Section: Urchatz

The beginning of the seder seems strange when compared to other festive meals. We start with kiddush as we normally would. Then we wash, but without a blessing, and break bread without eating it.

It seems that the beginning of the seder is kind of a false start. We act as if we are going to begin the meal but then we realize that we can’t – we can’t really eat this meal until we understand it, until we tell the story of the exodus from Egypt. So we interrupt our meal preparations with maggid (telling the story). Only once we have told the story do we make kiddush again, wash our hands again (this time with a blessing) and break bread and finally eat it. In order to savour this meal, in order to appreciate the sweet taste of Passover, we must first understand it.

And so we now wash our hands to prepare ourselves for the rituals to come; and again later on, we will wash with a blessing, preparing us for the meal, a ritual in and of itself. 

(Those who wish to can go to the kitchen to wash their hands, or this can be done symbolically)

Too often during our daily lives we don’t stop and take a moment to prepare for whatever it is we are about to embark upon. Let's go around the table and share a burden or stress that we are washing away before we enjoy our Seder tonight.

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Passover Guide

Hosting your first Passover Seder? Not sure what food to serve? Curious to
know more about the holiday? Explore our Passover 101 Guide for answers
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