A Word on the Divine
In much of this Haggadah, we have observed the cultural convention of replacing the “O” in the word “G-d” with a dash. This is intended to keep the name of the divine holy, in case something bad happens to your piece of paper.
Many of us find the words and concepts used to describe “G-d”, to be alienating, oppressive or meaningless. Judaism (as well as Islam and many other faiths) has many different and ancient words to attempt to describe our most personal experiences of awe and sacredness. We use many of these terms in this Haggadah, and encourage you to improvise with this text.
In addition, this Haggadah will use both masculine and feminine G-D-language. These human, bodily metaphors for God are intended not to limit our understanding of God, who is beyond space and time and body, but to expand our understanding. Because Hebrew is a gendered language, we cannot escape “he” and “she” throughout the seder. Therefore, some passages within offer open gender pronouns. As you feel most comfortable, use whatever language resonates most with your connection to the readings.
Use whatever words resonate for you to describe what is meaningful and holy in the universe. Consider the following:
Hashem- The Name
HaMakom – The Space
Shechina – Indwelling presence, Feminine aspect of the divine
Tsur – Rock
Rhamana – Compassionate One
Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh – I Will Be What I Will Be
Shalom – Peace, Wholeness
Malkah – Queen
Ayn Sof –Infinite
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