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Love Charoset - everyone's favorite. When the table is full of matza, maror, a boiled egg, and lettuce, how could anyone not love the mixture of nuts, dates, cinnamon, apples, and wine? But it's not so easy to find the connection between charoset and Pesach. The Talmud mentions that charoset 's thick consistency reminds us of the mortar used to make bricks in Egypt. The ingredients of charoset are all mentioned in Shir haShirim (Song of Songs), the beautiful poem that...

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On the Second night of Pesach, we begin counting the Omer.    50 days from The Exodus to Sinai, from Pesach to the Harvest.    The harvest of Barley at Pesach until the Harvest of Wheat at Shavuot.    Traditionally, the Rabbis interpret the counting as reflecting Israel's eager anticipation of the giving of the Torah at Sinai on Shavuot.  Here I am, ready to perform the mitzvah of counting the Omer!!!Blessed are you, Lord, Our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified...

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Had G-d upheld us throughout 2,000 years of Dispersion,But not preserved our hope for return...Had G-d preserved our hope for return,But not sent us leaders to make the dream a reality...Had G-d sent us leaders to make the dream a reality, But not given us success in the UN vote  in 1947...Had G-d given us success in the UN vote  in 1947,But not defeated our attackers in 1948...Had G-d defeated our attackers in 1948,But not unified Jerusalem...Had G-d unified Jerusalem,But not...

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KidsPharaoh declared that every male Jewish baby should be thrown into the Nile. According to the Midrash, the despairing Jews in Egypt wanted to quit having children. Why bring a child into this world if his fate would be so tragic and heartbreaking? They had lost hope in the future, and expressed this through choosing barrenness. In contrast, our Seder is totally focused on children. We get "naches" when our little ones sing "ma nishtana"; and who doesn't think immediately of...

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As if our suffering in Egypt were not enough, at the Seder we proclaim: "In every generation, they rise up to wipe us out." Ugh. Really? In every generation?? There is no smooth and easy road for the Jewish People. In the last decade alone, we have endured war, terrorism, anti-Semitism, and condemnations from international organizations. According to the Haggada, these hardships and disasters will never end. We are bonded with adversity.Yet, it also promises that God will rescue us from...

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Beautiful Pesach Dishes Suffering makes us lose hope. Suffering makes us question the presence of God in this world, the scope of our control, and the hope of a better future. To the extent that we feel guilty and "blame" ourselves for bringing about our own suffering, we may also lose hope in ourselves. The Jew's prolonged suffering in Egypt made them unable to hear Moses' inspiring words or to imagine a brighter future. Their lives had been utterly darkened. In...

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Is there really any reason for a sprig of parsley to be on the Seder Table? What is the connection between karpas and the Jewish People leaving Egypt? Winter, with its bleak landscape and cold, short days, can lead to gloom and despondency. In contrast, spring breeds hope. Seeds that have been frozen in the earth haven't died, and in the spring they re-awaken. Even when all is cold and dark, the indomitable force of spring and life works beneath the...

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Maror   Bad times. Chewing on bad times. In our family, we have a custom of biting into a big chunk of horseradish during the Seder. Faces turn red; eyes wince; we're burning from the inside. And then it is over. A big "Aahhh". Everyone takes a big breath. We've survived maror .  The bitterness of maror is an essential part of Seder. The Torah tells us that the Paschal sacrifice should be eaten together with maror to remind us how the...

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Opening the door for Elijah Elijah lived centuries after the Exodus. There is no connection between his actions and the Jews leaving Egypt. Yet he has become one of the central figures and symbols of the Passover Seder. Moses - the hero of the Exodus - is practically never mentioned. Yet we all know about Elijah's cup and opening the door for Elijah. We pour the cup but do not drink it. We open the door but no one comes in. ...

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Ma Nishtana  and Making a Change The life of a slave never changes. The clothes are the same. The food is the same. The routine is the same. At the very beginning of the Seder, we ask an important question: "Ma nishtana ha'lailah hazeh?" Why? We could surely ask the same question during Succot, when we sleep outside in a fragile booth. Or on Purim when we put on masks and drink all day. Why on Passover?Because the changes on this...

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Jerusalem - the First Among VisionsA slave has no hope. For a slave, yesterday, today, and tomorrow are all the same, and hoping for a better life - for change - invites bitter disappointment.In contrast, a free person dares to envision change, to imagine a better future.At the culmination of the Seder we dare to proclaim: "Next Year in Jerusalem." We have been saying this for 2000 years, through good years and bad. We are free - free to dream -...

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"Let All Who Are Hungry"   We are wired to give.  One of the worst feelings in the world is not being needed by others.  I once asked a group of high school kids: "When was the last time you felt really good about yourselves?" Each responded by sharing an act of kindness and selfless giving.  But a slave has nothing to offer. Drained of energy and time, the slave's emotional and physical resources are depleted. With no ability to give, the...

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"Let All Who Are Hungry"  We are wired to give. One of the worst feelings in the world is not being needed by others. I once asked a group of high school kids: "When was the last time you felt really good about yourselves?" Each responded by sharing an act of kindness and selfless giving. But a slave has nothing to offer. Drained of energy and time, the slave's emotional and physical resources are depleted. With no ability to give, the...