---

I would like to give special thanks to David Negley for editing this, and making it what it is today.  Who without him, his teachings, and his oversight this would not have been possible. I would also like to thank my family, my wife Beth, and children Julia, Lillia, Emma, and Noah for putting up with my hardheadedness and stubbornness, and showing me great patients as we all learn to walk in the ways of G-d.

---

The last and final plague, the death of the firstborn, brought Pharaoh to submission, forcing him to let the Israelites go. What is the significance of the firstborn? Exodus says, “Sanctify to me all of the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of animal. It is mine.”Exodus 13:2 Chabad.org explains the importance of the בְּכוֹר (bechor), or firstborn, “Our firstborns achieved special status when, although our nation was spiritually fallen in Egypt and...

---

Closing We conclude the official part of the Seder with a final prayer asking God to bring the Messianic Era, when all of us will be gathered to Jerusalem as all humankind dwells in peace. We have now finished the Passover Seder according to its precepts and customs. We close out with the hopeful prayer: Whoever is in need, let him come and celebrate with us. This year we are here; next year may we be in the Land of Israel....

---

Welcoming Elijah We now fill the fourth and final cup of wine. At the same time, we fill an additional cup and set it aside for the prophet Eliyahu (Elijah). This practice came about because their was a difference of opinion among the sages, as to whether there should be four or five cups at the seder. The compromise was to drink four, and leave a fifth—tradition says that Eliyahu will return at the seder prior to the coming of Messiah,...

---

Welcoming Elijah We now fill the fourth and final cup of wine. At the same time, we fill an additional cup and set it aside for the prophet Eliyahu (Elijah). This practice came about because their was a difference of opinion among the sages, as to whether there should be four or five cups at the seder. The compromise was to drink four, and leave a fifth—tradition says that Eliyahu will return at the seder prior to the coming of Messiah,...

---

Grace After Meals [The cup of wine is refilled, and Birkat Ha-mazon, “Grace after the Meal”, is recited] Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who sustains the entire world with goodness, grace, loving kindness, and compassion. He gives bread to all, for His grace is everlasting. And in His great goodness we have never lacked anything and we will never be deprived of food for the sake of His great name. For He is God who provides...

---

Spread Table Now, we all enjoy a wonderful meal together! Set aside your haggadot, and prepare to feast on matzoh ball soup, brisket and/or chicken, and tzimmes. [Make sure the children find the afikomen while everyone eats!]

---

Maror and Charoset Sandwich [Raise the charoset and say:] The charoset represents the bricks and mortar made in slavery. Maror, Charoset, and Matzah sandwich: To remind us of the Temple, we do as Hillel did in Temple times. He combined Matzah and maror in a sandwich and ate them together, to fulfill what is written in the Torah: They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs." Question: Why would something sweet be used to represent mortar during slavery? Answer:...

---

The Eating of Bitter Herbs A blessing is said over maror (bitter herbs—usually red or white horseradish). [One raises the maror and says:] Why do we eat this bitter herb? It is because the Egyptians embittered the lives of our fathers in Egypt, as it is written: They made life bitter for them with hard labor, with clay and bricks, and with all kinds of labor in the field; the work tasks they performed were backbreaking. The maror also speaks of...

---

A specific blessing for matzah only said on Seder night is now said: Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, Asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat matzah. Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us in His commandments and commanded us to eat matzah. [The matzah is passed among the Seder participants and eaten. The serving can be supplemented by extra pieces of matzah.]

---

Blessing before the Seder Meal [Leader raises a slice of matzah and says:] Why do we eat matzah on this night? It is because the King of Kings, the Holy One, revealed Himself to our fathers and redeemed them before their dough had time to ferment, as it is written: They baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened cakes; for they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay, nor had they prepared any provision...

---

Second Ritual Handwashing Rachtzah Pour water from a cup once on each hand over a sink or basin, this time with a blessing, to prepare for the eating of the matzah. Recite this blessing after washing hands: Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam Asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al nitilat yadayim. Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us in His commandments and commanded us to wash our hands.

---

Cup of Judgement At this point, we say the blessing over the second cup of wine, which we see as symbolizing Hashem's judgment upon the Egyptian oppressors. And we drink the second cup. Baruch atah Eh-lo-ha-noo melech ha-olam Bo-ray pree ha-gafen Blessed are you LORD our God, king of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine

---

We rejoice at the deliverance of the people of Israel, yet we are warned in scripture: As each plague is named, remove a drop of wine from your cup, symbolically expressing a diminishing of the joy of our victory at the price of the Egyptians’ suffering. These are the ten plagues the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt, namely: Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he...

---

Once Upon a Time... The story of Passover is a story of miracles, of redemption, and of the mighty power of G-d to overcome evil. The L-rd had promised the land of Israel to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But their children were in Egypt, enslaved by a Pharaoh who had feared that these numerous foreigners would join with his enemies and turn against him! His solution was to control them by imposing harsh and bitter slavery upon them. Still, G-d blessed...

---

The Four Answers Matzah unleavened bread On all other nights we eat leavened bread, but on Passover we eat only Matzah. As the people of Israel fled from Egypt, they did not have time for their dough to rise. Instead, the hot desert sun baked it flat. But even more than that, the scriptures teach us that leaven symbolizes sin. Don’t you know the saying, “It takes only a little khametz to leaven a whole batch of dough”? Get rid of...

---

The Four Questions (second cup of wine is poured) Why is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights we eat leaven and Matzah. Tonight, why do we eat only Matzah? On all other nights we eat any kind of herbs. Tonight, we only eat bitter herbs (no sweet corn). On all other nights we do not even dip even once. Tonight, we dip the greens twice. On all other nights we eat sitting or reclining (in any...

---

Telling of the Story Passover was instituted by G-d particularly for the children, with many elements designed to pique their curiosity. There are at least 4 references to the questions asked by children about Passover and the Exodus from Egypt (Shemot/Exodus 12:26; 13:8,14; Devarim/Deuteronomy 6:20). These scriptures serve as the basis for the following questions, which provide our reason for for telling the story of deliverance. That's why the youngest child in the room who is able to say them, is...

---

Breaking of the Middle Matzah Three matzot (plural for matzah) have been placed in a decorative holder, called a “matzotasche”. The middle matzah on the plate is removed and broken in half. One half is put back with the stack; the other half is placed in a napkin (or special holder) and designated the Afikomen (the dessert) and put aside. It is traditional in some homes to hide the afikomen now for children to find before it is eaten after the...

---

Dipping Parsley We dip the karpas in the salt water. Nobody is really sure why. Some say it is like the hyssop used to spread blood on the doorposts. Some have explained the dipping of the Karpas to symbolize Joseph's tunic being dipped into blood by his brothers. Karpas is therefore done at the beginning of the seder, just as Joseph's tunic being dipped into blood began the Israelites' descent to Egypt. Indeed, the Greek word 'karpos' is very similar to...

---

Kadesh Sanctification of the Day First Cup Cup of Santification Baruch atah Ehlohaynoo melech ha-olam Bo-ray pree hagafen Blessed are you LORD our God, king of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine The Blessing of Shecheyanu is recited at this point... Baruch atah Adonai Elo-heinu, melech ha'olam, Shehecheyanu, v'kiyemanu, vehigiyanu laz'man ha-zeh. Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season. (Drink the...

---

In every generation a man is bound to regard himself as though he personally had gone forth from Egypt, because it is said, and you shalt tell your son in that day, saying: it is because of that which the Lord did for me when i came forth out of Egypt (Shemot/Exodus 13:8). therefore it is our duty to thank, praise, laud, glorify, exalt, honour, bless, extol, and adore him who wrought all these miracles for our fathers and ourselves; he...

---

Rabbi Gamaliel (The teacher of Paul) used to say: Whoever does not explain these three things on passover does not discharge his duty, and these are they: the passover-offering. Unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. The passover-offering is [sacrificed] because the omnipresent passed over the houses of our fathers in egypt, as it is said, then ye shall say: it is the sacrifice of the lord's passover, for that he passed over etc. (Shemot/Exodus 12:27). The unleavened bread is [eaten] because our...