On the second night of Passover, we begin a fourty-nine-day count, which ends with Shavuot, the holiday celebrating receiving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai.  .בָרוּךְ אַתָה __ _______ מֶלֶךְ הַעוֹלָם, אֲשֶר קִדְּשָנוּ בְמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָנוּ עַל סְפִירַת הַעוֹמֶר Baruch atah Adonai elohainu melech ha'olam, asher kidshanu bmitzvotav, v'tsivanu al s'firat ha'omer. Blessed are You, Lord our God, Master of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer. .הַיוֹם יוֹם אֶחָד לָעֽוֹמֶר...

Music by Debbie Friedman Chorus: And the women dancing with their timbrels, Followed Miriam as she sang her song, Sing a song to the One whom we've exalted, Miriam and the women danced and danced the whole night long And Miriam was a weaver of unique variety The tapestry she wove was one which sang our history. With every strand and every thread she crafted her delight! A woman touched with spirit, she dances toward the light And the women... When...

There are two answers to this question, both of which are actually very practical. The first answer is that the afikoman isn't to be eaten until the end of the meal, so hiding it means you won't accidentally eat it early. The other answer comes from the Talmud: hiding the afikoman keeps the children awake, waiting to go search for it.

The Talmud records a debate from the time of the Second Temple. In it, our sages debated how to eat the seder's required foods: meat from the Passover sacrifice, maror, and matzah. Hillel advocated eating them all together, but other rabbis argued they should be eaten separately. They said each food has it's own blessing and it's own symbolism. Eating them together would be unnecessary and even confusing. Hillel, however, argued that by combining the symbol of slavery (maror), the symbol...

Why do we eat maror? It represents the bitterness of slavery. Tradition says that by eating the herbs we feel the bitterness ourselves, and can more easily imagine ourselves as slaves. But this is not just a tradition in Judaism - it is a commandment. Both Exodus and Numbers contain the instruction to eat the Pesach sacrifice with "unleavened bread and bitter herbs."  But we also eat the maror with haroset. Although the haroset symbolizes slave labor by reminding us of...

Please pour one more glass for your neighbors, and rise or sit according to your custom, for the fourth cup of wine. בָרוּךְ אַתָה__, ____ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְרִי הַגָפֶן Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech ha’olam, borei pri hagafen. Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, creator of the fruit of the vine.

Tonight we welcome two prophets: not only Elijah, but also Miriam, sister of Moses. Elijah is a symbol of messianic redemption at the end of time; Miriam, of redemption in our present lives. Please rise and sing as you are able as we open the doors of Hillel to welcome the prophets. אֵלִיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא אֵלִיָּהוּ הַתִשְׁבִּי אֵלִיָּהוּ הַגִּלְעָדִי במְהֵרָה בְיָמֵנוּ יָבוא אֵלֵינוּ עִם מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָוִד, עִם מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָוִד Eliyahu ha-navi, Eliyahu ha-Tishbi, Eliyahu (3x) ha-Giladi. Bimheirah v'yameinu, yavo ei-leinu...

Please fill your neighbor's glass if needed, and then stand or sit according to your custom, and raise your glass. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה __ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha’olam, borei p'ri hagafen. Praised are you, Adonai, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine. You may drink your glass as you lean to the left.

Psalm 113 Halleluyah! Praise God. Sing praises, you servants of God. Let God be praised now and forever. From east to west, praised is God. God is exalted above all nations; God's glory extends beyond the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, enthroned on high, concerned with all below on earth and in the heavens? God lifts the poor out of the dust, raises the needy from the rubbish heap, and seats them with the powerful, with the of...

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה __, ____ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַזָּן אֶת הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ בְּטוּבוֹ בְּחֵן בְּחֶסֶד וּבְרַחֲמִים הוּא נוֹתֵן לֶחֶם לְכָל בָּשָׂר, כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ. וּבְטוּבוֹ הַגָּדוֹל תָּמִיד לֹא חָסַר לָנוּ וְאַל יֶחְסַר לָנוּ מָזוֹן לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. בַּעֲבוּר שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל כִּי הוּא אֵל זָן וּמְפַרְנֵס לַכֹּל וּמֵטִיב לַכֹּל וּמֵכִין מָזוֹן לְכָל בְּרִיּוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה __, הַזָּן אֶת הַכֹּל Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, hazan et ha-olam kulo b’tuvo, b’chein b’chesed uv-rachamim, hu noten lechem l’chol basar, ki l’olam chasdo, uv-tuvo hagadol,...

Because the time has come! The afikomen should be the last thing you eat, and the last taste in your mouth after the meal.

The Festive Meal is Served

.בָרוּךְ אַתָה __ ____מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶר קִדְשָנוּ בְמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מָרוֹר Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech ha’olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat maror. Blessed are you, Adonai, sovereign of all worlds, who sanctifies us with the commandment to eat the bitter herb.

This is the bread of affliction. During the Exodus, our ancestors had to leave Egypt quickly so that Pharaoh wouldn't have time to change his mind again and re-enslave them. They left in such a hurry, they didn't have time for their bread dough to rise. By eating the matzah, we remind ourselves that we must take every opportunity for liberation, even if we don't feel ready. If we wait, that opportunity may vanish and never come again. But there are...

בְָרוּךְ אַתָה __, ____ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ בָרוּךְ אַתָה __, ____ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶר קִדְשָנוּ בְמִצְוֹתַָיו וְצִוָנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָה Baruch atah, Adonai eloheinu, melech ha’olam, hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz. Baruch atah, Adonai eloheinu, melech ha’olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav, v’tzivanu al achilat matzah. Blessed are you, Adonai, Breath of Life, who brings forth bread from the earth. Blessed are you, Adonai, Breath of Life, who sanctifies us with the commandment to eat matzah. You may now eat matzah.

This time, we wash our hands and then say the blessing. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה __ _____ 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.

There are two traditions for how much wine is needed to commemorate the ten plagues. The first is to spill wine from your glass, and the second is to dip a finger into the wine and wipe droplets onto a napkin or plate. According to the Torah, the people of Israel sang and danced on the shores of the Red Sea after the Egyptians drowned. According to Midrash (oral Torah), the angels also sang and danced at the destruction of the...