Psalm 118: 1-4 הוֹד֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה כִּי־ט֑וֹב כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃  יֹֽאמַר־נָ֥א יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃  יֹֽאמְרוּ־נָ֥א בֵֽית־אַהֲרֹ֑ן כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃  יֹֽאמְרוּ־נָ֭א יִרְאֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ Hodu Ladonai ki tov; Ki le'olam chasdo. Yomar na Yisrael: Ki le'olam chasdo. Yomru na veit Aharon: Ki le'olam chasdo. Yomru na yirei Adonai: Ki le'olam chasdo. Give thanks to Adonai; for God is good, for God's love is eternal. Let Israel say as one, God's love is eternal. Let the house of Aaron say, God's...

In the years of wandering in the desert, Miriam's well accompanied the Israelites. Accodring to tradition, Miriam's well is still with us. Every Saturday night, at the end of Shabbat, its waters flow out into wells everywhere in the world. While the return of Elijah is left to the future and all its potential, Miriam is present with us always. She and her waters sustain us as we await Elijah. She is here to provide healing, inspiration, and wisdom. There is...

Elijah, the prophet from the village of Tishbe in Gilead, challenged the injustice of King Ahab and overthrew the worship of Baal. he healed the sick and helped the widowed. At the end of his days on earth, his follower Elisha had a vision of Elijah being carried to the heavens in a chariot of fire. Legend has it that from time to time Elijah returns to earth to comfort the helpless. This may of mystery became associated with the End...

But there is a fifth promise: "... and I will BRING YOU into the land." Should there then be a Fifth Cup? That question, we are told, will not be answered until Elijah comes to proclaim the Messianic Day. Meanwhile, it is a promise we remember with a cup from which we do not drink until all the world is redeemed. When will that time come? The word is far from redemption. Our story, we have said, begins with degredation and...

We raise our cups in remembrance of the third promise of redemption, as it is said: I wiull redeem you with an outstretched arm. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן. Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p'ri hagafen. We praise you, Eternal God, Ruler of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine. DRINK THE THIRD CUP

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ 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 יְיָ, 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,...

At the conclusion of the meal, all search for the Afikoman. Once it is found and brought back to the table, the leader will divide the Afikoman among all present. The meal ends with the eating of the Afikoman. Before eating the Afikoman, all read:  This matzah is called Tsafun, that which was hidden or stored up. So we pray to the God of our Ancestors and the God of our descendants: May the time come when the lost will be...

While the English Earl of Sandwich is generally credited for inventing the sandwich, Hillel may actually have originated it two thousand years ago. It was Hillel's practice in the days of the Temple: he would combine the Passover lamb with unleavend bread and bitter herbs and eat them together, as is is said: "They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs." All now place maror and charoset between two pieces of matzah, and recite: We hold the matzah of...

In every generation, each of us is obligated to see ourselves as though we personally had been liberated from Egypt. The Seder reminds us that it was not only our ancestors whom God redeemed; God redeemed us too along with them. As it is written: “God brought us out from there in order to lead us to and give us the land promised to our ancestors.” (Deuteronomy 6:23) Raise the cup of wine but do not drink Therefore it is our...

When the cup of suffering had run over, Egypt's grip was loosened. On that day, Israel went forth to freedom. They made their way to the Red Sea. Cloud by day, fire by night: God's Presence went before them. Pharoah's heart changed yet again, and he dispatched his troops to recapture the fleeing slaves, for the oppressors' fury grows as their grip beigins to weaken, and in their rage, they pursue their victims even to their own destruction. Israel stood uncertain:...

Among people everywhere, sharing bread forms a bond of friendship. Thus we will divide the middle matzah in two and hide one half. This is called the Afikoman, from the greek word for dessert, and will be searched for at the end of the meal. When it is found we will each have a taste. 

The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills.  My beloved is like a gazelle, a young deer. Behold, standing behind our wall, watching at the window, peering through the lattice.  My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away,  for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.  The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice...

At this point in the  seder, it is traditional to eat a green vegetable dipped in salt water.  The green vegetable represents rebirth, renewal and growth; the salt water represents the tears of our enslavement. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech ha’olam, borei p’ri ha’adamah. We priase you, Eternal God, Ruler of the Universe, creator of the fruit of the earth. ALL EAT THE DIPPED GREENS

Washing the Hands During the Seder it is traditional to wash hands twice.The need for hand washing before eating vegetables is no longer a ritual requirement,  However we will now have a ceremonial washing of the hands.

Who Knows One? At our table, we take turns singing the answers, each person taking one answer in turn. Who knows one? I know one. One God of the world Who knows two? I know two. Two tables of the covenant One God of the world Who knows three? I know three. Three are the patriarchs Two tables of the covenant One God of the world Who knows four? I know four. Four are the matriarchs Three are the patriarchs Two...