Adapted from Joanna Ware and Rabbi Becky Silverstein’s 5777 Haggadah

Karpas: Karpas represents the initial flourishing of the Israelites during the first years in Egypt. At the end of the
biblical book of Genesis, Joseph moves his family to Egypt, where he becomes the second-in-command to
Pharaoh. Protected by Joseph's exalted status, the family lives safely for several generations and proliferate
greatly, becoming a great nation. The size of this growing population frightens the new Pharaoh, who enslaves
the Israelites, lest they make war on Egypt. Even under slave conditions, the Israelites continue to reproduce, and
Pharaoh eventually decrees that all baby boys be killed. In the course of the seder, we dip the karpas in salt water
in order to taste both the hope of new birth and the tears that the Israelite slaves shed over their condition.

Haroset: This mix of fruits, wine or honey, and nuts symbolizes the mortar that the Israelite slaves used to
construct buildings for Pharaoh. The name itself comes from the Hebrew word cheres or clay. Mizrahi and
Sephardi haroset often includes dried fruits, and especially dates. Some Ashkenazi Jews include apples in haroset,
a nod to the midrashic tradition that the Israelite women would go into the fields and seduce their husbands
under the apple trees, in defiance of the Egyptian attempts to prevent reproduction by separation.

Maror: This bitter herb allows us to taste the bitterness of slavery. Like life in Egypt, these lettuces and roots
taste sweet when one first bites into them, but then become bitter as one eats more. We dip maror into haroset
in order to associate the bitterness of slavery with the work that caused so much of this bitterness.

Z'roa: A roasted lamb shank bone that symbolizes the lamb that Jews sacrificed as the special Passover offering
when the Temple stood in Jerusalem. The z'roa serves as a visual reminder of the sacrifice that the Israelites
offered immediately before leaving Egypt and that Jews continued to offer until the destruction of the Temple.
Vegetarians often substitute a roasted beet, both because the red of the beet resembles the blood of the
sacrifice and because the Talmud mentions beets as one of the vegetables sometimes dipped during the seder.

Beitzah: A roasted egg that symbolizes the hagigah sacrifice, which would be offered on every holiday (including
Passover) when the Temple stood. The roundness of the egg also represents the cycle of life--even in the most
painful of times, there is always hope for a new beginning.

Olive: An olive on my Seder plate represents the oppression of Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli
Government. It reminds us to ask: “How will we, as Jews, bear witness to the unjust actions committed in our
name? Will these olives inspire us to be bearers of peace and hope for Palestinians — and for all who are
oppressed?” (Forward, Put an Olive on the Seder Plate)

Orange: The orange reminds us of the presence of LGBTQ folks in our community, and the oppression they and
all of us face within the strict gender and sexuality roles enforced in the name of our tradition.
Tomato: The tomato is a symbol of modern-day slavery, representing the migrant workers who suffer abuse at
the hands of a consumer market that demands fruits and vegetables without regard for how the pickers are
treated.

Lock and Key: We place the lock and key on our seder plate tonight to ally ourselves with those who are behind
bars, with those who are labelled as felons in the community, and with the parents, children, and other family
members of those who are locked up and locked out. The key represents our commitment, as Jews who know a
history of oppression, to join the movement to end mass incarceration in the United States. The key reminds us
of our potential to partner with the Source of Liberation to unlock a more promising, dignified future for us all.
(RitualWell)

As we light the candles and welcome the glow of Passover into our homes, we pray that all those suffering around the world find light in the darkness.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ
לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל יוֹם טוֹב

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu lehadlik ner shel yom tov.

We rejoice in our heritage, which gives us this tradition of lighting holiday candles. We pray that our experience tonight helps us to ignite the spark of justice within each of us.

Hannah Szenes was a young Nazi resistance fighter. The Nazis captured her and brought Hannah’s mother to her. They said that if Hannah didn’t reveal the names of the resistance movement, her mother would be killed. Hannah told her mother that she could not betray the resistance. Her mother replied that by not giving in to the oppressor, Hannah had proved her love. Hannah Szenes was captured, tortured, and put to death at the age of 20. She wrote this poem in prison in Budapest before her execution: Blessed is the match consumed in kindling the flame. Blessed is the flame that burns in the secret fastness of the heart. Blessed is the heart with strength to stop its beating for honor’s sake. Blessed is the match consumed in kindling the flame. - Hannah Szenes, 1921-1944

The moon is trans.

From this moment forward, the moon is trans.

You don’t get to write about the moon anymore unless you respect that.

You don’t get to talk to the moon anymore unless you use her correct pronouns.

You don’t get to send men to the moon anymore unless their job is

to bow down before her and apologize for the sins of the earth.

She is waiting for you, pulling at you softly,

telling you to shut the fuck up already please.

Scientists theorize the moon was once a part of the earth

that broke off when another planet struck it.

Eve came from Adam’s rib.

Etc.

Do you believe in the power of not listening

to the inside of your own head?

I believe in the power of you not listening

to the inside of your own head.

This is all upside down.

We should be talking about the ways that blood

is similar to the part of outer space between the earth and the moon

but we’re busy drawing it instead.

The moon is often described as dead, though she is very much alive.

The moon has not known the feeling of not wanting to be dead

for any extended period of time

in all of her existence, but

she is not delicate and she is not weak.

She is constantly moving away from you the only way she can.

She never turns her face from you because of what you might do.

She will outlive everything you know.

The Talmud connects the Four Cups to God's Four Promises to Israel:

"Tell the children of Israel: I am Adonai! I will takethem out... I will rescue them… I will redeem them… and I will marry them taking them as my people and I will be their God"

However, two 16th C. mystic rabbis identify the Four Cups with the Four Matriarchs of Israel. 

(1) The Cup of Kiddush stands for Sarah who was the mother of a community of converts, believers by choice.

(2) The Cup of Maggid is for Rebecca who knew how to mother both Esav and Jacob, two opposed natures.

(3) The Cup of the Blessing after Eating represents Rachel whose son Joseph provided the whole family of Jacob with bread in a time of great famine.

(4) The Cup of Hallel (Praise) is for Leah who came to realize that the pursuit of the impossible, Jacob's love, must give way to appreciation of what one has. When her fourth child was born, Judah, she praised God: "This time I will thank God"

קַדֵּשׁ

On Shabbat, begin here :בְּשַׁבָּת מַתְחִילִין

וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי. וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל־צְבָאָם. וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה. וַיְבָרֵךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אוֹתוֹ כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכָּל־מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת.

And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all their host. And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because He rested on it from all of His work which God created in doing (Genesis 1:31-2:3).

On weekdays, begin here: בחול מתחילין:

סַבְרִי מָרָנָן וְרַבָּנָן וְרַבּוֹתַי. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בָּנוּ מִכָּל־עָם וְרוֹמְמָנוּ מִכָּל־לָשׁוֹן וְקִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו. וַתִּתֶּן לָנוּ ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ בְּאַהֲבָה (לשבת: שַׁבָּתוֹת לִמְנוּחָה וּ) מוֹעֲדִים לְשִׂמְחָה, חַגִּים וּזְמַנִּים לְשָׂשוֹן, (לשבת: אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת הַזֶּה וְ) אֶת יוֹם חַג הַמַּצּוֹת הַזֶּה זְמַן חֵרוּתֵנוּ, (לשבת: בְּאַהֲבָה) מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. כִּי בָנוּ בָחַרְתָּ וְאוֹתָנוּ קִדַּשְׁתָּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים, (לשבת:וְשַׁבָּת) וּמוֹעֲדֵי קָדְשֶׁךָ (לשבת: בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן) בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְשָׂשוֹן הִנְחַלְתָּנוּ.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has chosen us from all peoples and has raised us above all tongues and has sanctified us with His commandments. And You have given us, Lord our God, [Sabbaths for rest], appointed times for happiness, holidays and special times for joy, [this Sabbath day, and] this Festival of Matsot, our season of freedom [in love] a holy convocation in memory of the Exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us and sanctified us above all peoples. In Your gracious love, You granted us Your [holy Sabbath, and] special times for happiness and joy.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', מְקַדֵּשׁ (לשבת: הַשַׁבָּת וְ) יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַזְּמַנִּים.

Blessed are You, O Lord, who sanctifies [the Sabbath,] Israel, and the appointed times.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has granted us life and sustenance and permitted us to reach this season.

 Drink while reclining to the left and do not recite a blessing after drinking. שותה בהסיבת שמאל ואינו מברך ברכה אחרונה.

In order to prepare ourselves to leave mitzrayim (egypt),
this narrow place, we need to wash away that which
separates us from each other, that which we must leave
behind to move forward together.
Written by Bend the Arc Jewish Action

Washing our hands is a ritual done during meals to sanctify
the blessing which is food, but during this seder, a formal
blessing is not recited. Traditionally, people wash their
right hand three times and then their left hand three times.

Water in the News
By Joseph Zitt
In washing our hands,
we also think of those who don't get to share
in the basic human right of abundant, clean water
of people deprived of water
by the weather
in Somalia, in India, in Texas
and those deprived of water
by human action
in places like Flint, Michigan
as well as those whose homes have been ravaged by wind and water
in Colombia, in California, and in New Jersey
We wash our hands and accept our responsibilities
to those threatened by the presence and absence of water

Passover, like many of our holidays, combines the celebration of an event from our Jewish memory with a recognition of the cycles of nature. As we remember the liberation from Egypt, we also recognize the stirrings of spring and rebirth happening in the world around us. The symbols on our table bring together elements of both kinds of celebration.

We now take a vegetable, representing our joy at the dawning of spring after our long, cold winter. Most families use a green vegetable, such as parsley or celery, but some families from Eastern Europe have a tradition of using a boiled potato since greens were hard to come by at Passover time. Whatever symbol of spring and sustenance we’re using, we now dip it into salt water, a symbol of the tears our ancestors shed as slaves. Before we eat it, we recite a short blessing:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree ha-adama.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruits of the earth.

We look forward to spring and the reawakening of flowers and greenery. They haven’t been lost, just buried beneath the snow, getting ready for reappearance just when we most needed them.

-

We all have aspects of ourselves that sometimes get buried under the stresses of our busy lives. What has this winter taught us? What elements of our own lives do we hope to revive this spring?

There are three pieces of matzah stacked on the table. We now break the middle matzah into two pieces. The host should wrap up the larger of the pieces and, at some point between now and the end of dinner, hide it. This piece is called the afikomen, literally “dessert” in Greek. After dinner, the guests will have to hunt for the afikomen in order to wrap up the meal… and win a prize.

We eat matzah in memory of the quick flight of our ancestors from Egypt. As slaves, they had faced many false starts before finally being let go. So when the word of their freedom came, they took whatever dough they had and ran with it before it had the chance to rise, leaving it looking something like matzah.

Uncover and hold up the three pieces of matzah and say:

This is the bread of poverty which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. All who are hungry, come and eat; all who are needy, come and celebrate Passover with us. This year we are here; next year we will be in Israel. This year we are slaves; next year we will be free.

These days, matzah is a special food and we look forward to eating it on Passover. Imagine eating only matzah, or being one of the countless people around the world who don’t have enough to eat.

What does the symbol of matzah say to us about oppression in the world, both people literally enslaved and the many ways in which each of us is held down by forces beyond our control? How does this resonate with events happening now?

no one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark.

you only run for the border when you see the whole city running as well.

no one would leave home unless home chased you, fire under feet, hot blood in your belly.

it's not something you ever thought about doing, and so when you did - you carried the anthem under your

breath, waiting until the airport toilet to tear up the passport and swallow, each mouthful of paper making it

clear that you would not be going back. you have to understand, no one puts their children in a boat unless the

water is safer than the land.

who would choose to spend days and nights in the stomach of a truck unless the miles travelled meant

something more than journey.

and if you survive and you are greeted on the other side with go home blacks, refugees dirty immigrants, asylum

seekers sucking our country dry of milk, dark, with their hands out smell strange, savage - look what they've done

to their own countries, what will they do to ours?

for now, forget about pride your survival is more important. I want to go home, but home is the mouth of a shark

home is the barrel of the gun and no one would leave home unless home chased you to the shore unless home

tells you to leave what you could not behind, even if it was human. no one leaves home until home is a damp

voice in your ear saying leave, run now, i don't know what i've become.

We break the matzah into two pieces, and hide one half, called the Afikomen. The Afikomen represents the rupture that we seek with the current state of things. This rupture, this break, comes from within the traditions we have, and yet it is hidden from them as well.

“From struggles over immediate demands to revolution, there can only be a rupture, a qualitative leap. But this rupture isn’t a miracle . . . This rupture is produced positively by the unfolding of the cycle of struggles which precedes it, and we can say that it still forms a part of it. [Theorie communiste] A rupture is, by definition, a break — a break that is qualitative in nature — but a break with or within what? Where do we locate the rupture that is synonymous with the advent of a revolutionary period?

We exist in this rupture.

We are invited to see ourselves as poor, afflicted, in the Seder. As in exile, in Egypt, in a moment of constraint. This is how yachatz begins. A poor person always eats a smaller piece and saves the greatest part for later, since they don't know whether there will be more food.

The Afikoman - the leftover matza - is the symbol of redemption. Where do you come from? asks the Sephardi leader of the seder - From Egypt, is the answer of the child. 

Where is your Egypt? Is the question that our haggadah is also asking of us. 

Where is Egypt today? Is another question that the haggadah is asking of us: the middle matza represents this world - or our present moment, and the other two our past and our future. The moment is broken, but we can't end the seder if we don't bring the broken piece back, symbolically reminding ourselves of redemption, both personal and communal, both communal and human. The idea brought by the two versions of the haggadah - to see yourself and to be seen as coming out of Egypt - point to those two poles of our Jewish experience: personal and transcendent.

Maggid – Beginning

מגיד

Raise the tray with the matzot and say:

הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם. כָּל דִכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל, כָּל דִצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח. הָשַׁתָּא הָכָא, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל. הָשַׁתָּא עַבְדֵי, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין.

Ha lachma anya dee achalu avhatana b'ara d'meetzrayeem. Kol deechfeen yeitei v'yeichol, kol deetzreech yeitei v'yeefsach. Hashata hacha, l'shanah haba-ah b'ara d'yisra-el. Hashata avdei, l'shanah haba-ah b'nei choreen.

This is the bread of affliction, which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in need, come and share the Pesach meal. This year, we are here. Next year, in the land of Israel. This year, we are slaves. Next year, we will be free.

Refill the wine cups, but don’t drink yet.

1. Why do we go to work?

2. Why do we belong to states?

3. Why do we believe in genders?

4. Why do we have religions?

עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיֽם עַתָּה - בְּנֵי חוֹרִין

Avadim hayinu lepharo bemitzrayim, ata – benei chorin

We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt – now we are free

The 4 Children: The Wise, Wicked, Simple and Silent

The 4 children normally represent the four personality types of life, to whom we have to explain the story of Passover, or four kinds of ways of telling a story. But tonight they represent the four classical subjects that emerge in the revolutionary process.

the Wise – the intelligentsia

the Wicked – the reactionaries

the Simple – the peasants

the Silent – the middle classes

As we rejoice at our deliverance from slavery, we acknowledge that our freedom was hard-earned. We regret that our freedom came at the cost of the Egyptians’ suffering, for we are all human beings made in the image of God. We pour out a drop of wine for each of the plagues as we recite them.

Dip a finger or a spoon into your wine glass for a drop for each plague.

These are the ten plagues which God brought down on the Egyptians:

Blood | dam | דָּם

Frogs | tzfardeiya |  צְפַרְדֵּֽעַ

Lice | kinim | כִּנִּים

Beasts | arov | עָרוֹב

Cattle disease | dever | דֶּֽבֶר

Boils | sh’chin | שְׁחִין

Hail | barad | בָּרָד

Locusts | arbeh | אַרְבֶּה

Darkness | choshech | חֹֽשֶׁךְ

Death of the Firstborn | makat b’chorot | מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת

The Egyptians needed ten plagues because after each one they were able to come up with excuses and explanations rather than change their behavior. Could we be making the same mistakes? Make up your own list. What are the plagues in your life? What are the plagues in our world today? What behaviors do we need to change to fix them? 

One of most beloved songs in the Passover seder is "Dayenu". A few of us will read the stanzas one at a time, and the everyone else will respond, "Dayenu" – meaning, “it would have been enough”.

How many times do we forget to pause and notice that where we are is exactly where we ought to be? Dayenu is a reminder to never forget all the miracles in our lives. When we stand and wait impatiently for the next one to appear, we are missing the whole point of life. Instead, we can actively seek a new reason to be grateful, a reason to say “Dayenu.”

Fun fact: Persian and Afghani Jews hit each other over the heads and shoulders with scallions every time they say Dayenu! They especially use the scallions in the ninth stanza which mentions the manna that the Israelites ate everyday in the desert, because Torah tells us that the Israelites began to complain about the manna and longed for the onions, leeks and garlic. Feel free to be Persian/Afghani for the evening if you’d like.

For if we were to end a single genocide but not to stop the other wars that kill men and women as we sit here, it would not be sufficient;

If we were to end those bloody wars but not disarm the nations of the weapons that could destroy all mankind, it would not be sufficient;

If we were to disarm the nations but not to end the brutality with which the police attack black people in some countries, brown people in others; Muslims in some countries, Hindus in other; Baptists in some countries, atheists in others; Communists in some countries, conservatives in others—it would not be sufficient;

If we were to end outright police brutality but not prevent some people from wallowing in luxury while others starved, it would not be sufficient;

If we were to make sure that no one starved but were not to free the daring poets from their jails, it would not be sufficient;

If we were to free the poets from their jails but to train the minds of people so that they could not understand the poets, it would not be sufficient;

If we educated all men and women to understand the free creative poets but forbade them to explore their own inner ecstasies, it would not be sufficient;

If we allowed men and women to explore their inner ecstasies but would not allow them to love one another and share in the human fraternity, it would not be sufficient.

בְּכָל־דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת־עַצְמוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרָֽיִם

B’chol dor vador chayav adam lirot et-atzmo, k’ilu hu yatzav mimitzrayim.

In every generation, everyone is obligated to see themselves as though they personally left Egypt.

The seder reminds us that it was not only our ancestors whom God redeemed; God redeemed us too along with them. That’s why the Torah says “God brought us out from there in order to lead us to and give us the land promised to our ancestors.”

Therefore we must thank and praise, honor and glorify, exalt and acclaim, bless and adore God who performed all these wonders and miracles for our ancestors and for us. He changed anguish to joy, mourning to festivity, darkness to great light, and enslavement to redemption. Let us sing to Him and before Him a new song of praise: Halleluyah!

Psalm 113

Halleluyah!

Servants of the Lord sing praise, praise the name of the Lord.

Blessed is the name of the Lord now and always.

From east to west the Lord’s name is praised

The Lord is supreme over all nations, His glory is beyond the heavans.

Who is like the Lord our God, enthroned on high,

concerned with all below in heaven and on earth?

He raises the poor out of the dust, and the needy from humiliation,

            to seat them with nobility, with the most noble of His people

And the barren woman, in her house, will become a happy mother

            of children.

Halleluyah!

Psalm 114

בְּצֵאת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִמִּרַָים , בֵּית יַעֲקֹב מֵעַם לֹעֵז, הָיְתָה יְהוּדָּה לְקָדְשׁוֹ, יִשְׂרָאֵל מַמְשְׁלוֹתָיו. הַיָּם רָאָה וַיַָּנֹס, הַיַרְדֵּן יִסֹּב לְאָחוֹר. הֶהָרִים רָקְדוּ כְאֵילִים, גְּבַָעוֹת - כִּבְנֵי צֹאן. מַה לְּךָ הַיָּם כִּי תָנוּס, הַיַּרְדֵן - תִּסֹּב לְאָחוֹר, הֶהָרִים - תִּרְקְדוּ כְאֵילִים, גְּבַָעוֹת - כִּבְנֵי צֹאן. מִלְּפְנֵי אָדוֹן חוּלִי אָרֶץ, מִלְּפְנֵי אֱלוֹהַ יַעֲקֹב. הַהֹפְכִי הַצּוּר אֲגַם מָיִם, חַלָּמִיש - לְמַעְיְנוֹ מָיִם

B’tzeit Yisrael mimitzrayim, beit Ya’akov mei’am lo’eiz, haytah yihudah likodsho, Yisrael mamshilotav. Hayam ra’ah vayanos, hayardein yisov l’achor. Heharim rakedu che’eilim, giva’ot – kivnei tzon. Mah l’cha hayam ki tanus, hayardein – tisov l’achor, heharim tirkedu che’eilim, givaot – kivnei tzon. Milifnei adon chuli aretz, milifnei eloha Ya’akov. Hahofchi hatzur agam mayim, chalamish – lemayno mayim.

(We raise our cups of wine and say:)

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who redeemed us and redeemed our ancestors from Egypt and brought us to this night to eat matzo and bitter herbs. May God, the God of our fathers, bring us to future holidays and festivals in peace, and allow us to see the rebuilding of Your city Jerusalem and share in the joy of Your service so that we may partake in Jerusalem of the ancient festive offerings. We shall then sing to You a new song, a song of redemption and salvation. Blessed are You, Lord our God, redeemer of Israel.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָפֶן

(Drink the second cup of wine)

The Second Cup Corresponds to Rivkah The Second Cup corresponds to the second of the four languages of redemption: I will deliver you out of their bondage. This promise includes delivery from both physical and spiritual enslavement. We may not be aware, but many of our actions derive from various unconscious scripts imprinted in our psyche from childhood wounds and traumas, which cause fears, jealousy, and anger. Although Rivkah came from a severely dysfunctional family, she was able to heal her childhood wounds by attaching herself to holiness. Even at a tender young age, she was not afraid to detach herself from her family, and familiar environment, in order to follow a strange man to an un-known place. When we drink the Second Cup, it is good to meditate and pray for removing all our attachments and addictions. This cup also has the ability to free us from the confinement of performing the mitzvot only out of rote because we are expected to, without conviction and excitement. Rivkah was totally in touch with her soul, and all her actions were permeated with her spirit of enthusiasm. The Second Cup corresponds to the reading of the Hagadah. Just as the Hagadah begins with disgrace but concludes with praise (Babylonian Talmud, Passoverim 116a), so did Rivkah emanate from the thorns of her cradle, yet became an everlasting rose (Vayikra Rabah 23:1). May we learn from Rivkah to detach ourselves from all the negative influence of our past!

As we now transition from the formal telling of the Passover story to the celebratory meal, we once again wash our hands to prepare ourselves. In Judaism, a good meal together with friends and family is itself a sacred act, so we prepare for it just as we prepared for our holiday ritual, recalling the way ancient priests once prepared for service in the Temple.

Some people distinguish between washing to prepare for prayer and washing to prepare for food by changing the way they pour water on their hands. For washing before food, pour water three times on your right hand and then three times on your left hand.

After you have poured the water over your hands, recite this short blessing.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ 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.

ברוכה את יה אלוהינו רוח העולם, אשר קדשתנו במצותיה וציותנו על אכילת מצה.

Beruchah At Yah Eloheynu Ruach Ha’olam, asher kidshatnu bi-mitzvotehah vi-tzivatnu al achilat matzah.

You are blessed, O God, Spirit of the World, who makes us holy with Her commandments and commands us to eat matzah.

ברוכה את יה אלוהינו רוח העולם, אשר קדשתנו במצותיה וציותנו על אכילת מרור.

Beruchah At Yah Eloheynu Ruach Ha’olam, asher kidshatnu bi-mitzvotehah vi-tzivatnu al achilat marror.

You are blessed, O God, Spirit of the World, who makes us holy with Her commandments and commands us to eat marror.

Eating a sandwich of matzah and bitter herb | koreich | כּוֹרֵךְ

When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, the biggest ritual of them all was eating the lamb offered as the pesach or Passover sacrifice. The great sage Hillel would put the meat in a sandwich made of matzah, along with some of the bitter herbs. While we do not make sacrifices any more – and, in fact, some Jews have a custom of purposely avoiding lamb during the seder so that it is not mistaken as a sacrifice – we honor this custom by eating a sandwich of the remaining matzah and bitter herbs. Some people will also include charoset in the sandwich to remind us that God’s kindness helped relieve the bitterness of slavery.

Brich Rachamana/Blessing After the Meal (Batya Levine)

brich rachamana malka d'alma mar'ei d'hai pita    בריך רחמנא, מלכא דעלמא, מראי דהאי פיטא

thank you, thank you, 
thank you for this beautiful food, 
may it nourish us to build a world that's whole.

*a close translation of the aramaic: blessed is the merciful one, sovereign of the world, creator of this bread.*

The text of the Kiddush reminds us that the choice to uphold the sacred is in our hands. we do not directly bless wine, or praise its sweetness. Rather, we thank G-d for the fruit of the vine. That fruit can also be used to make vinegar, which is sharp and bitter. Our actions determine whether this sacred moment in time inspires bitterness or sweetness, complacency or action.

We lift the third cup - but do not drink as the work is not done yet.

This is the cup of Elijah. This is the cup of hope. 

According to tradition, we open the door to permit the possible entry of the prophet Elijah, who is, according to tradition, the herald of the era of peace and freedom for all humanity. Elijah. For millennia, Jews opened the door for him, inviting him join their Seders, hoping that he would bring with him a messiah to save the world. Yet the tasks of saving the world - once ascribed to prophets, messiahs and gods - must be taken up by us, by common people with shared goals. Working together for progressive change, we can bring about the improvement of the world, tiqqun ha-olam - for justice and for peace, we can and we must.

Now, as we pour our 4th cup of wine, let us now symbolically open the door of our Seder to invite in all people and all those in need to work together with us for a better world. Let us raise our fourth cup as we dedicate ourselves to tiqqun olam, the improvement of the world.

Everyone, raise your glasses:

"L' Tiqqun Olam!"

I read the haggadah backwards this year

I read the haggadah backwards this year

The sea opens, the ancient Israelites slide back to

Egypt like Michael Jackson doing the moonwalk

Freedom to slavery

That’s the real story

One minute you’re dancing hallelujah with the prophetess

the next you’re knee deep in brown in the basement of some minor pyramid

The angel of death comes back to life

two zuzim are refunded. 

the Pharoah calls out for fresh towels.

The bread has plenty of time to rise.

left a future Jerusalem,

scrubbed off the bloody doorposts,

wandered back to Aram.

- Daniel Brenner