A of Care and Compassion During the COVID-19 Global Pandemic

By Rabbi Naomi Kalish, ACPE, BCC Illustrated by Shoshana Scheinberg

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Introduction

Welcome to this year’s Seder!

This Haggadah, booklet used for the Seder meal and celebration, was created for you. The word “Haggadah” literally means telling. God commanded the Israelites four times in the lehagid, to tell the story of Passover. The Haggadah is one of the most popular books to be published, with hundred of versions. Throughout history, Jews have told the story of Passover woven together with their own stories of oppression and freedom.

Throughout history the Seder has served as a reenactment of the story of the original Pesach story of liberation. However, the first Seder was not a reenactment, but was a response to crisis as it took place in live time. After enduring multiple plagues already, Moses guides the elders of Israel for their care of the community for protection from the tenth and final plague of the death of the first born; he tells them:

“‘Go pick out lambs for the your families, and slaughter the passover offering. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and to the two doorposts. None of you shall go outside the door of the house until morning.” (Exodus 12:21-23).

During this biblical quarantine, we can imagine how these instructions both kept them physically safe and gave them ritual for calming their anxiety. Living through our own plague now, we can imagine what their experiences were like as they hunkered down in their homes – some were alone and feeling lonely, listening for the faint voices of others, some were crowded and craved privacy, all felt a sense of disruption. What from our experience of the plague this year will we want to remember next year? What will we remember as our suffering and what will we remember as our resiliency as we look toward our liberation?

Our seder this year is less of a reenactment and more of our own ritual in response to the crisis we are living through right now. Like our ancestors, we are facing the unknown. Our routines are disrupted and the world may feel chaotic. The word “seder” literally means “order.” May the Seder this year bring you some sense of order, comfort from things familiar, and space to begin to tell your story of the pandemic, and room to spontaneously create new rituals.

This Haggadah is for anyone who is sick, or in the hospital, or caring for people who are ill. It is for healthcare workers, caregivers, and neighbors. It for the people who are holding our basic functions of society together. It is for people who are contributing to our communal safety by staying home. It is for people for whom home is not safe. It is for people who lack a home. It is for anyone who is physically far from the people or place they would prefer to be tonight. It is for anyone who is feeling vulnerable, fragile or afraid. It is for anyone who’s heart aches during this time of distress and anxiety.

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This Haggadah can be read by oneself, like a book one snuggles up with as they prepare for night. It can be read by one person to another as a bedtime story. It can be shared by a group – in person or by video. It can be used during a Seder meal or as a source of symbolic inspiration.

As you begin to prepare to read – and perhaps discuss – the Haggadah, reflect on these questions: What is different about Passover for you this year? What sadness does this holiday bring you? What opportunities do you have in how you celebrate Passover this year?

What if I cannot fulfil the commandments and customs of Passover? This year, many feel sadness and a sense of loss about how their Passover celebration has been altered and it feels diminished. Some feel worried about observing the holiday by themselves or concern for family who are far away. While we cannot replace what is absent, we can receive consolation from Judaism’s built-in understand compassion for life’s unpredictability. The Torah has a procedure for the observance of Pesach when it is not possible. The Torah describes situations in which people was not able to bring a korban pesach, a , and they are invited to postpone doing so:

And Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the Israelite people, saying: When any of you or of your posterity who are defiled by a corpse or are on a long journey would offer a Passover sacrifice to Adonai, they shall offer it in the second month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, and they shall not leave any of it over until morning. They shall not break a bone of it. They shall offer it in strict accord with the law of the Passover sacrifice.

Though we will still observe Passover at its regular time and not a month later, our tradition tells us that it is “good enough” to celebrate and observe it as best we can. (If it is meaningful, one can mark Pesach Sheini – the “second Passover” (observed this year on the evening of May 7, 2020 and on the day of May 8) with any ritual or connection that is meaningful.

A Sense of Purpose During the Pandemic Many people are plagued during this pandemic by a struggle to find a sense of purpose. Staying home, staying physically away from others, not being physically present at crucial moment, not doing can feel distressing. The absence of doing and being in the ways we are accustomed to can create a crisis of purpose. The Midrash tells a story of Moses during the wandering in the desert and his crisis of purpose. While many interpretations understand Moses breaking the tablets of the Ten Commandments when he saw the Israelites building the Golden Calf as an act of anger, this midrash understands his emotional state differently:

Moshe took the luchot (tablets) and went down (the mountain), and the letters were carrying themselves and Moshe... and when the (letters) saw the instruments and the golden calf, they flew off the luchot, and became heavy. Moshe could no longer carry them, so he threw them out of his hands, as it says, "and he broke them under the mountain." (Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer 45)

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One way to understand this story is that Moses became heartbroken. He despaired and began to doubt his purpose and its efficacy. Moses had to go back up the mountain and re-create his sense of hope and purpose. The pandemic has asked of us to be and to do in new ways and we have been challenged to find a new sense of meaning in new ways.

THE SEDER PLATE

Roasted egg (this may represent the rebirth celebrated in Spring, or the festival sacrifice offered when the Temple stood in .) Haroset (a paste-like mixture that reminds us of the mortar we used to lay the bricks when we were slaves. In Roman times this food was a party appetizer. Recipes vary, but many people use apples, nuts, cinnamon and wine). Bitter herbs (, for the bitterness of slavery. Vegetables ( - which is the Greek and Hebrew word for vegetable. Customs vary from parsley [a Spring-like green] to potatoes. Shank Bone (a reminder of the paschal lamb - the ancient Passover meal eaten on the first Passover when we were in Mitzrayim. Its blood was painted on door posts so that the Angel of Death would "pass over" Jewish homes during the Tenth Plague.

Additional symbols on the Seder table are: 3 Matzahs (Two matzahs are to remember the double portion of manna that fell every Friday during the years we wandered in the Sinai wilderness. The third matzah we break in half during the Seder - it is the half-loaf, or "bread of affliction") Salt Water (to dip our vegetables in. The salty water reminds us of the tears we cried when we were slaves). An extra wine goblet is set out. This is to have a "fifth cup" beyond the traditional four cups of the Seder. This cup is filled later in the Seder in honor of the prophet Elijah. Many families now add another cup to commemorate our prophet Miriam, the sister of Moses. Without her foresight there would be no Exodus to celebrate. Her cup will be filled later in the Seder, too. Candles - The Seder, like all Jewish festival meals, is a candle-lit dinner.

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Hadlakat Nerot: Lighting Candles and Crossing the Threshold into Holy Time

Holy days in Judaism are begun at sunset with the lighting of candles. Lighting candles is a common human symbol for finding hope in times of despair and direction in times of darkness. In hospitals and hotels, people will use an electric candle. If you do not have access to candles, look at any source of light – the setting sun or a lamp – for saying the blessing and think about what gives you hope at this time.

ב ָּרּוְךָּאַת הָּייָּאֱֹלהֵינּוָּמֶ לְֶךָּה עֹול ם,ָּאֲשֶ רָּקִדְּש נּוָּבְּמִצְֹּות יוָּוְּצִ ּו נּוָָּּלְּהַדְּ לִיקָּנֵרָּשֶ לָָּּ יֹוםָּטֹוב ָָּּ

Baruch atah adonai, eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu be-mitzvotav ve-tzivanu lehadlik ner shel yom tov.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has made us holy with the commandments, and has commanded us to light the holiday candle.

Rav Abraham Isaac Kook, first chief Ashkenazi rabbi of Israel (d. 1935): Ignite a Great Flame Everyone must understand that within each of us burns a candle. Each person has a candle, and no one's candle is like anyone else’s. Everyone must understand that it is the task of each of us work to reveal the light of our own candle in the public realm, and to ignite it until it is a great flame, and to illuminate the whole world.

We mark the first day of special occasion with the following blessing that gives gratitude for our very being:

ב רּוְךָּ אַתהָּאֲדֹנ יָָּּאֱֹלהֵינּוָּמֶ לְֶךָּה עֹול ם,ָָּּשֶהֶחֱי נּוָּ ְּו ִק ְּי מנָּּוָּוְָּּהִגִיע נּוָּ ָָּּ לַזְּמןָּהַזֶהָּ Barukh Atah Adonay Eloheynu Melekh ha-Olam shehekheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higianu laz'man hazeh. You are Blessed, Our God, Spirit of the World, who keeps us in life, who sustains us and who enables us to reach this season.

Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy -Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

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The Seder Order

יַחַץ.4ָָּּ כַרְּ פַס.3ָָּּ ורחַץ.2ָָּּ קדש.ָָּּ.1 KADESH URHATZ KARPAS YAHATZ Recite the Kiddush Wash the hands Eat a green vegetable Middle matzah for the מ רֹור.8ָָּּ מֹוצִ יאָּמַצה.7ָָּּ ר חְּ צה.6ָָּּ מַגִ יד.5ָָּּ MAGGID RAHTZAH MOTZI MATZAH MAROR Recite the Passover Wash the hands Say Hamotzi and Eat the bitter herb story before the meal blessings on matzah ב רֵ ְך.12ָּ צ פּון.11ָּ שֻׁלְּח ןָּעֹורֵ ְך.10 כֹורֵ ְך.9ָָּּ KOREKH SHULHAN OREKH TZAFUN BAREKH Eat matzah and bitter Serve the festival Eat the afikoman Say grace herb together meal צנִרְּ ה.14ָּ הַלֵל.13ָּ HALLEL NIRTZAH Recite the Hallel Conclude the Seder ָּ

1. Kadesh: The First Cup of Wine/Grape Juice: Healing and Time

As a symbol of our freedom, we do not pour our own wine or grape juice; rather we pour wine or grape juice for each other.

ברּוְךָּאַת הָּייָּאֱֹלהֵינּוָּמֶ לְֶךָּה עֹול םָָּּבֹורֵ אָּפְּרִ יָּהַגפֶן.

Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam borei pri ha-gafen. Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel “Judaism teaches us to be attached to holiness in time, to attached to sacred events, to learn how to consecrate sanctuaries that emerge from the magnificent stream of year. The Sabbaths are our great cathedrals.” (Prologue, The Sabbath, p. 8)

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2. Urchatz: Washing Hands Healing and Community

We join our ancestors in the tradition of washing their hands without a blessing before eating vegetables. We join with our family, friends, neighbors and strangers around the world in caring for one another by washing our hands to prevent the spread of the virus.

3. Karpas: Dipping Green in Salt Water Healing and Nature

Distribute Karpas (a vegetable) and dip it in salt water, while reciting the appropriate blessing.

We dip our vegetables in salt water to symbolize the intertwining of joy and sadness in life, so poignantly felt at this time in our lives and in history.

ב רּוְךָּאַת הָּייָּאֱֹלהֵינּוָּמֶ לְֶךָּה עֹול ם,ָּבֹורֵ אָּפְּרִ יָּה אֲד מה.ָָּּ

Ba-ruch ata Adonai, Elo-ehi-nu me-lech ha-olam, bo-rei pree ha- ada-ma.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the earth.

4. Yachatz: Breaking the Matzah Healing and Brokenness

Let us now take the middle Matzah and divide it. As we break this Matzah and set it aside, we link ourselves symbolically with all Jews throughout – and all of humanity – at this time as we experience the brokenness that the pandemic has brought in our lives.

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Breaking and Opening The large piece of the matzah, which one keeps for the end of the meal, has the name of “afikomen,” a word of Greek derivation that means “desserts.” One tradition is to break the matzah in the form of the Hebrew letter dalet, which means “door” and has the numerical value of four. This is the door that we open at the start of the Seder to invite the stranger in, that we open at the end of the meal to greet the prophet Elijah, the door that we open in our spirit to penetrate the world of imagination and to leave behind banality. And the door that we open to play here, that we open to a new definition of human beings as creatures capable of play. Marc-Alain Ouaknin

5. Maggid: Telling (and Hearing) Our Stories Healing and Narrative

The body is not mute, but it is inarticulate; it does not use speech, yet begets it. The speech that the body begets includes illness stories; the problem of heating these stories is to hear the body speaking in them. People telling illness stories do not simply describe their sick bodies; their bodies give their stories their particular shape and direction. People certainly talk about their boides in illness stories; what is harder to hear in the story is the body creating the person. Arthur W. Frank, The Wounded Storyteller: Body, Illness, and Ethics

The pandemic has created a crisis in our physical lives. Throughout the world, people are ill and people feel the threat of the virus. People are physically not able to be where they want to be. Some must be away from people they care about. Some feel the stress of lack of privacy. Some people have tragically died from the virus. Some people have not been able to grieve in ways that would have comforted them.

Telling the stories of our physical experience is the beginning to our healing. What is your story of coming to Passover this year?

Ha Lachma Anya: The Bread of Affliction

האָּלַחְּמאָּעַנְּי אָּדִ יָּאֲכ לּוָּאַבְּ ה ת נ עאָּבְּאַרְּ אָּדְּמִצְּר יִם.ָּכלָּדִכְּפִ יןָּיֵיתֵ יָּוְּ יֵיכֹל,ָּכ לָָּּ דִצְּרִ יְךָּיֵיתֵ יָּוְּיִפְּסַ ח.ָּה שַתאָּה כ א,ָּלְּש ָּנ הָּהַב אהָּבְּאַרְּע אָּדְּ יִשְּר אֵל.ָּה שַתאָּעַבְּדֵ י,ָָּּ לְּשנ הָּהַב א הָּבְּ נֵיָּחֹורִ ין.ָָּּ

Ha lachma, ha lachma anya di achalu, achalu av'hatana be'ar'a be'ar'a de-mitzrayim (2x) Kol dichfin yeitei ve-yeichol, Kol ditzrich yeitei ve-yifsach Hashata hacha, Leshanah ha-ba'ah be-ar'a de-yisrael.

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Hashata avdei, Le-shanah ha-ba'ah benei chorin!

This is the bread of affliction which our ancestors ate in the land of Mitzrayim. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who are in need share in our Passover. This year we celebrate here. Next year in the . Now we are still slaves. Next year may all be free.

The word “oni” in Hebrew (or “anya” in ”) is most often translated as “affliction” or “suffering.” Matzah is often understood as a symbol of our suffering. The root of the word “oni” is also used to mean “to answer.” The matzah – and our reflection on it – becomes a symbol and a process for coming to answers. May we, through the Seder, construct and clarify responses to the questions that call to us most.

Ma Nishtanah: Asking Questions

Isidor I. Rabi, the Nobel laureate in physics was once asked, “Why did you become a scientist, rather than a doctor or lawyer or businessman, like the other immigrant kids in your neighborhood?” “My mother made me a scientist without ever intending it. Every other Jewish mother in Brooklyn would ask her child after school: “’Nu?’ did you learn anything today?’ But not my mother. She always asked me a different question. ‘Izzy,’ she would say, ‘Did you ask a good question today?’ That difference – asking good questions – made me become a scientist.” (Donald Sheff, New York Times, June 19, 1988

מַהָּנִשְּ תַ נ הָּהַלַיְּל הָּהַזֶהָּמִ כ לָּהַלֵילֹות?ָּ שֶבְּכ לָּהַלֵילֹותָּא נּוָּאֹוכְּלִיןָּחמֵ ץָּּומַצ ה,ָּהַלַיְּלהָּהַזֶהָּ-ָּכּולֹוָּמַצ ה.ָּ שֶבְּכ לָּהַלֵילֹותָּא נּוָּאֹוכְּלִיןָּשְּ א רָּיְּר קֹות,ָָּּ-ָּ הַלַיְּלהָּהַזֶהָּמ רֹור.ָּ שֶבְּ כלָּהַלֵילֹותָּאֵ יןָּאֶ נּוָּמַטְּבִ ילִיןָּאֲפִ ילּוָּפַעַםָּאֶח ת,ָּ-ָּהַלַיְּל הָּהַזֶהָּשְּ תֵ עיָּפְּ מִ ים.ָּ שֶבְּכ לָּהַלֵילֹותָּא נּוָּאֹוכְּלִיןָּבֵיןָּיֹושְּבִ יןָּּובֵיןָּמְּ סָֻּׁבִ ין,ָּ-ָּהַלַיְּל הָּהַזֶהָּכֻׁל נוָּמְּ סֻׁבִ ין.ָּ

Mah nishtanah ha-layla hazeh mikol ha-leilot?

Shebechol ha-leilot, anu ochlin u-matzah, ha-layla hazeh kulo matzah? Shebechol ha-leilot, anu ochlin she-ar yerakot, ha-layla hazeh maror? Shebechol ha-leilot ein anu matbilin afilu pa'am achat, ha-layla hazeh shtei pe-amim? Shebechol ha-leilot anu ochlin bein yoshvin u-vein mesubin, ha-layla hazeh kulanu mesubin?

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Why is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights we eat either hametz or matzah; Why, on this night, do we eat only matzah? On all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs. Why, on this night, must we eat bitter herbs? On all other nights we do not usually dip vegetables even once. Why, on this night, do we dip twice? On all other nights we eat either sitting upright or reclining. Why, on this night, do we eat reclining?

To attain truth people must pass forty-nine gates, each opening to a new question. Finally, they arrive at the last gate, the last question, beyond which they could not live without faith. Rabbi Barukh of Medzerbezh, Quoted in The Feast of Freedom, p. 33

What are your most pressing questions? What questions keep you up at night?

Avadim Hayinu: We Were Slaves עֲבדִ יםָּהיִינּוָּלְּפַרְּ עֹהָּבְּמִצְּריִם עֲבדִ יםָּהיִינּו,ָּעַת הָּבְּ נֵיָּחֹורִ ין.ָּ Avadim hayyinu, hayyinu Le-far'oh be-mitzrayim, be-mitzrayim Avadim hayyinu, atah, atah, benei chorin (2x)

We were slaves to Pharaoh in Mitzrayim -- but now we are free!

Spiritual Care for the Four Children

Here is a script that describes ways Jewish tradition that can be read by different people or by one person.

Voice 1 Four times the Torah bids us tell our children about from Mitzrayim. Four times the Torah repeats: "And you shall tell your child on that day..." From this our tradition infers that there are four kinds of children. To each we respond in a different manner, according to the question, the situation, and the need. Historically, we have responded to the Four Children to teach them. If we think of each of the children (as well as each of us) as going through a present- day crisis itself – as opposed to learning about a previous one – what changes in terms of how we would want to respond to them? How can we spiritually and emotionally care for each of the Four Children in a way that addresses their uniqueness?

Participant The child called Hakham (“wise”) asks us, "What are the precepts, laws, and observances which Adonai our God commanded us?" This child seeks comfort, safety and security from within the tradition. This child shows resiliency by using the tradition to cope.

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Group In response to this child we explain the observances of the Passover thoroughly.

Participant The child known as Rasha (“rebellious”) asks us, "What does this Seder mean to you?" Notice that this child says to you as would a person who does not feel personally a part of the Jewish people. Or perhaps, this child feels part of the Jewish people but does not resonate with traditional beliefs. At a time when the global pandemic keeps so many people physically distant, this child feels spiritually distant.

Group When we respond to Rasha, we want to help them feel welcome. We say, “Join us. Be with us. You are welcome here as you are.” Abraham Joshua Heschel famously said, “Just to be is a blessing, just to live is holy.” Listen to each person tell their story of their redemption, saying “It is because of this, that Adonai did for me when I went free from Mitzrayim.”And we will listen to you as you begin to construct your own sense of meaning and your own answers.

Participant When the child known as Tam (“simple”) asks us, "Mah zot, what is this?" Tam’s words are more of a lament, a cry, than a question.

Group The Ta’am is in raw, spiritual pain right now, crying, weeping, sobbing. To the Ta’am we seek to console with a story of hope from the Torah and perhaps sing it with in Torah troupe or another soothing melody: “”By a mighty hand Adonai brought us out of Mitzrayim, out of the house of bondage.”

Participant The child, Sh’ayna Yodeia Lish’ol (“the one who does not know how to ask”), does not find words to ask a question. The silence of this child might lead us to think that they are unaware of the suffering that surrounds us. Or that they do not feel it. This child might be overwhelmed and feel at a loss for words. For this child, we must take the initiative to start a conversation. We speak in little bits at a time, pausing to see how this child responds.

Group We begin to engage with Sh’ayna Yodeia Lish’ol by telling a personal story, “It is because of this, that Adonai did for me when I went free from Mitzrayim.”

Participant Throughout our lives and during our current ciris, we encounter people for whom tradition is comforting, for whom tradition is distant, who are in pain, and who are overwhelmed. We, too, may experience each of these states at different times in our lives, or even in a day. We heal our world when we care for one another in a way that addresses how we suffer and how we cope.

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How can I be compassionate and care for someone when I don’t share their beliefs? It can be difficult to respond in supportive ways to people with different beliefs during difficult times in healthcare. A multidisciplinary team came up for a four-part response, called the “AMEN Protocol” for staying connected and giving support when people have different beliefs.

Acknowledge their situation and give them “I know you’re going through a difficult time…” the experience of being heard, seen, known Meet them to the extent that you can (While you might not agree with some of what the genuinely person say, find something in common such as…) “I too hope for the best for you/your loved one.” Educate (If you have a task at hand, talk with the person in your professional role) No Matter What… (Conclude by reassuring them) “No matter what happens, I am here for you….” Based on Rhonda S. Cooper, MDiv, BCC, Anna Ferguson, RN, BSN, Joann N. Bodurtha, MD, MPH, and Thomas J. Smith, MD, FACP, FASCO, FAAHPM, “AMEN in Challenging Conversations: Bridging the Gaps Between Faith, Hope, and Medicine,”J Oncol Pract. 2014 Jul; 10(4): e191–e195.

The Story of the Exodus Four thousand years ago, our ancestor, Jacob, was a wanderer, owning flocks and many tents. In a time of famine, he went down to Mitzrayim and settled there with his family. One of his sons, Joseph, was already the Prime Minister. Pharaoh, King of Mitzrayim, loved Joseph and gave all his family the good land of Goshen to live in. And the children of Jacob (Israel) prospered there for many generations.

But there arose a new king who feared the Jews because they were different. And he said to his people, "Look at how rich and how powerful are these children of Israel. If war comes, they may join themselves to our enemies and fight against us." This unfortunate fear has reappeared many times throughout our long history.

Therefore, Pharaoh made slaves of our ancestors and set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. He tried to subdue them by making them gather straw to make bricks, so that they could build cities for him upon the plain. He tried to reduce their numbers by casting their male children into the river. And the lives of our ancestors became bitter with pain.

But one Jewish mother, trying to save her son, placed him in the river in a little boat of reeds, trusting to the current rather than man's cruelty - and so the great story of Moses begins. It goes on to tell of how Pharaoh's daughter found and loved the child, and took for her own, and that, without knowing, hired Moses' own mother to be his nurse.

Moses grew up and became determined to free his people from bondage. Once, while alone in the desert, he had a strange and marvelous experience with a burning bush. This experience taught him that BEING (and BECOMING) is the very purpose of life. Liberation became his

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mission. The ancient story tells of how Moses went repeatedly to the Pharaoh, asking that he let the Jews go -- but Pharaoh would not; his heart hardened more each time that Moses asked.

But Moses feared not; his compassion and pride made him persistent. And then, the legend says, came the PLAGUES, one by one, descending upon Mitzrayim.

Plagues: “Do Not Leave Your House Until Morning” Here are the Ten Plagues, as they are listed in the Bible story; for each, we diminish the wine or grape juice in our cups, to give expression to our sorrow for the pain and loss which each plague exacted of other humans, even our ancient oppressors. (Pouring a drop of wine for each plague):

דם צְּ ָּפֵרְּ דֵעַָּ ָּכִנִים ָּ ע ָּרֹובָָּּ ָּדֶבֶר ָּ שְּחִ ין ָּ ָּ ברד ָּ ָּאַרְּ בֶהָּ ָּחשֶ ְך ָּ ָּמַכַתָּבְּ כֹורֹותָָּּ Blood. Frogs. Gnats. Flies. Diseased cattle. Boils. Hail. Locusts. Darkness. Slaying of the First Born.

Many Mitzrayi’im perished, and their suffering was great. Each time a plague appeared, Pharaoh agreed to let the Jews go. But each time the plague vanished, Pharaoh relented. Finally, amidst great sorrowing over the death of his first-born, Pharaoh ordered Moses to take his people out of the land. And Moses did, and the people arose from the midst of their oppressors and fled from their bondage.

The Midrash teaches us that the ten plagues were actually fifty, as each plague had five different dimensions. Often there are many layers to loss. Some loss is easily recognized, and some is disenfranchised. Some loss is ambiguous as the future remains unclear. We also know that present-day grief can reawaken the sadness of previous losses.

Mi shebeirach avoteinu As we think of those M'kor hab'racha l'imoteinu who are ill of body or May the source of strength, Who blessed the ones before us, of spirit, we can say Help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing, prayers for their healing and let us say, Amen. and well-being now.

Mi shebeirach imoteinu M'kor habrachah l'avoteinu Bless those in need of healing with r'fuah sh'leimah, The renewal of body, the renewal of spirit, And let us say, Amen.

You can listen to it here: https://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/debbie_friedman/mish ebeirach-lyrics-204248.html

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Prayer for Healers By Rabbi Ayelet S. Cohen (https://www.ritualwell.org/ritual/prayer-healers)

May the One who blessed our ancestors Bless all those who put themselves at risk to care for the sick Physicians and nurses and orderlies Technicians and home health aides EMTs and pharmacists Hospital social workers and respiratory therapists (Please include other frontline healthcare workers. And bless especially _____) Who navigate the unfolding dangers of the world each day, To tend to those they have sworn to help. Bless them in their coming home and bless them in their going out. Ease their fear. Sustain them. Source of all breath, healer of all beings, Protect them and restore their hope. Strengthen them, that they may bring strength; Keep them in health, that they may bring healing. Help them know again a time when they can breathe without fear. Bless the sacred work of their hands. May this plague pass from among us, speedily and in our days.

Dayenu: It Would Have Been Enough

אִ לּוָּהֹוצִיא נּוָּמִמִצְּרַ יםָָָּּּ ָּ דַ ָּיֵינּו.ָָּּ

Ilu hotzi- hotzianu, hotzianu mi-mitzrayim, Hotzianu mimitzrayim, Dayeinu. (Day, Dayeinu....)

If God had only taken us out of Mitzrayim, it would have been enough....

What are you grateful for at this point in your life? What have you experienced during the pandemic that has been a source of inspiration or support?

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Symbols of Passover

Rabbi Gamaliel used to say: Whoever fails to mention these three things on the Passover has not satisfied his obligation: The Passover Offering, the unleavened bread, the bitter herbs.

Why did our ancestors eat of the Paschal lamb during the days when the Temple still stood in Jerusalem? Because the Holy Blessed One passed over the houses of our ancestors in Mitzrayim, as it is written: "And you shall tell your children: This is a Passover sacrifice for Adonai, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Mitzrayim." (Exodus 12:27)

As we pick up the shank bone – literally or metaphorically – let us say, “the pascal lamb was not only a meal throughout history on the holiday of Passover. During the original Passover, it provided a sign so that the quarantine was recognized. Keyn yehi ratzon; may it be so with us.”

This matzoh, why do we eat it? Because when our ancestors left Mitzrayim, they had to leave in such a hurry that their dough had not yet risen. As it is written in the Torah: "And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Mitzrayim, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Mitzrayim, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any provisions for the journey." (Exodus 12:39)

Like our ancestors, some of us had to leave quickly to go to safer places or to be cared for during the pandemic. So much was rushed, and our tasks may not have had time to rise. As the matzah, the bread of affliction, still gave sustenance, may we too be sustained and nourished.

These bitter herbs, why do we eat them? Because the lives of our ancestors were embittered by Pharaoh. As it is written in the Torah: "And they made our ancestors’ lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all the labor that they had to do was difficult and vigorous." (Exodus 1:14)

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In Every Generation

בְּכלָּדֹורָּו דֹורָּחַיבָּא ד םָּלִרְּ אֹותָּאֶתָּעַצְּ מֹוָּכְּאִ לּוָּהּואָּיֶ צֶ אָּמִמִצְּרַ ים

B’chol dor vador chayav adam lirot et atzmo k’ilu hu yatza mimitzrayim

In every generation, every person must see themself as if they personally came forth from Mitzrayim. For it is written in the Torah: "And you shall tell your child on that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what Adonai did for me when I came forth out of Mitzrayim." (Exodus 13:8) For the Holy Blessed One redeemed not only our forefathers, but ourselves as well.

This teaches us empathy for the suffering of our ancestors. This year we are living through the crisis of the pandemic. This year we need compassion for one another as we are suffering now. This year we witness the rise in bias and hate toward different groups, and we are called to have empathy for those are suffering social discrimination.

2nd Cup of Wine/Grape Juice

ברּוְךָּאַת הָּייָּאֱֹלהֵינּוָּמֶ לְֶךָּה עֹול םָּבֹורֵ אָּפְּרִ יָּהַגפֶן.ָָּּ

Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam borei pri ha-gafen.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

6. Rachtzah: Sanctifying Our Hands Healing and Purpose

בָּרּוְך אַתָּההָּ׳ אֱֹלהֵ ינּומֶ לְֶך הָּ עֹולָּם אֲשֶר קִדְּשָּ נּו בְּמִצְֹּותָּ יווְּצִ ּוָּנּו עַל נְּטִ ילַ ת יָּדַ יִ ם

Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav vitzivanu al netilat yadayim.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who has commanded us to wash our hands.

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Healing and Memory: Matzah, Maror, Korech

7. Motzi Matzah: Breaking Bread

ב רּוְךָּאַת הָּייָּאֱֹלָּהֵינּוָּמֶ לְֶךָּה עֹול םָּהַמֹוצִ יאָּלֶחֶםָּמִ ןָָּּ ה א רֶ ץ.ָּ

Baruch atah adonai, eloheinu melech ha-olam, ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

ב ָּרּוְךָּאַת הָּייָּאֱֹלהֵָּינּוָּמֶ לְֶךָּה עֹולם,ָּאֲשֶרָּקִדְּש נּוָּבְּמִצְֹּות יוָּוְּצִ ּו נּוָּעַלָּאֲכִ ילַתָּמַצה.ָָּּ

Baruch atah adonai, eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu be-mitzvotav ve-tzivanu al achilat matzah.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has made us holy with the commandments, and has commanded us to eat matzah.

8. Maror: Experiencing Bitterness

Maror: Eating Bitter Herbs ב ָּרּוְךָּאַת הָּייָּאֱֹלהֵינּוָּמֶ לְֶךָּה עֹול ם,ָּאֲשֶ רָּקִדְּש נּוָָּּ בְָּּמִצְֹּות יוָּוְּצִ ּו נּוָּעַלָּאֲכִ ילַתָּמ רֹור.ָָּּ

Baruch atah adonai, eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu be- mitzvotav ve-tzivanu al achilat maror.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has made us holy with the commandments, and has commanded us to eat bitter herbs.

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9. Korech: Invoking Hillel

In the tradition of our Hillel the rabbi, we take maror and dip it in haroset, eating both bitterness and sweetness together.

As we go through the current crisis, Hillel’s advice helps us find balancing in caring for ourselves and caring for others:

אִ םָּאֵיןָּאֲנִיָּלִי,ָּמִ יָּלִי.ָּּוכְּשֶ אֲנִיָּלְּעַצְּמִ י,ָּמ הָּאֲנִי.ָּוְּאִ םָּלֹאָּעַכְּש יו,ָּאֵימתַ י

If I am not for me, who will be for me? And when I am for myself alone, what am I? And if not now, then when? (Pirkei Avot 1:14)

10. Shuchan Orekh Healing, Hunger and Satisfaction

Enjoy your meal! Even if you are not literally eating at this time, find ways to savor this moment.

11. Tzafun: Searching for the Afikoman Healing and Seeking

The seder provides us with rituals for coping and living with uncertainty. In the original Pesah story, the Israelite slaves confronted the uncertainty of whether they would go free or remain enslaved, whether they would live or die. They embarked on a journey that led them toward an unknown future. Today, at multiple times over the Pesah season, we engage in rituals of seeking what is elusive in our lives. We prepare for Pesah with the search to make sure that no hametz (leaven) remains in our homes. Spiritually, we can dedicate this time to reflecting on how we would like to improve and grow. For just as we need to remove the literal hametz from our household, so too we need to remove the spiritual hametz from our lives. Proverbs tells us that to be human is to search: “The nature of God is to conceal a thing, but the nature of kings is to search a thing out” (Proverbs 25). In Tzafun we search again—this time for the afikoman. When we broke the middle matzah, we hid the larger piece, symbolizing that there is more in our lives that is unknown than known. Our spiritual search for the afikoman invites us to search for what is broken in our lives, including brokenness that perhaps we have not yet acknowledged, pain we may not have healed from.

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12. Barekh: Giving Thanks Healing and Gratitude

ב רּוְךָּאַת הָּייָּאֱָֹּלהֵינּוָּמֶלְֶךָּה עֹול םָָּּהַזןָּאֶתָּה עֹולםָּכֻׁלֹוָּבְּטּובֹוָּבְּ חֵןָּבְּ חֶסֶ ד ּובְּרַחֲמִיםָּהּואָּנֹותֵ ןָּלֶחֶםָּלְּכ לָּבש רָּכִיָּלְּעֹולםָּחַסְּ דֹו.ָָּּּובְּ טּובֹוָּהַָּג דֹולָּת מִ ידָּלֹאָָּּ חסַרָּל נּו,ָּוְּאַ לָּיֶחְּסַ רָּל נּוָּמ זֹוןָָּּלְּעֹול םָּו עֶדָּ.ָָּּבַעֲבּורָּשְּ מֹוָּהַָּג דֹול,ָּכִ יָּהּואָּאֵָּלָּז ןָָּּ ּומְּפַרְּנֵסָּלַכֹלָּּומֵטִ יבָּלַכֹל,ָּּומֵכִ יןָּמ זֹוןָּלְּכ לָּבְּרִ יֹות יוָּאֲשֶרָּב ר א.ָָּּב רּוְךָּאַת הָּייָָּּהַזןָָּּ אֶ תָּהַכֹל.ָּ Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who nourishes the whole world. Your kindness endures forever. May we never be in want of food, for God provides for all the creatures which God has created. Blessed are You, Adonai, who feeds all.

3rd cup:

ברּוְךָּאַת הָּייָּאֱֹלהֵינּוָּמֶ לְֶךָּה עֹול םָּבֹורֵ אָּפְּרִ יָּהַג ָּפֶן.

Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam borei pri ha-gafen. Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

The Cup of Elijah

We have eaten the feast of our freedom and we have recalled the redemption of our people. But the dream of Passover transcends the Jew and reaches out to all people. Many centuries ago, there lived a prophet whose name was Elijah. He was a brave man who denounced the slavery of his day. Legend has it that he never died and that he will return some day to announce the coming of a new world in which war, human cruelty, and the enslavement of one person by another will find no place. In his image, he embodies the vision of all wise people, his spirit brings a message of hope for the future, brings faith in the goodness of humanity, and brings the assurance that freedom will come to all. Let us open the door and invite Elijah to enter and join with us as we drink the wine/grape juice of our freedom. May the spirit of Elijah enter the hearts of all of us, and inspire us to build a good world, in which justice and freedom shall be the inheritance of all people.

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אֵ לִיהּוָּהנבִ יא,ָּ אֵלִיהּוָּהתשְּבִ י,ָּ אֵ לִיהּו,ָּאֵלִי הּו,ָָּּ אֵלִיהּוָּהגִלְּע דִיָּ בֵמְּהֵר הָּבימֵ ינּוָּי באָּאֵ לֵינּוֵ עֵםָּמ שִ יחַָּבֶָּ ןֵדָּודֵ

Eliahu ha-navi, Eliahu ha-tishbi, Eliahu (3x) ha-gil'adi. Bimheirah be-yameinu yavo eileinu Im mashiach ben david.

Elijah the prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, the Gileadite .... May he come soon in our days with the Mashiach, the descendant of David.

13. Hallel: Singing Songs Healing and Praise

Psalm 118: Min ha-meitzar:

In distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and brought me relief. Adonai is on my side, I have no fear; what can another person do to me?

מִ ן-הַמֵצַר,ָּק ר אתִ יָּי ָּ -ָּּּה,ָּע נ נִיָּבַמֶרְּ חבָּי ָּ-ּה.ָּ ה'ָּלִי,ָּלֹאָּאִיר א,ָּמַ ה -ָּיַעֲשֶ הָּלִיָּא ד ם.ָּ

Min hameitzar, karati ya, annani vamerchav ya. Adonai li, lo ira, mah ya'aseh li adam.

Listen to a beautiful recording by Deborah Sacks Mintz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMe4-ggSkdY

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Nishmat

נִשְּמַתָּכ לָָּּחַיָּתְּ בַרֵ ְךָּאֶ תָָּּשִמְּ ָך,ָּייָּאֱֹלהֵינּוָּ Nishmat kol chai tevarech et shimcha adonai eloheinu.

The breath of every living thing praised your name, Adonai our God.... From Mitzrayim You redeemed us, from the house of bondage You delivered us. In famine You nourished us, in prosperity You sustained us.... To this day Your compassion has helped us, Your kindness has not forsaken us. Never abandon us, Adonai our God.

These limbs which You formed for us, this soul-force which You breathed into us, this tongue which You set in our mouth, must laud, praise, extol, exalt, and sing Your holiness and sovereignty.

Every mouth shall extol You, Every tongue shall pledge devotion, Every knee shall bend to You, Every back shall bow to You, Every heart shall revere You, Every fiber of our being shall sing Your glory.

As the Psalmist sang: “All my bones exclaim--Adonai, who is like You, great, mighty, awesome, exalted God, Creator of the heavens and the earth? We extol You even as David sang: “Praise Adonai, my soul; let every fiber of my being praise God’s holy name.”

4th cup

ב רּוְךָּאַת הָּייָּאֱֹלהֵינּוָּמֶ לְֶךָּה עֹול םָּבֹורֵ אָּפְּרִ יָּהַגפֶן.

Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech ha-olam borei pri ha-gafen.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

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14. Nirzah: Concluding the Seder Healing and Fulfillment

As we approach the end of the Seder, we open our door to welcome the prophet Elijah. Traditionally, we sing “L’Shana Ha’Ba Birushlayim” – Next Year in Jerusalem! As we peer beyond the door, we can imagine our personal hopes for the future.

What Are you looking forward to? What are your hopes for the next few days?

During the pandemic,in many cities, residents who are sheltering in place have opened their doors and windows once per day to applaud healthcare workers. Let’s applaud them now.

You may be wondering, now that the seder is almost over, what can I do next? After the Exodus, the Hebrews embarked on forty years of wandering. Here are two recommendations for your journey ahead:

1. “Walk” the labyrinth, an ancient meditation process. Unlike a maze, it has only the choice of going forward or backward but no routes that lead nowhere. You can “walk” yours by tracing the picture with your finger, by visually moving your eyesight through it, by coloring it, or by writing poetry in it.

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2. Count the Omer and Continue to Tell Your Story

It is traditional to count the 49 days between the start of Passover and Shavuot, the holiday that commemorates the giving of the Torah.

Staring on the second night of Passover, on Thursday, April 9, we say:

ב רּוְךָּאַתהָּה'ָָּּאֱֹלהֵֵֽינּוָָּּמֵֶֽ לְֶךָּה עֹול םָָּּאֲשֶרָּקִדְּש ֵֽ נּוָּבְּמִצְּ וֹתיָּוצִּו ֵֽנּוָּעַלָּסְּפִירַ תָּה עֵֹֽמֶרָּ

Barukh atah A-donai E-loheinu Melekh Ha-ʿolam asher qid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu ʿal S'firat Ha-ʿomer.

Blessed are You, Adonai God, Sovereigh of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to count the Omer.

On Thursday, April 9, we add: הַיֹוםָּיֹוםָּאֶח דָּלעֹמֶ ר HaYom Yom Echad LaOmer. Today is Day One of the Omer

The Hebrew word “to count” (lispor) and “to tell” or “to recount” (l’saper) share the same root. As we count the days of the journey ahead, what have been the stories of your experience? Use the blank page on the back to tell your story of this Passover.

3. As the Seder has now concluded, keep doing what gives you encouragement, such as listening to the encouraging words from the song “You Will Be Found” from the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen: https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/ben-platt-late-late-show-performance-home-fest- video-47355421 Have you ever felt like nobody was there? And oh, someone will coming running Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of And I know, they'll take you home nowhere? Have you ever felt like you could disappear? Even when the dark comes crashing through Like you could fall, and no one would hear? When you need a friend to carry you And when you're broken on the ground Well, let that lonely feeling wash away You will be found Maybe there's a reason to believe you'll be okay 'Cause when you don't feel strong enough to So let the sun come streaming in stand 'Cause you'll reach up and you'll rise again You can reach, reach out your hand Lift your head and look around You will be found

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Write your COVID-19 Passover Story here. Where were you? Who were you this? What was bitter for you? What gave you strength and encouragement?

______

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