PASSOVER SEDER – The basics

Many people have contacted us seeking advice about how to prepare a Seder because they are not able to join family or attend communal Sedarim this year, and are also unable to buy special foods either because they are self-isolating or else because these are not available locally. We have therefore prepared this information sheet. However, while we have done our best to ensure accuracy, the following should not be taken as authoritative halachah (religious law). Chag kasher vesameach – a happy and kosher Pesach – from all at SCoJeC. Stay safe and well. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – What you need: • Wine or grape juice, enough for 4 cups per person • 3 unbroken sheets of matzah • Vegetable (traditions include parsley, slice of potato, slice of onion) • Salt water • Bitter herbs (traditionally horseradish (raw, not sauce), chicory/endive, lettuce hearts) • (a sweet paste; traditions vary but ingredients may include apple, dates, ground almonds, cinnamon, honey, and wine)

These are all placed in the centre of the table (usually all on a single large plate). It is also traditional to have hard-boiled egg (slightly burned) and a small roasted bone (usually the leg or neck of a chicken) on the seder plate.

Haggadah: The (literally “telling”) is the book used during the seder. It tells the story of from Egypt, and guides participants through the ritual of the seder. There are many Haggadot available to download from the internet, with commentaries ranging from the traditional to the political. A mainstream traditional Ashkenazi text in Hebrew and English is: www.sefaria.org/Pesach_Haggadah%2C_Kadesh?lang=bi and there are Reform and Liberal Haggadot at: https://www.reformjudaism.org.uk/online-haggadah-selector/ and www.liberaljudaism.org/2020/03/access-three-versions-of-the-liberal--haggadah/ and a Sefardi text (Edot Mizrach) at: www.sefaria.org/Pesach_Haggadah_Edot_Hamizrah%2C_Kadesh?lang=bi

There are many online guides to and advice about the seder including: United Synagogue: https://www.theus.org.uk/category/pesach : https://reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/passover

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Note for 2021/5781: because Pesach this year starts immediately after , several of the usual customs are modified. These are described on p.3 below.

The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCoJeC) is Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation no. SC029438 T: 0141–638 6411 ● [email protected] ● www.scojec.org

“May anyone who is hungry come and eat, anyone who is in need come and partake of Pesach. Now we are here, next year we will be in the land of ; this year we are slaves, next year we will be free people.”

Order of service: 1. Kadesh Make (including Havdalah) on first cup of wine 2. Urchatz Wash hands without a brachah (blessing) 3. Eat a small piece of the vegetable dipped in salt water 4. Yachatz Break middle matzah (and hide one part – the ) 5. Tell the Pesach story – read the Haggadah: The Four Questions (if short of time, the most important part is at the end, referring to Pesach, Matzah, , beginning at “Rabban Gamliel”) Drink the second cup of wine 6. Rachtzah Wash hands with the brachah “al netillat yadayim” 7. Motzi Eat matzah with the brachah “hamotzi lechem min haaretz” 8. Matzah Eat matzah with the brachah “al achilat matzah” 9. Maror Eat bitter herbs with the brachah “al achilat maror” 10. Korech Make and eat the matzah and maror “sandwich” 11. Shulchan Orech Festive meal (traditionally starting with a hard-boiled egg in salt water) 12. Tzafon Eat the Afikoman 13. Barech Grace after meals Drink the third cup of wine Pour a cup of wine for the prophet 14. Recite the Hallel ( 113–120) Drink the fourth cup of wine 15. Nirtzah Concluding songs

“That concludes the Seder of Pesach according to its law, according to all its rules and customs. Just as we have been worthy to arrange it, so too may we be worthy to do it in the future. Next year in !”

Customs when the day before Pesach is Shabbat – 2021/5781

Thursday 25th March: Traditionally the day before Pesach is observed as a fast by first-born sons in remembrance of the last of the Egyptian plagues, but the fast is then cancelled by the celebration of a siyyum (completion of a volume of ). Fasting, however, is not permitted on Shabbat, so this fast is brought forward to Thursday.

Thursday 25th March: Search for We normally search for chametz by candle-light after dark on the night before Pesach, but since we cannot use a candle when it is already Shabbat, we do this on Thursday after nightfall, and make the declaration Kol Chamira (printed at the start of every Haggadah) to disown any leftover chametz.

Friday 26th March: Disposing of Chametz Since we cannot destroy our last chametz on Shabbat, we burn it on Friday morning (without the Kol Chamira declaration). All other chametz should be sold before this time, except for two small rolls for each of our Shabbat meals, and we start using our Pesach utensils.

Friday evening 26th March and Shabbat 27th March – Erev Pesach We make Hamotzi at our meals on Shabbat, just as we do every other Shabbat of the year, when we could use either bread or matzah. However there is a problem: all chametz should already have been disposed of – so there’s no bread – and no matzah either, because we don’t eat matzah on the day before Pesach so that it will be a novel experience at the Seder. The solution is to keep back two small rolls (or pitta, which is less crumbly) for each Shabbat meal when disposing of the chametz, and to eat them out of a paper napkin or bag well away from all Pesach food and utensils, for example on a balcony or in a garden, and then shake out any crumbs in the open air or flush them away and dispose of the napkins etc before putting any Pesach dishes on the table. On Shabbat morning this is done before the latest time for eating chametz (c.10am), and the Kol Chamira declaration is repeated.

Saturday night, 27th March: Seder night Because Shabbat does not end until after Pesach has begun, candles should not be lit until after dark, using a flame that has been burning throughout Shabbat. Kiddush includes Havdalah for the end of Shabbat. The Seder then continues as normal (see previous page).

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Note: To make this year even more interesting, British Summer Time begins at 2am on Sunday morning – i.e. immediately after (or during) the Seder. However, some timetables may either start using BST before Shabbat or continue using GMT till Monday night in order to avoid adjusting clocks manually on Shabbat or Yom Tov, so when consulting such timetables it may be important to check.

The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCoJeC) is Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation no. SC029438 T: 0141–638 6411 ● [email protected] ● www.scojec.org