WHAT IS PASSOVER ALL ABOUT? Passover or Pesach (PAY-sahch, with a “ch” as in the Scottish “loch”) begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. It is the first of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Shavu’ot and Suk- kot). Agriculturally, it represents the beginning of the harvest season in Israel, but little attention is paid to this aspect of the holiday. The primary observances of Pesach are related to the Exo- dus from Egypt after generations of slavery. The name Pesach comes from the Hebrew meaning to pass through, to pass over, to exempt or to spare. It refers to the fact that God “passed over” the houses of the Israelites when he was slaying the firstborn sons of the people of Egypt. In English, the holiday is known as Passover. Probably the most significant observance related to Pesach in- volves the removal of chametz (leaven, yeast) from our homes. This commemorates the fact that the Jews leaving Egypt were in a hurry, and did not have time to let their bread rise. Chametz includes anything made from the five major grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats, and spelt). The grain product we eat during Pesach is called matzah. Matzah is unleavened bread, made simply from flour and water and cooked very quickly. On the first night of Pesach (first two nights for traditional Jews outside Israel), we have a special family meal filled with ritu- al to remind us of the significance of the holiday. This meal is called a Seder (say-der). The word Seder means ordering that all the commandments and rituals of this evening are to be performed in a specific order. At the Seder we use a special book or Haggadah (like the one you are reading right now). 1 In every Haggadah we find the traditional sequence of various steps of the Seder. 1. Kadesh -the recitation of Kiddush. 2. Urchatz -washing of the hands. 3. Karpas -eating a vegetable dipped in salt-water. 4. Yachatz -breaking of the middle matzah. 5. Maggid -the recitation of the story of the Exodus. 6. Rachtzah -washing of the hands. 7. Motzi -the recitation of the blessing hamotzi. 8. Matzah -the recitation of the blessing al Achilat matzo eating the matzo. 9. Maror -eating the bitter herbs. 10. Korech -eating a sandwich of matzo and bitter herbs. 11. Shulchan Orech -eating the festive meal. 12. Tzafun -eating the afikomen. 13. Beyrach -the recitation of grace. 14. Hallel -the recitation of Hallel psalms of praise. 15. Nirtzah -our prayer that God accepts our service. THE PASSOVER SEDER PLATE The Seder Plate is a special plate containing symbolic foods used by Jews during the Passover Seder. Each of the six items arranged on the plate has special significance to the retelling of the story of the exodus from Egypt. The seventh symbolic item used during the meal - a stack of three matzos - is placed on its own plate on the Seder table. THE SIX TRADITIONAL ITEMS ON THE SEDER PLATE ARE: Maror- Bitter herbs, symbolizing the bitterness and harshness of the slavery which the Jews endured in Egypt. 2 Charoset- A sweet, brown, mixture of nuts, apples and wine representing the mortar used by the Jewish slaves to build the storehouses of Egypt. Karpas- A vegetable other than bitter herbs, which is represen- tative of life and new beginnings. Z’roa- A roasted lamb or goat shankbone, chicken wing, or chicken neck; serves as a visual reminder of the Pesach sacri- fice, which was a lamb that was offered in the Temple in Jeru- salem, then roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Beitzah- A roasted egg, symbolizing the korban chagigah (fes- tival sacrifice) that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem and roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Chazeret- Some rabbinic scholars noticed that the phrase “bitter herbs” was plural and interpreted that to mean there should be two different bitter vegetables on the seder plate. BEFORE WE START THE SEDER CANDLE LIGHTING The evening shadows lengthen. We prepare ourselves to light the holiday candles. In this act we unite and identify ourselves in time and space with all Jews in other periods and places of our history. As we foster the beauty and uniqueness of our own heritage, so we support those who further the beauty and uniqueness of their respective traditions. We unite with other Jews and with all who act so that people around the world can live in peace and freedom and develop so they can reap the fruits of their lives as human beings. May these candles, lighted on the Festival of Freedom, bring light into our hearts and minds. May they renew our courage to act for justice and freedom in our time and wherever we may be. May they illumine the path to truth, justice, and peace. 3 1 1 1 BarukhBarukh atahatah Adonai, Adonai, Elohaynu, Elohaynu, melekh melekh ha-o/am ha’olam asher kidishanuasher kidisha - ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ v’ Barukh nub atahmitz b’mitz’votavvotav Adonai, v tzi Elohaynu,vanu v’tzi l vanuhad lik melekh l’had’lik neir shel ha (Shabbatneir-o/am shel asher (Shabbat) yom kidishanu tov. (Amenv’) yom ) ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ v’ b mitzBarukhvotav atah v tzi Adonai, vanu lElohaynu,had lik neir melekh shel (Shabbat ha-o/am asher ) yom kidishanu tov. (Amen ) tov.Blessed (Amen) are you, The Eternal, our God, sovereign of the universe who has b’mitz’votav v’tzi vanu l’had’lik neir shel (Shabbat v’) yom tov. (Amen) BlessedBlessedsanctified are you, are us The withyou, Eternalcommandments The Eternal,, our God, ourand sovereign God,commanded sovereign of usthe to universeof light the the uni Festival who- has lights. (Amen) sanctifiedverse us who with has commandments sanctified us and with commanded commandments us to lightand thecom Festival- Blessed are you, The Eternal, our God, sovereign of the universe who has lights.sanctifiedmanded (Amen) us uswith to commandments light theT FestivalHE SHEHECHEYANU and lights. commanded (Amen) us to light the Festival lights. (Amen) This blessing encourageTHEsTHE Jews SHEHECHEYANU SHEHECHEYANU to offer thanks for significant experiences. It is typically recited at theTHE beginning SHEHECHEYANU of holidays and to celebrate special This blessing encourages Jews to offer thanks for significant This blessingoccasions. encourage s Jews to offer thanks for significant experiences. It isThis typicallyexperiences. blessing recited encourage It at is the typically sbeginning Jews torecited offer of holidays thanks at the for beginningand significant to celebrate of experiences. holidays special occasions.It isand typically to celebrate recited at special the beginning occasions. of holidays and to celebrate special Barukh atah Adonai, Elohaynu, melekh ha’olam shehecheyanu v’kiyimanu occasions. v’higi’anu laz’man hazeh. ’ ’ BarukhBarukhBlessed atah Adonai, atahare you, Adonai, Elohaynu, Elohaynu, melekh melekh ha ’olam ha’olam shehecheyanu shehecheyanu v’ kiyimanu ’ Barukh’ atah’ Adonai, Elohaynu, melekh ha olam shehecheyanu v kiyimanu v higiv’higianuv’kiyimanuThe’anu lazEternal lazman’man, v’higi’anu ourhazeh. hazeh. God, sovereign laz’man of hazeh. the universe who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season. BlessedBlessed are you, are you, The Eternal, our God, sovereign of the uni- Blessed are you, SONG TheThe Eternalverse Eternal ,who our, our God,has God, kept sovereign sovereign us alive, of of thesustained the universe universe us, who and has enabled keptkept us us us alive, alive, to Hiney Ma Tov sustainedsustainedreach us, thisus, and and season. enabled enabled us us to to reach reach this this season.season. SONGSONGSONG Hiney ma tov uma nayim shevetHineyHineyHiney achim Ma MaMa Tovgam TovTov yachad. How wonderful it is that we live together in harmony. KADESH-THE FIRST CUP • The Cup of Sanctification HineyHiney ma matov umatov uma nayim nayim shevet shevet achim achim gam yachad. gam yachad. Hiney maThe tovTorah uma uses nayim different shevet words achim and phrases gam yachad. to express the divine promises HowHow wonderful wonderful it is that it is we that live we together live together in harmony. in harmony. How wonderfulof freedom it for is ourthat people. we live These together may representin harmony. different stages of redemption.KADESH-THE We can also FIRST read CUP these • Thepromises Cup ofas Sanctificationtoasts to the generations KADESH-THE FIRST CUP • The Cup of Sanctification Theof ourKADESH Torah people uses who-THE different committed FIRST wordsCUP themselves • andThe phrasestoCup the ofstruggle Sanctificationto express for liberat theion di in- The Torah uses different words and phrases to express the divine promises The Torahvine promisesuses different of freedom words and for phrasesour people. to express These maythe divine represent promises of free dom for our people. These may represent5 different stages of of freedifferentdom for our stages people. of redemption. These may representWe can also different read thesestages prom of - redemption. We can also read these promises as toasts to the generations redemption.ises as We toasts can toalso the read generations these promises of our aspeople toasts who to the committed generations of ourthemselves people who to committedthe struggle themselves for liberation to the strugglein their forown liberat day.ion Like in of our people who committed themselves to the struggle for liberation in wine, we can appreciate freedom as a gift to use wisely with respect. 5 54 their own day. Like wine, we can appreciate freedom as a gift to use wisely with respect. Over the course of the Seder we will drink four cups of wine to Over the course of the Seder we will drink four cups of wine to recall each recall each time freedom was promised.