A Passover Haggadah
Digital Edition
Note: This Haggadah completes the service and before the meal, because we learned over the years that we could never herd the cats into finishing the Seder after the meal.
1. Welcome
Leader:Welcome to our Passover Seder. Together with Jews everywhere, we recount tonight a story told every year for the last 3000 years. We remember the great symbol of liberation -- the Jewish Exodus from Egypt. Tonight, we vow that we will not allow our ancestor's stories, experiences and wisdom to be forgotten.
2. Lighting the Festival Candles
Participant:Our Seder starts with the lighting of two candles, accompanied by a blessing. This is traditionally done by the mother of the house.
(The candles are lighted as the blessing is recited.)
Mother of the house:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid-shanu b'mitz-vo-tav, v'tzi-vanu l'hadlik neir, shel yom tov.
Mother of the house:
Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us with his commandments and bids us to kindle festive holy light.
(On Shabbat, add this prayer in blue:)
Mother of the house:
Baruch a-ta A-do-nay Elo-hei-nu me-lech ha-o-lam a-sher ki-di-sha-nu bi-mitz-vo-tav vi-tzi-va-noo li-had-leek ner shel Sha-bat ko-desh.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the Holy Shabbat.
Together:
Amen.
3. The First Cup of Wine
Leader:It is time for the first cup of wine. Please make sure that your glass is filled.
Participant:
Four times during this Seder, we partake of the wine. There are two prayers before we drink the first cup, so please do not drink after the first prayer.
Together:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p'ri ha-gafen.
Together:
Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
(We do not drink yet.)
Together:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, she-heh-che-yanu, v'ki-y'manu, v'higi-anu lazman hazeh.
Together:
Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, for giving us life, and keeping us alive, so that we can celebrate this season of joy.
(We drink the first cup of wine.)
4. Rebirth and Renewal
Participant:The greens, or karpas, are a symbol of Earth’s renewal at springtime. We dip karpas into salt water as a symbol of the tears shed by the slaves in Egypt.
(Each participant takes some greens and dips them in salt water)
Together:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p'ri ha-adamah.
Together:
Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the Earth.
(Together we eat the dipped greens.)
5. A Bond Formed by Sharing – The Afikoman
Participant:We take the middle of the three matzot and break it into two. The smaller piece is replaced between the other two matzot. The larger piece is wrapped in a napkin and set aside as the "Afikoman," the Greek word for dessert. It will be hidden now, and after our seder searched for and found. When it is found, it should be shared by all as our dessert.
(The Afikoman is hidden.)
6. The Four Questions
Participant:The Talmud states that anyone can ask questions; the youngest, the oldest, even a scholar at the table of scholars.
Participant:
Mah nishtanah ha-lahylah ha-zeh mi-kol ha-layloht, mi-kol ha-layloht?
She-b'khol ha-layloht anu okhlin chameytz u-matzah, chameytz u-matzah. Ha-lahylah ha-zeh, ha-lahylah ha-zeh, kooloh matzah?
Why is this night different from all the other nights? On all other nights, we eat either leavened bread or matzah. Why, on this night, only matzah?
Participant:
The matzah reminds us that in the haste of their departure from Egypt, our ancestors had no time to prepare and therefore had to take along unleavened bread.
Participant:
She-b'khol ha-layloht anu okhlin sh'ar y'rakot, sh'ar y'rakot. Ha-lahylah ha-zeh, ha-lahylah ha-zeh, maror?
On all other nights, we eat all kinds of herbs. Why, on this night, do we especially eat bitter herbs?
Participant:
The bitter herbs remind us that the Egyptian masters made the lives of the Israelites bitter and miserable. It was a painful life for our ancestors to work as slaves.
Participant:
She-b'khol ha-layloht ayn anu mat'bilin afilu pa'am echat, afilu pa'am echat. Ha-lahylah ha-zeh, ha-lahylah ha-zeh, sh'tay p'amim?
On all other nights, we do not dip herbs at all. Why, on this night, do we dip both the karpas and the maror?
Participant:
We dip the green herb in the saltwater to symbolize the tears of sorrow shed by people who live without freedom. When we dip the maror into the sweet charoses, we modify the bitterness.
Participant:
She-b'khol ha-layloht anu okhlin bayn yosh'bin u'vayn m'soobin, bayn yosh'bin u'vayn m'soobin. Ha-lahylah ha-zeh, ha-lahylah ha-zeh, koolanu m'soobin?
On all other nights, we eat in an ordinary manner. Why, tonight, do we dine with special ceremony?
Participant:
Tonight, in memory of our liberation, we dine with special ceremony to exercise our freedom. As slaves, we were never permitted to dine with any comfort. We savor our freedom, wishing the same for all people.
7. The Four Children – The Four Types of People
Participant:Four times the Torah bids us tell our children about the Exodus from Egypt. Our tradition infers that there are not just four kinds of children, but four kinds of people. To each question we respond in a different manner.
Participant:
The wise person questions, "What are the laws and observances which Adonai our God has commanded us?" In response to this person, we explain the observances of the Passover thoroughly. We talk with this person about the nature of freedom and justice and about the need to act to transform the world.
Participant:
The scornful person questions, "What does this Seder mean to you?" Notice that this person says, “to you,” as a person who does not feel a part of the Seder. To this person we say: Join us tonight. Be fully here and listen closely. Then you will know what the Seder means to us.
Participant:
The simple person questions, "What is all this for?" We reply; We are remembering a time long ago when we were forced to work as slaves. With mighty acts God assisted our freedom from slavery. Observing the Seder every year, we all learn to appreciate the beauty of freedom and the importance of remembering how fragile it can be.
Participant:
And with the person who does not think to question, we must take the initiative. With patience we say: This wonderful evening happens in the spring of every year, so we may remember that out of death, sorrow and slavery came life, joy and freedom.
8. The Story of Passover
Participant:The sacred history of our people does not start with tales of great heroes or of righteous founding fathers, but with humble beginnings. Isaac, son of the first Jew Abraham, had a son Jacob who had many sons, but his favorite was Joseph. Joseph was sold by his jealous brothers to a caravan that took Joseph to Egypt. Joseph rose to become the Pharaoh's minister, and he predicted that a famine would come. He prepared storehouses with grain and when famine fell on the region, Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to buy food. He recognized them, and had all the Israelites move to Egypt. There they lived, prospered and multiplied.
Participant:
Generations later, a new king arose over Egypt who did not remember Joseph. He said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are getting strong. Let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they become more powerful and join our enemies." So they set taskmasters over them with forced labor and made them slaves to Pharaoh.
Participant:
The Egyptians embittered the Israelites’ lives with harsh labor. But the more they were oppressed, the more they grew stronger, and the Egyptians came to despise and dread the Israelites. Pharaoh charged his people, saying, "Every boy that is born shall be thrown in the Nile, but let every girl live." We cried out to Adonai, the God of our ancestors.
Participant:
Adonai heard our pleas and remembered the covenant that was made with Abraham and Sarah. Adonai called to Moses, charging him to appear before Pharaoh and demand that the Israelites be released. Pharaoh was stubborn; he would not heed the word of God. Nine times Moses went to Pharaoh to convince him of the supreme power of the Almighty. with warning of a Plague. Nine times Pharaoh denied the Almighty and placed trust in his own gods.
Participant:
When Adonai visited the tenth plague upon them, the death of first-born sons of Egyptians, a great cry went up throughout Egypt, and Pharaoh ordered Moses to take his people out of the land. And so Adonai brought us out of Egypt.
9. The Plagues of Egypt
Participant:When the Israelites came to the Red Sea, Adonai our God parted the seas for them to pass through. When the Egyptian armies pursued them, God brought the seas crashing down on them. When the Egyptian armies were drowning in the sea, the Israelites broke out in songs of jubilation. God silenced them and said, "My creatures are perishing, and you sing praises?" Our triumph is diminished by the slaughter of the foe.
Participant:
To remember the upheaval that follows oppression, we pour ten drops for the plagues upon Egypt. A full cup is the symbol of complete joy. We diminish the wine in our cups as we recall the plagues visited upon the Egyptians, to express our sorrow for the pain that each plague exacted. We now recite the list of the ten ancient plagues, pouring off wine as each one is mentioned.
Participant:
As each plague is spoken aloud, we lessen our cup of wine by dipping a finger into the wine and then shedding the drop of wine from our finger onto our plate.
Together:
Blood… Frogs… Lice... Swarms… Blight… Boils…Hail... Locusts… Darkness… Death of the First-Born.
10. Dayenu, It Would Have Been Enough
Leader:Since everyone seems to prefer the song.... someone start the singing.
Singing together:
Ilu ho-tsi, ho-tsi-a-nu,
Ho-tsi-a-nu mi-Mitz-ra-yim,
Ho-tsi-a-nu mi-Mitz-ra-yim,
Da-ye-nu!
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu! (da-ye-nu)
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu! (da-ye-nu)
Ilu na-tan, na-tan la-nu,
Na-tan la-nu et-ha-Sha-bat,
Na-tan la-nu et-ha-Sha-bat,
Da-ye-nu!
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu! (da-ye-nu)
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu! (da-ye-nu)
Ilu na-tan, na-tan la-nu,
Na-tan la-nu et-ha-To-rah,
Na-tan la-nu et-ha-To-rah,
Da-ye-nu!
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu! (da-ye-nu)
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Dai, da-ye-nu,
Da-ye-nu, da-ye-nu! (da-ye-nu)
Participant:
What does this mean, "Dayenu, it would have been enough"? It means we need to celebrate each step toward freedom as if it were enough. If we reject any step toward freedom, then we will never have freedom.
11. Pesach, matzah, maror
Leader:The Passover Seder is rich in symbolism, but there are three symbols that are so important that no Seder is complete unless they are fully explained. These symbols are the pesach, the matzah, and the maror.
(The leader holds up, or points to, the pesach.)
Leader:
What is the meaning of this pesach?
Participant:
This bone is the symbol of the pesach lamb. After gaining their freedom, the Israelites came to dwell in their own land. Each year they would gather at the Temple to celebrate the Exodus. Each family would bring a lamb as its offering for the festival. This lamb was known as the pesach, a reminder that God posach -- "passed over" -- the houses of our ancestors during the plagues of Egypt.
(The leader holds up, or points to, the matzah.)
Leader:
What is the meaning of this matzah?
Participant:
First, the matzah is a symbol of the simple bread that our ancestors were made to eat when they were slaves. Second, the matzah reminds us of the haste with which the Israelites fled from Egypt. Third, the ancient Israelites had no wealth and ate the simplest of foods. When the Israelites settled in Canaan, they became farmers and prospered. We eat matzah for one week each year to remember these three meanings; our time as slaves, the haste with which we fled Egypt, and the poverty of our ancestors.
(The leader holds up, or points to, the maror.)
Leader:
What is the meaning of this maror?
Participant:
We eat the maror, or bitter herbs, to remind ourselves of when our ancestors suffered under their Egyptian masters. Their labor as slaves was hard, and their masters were ruthless and cruel.
Together:
Wherever oppression remains, the Jewish people taste its bitterness. Pesach, matzah, and maror are the three symbols of Passover. They represent sacrifice, preparedness, and remembrance.
12. The Second Cup of Wine
(Empty wine cups are filled.)Together:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p'ri ha-gafen.
Together:
Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
(All drink the second cup of wine.)
Participant:
It would be traditional at this time to say a prayer and wash our hands. Today, we disregard this ritual because our hands are already clean. It is important to remember that there was a time when a thing as simple as washing your hands was a luxury.
13. Miriam's Cup
(Leader lift's Miriam's cup)Participant:
A Midrash teaches us that a miraculous well accompanied the Hebrews during their journey in the desert, providing them with water. This well was given by God to Miriam to honor her bravery and devotion to the Jewish people. Her words of comfort guided the Israelites through the hardships of the Exodus.
Participant:
We fill Miriam's cup with water to honor her role in ensuring the survival of the Jewish people. Jewish women in all generations have been essential to the community's survival. Women passed down songs and stories, rituals and recipes, from generation to generation.
(All lift their water glasses.)
Together:
Zot Kos Miryam, kos mayim hayim. Zeikher l'yitziat Mitztrayim.
Together:
This is the Cup of Miriam, the cup of living waters. Let us remember the Exodus from Egypt.
(All drink from their water glass.)
14. A Blessing for Bread
Leader:We are now coming to the Seder meal. As we ordinarily begin with the breaking of bread, tonight we begin with the breaking of matzah. We recite two blessings; first is the blessing for bread, then the blessing for matzah.
(The upper and middle piece of the three matzot are broken and distributed to all.)
Together:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz.
Together:
Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.
Together:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu b'mitzvo-tav v'tzivanu al a-chilat matzah.
Together:
Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, Who hallows our lives through commandments, and commands us to eat matzah.
(We eat the matzah)
15. A Blessing for the Bitter Herbs
Participant:Now each of us will take a bit of matzah and dip it into the maror to fulfill the commandment of this night to eat the maror.
Together:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam asher kidshanu b'mitzvo-tav, v'tzivanu al a-chilat maror.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, Who hallows our lives through commandments, and commands us to eat maror.
(All eat the matzah dipped into the maror, or with maror on top.)
Participant:
Tradition adds one more custom, in honor of the great teacher Hillel, head of the rabbinical academy in Jerusalem during Roman occupation. On Passover, Hillel combined the pesach, matzah and maror and ate them together, to observe the Law: "They shall eat the Pesach lamb offering with matzah and maror together." The destruction of the Temple by the Romans brought an end forever to animal sacrifices by our people, so our sandwich today is made only with matzah, haroset and maror.
Together:
We eat the matzah of freedom and the maror of slavery, together. In the time of freedom, there is knowledge of servitude. And in the time of bondage, there is hope for freedom.
(We now eat the maror and haroset sandwiched between two pieces of matzah.)
16. The Third Cup of Wine
(Empty wine cups are filled.)Together:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p'ri ha-gafen.
Together:
Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
(All drink the third cup of wine.)
17. The Cup of Elijah
Participant:This is the cup of Elijah -- a cup from which we cannot drink until all the world is redeemed from pain and injustice. In the ninth century BCE, the farmer Elijah rose to challenge the domination of the ruling elite. In his passionate advocacy on behalf of the common person, Elijah sparked a movement and created a legend which would inspire people for generations to come.
Participant:
Before he died, Elijah declared that he would return once each generation in the guise of a poor person to see how he would be treated. By the treatment offered to him, he would know whether we were capable of participating in the dawn of the Messianic age. Let us now open the door for Elijah.
(A child is sent to open a door to the outside.)
Participant:
God will send Elijah the prophet, and he will turn the hearts of the parents to the children, and the hearts of the children to the parents.
(A child is sent to close the door.)
Together:
May the day come soon when swords are beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning-hooks, when nation does not lift up sword against nation, and they will not prepare for war any more.
18. The Fourth Cup of Wine
(Empty wine cups are filled.)Together:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p'ri ha-gafen.
Together:
Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
(All drink the fourth cup of wine.)
19. Thanks for Divine Sustenance, Grace
Leader:We will eat our Passover meal as free people. Let us give thanks to the source of all life and freedom.
Together:
May the One who blessed Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah, bless this home, this table, and all assembled here, and may all our loved ones share our blessing.
Leader:
Now we take a moment for the children look for the afikoman. Since neither the meal nor the Seder can be concluded before all have eaten a piece of it, whomever finds the afikoman receives a reward.
(If the kids haven't started looking, remind them that money might be involved.)
(While the kids search, the meal can get started.)
(The Afikoman is Found and brought to the Leader.)
Leader:
This Afikoman will be saved for dessert, when we break it into pieces and everyone here shares the same final taste.
(A grandparent often hands out some cash to the lucky kid, or all the kids if they're lucky.)
20. The Meal is Served
Leader:
Time for dinner!
Enjoy and nobody should bring up politics!