Seder Ceremony
Light the Passover Candles
1. BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU LE-HAD-LIK NER SHEL SHA-BBAT KO-DESH.
Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of the holy Shabbat.
2. BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU LE-HAD-LIK NER SHEL YOM TOV.
Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Yom Tov light.
3. BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU LE-HAD-LIK NER SHEL SHA-BBAT VE-SHEL YOM TOV.
Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Shabbat and Yom Tov light.
4. BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM SHE-HECHE-YA-NU VE-KI-YE-MA-NU VE-HIGI-A-NU LIZ-MAN HA-ZEH.
Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.
15 steps to Seder
1. Kadesh - Sanctify
Kadesh means -- to transcend the mundane world. Once you’ve set yourself free from your material worries, you can return and sanctify them.
· Begin with a full cup of sweet red wine.
· Have someone else fill your cup. Return them the
favor. This way, we are all like nobility, whose cups are filled by someone else. Make sure your cup holds a little more than three ounces.
· Everyone stands and says the kiddush together.
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Blessed are You, God, our God, King of the universe, who has chosen us from among all people, and raised us above all tongues, and made us holy through His commandments. And You, God, our God, have given us in love.
· Drink the cup of wine while seated, reclining on the left
side as a sign of freedom.
2. Urchatz – Cleanse
Our hands should be clean. Wash them clean of the impurities of a life in a materialistic world.
Water represents the healing power of wisdom. Water flows downward, carrying its essential simplicity to each thing. We pour water over our hands as an expression of wisdom pouring downward passing through our heart and from there to our interaction with the world around us.
· Fill a cup with water.
· Pour the water to cover your right hand.
· Repeat.
· Repeat again. Ditto for your left hand. That’s how the kohanim ("priests") did it when they entered the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
· Dry hands.
3. Karpas – Appetizer
(the Hebrew word for "greens" and "vegetable") saltwater in which it is dipped are the tears they shed.
· Take a small piece of some edible vegetable (about the size of a grape)
· Dip it into saltwater.
· Say the blessing
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.
4. Yachatz – Break
Matzah is called the poor man’s bread. He is low and broken. And it is this brokenness that allows him to open his soul and escape his Egypt.
· Take hold of the middle of the three matzahs on your Seder Plate.
· Break it in two. Leave the smaller half between the two complete matzos. Poor people only eat a small part of their bread -- they need to save the rest in case tomorrow there is none.
· Break the remaining (larger) piece into five pieces and wrap them in a cloth.
· Hide the package until the end of the Seder.
No blessing here - Blessings are said on whole things.
5. Maggid – Tell
· Raise the tray with the short piece of matzot and say:
This is the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat; whoever is in need, let him come and conduct the Seder of Passover. This year [we are] here; next year in the land of Israel. This year [we are] slaves; next year [we will be] free people.
· Put matzot aside
· Fill the second cup of wine
· Tell the story of the Exodus in 1st person
· put matzot back where it belongs
6. Rachtzah – Wash
Over and over. Rise higher, then draw that into deeds. Rise higher again, then draw that down even more. Never stop rising higher. Never stop applying.
· Fill a cup with water.
· Pour the water to cover your right hand. Repeat. Repeat again. Ditto for your left
· Say the blessing.
"Blessed be You, Lord our God, King of the World, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the washing of the hands."
· Dry your hands.
7. Motzei – Bread
· Grab all three matzahs—the top one, the broken middle one and the bottom one—and pick them up a little.
Say the blessing:
"Blessed be You, Lord our God, King of the World, Who brings bread out of the earth"
8. Matzah
· Pick up all 3 matzot
· Carefully release the bottom one
· Recite the blessing
"Blessed be You, Lord our God, King of the World, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning eating matzah."
These 2 represent slavery & freedom, brokenness & wholeness
· Break off pieces from two motzot in hand
· Give everyone a piece
· Eating this is considered eating a blessing – eating wholeness and healing
9. Maror – Bitter
Remembering the bitterness. Remember where you came from. We never got used to Egypt. We never felt we belonged there. If it hadn’t been that way, we probably would never have left. In fact, tradition tells us that 80% of the Jews said, “This is our land. How can we leave it?” And they stayed and died there.
· Grab some of that bitter herb add horseradish, roll.
· Dip the bitter herb in the charoset. Shake off any excess.
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the eating of Maror.
· Eat it. All of it. No funny faces now.
10. Korech - Wrap
· Break off two pieces from the bottom matzah. (You'll need one oz. of matzah altogether.
· Take an olive-size volume of the bitter herb and place it in between those two pieces.
· Dip the bitter herb in the charoset. Shake off any excess.
“This is what Hillel did, at the time that the Temple stood. He wrapped up some Pesach lamb, some matzah and some bitter herbs and ate them together.”
· Lean to the left while you eat.
11. Shulchan Orech - Set the Table
Plates
Wine glasses
Silverware
Fingerbowls
It's customary to begin the meal with the hard-boiled egg that was on your Seder Plate (commemorating the festival offering), dipped in salt water.
A boiled egg is a sign of mourning. On every festive occasion, we remember to mourn for the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem.
· Borsht
· Matsot ball soup
· Fruit salad
· Noodles
· Fish
· Lamb or chicken
· Vegetable
· Dessert
12. Tzafun – Hidden
· Children find the hidden matzah. Eat, reclining on your left side. No blessing because its broken!
13. Beirach – Bless
· Pour the third cup of wine. All the way to the tip, just like the other ones.
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who, in His goodness, feeds the whole world with grace, with kindness and with mercy. He gives food to all flesh, for His kindness is everlasting. Through His great goodness to us continuously we d o not lack food, and may we never lack it, for the sake of His great Name. For He is a [benevolent] God who feeds and sustains all, does good to all, and prepares food for all His creatures whom He has created, as it is said: You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Blessed are You Lord, who provides food for all.
We thank You, Lord, our God, for having given as a heritage to our fathers a precious, good and spacious land; for having brought us out, Lord our God, from the land of Egypt and redeemed us from the house of slaves; for Your covenant which You have sealed in our flesh; for Your Torah which You have taught us; for Your statutes which You have made known to us; for the life, favor and kindness which You have graciously bestowed upon us; and for the food we eat with which You constantly feed and sustain us every day, at all times, and at every hour.
For all this, Lord our God, we thank You and bless You. May Your Name be blessed by the mouth of every living being, constantly and forever. As it is written: When you have eaten and are satiated, you shall bless the Lord your God, for the good land which He has given you. Blessed are You, Lord, for the land and for the food.
Have mercy, Lord our God, upon Israel Your people, upon Jerusalem Your city, upon Zion the abode of Your glory, upon the kingship of the house of David Your anointed, and upon the great and holy House which is called by Your Name. Our God, our Father, Our Shepherd, feed us, sustain us, nourish us and give us comfort; and speedily, Lord our God, grant us relief from all our afflictions. Lord, our God, please do not make us dependent upon the gifts of mortal men nor upon their loans, but only upon Your full, open, holy and generous hand, that we may not be shamed or disgraced forever and ever.
· Drink the wine
14. Hallel – Praise
· Pour another cup of wine (#4). You won’t drink this wine—it’s for Elijah the Prophet.
· Set in the middle of the table
· Send some kids to open the door.
· Elijah the prophet comes to announce the imminent arrival of the final Exodus.
· Now we finish the Hallel,
Psalm 136
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
4 to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
5 who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
6 who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
7 who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
8 the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.
13 to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures forever.
14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.
16 to him who led his people through the desert,
His love endures forever.
17 who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
18 and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
22 an inheritance to his servant Israel;
His love endures forever.
23 to the One who remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
24 and freed us from our enemies,
His love endures forever.
25 and who gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
· Drink the wine
15. Nirtzah – Accepted
The Seder is complete.