12th Grade

Divrei Torah

It says in Devarim Perek Passuk For seven days shall you eat Matza because of it,

bread of affliction, for you departed from th4e land of Egypt in great HASTE”

The question is raised by Rav Pam Zichrona Livracha of what is the significance of this great HASTE which

makes it such an important part of the Yom Tov. Sforno explains that the haste of the Geula from Egypt

is the prototype of all past and future redemptions. For example it seemes like all was lost when Yosef

ended up in Mitzrayim and especially in prison. Then suddenly, Pharoh sent and “summoned Yosef and

they rushed him from the dungeon” (Bereishit 41:14) to explain Pharoh’s strange dreams. A seemingly

hopeless situation was suddenly transformed into a monumental, successful acheivement. Similarly

after the tenth plague, Pharoh expelled his Jewish slaves in great haste not even allowing them to let

their dough become leavened.

The redemption from Egypt, characterized by in great haste, will be the prototype for the

future geula.

This concept is true not only on a national scale but for each person in his or her daily life as well. At

times people become despondent with different difficult circumstances and we should remember that

Hashem can rapidly and unexpectedly bring the solution to our reach. As Pesach is a time for miracles

and redemption on a national and personal level, Hashem should help all of us in great

haste.

Wishing you all a Chag Kasher Vesameach

Abi Guttman

Sori Teitelbaum

Nechama Landau

Amanda Kornblum

Vehi Sheamda

Vehi Sheamda is found in magid. It is our declaration that the promise God made to

redeem our forefathers, applies to us as well. In every generation, there have been

those people that wanted to destroy us, however, God always saves us from them.

Rashi says that this declaration of Vehi Sheamda is the reiterating the promise that God

made to Avraham: “The nations that enslaves you will also be judged by Me..”. That

promise, which has stood for our forefathers, stands for us as well. Anyone that tries to

attack us will be judged by God, and God will always save us.

Dena Gershkovich

Ha Lachma Anya

Ha Lachma anya means “this is the poor man’s bread.”

Why do we begin the Hagadah with the word ha?

The word is really hey, which means here. This interpretation is based on the verse that

states (Bereishis 47:23) hey lachem zera, here is seed for you. This is what Yosef told the

Egyptians after informing them that he had acquired the people and their land for

Pharaoh. Perhaps the idea is that we are alluding to the fact that initially we were like

the Egyptians, who were enslaved to Pharaoh. Ultimately, however, Gd redeemed us

from Pharaoh and slavery.

Source: http://doreishtov.blogspot.com/2010/03/ha-lachma-anya.html

Jamie Klahr

Avodim Hayinu

If Hashem loves the Jewish people, why did He send us to Mitzrayim to be slaves

in the first place? The Chachomim explain that the ways of Hashem are Middah

K’negged Middah. When Yaakov’s children were young, Bnei Laya treated the Bnei

Hashifochos with disrespect. This was viewed to be bad in the eyes of Hashem, as all of

the sons of Yaakov are equal in His eyes. In order to redress this evil, Hashem send all of

Bnei Yaakov to Mitzrayim to be enslaved together. When they left Mitzrayim as free

men, they treated each other with respect and dignity. So today, after many

generations, we recite Avodim Hayinu B’ MItzrayim to stress the importance of peace

and brotherly harmony.

Julia Schwartz

דיב הקזח

In the Ramban Haggadah it states “Your cattle which are in the field.” Generally, cattle

are left out in the field, but in the plague of hail, “All the livestock of Egypt died”

(Shemot 9:6), even those sheltering in the houses. The Egyptians regarded, “Every

shepherd as an abomination” (Berashit 46:34). Probably, the Egyptians kept their herds

far from their cities, except for the horses and donkeys they needed either for riding or

as beasts of burden. Their cattle grazed near Goshen and would mingle with the flocks

of the Jews. Therefore, Hashem had to differentiate between the herds belonging to the

Egyptians and to the Israelis.

Perhaps too, Hashem caused this pestilence through atmospheric changes. Therefore,

by the rules of nature, the plague should have afflicted the whole district

indiscriminately, had Hashem not miraculously intervened. (Shemot 9:3)

Ruth Kopyto

Kadesh

Passover is a time to focus on introspection and personal journeys from slavery to

freedom. The very first part of the seder, kadesh, shows us how to begin this journey.

The word "kiddush" means special, distinguished and unique. We learn from here at the

first step to achieving personal freedom is recognizing that we, the Jewish people, are

special. Additionally, each of us has our own unique abilities and talents that makes who

we are. Slavery was opposite to this. In Egypt, the Jews were forced to work extremely

hard. There was no personal meaning to this labor and no personal achievment felt

about the work. By starting the seder with kiddush, we are acknowledging the first step

to personal freedom, which is recognizing what makes us special. When we realize that

we are special and that we have something to contribute to the world, we will be able

to start our own personal journey to a life of freedom.

Emma Listman

Karpas

We do not know when the dipping and eating of the Karpas was introduced as the

opening ceremony of the Seder night. It is logical for the Seder to start with reference to

how the Jewish people went down to Egypt, and the sale of Joseph to the Egyptians was

seen by many as the initiating step of this process. The dipping of the Karpas as the first

symbolic ceremony in the Seder represents the dipping of the ketonet passim into blood

prior to presenting it to Jacob in order to cover up the sale of Joseph by his brothers.

The Biblical word Karpas meaning linen, referring to the striped garment, is symbolized

at the Seder ceremony by kirpas from Greek and Persian words meaning vegetables

(i.e., parsley or celery). . A support for the Karpas ceremony comes from Rav Amram

Gaon (9th century, Babylonia) in whose writing Karpas, as a name of a specific

vegetable, is being eaten at the Seder[xii]. His enumeration of karpesa (Aramaic for

Karpas) among the vegetables eaten at the Seder night, represents the oldest recording

of a tradition relating to Karpas at the Seder. Rav Amram Gaon was the primary

source[xiii] for Sefer Hamanhig of Avraham ben Natan Ha’yarkhi, but he transformed

the list of several vegetables to: “and he takes a vegetable such as karpas, or any other

vegetable” thus focusing on the name

Michael L. Wise and Gilad Gevaryahu

Harlee Miller

What exactly is Yaachatz? Yaachatz is when we break the Matzah into two pieces,

placing one piece on the table where we discuss it over the Seder, and we place the

other to the side for the purpose of the Afikomen.

What does Yaachatz represent? There are four ideas:

1. Half of the smaller piece of the Matzah is Lechem Ani and the larger one, the

Afikomen, symbolizes the Korban Pesach, which was eaten in a matter of royalty

and majesty.

2. The smaller remains on the table but the other is hidden away.

3. The smaller piece actually refers to the slavery of our ancestors in Egypt. The

larger piece is actually a reference to the future, that we should have the merit

of eating the Korban Pesach once again.

4. The smaller piece reminds us of the exile from Egypt whose effects were

eventually reversed, since we had more exiles later on in our history. The larger

piece alludes to the future redemption whose effects will be permanent and

everlasting. Within a single piece of Matzah, are two kinds of opposing concepts.

The concepts: A Jew always looks towards the future. We are all trying to

become better people each day. Yaachatz symbolizes that even though in the

beginning things may seem dark and negative, within every situation, there is

potential for a bright, clear future.

Furthermore, Yaachatz helps us remember to value friends and family. The

middle Matzah is broken but the surrounding Matzos are whole. This shows that

at times you might feel like the middle Matzah, all broken inside without any

purpose, but we need to remind ourselves about the tremendous support that

we have from our friends and family- the two surrounding Matzos. We are never

really alone.

- This is a combination between the Torat Hagadem and Rabbi Siff

Katie Glickman

ווערי ונתוא םירצמה

This קוספ, found in םירבד קרפ וכ׳ calls the actions of the Egyptians toward the Jews "ill"

and "cruel". Rashi does not elaborate on what the Torah means by these terms, and

leaves much of it up to the imagination. So I did a little more research to find out just

how bad Egypt really was. According to Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, the magnitude of

Pharoah's nasty behavior is comparable only to that of the רהע the evil inclination ,רצי

within all of us, and the most powerful evil that each individual encounters in his or her

lifetime. It is a force that no one can control, and, if given enough attention and

nourishment can lead to destructive results. The yetzer hara blinds each and every one

of us. So too, the sheer amount of labor that Pharoah assigned clouded everyone's

vision. There was so much work to be done that there was no time left over to simply sit

around and ponder. There was no time to plan for the future or to analyze the present.

Pharoah was a physical incarnation of the greatest human weakness and fear.

Renee Frenkel

In the Haggada there is a paragraph that starts with the words tze u-lemad- come out

and learn. Rav Shlomo Riskin thinks the word choice here seems strange. Why wouldn’t

it say Bo U-lemad- come and learn, a phrase which would appear to make more sense?

The answer to this question actually sheds light on a fundamental principle of Judaism.

We are not supposed to just learn, but we also have to take what we learn outside with

us and teach it to others. Even while we aren’t davening or learning, we must take the

torah with us wherever we go and in everything we do. In Tehillim perek לד we see a

similar idea. This pasuk does not speak about Torah, but rather about fearing God. That

fear must also come with us wherever we go and on whatever paths our lives take us

on.

Daniella Seelenfreund

Urchatz- Washing prior to eating carpas (dipping the vegetable in saltwater)

We wash our hands without a bracha. Back in the days when we had a Beit Hamikdash,

we washed our hands to purify them- it was a ritual. Nowadays, when we don’t eat

trumot and masrot and don’t go by the whole pure/impure thing, we wash before

eating carpas mainly because we want the children to ask. We don’t halachically have to

do it! Not saying a bracha after washing is a lenient opinion. The poskim actually say

that we should keep the Halacha of washing before eating a wet item all year round.

One should dry their hands well. In terms of talking after you wash, you shouldn’t speak

until you have swallowed a portion of your food. One last thing- if someone washes for

the vegetable and then decides that he wants bread, he should be washing again for the

bread just in case he touched anything unclean.

Bimheira Biyameinu we should be washing to truly purify our hands to serve Hashem in

the Beit Hamikdash!

Source: Torah Tavlin Haggadah- Rabbi Dovid Hoffman

Gabriella Lumerman

Ten Plagues

The most famous of Hashem’s miracles is the ten plagues. Why did Hashem

choose these specific ten? Obviously everything happens for a reason so why did

Hashem choose these ten plagues to bring upon the Egyptians? The Maharal gives a

classic answer and says that the ten plagues mirror reversely the ten sayings of creation.

The first of the sayings is in the beginning of the last plagues, which is killing of firstborn.

The second of the sayings is let there be light so the ninth plagues is darkness and so on.

The plagues were meant to fix the ten sayings of creation that the Egyptians had

corrupted.

Alexandra Seelenfreund

Mah Nishtana

There is a very careful order to the Mah Nishtana. First we discuss the Mitzvot of

that specific night, which is biblically commanded (D’orayta). We ask about the matzah,

and then the maror. Then we turn to the Rabbinical commanded activities- why we dip

2 times and why we lean, which are both Drabanan.

Also, why don’t we ask about the four cups of wine? The answer is, because we

drink wine so often for Kiddush and Havdalla every week that it doesn’t seem unusual.

From the Haggadah of Rav Chaim Kanievsky

Jordana Lumerman

“Hashem brought us out of Egypt”

In Targum Yonasan’s translation, he mentions that Datan and Aviram stayed behind

when the rest of the Jews left Egypt. How is it possible that Datan and Aviram remained

in Egypt? Did we not learn that all the wicked Jews who did not wish to leave Egypt died

during the three days of darkness?

Eidus LeYehosef explains that Moshe had led Pharaoh to believe that the Jews were

planning to go out into the Wilderness for only a short stay in order to serve Hashem.

Even though he revealed his true plans to the Jews, he nonetheless kept them hidden

from Datan and Aviram, who were spies for the Egyptians. The sages said that Datan and

Aviram did not leave with the Jews because they thought they were going for only a

short time, but had they known that people were leaving forever, they would most likely

have been willing to go along. Only those who would not leave Egypt permanently died

during the plague of darkness.

Yonina Keschner

It is noted that the Jewish people cried and their cries grew louder after Pharaoh died.

This seems rattling but according to some commentaries, Pharaoh’s death was related

to incapacitation from a malignant skin disease. The Egyptians used to bathe in the

blood of newly born Jewish children to cure this disease. Now that Pharaoh, the enemy,

was dead, his predecessor was to step to the throne with policies more cruel than those

of Pharoah’s. This depressed the Jews since they were so disappointed at such a turn of

events. While they wanted things in Egypt and in their lives to ultimately get better,

things were getting worse due to such turmoil and loss of hope. They were disappointed

that their expectations were turned down and their only hope for improvement was to

cry to Hashem. Hashem knew of the Brit He made with Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov

that he would remove the Jews from slavery and return them to their homeland of

Israel. Now, the cries of the Jews were stimulating Hashem to act upon his promise,

therefore proving that in order for the Jews to redeem themselves, they must initiate

the redemption process by praying to Hashem and proving themselves worthy of being

freed. They must take action to show their great belief in Hashem and in His capabilities

and then Hashem will comply with what is asked for.

Jessica Weinberg

Four Sons

Four sons are four generations who came to America.

Chacham: came from Europe, did not understand America. Stayed frum; looked for a

new job every Sunday because they would not work on Shabbos.

They had children who were raised in America.

Rasha: Did not understand the "old Country" and why the parents followed this

ridiculous way of life, so they rebelled.

Third generation is confused.

Tam: Not sure why grandparents act one way, and parents totally reject it.

Fourth generation, never met the Great grandparents; never saw a Shabbos or Yom Tov

so they are Eino Yodea Lishol - don't even know what to ask!

The miracle of America now, with return to Judaism, can be found in that the cycle

begins again. The worst scenario is the fifth generation that does not even come to a

pesach seder. These 4 at least showed up.

Our job is to educate and make sure that everyone has the opportunity to be at a seder

and find some relevant meaning.

Some say this came from the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe

Source: Rabbi Sam Klibanoff

Ariana Mestel Dayenu The word "dayenu" means "it would have been enough for us." If anyone would stop and really think about the lyrics of dayenu they would find it hard to understand. Technically it means that if god had split the sea for us and not led us through it in dry land "it would have been enough for us." Is a little confusing to understand the song really teaches us to stop and notice the greatness of everything that happened in the story of Passover. We have to realize how big of a miracle that god split the sea for us. Anything Hashem does is good enough for us. Danielle Sharafi Ma Nishtana Mah Nishtana: Don’t be afraid to ask The entire Seder is built around the unique phenomenon that the child must ask. Judaism doesn't shun questions, rather it promotes them. We do everything possible to stimulate the child’s mind and get him to question. We are not satisfied to have the child sit back and relax while we feed him the necessary information. We want him to ask for it. And so the Seder opens up with the Mah nishtana

A renowned thinker once said that he owes his great genius to his mother. Whenever he arrived home from school she would never ask him, what did you learn in school today? But rather, what good question did you ask in school today? Questions breed greater thought. A child that doesn’t ask questions may sometimes show apathy. It may show that he’s not interested or concerned. It may mean that he couldn’t care less. If someone is concerned and really wants to know then he will ask questions. Questions stimulate the mind toward greater knowledge. In Torah, one can never know everything. The Torah represents G-d’s wisdom which is infinite. One can never learn enough. Questions enhance a person’s knowledge. It keeps him growing. It is the very many questions that fill the Talmud that help us uncover their true meanings and help us find proper answers. Questions make us probe more deeply. Questions make us search for better answers. Yiddishkeit does not shun questions. It encourages them. We are never satisfied with what we already know. We want to know more. We want to understand it better. The search never ends. For the Torah itself is endless. One can never comprehend Hashem himself. It is impossible! Yet our questions help make our knowledge of Him better and better, and brings us closer and closer-. Isn’t this the entire purpose of the great miracles He made in Mitzrayim "Let all know that they are your creation" (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur davening)? Our faith is built on questions. Yet, if we are to find the truth, we must learn to ask the proper questions. We must be careful to formulate the question as the chochom does! We must attempt to seek the meaning of the Eidos chukim and mishpatim. For the more we understand them, the greater will be our fear and love for Hashem. As our knowledge increases, so does our appreciation of our Creator. The better we understand the miracles He has done for us in Mitzrayim, the more our appreciation grows. For the better the question, the better the answer. We must continually search deeper and deeper. This way our appreciation for Hashem will grow greater and stronger. "The more a person discusses the story of Yetizas Mitzrayim, the more praiseworthy he is" Jamie Jacobson The Plagues When the Jews were in Egypt they were slaves to the Egyptians. They had to do hard labor everyday. When Moshe tried to free the Jews Pharaoh would not allow it. Moshe wanted to show Pharaoh that he is not in charge of this world. Hashem begins to send ten plagues down on the Egyptians until Pharaoh lets the Jews go. When each plague happens, Pharaoh says he will let the Jews go. When the plague is over he takes back what he said. The first plague is blood. Aaron strikes the Nile and all the Egyptian water becomes blood. The second plague is frogs. Swarms of frogs swarm the land. The third plague is lice. The lice infest all men and beasts. Even though all these plagues are happening, Pharaoh will not allow the Jews to leave. The fourth plague is wild animals. Packs of wild animals invade the cities, attacking and killing the Egyptians. The fifth plague is a disease that kills all the animals. The sixth plague is boils. These boils are

extremely painful. The seventh plague is fire and ice. They fall down from the sky as hail. It harmed everything in its way. Pharaoh’s heart still remained hardened. He refused to let the Jews go. The people of Egypt beg Pharaoh to stop the torture. Pharaoh told Moshe he would let all the men go, but the women and children must stay behind. Moshe says all the Jewish people and cattle go together, so Pharaoh says no. The eighth plague is a swarm of locusts that eat all of the crops and greenery from the Egyptians. The ninth plague is a thick darkness that engulfs the whole land. The Egyptians not only can’t see but they also can’t move. The Jews on the other hand had light. To protect the Jews from the coming up plague, Hashem instructs them to take a lamb and slaughter it, and put the blood on the doorposts of every Jewish home, so when Hashem passes over to kill the Egyptian first born he will know not to touch that home. Then Hashem brings down the final plague. This is when all the firstborn Egyptians are killed, which includes Pharaoh. This is when Pharaoh finally decided to let the Jewish people go. Lauren Berlyne The story The Sages tell us that the unique ability given to humanity is the power of speech. Speech is the tool of building and construction. G-d used it to create the world ("And G-d said: Let there be light."). On Seder night, we use our gift of speech for the central part of the hagada: telling the Passover story. The very word "Pesach" is a contraction of the words "Peh Sach," meaning "the mouth speaks." The Hebrew name for Pharaoh, on the other hand, is a combination of "Peh Rah," meaning "the bad mouth." For just as speech has the power to build, it also has the power to destroy. Gossip and slander drive apart families and communities. On Passover, we use speech to "build" humanity - by communicating, connecting, and encouraging each other. We stay up long into the night, relating the story of our exodus, tasting and sharing the joy of freedom. Every word that is sighted in the section of Maggid in the hagada is supposed to not only be said but felt. We should picture the story of our exodus as we read the words with our loved ones. The words are spoken out loud, ביחד, for the purpose of unity. We went through those grueling years, together, as a nation and as one. Continually, we faced our exodus in unity. Unification is what made us strong. So we recite Maggid out loud in order to recount the story together with our loved ones; to feel, speak, and enlighten ourselves together. Hana Schwartz Q: Why do we Read the Haggadah? The holiday of Passover marks the anniversary of the birth of the Jewish nation. The story of the Jewish nation is one of individuals who became a family who became a people. The great individuals who laid the spiritual foundation of Jewish peoplehood were Abraham and Sarah, their son and daughter-in-law Isaac and Rebecca, and their son and daughters-in-law Jacob, Rachel, and Leah. From Jacob, Rachel, and Leah came a family of 70 people who, due to a famine in Israel, were forced to migrate to Egypt. In Egypt this family grew and prospered to such an

extent that they eventually came to be seen as a threat by their Egyptian hosts. Respect and admiration turned to contempt, and finally to an organized program of enslavement and oppression. After 210 years, and a series of unheeded warnings by Moses to Pharaoh which resulted in the Ten Plagues, God liberated a nation which had grown from the original family of 70 people. Seven weeks later this newly conceived nation received the Torah at Mount Sinai. The Haggadah is the story of the birth of the Jews as a people. It deals primarily with the events in Egypt which led from slavery to liberation, though it also spans the entire period from Abraham to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. One could say that the Haggadah is our national birth certificate as well as our Declaration of Independence. More than just a historical document, it also speaks of the ideals and values which constitute the essence of our national consciousness and identity. The word haggadah means to tell, or to relate. The Haggadah is a vivid narrative which is set in the context of a parent-child dialogue. Passover, with the Haggadah as its focus, tells every Jew three things: who you are, where you came from, and what you stand for. The message inherent in the Haggadah is that Jewish identity and continuity hinge on encouraging children to ask questions -- and being prepared as parents to provide sensitive and substantive answers. In Judaism, being learned, knowledgeable, and wise is not only a goal, it's a prerequisite. Q: Is it really necessary more than 3000 years on to still commemorate our ancestors' freedom from slavery in Egypt? The Seder is not just a memorial to events of the distant past - it is a dynamic process of freedom from the challenges of the present. We are slaves. Slaves to our own inhibitions, fears, habits, cynicism and prejudices. These self-appointed pharaohs are layers of ego that prevent us from expressing our true inner self, from reaching our spiritual potential. Our souls are incarcerated in selfishness, laziness and indifference. Pesach means "Passover." It is the season of liberation, when we pass over all these obstacles to inner freedom. On Pesach, we give our souls a chance to be expressed. Reread the Haggada. Every time it says "Egypt" read "limitations." Replace the word "Pharaoh" with "Ego." And read it in the present tense: "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt" = "We are slaves to our egos, stuck in our limitations." How do we free ourselves? By eating Matza. After eating Matza, the Israelites were able to run out of Egypt and follow G-d into the desert. Because Matza represents the suspension of ego. Unlike bread, which has body and taste, Matza is flat and tasteless - the bread of surrender. Usually, we are scared to suspend our egos, because we think that we will lose ourselves. On Pesach we eat the Matza, we suspend our egos and find ourselves - our true selves. This night is different from all other nights, because on this night we let ourselves go, we liberate our souls to follow G-d unashamed. We say, "I may not understand what this means, but I have a Jewish soul, and somehow that is the deepest layer of my identity."

That soul is the innocent child within us is waiting to be free. This Pesach, let's allow that child to sing: Ma Nishtana Halayla Hazeh. Alex Klein Order of the Seder There are 15 steps in the Seder. The Sages say that Passover occurs on the 15th of Nissan to teach us that just as the moon increases for 15 days, so too our growth must be in 15 gradual steps. Here are the 15 steps of the Seder: Kadesh - Here we are making Kiddush, which literally means “unique” or “special”. This shows us we must recognize we are unique and special, and we can contribute to the world. Urchatz - We wash our hands. We do this to because it is an unusual activity, which prompts the children to ask questions. Karpas - We take a green vegetable and bless God for creating fruits from the ground. Here we acknowledge the hard work that went into planting the vegetable and getting it to our own home. Yachatz - We break the middle matzah, and put it aside to serve later as the Afikomen. We break the matzah now because a key to freedom is to anticipate the future and make it real. Maggid - Here we tell the Passover story. The word "Pesach" is a contraction of the words Peh Sach, meaning, "the mouth speaks." Rachtzah - We wash our hands as a preparatory step before the Matzah, in order to carefully consider what it is we're about to eat. We "wash our hands" to cleanse and distance ourselves from unhealthy influences. Motzi - We make the "hamotzi" blessing to thank God for "bringing forth bread from the ground." Which is odd because God brings wheat from the ground ― and man turns it into bread. In truth, God gives us two gifts: 1) the raw materials, and 2) the tools for transforming it into life. Matzah - We now eat the matzah. The spelling of "Matzah" is similar to "mitzvah:" Just as we shouldn't delay in the making of Matzah, so too we shouldn't procrastinate in performing a mitzvah. Marror - We now eat the bitter herbs ― in combination with Matzah ― to show that God is present not only during our periods of freedom (symbolized by the Matzah), but during our bitter periods of exile as well. Korech - Here we eat broken Matzah held together by bitter herbs and charoset. The Matzah was once whole. So too, the Jewish people can become crushed and divisive. But we are held together by our common links to Torah and our shared historical experiences. Shulchan Orech - We eat the festive meal to teach us that true freedom is the ability to sanctify life, not flee from it. The Talmud says that one of the questions every person is asked when they get to Heaven is: "Did you enjoy all the fruits of the world?” Tzafun - We eat this final piece of Matzah ― not because we are hungry ― but because we are commanded. Physical pleasure, though an integral part of our lives, sometimes gives way to a higher value.

Barech - We know thank God for the food He has given us. Hallel - This is the expression of an excited soul. It is the way to break out of oneself and reach for freedom. Nirtzah - We conclude our Seder with the prayer, "Next Year in Jerusalem." Every synagogue in the world faces Jerusalem. It is the focus of our hopes and aspirations ― not merely in a geographic sense, but in a conceptual sense as well. The Hebrew word “Seder” means order, or arrangement. The Passover Seder is made of 15 steps, and so it is quite fitting that the word “Seder” is used to portray the evening's proceedings. If you want to become a better person, or a better Jew, only seder, only order will do. Florencia Levy Seder Plate One should prepare a large plate, tray or specially made ke'arah which has spaces for the items that must be displayed on the Seder table: the shankbone, the roasted egg, the maror (bitter herbs), the charoses and, according to most opinions, also the karpas (parsley). According to the Maharil and the Rema, everything is placed on the ke'arah in the order it will be used. Whatever is used earlier is closer to the person leading the Seder. According to the Vilna Gaon, the shankbone and the egg should be placed closest to the person leading the Seder, the two matzos (the Vilna Gaon did not use the third matzo) are placed in the middle, and the maror and charoses are on the other side. (The karpas is not placed on the ke'arah, and the ke'arah is only brought to the table for Yachatz, after eating the karpas.) According to the Arizal, there are six items on the ke'arah, and they are arranged at the points of two triangles. According to the Arizal there should be two forms of bitter herbs on the ke'arah. The second one is reserved for korech. This is the most common way to arrange the ke'arah (see diagram). There are many customs among Jews all over the world on how to set up the Ke'arah even in accordance with the Arizal and/or the Remoh. For example, the great Mekubol Rebbi Sholom Sherbi, ZT"L, who followed the Arizal, set up the Seder plate the following way: He had a large rectangular plate. On the left side, he had the 3 matzos one on top of the other without any divider between the matzohs. Onthe right side of the plate, he had the 6 items in accordance with the Arizal. Rabbi Yaakov Emden (Yaavat"z) who followed the Remoh set his seder plate this way: He had a large circular plate, in the center he placed 3 matzohs with no dividers between them, and on the protruding edge of the plate he set up the 6 items of the seder plate:. There are those whose custom is to have the 6 items sitting directly on the top matzo Gabi Elbaz The Torah calls Pesach "Chag Hamatzot." But we call it "Pesach." Why is this so? Rav Chaim Volozhiner explains as follows:

The word Matzot and the word Mitzvot are spelled exactly the same in Hebrew. Thus "Chag HaMATZOT" can be read as "Chag HaMITZVOT," meaning that by leaving Egypt and receiving the Torah, the Jewish People now have the opportunity to earn great reward of Matzot by doing Mitzvot. Pesach, on the other hand, means Passover: Hashem "passed over" the houses of the Bnei Yisrael. If you switch around the nekoodot in the word פסח you can read it as hashem pasach over the houses. The Jewish people put animal blood around their doorways so Hashek would know what houses to "pass over". We learn not to serve Hashem with an eye to the reward; rather we should serve Him out of a sense of love and gratitude. By calling it Pesach we de-emphasize the reward that each Mitzva brings, and instead focus on the good that Hashem has done for us. Jessie Wietschner Vehi She’amda “And it is this [covenant] that has stood for our Forefathers and us. For not just one enemy has stood against us to wipe us out. But in every generation there have been those who have stood against us to wipe us out, and the Holy One Blessed Be He saves us from their hands.” This short passage from the Haggadah has given hope to Jews over the centuries, particularly in times of oppression. The values of the Torah are timeless and so every generation finds a new way of interpreting the Haggadah which has meaning in it for them. Vehi -- "and it is this" -- refers to the promise God made to Abraham to take our forefathers out of Egypt. Many commentators offer possible interpretations. One explanation is that the Torah is alluded to in the word Vehi as each Hebrew letter refers to a different part of our written and oral law:

Vav = numerical value 6, refers to the six tractates of Mishna.

Hei = numerical value of 5, stands for the five books of Moses.

Yud = numerical value 10, stands for the Ten Commandments. Aleph = numerical value 1, stands for the one God. This explanation implies that it is the Torah, and our connection with it, that has always saved us from our enemies. Every Jew has an internal spark. Our enemies can try and extinguish this spark. They might enslave us as Pharoah did, they might try and annihilate us physically as Hitler did, they might try and take away our Jewish identity as Stalin did, but they can never take away our hope and the Jewish spark within us. By keeping the Jewish traditions and learning about who we are, we keep this flame alight. Just like a flame does not get extinguished when we light another spark, when our soul is a vibrant flame, we can light other sparks. Credit: http://www.aish.com/h/pes/f/hh/48959161.html Rotem Noah Avadim hayinu

In the Haggadah, it says "Avadim Hayinu", meaning "We were slaves", "We were slaves unto Pharaoh in Egypt, and Hashem our G-d took us out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm". Therefore, this declaration is the fundamental reason why we are obligated to tell the Pesach story: we are expressing our enormous gratitude to G-d for redeeming us, for had G-d not redeemed us, we would still be in Egypt. This is why the Exodus story applies to us today and in every generation, past and future. At the Seder, and, by extension, in everyday life, we are encouraged to experience and feel as if we ourselves had personally embarked on the Exodus from Egypt to freedom. The purpose of the retelling the story at our Seder is to activate this feeling of transitioning from slavery to freedom so that we are constantly aware of it both at the Seder and in daily life. This helps in elevating one's sense of empathy towards oneself and others, for the challenge still remains to free those still living under political, physical, and spiritual oppression, be it oppression under a ruler, or personal oppression from one's psychological state. By fulfilling the purpose of Pesach, the primary message of believing in and therefore relying on the One, True, Omnipresent G-d as being one's deliverer from physical, political, and ultimately spiritual oppression as well as the giver of one's freedom in their place has throughout the generations and continues to serve as a catalyst for not only the Jewish people but for all humanity to work together to eradicate human oppression in all its forms in all societies. The purpose of retelling the Pesach story is not just to read another thriller. It is for the story to become a part of one’s daily life. Through telling the story, reviewing it with those at your table, and discussing it with them, you will be able to relive the exodus at your Passover seder. Carly Schreiber THE FOUR SONS The 4 sons mentioned in the Haggadah have always raised many questions. In a specific forum, Chief Rabbi, Dr. Hermann Adler presented a novel explanation to a commonly observed difficulty about the 4 sons, but mainly 2 of the sons – the “wise” and the “wicked.” The wicked son asks his father: “What does this Seder mean to you?” In answering this question, the father is instructed to figuratively smash his son’s teeth! However, when looking carefully at the wording of the wise son’s question, we notice that his question uses surprisingly similar terminology: “What are these testimonies, statutes, and judgments which the Lord God commanded you?” Interestingly the father’s response is totally different; he (wise son) is treated with admiration and provided with a summary of the entire scope of Pesach Laws!Over the centuries, scholars and Rabbis have compared these two brothers and have posed the following question: Why is the wise sonnot criticized for excluding himself by saying “you”, while his wicked brother is? The reason the answer differs so greatly between 2 questions that seem somewhat very similar is simply because of the tone used in each question. The wise son is asking his father, “Please tell me father, what were you commanded when you came out of Egypt?” He has an honest thirst and need to know. The father, due to his son’s sincere tone of voice, answers the question wholeheartedly. Contrastingly, the wicked son

openly disbelieves the miracle of the Exodus of Egypt and based on his tone, it’s clear to his father that he is just looking for an argument and to be disrespectful. Therefore, the father has no option but to put him in his place for his outright ill-mannered behavior. The lesson is that everything you say is based on the tone you use. Anything could be taken the wrong way, and to make sure that what you’re saying is sincere and genuine, your tone of voice will say it all and reveal your true intentions. Jamie Satran Freedom The festival of Passover is commonly referred to in our prayers as the "Season of our Freedom" and the "Festival of Matzot." These names relate to aspects of Passover that are germane at all times and in all places The term "Season of our Freedom" alludes to more than just the Jews' freedom from enslavement in Egypt thousands of years ago: it invokes the true freedom of each and every Jew in all times and places. The ultimate purpose of the Exodus finds expression in the verse: "Upon your taking out the nation from Egypt they shall serve G-d on this mountain," i.e., the experience of receiving the Torah at Sinai. For the Jewish people could not be truly free of the physical bondage of Egypt until they were spiritually free as well. Spiritual enslavement - the Hebrew word for Egypt being etymologically related to "straits and limitations" - can come about from without as well as from within. A person may be enslaved to the mores of his society, or he may be a slave to his own passions. True freedom from this kind of enslavement can be achieved only through Torah and Mitzvot - "serving G-d on this mountain." But what specifically is the freedom seeker to do? Herein comes the lesson of the festival's other name - the "Festival of Matzot." The "Festival of Matzot" consists of two parts: the obligation to eat Matzah and the prohibition of eating chametz, leavened products. The obligation to eat Matzah is limited to a specific amount at a specified time - a quantity the size of an olive must be eaten on the first night of Passover. However, the prohibition against chametz knows different limits; the tiniest particle of chametz is forbidden throughout the holiday. The natural differences between chametz and Matzah, and the consequent differences between eating Matzah and refraining from chametz provide a valuable lesson in the quest for spiritual freedom. Leavened dough rises continually. Matzah is the very antithesis thereof - the dough is not permitted to rise at all. Our Rabbis explain that chametz is symbolic of haughtiness and conceit - traits so deleterious that they are at the root of all negative traits. This is one of the reasons why even the minutest amount of chametz is forbidden - haughtiness and conceit must be completely nullified. Ridding oneself of the traits represented by chametz and performing the mitzvah of eating Matzah enable the Jew to overcome his own faults and the blandishments of the

mundane world. He is then able to free himself from spiritual exile, and enjoy this freedom throughout the year. Shari Meyer Bitterness What's so great about the bitterness? Why do we want to remember that? Actually, our bitterness in Egypt was/is the key to our redemption. We never got used to Egypt. We never felt we belonged there. We never said, “They are the masters and we are the slaves and that’s the way it is.” It always remained something we felt bitter about, something that was unjust and needed to change. 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. But as for the rest of us, when Moses came and told us we were going to leave, we believed him. It was our bitterness that had preserved our faith. Everyone has his Egypt. You’ve got to know who you are and what are your limitations. But heaven forbid to make peace with them. The soul within you knows no limits. This is the sweetness we apply to the bitter herb: Bitterness alone, without any direction, is self-destructive. Inject some life and optimism into it, and it becomes the

springboard to freedom. Gabby Schwartz Hallel Saying Hallel at the Seder is unusual in a lot of different ways. There are several ways that make saying Hallel at the Seder unique and unusual. First anomaly is there is no bracha for this Hallel. Second we say it sitting rather than standing. Third, we say this Hallel at night which is not the norm. Lastly, women are peturot in Hallel because it is a time-bound mitzvah. However, women are obligated in Hallel at the The Seder( Tosfot Sukkah 38a). Why the difference? More to the point, why is this Hallel different from all other Hallels? There are several suggested answers addressing all these points separately, both sharing the theme, that what we are saying at the Seder Night is definitely not your classic, ordinary Hallel. To address the first difference, there is the well-known approach of Rav Hai Gaon explaining why there is no bracha in the Hallel at the Seder. Rav Hai Gaon suggests that there are two types of Hallel recitations. The first is formal, the normal Keriat Hallel that we say every chag and Rosh Chodesh commemorating the special day we are celebrating. The second is Hallel b'sha'at haNes - a spontaneous expression of praise and gratitude at the exact moment of the miracle (similar to az yashir at the yam suf). At the seder, the Rambam gives us the mandate to view ourselves as coming out of mitzraim right now. We have to experience and illustrate that Yetziat Mitzraim is real, contemporary and current. The Hallel that we recite, therefore, is not commemorative of event that happened some 3,000 years ago, but rather, a spontaneous expression of

gratitude and thanksgiving for what we are experiencing now! This second spontaneous form of Hallel has no bracha,does not partake of the formality of standing, must be said at night when we see ourselves as leaving mitzrayim, and is equally necessary for men and women alike. If we can get ourselves to really see the benefits to us of leaving mitzrayim then spontaneous expression of gratitude comes naturally. There is also another approach to explain this Hallel's uniqueness. although the recitation looks a lot like Hallel, it is not Hallel at all. How could it be if we are interrupting it with Shulchan Oreich? The Rambam (Sefer haMitzvot, Aseh #157), Chinuch (Mitzva #21) and the Ramban (Shemot 13:16) all make crystal clear that the mitzvah of Sippur Yetziat Mitzrayim is not merely to tell over the story, but to give praise and thanks to Hashem for all the good that He did for us and that He continues to do for us every single moment of our lives. Hallel at the Seder is not an independent mitzvah of its own - rather, it is part of mitzvat Sippur Yetziat Mitzrayim. Inherent in Sippur is the obligation of Hakarat Hatov - to thank Hashem for everything that He does. As such, because Hallel is is not an independent mitzvah but just a facet of mitzvat Sippur Yetziat Mitzrayim it does not have a bracha. It is said at night, and seated because that is the time and manner in which we do Sippur. Women are obligated in Sippur and, therefore, are equally required to sing the paragraphs of Hallel. Finally, because our Shulchan Oreich is really in lieu of the Korban Pesach, and as such, the time in which we would be saying Hallel, the Seudah is in no sense a hefsek in the Hallel - it is all part of the Sippur Yetziat Mitzrayim experience and mitzvah (but that means that our Shulchan Oreich should be endowed with the proper sense of Hallel veHoda'ah). We say it seated as it is part of the Seudah experience, men and women together, fulfilling the mitzvah Sippur Yetziat Mitzrayim. This is truly what the point of the seder is all about and its punctuated by the uniqueness of this special Hallel. Rose Farkash 4 cups of wine The four cups of wine that we drink at the Seder are symbolic of the four expressions of freedom that God used in telling Moshe about our salvation: V’Hotzesi (I will take you out of Egypt): V’Hitzalti (I will deliver you from slavery) ; V’Goalti I will redeem you); and V’Lokachti (I will take you for a people). The question arises as to why we pour a 5th cup? And why do we not drink from it? This cup is called the Kos Shel Eliyahu, (the prophet) Elijah’s cup. After Birchas HaMazon - we pour a large cup of wine and immediately open the door and read a passage from the Hagadah. Legend has it that Eliyahu comes to each door on Pesach and drinks a tiny bit from that cup. I recall as a child looking to see if I could tell if there was any less wine in the cup after we closed the door than there was before we opened it. The thinking was, of course, that Elijah’s cup was indeed meant for Elijah himself… that somehow even though we can’t see him that he came in a drank a little wine… and the reason that he

drank so little is because he had to drink from all of the cups in every house of every Jew who had a Seder and opened his door for him. That is a cute story for little children… but of course not true. We do not open the door for Eliyahu. We open it to say a specific portion of the Hagadah unrelated to that cup. There are many reasons given for this custom. The one which I like and makes the most sense to me is the one given by another Elijah, the Gra. The 5th cup is based on a Machlokes in the Gemarah. There is actually a fifth word used by God in that section of the Torah, V’ HeVeisi (I will bring you into the land which I promised your forefathers). Those who say this is a fifth expression of freedom - say that a 5th cup of wine is required. Those who say it is not is because it does not speak to being freed but rather to the promise made that will occur in the future well after the Bnei Yisroel have been freed – say that we do not drink a 5th cup. Our custom is based on the second view… so we only drink four cups. But we recognize that this question remains unresolved. So we compromise. We pour a 5th cup, but we don’t drink it. Why is it called the Kos Shel Eliyahu? Because we have a tradition that says that all unresolved issues in the Gemarah – including this one - will be answered by Eliyahu when he comes to herald the coming of Moshiach. *source - Torah L’Daas by Rabbi Matis Blum. Esti Ehrenfeld Telling the story The Gemara in Maseches Pesachim asks the question: Why does the telling of the story of our redemption begin by talking about our lowly origins as a nation? Whether it be one of the opening songs, about how we were slaves to Pharaoh, or our discussion of our idol-worshipping ancestors, the story part of the Seder seems to start on a low note. The Gemara proceeds to offer two answers. Rav says to remind us of our nations humble beginnings; originally, our ancestors were idol worshipers (“Arami Oved Avi”)and now we’ve been brought out to serve the one, true God. Shmuel says it’s to remind us we were slaves to Pharoah in Egypt (“Avadim Hayinu”). However, both of these explanations don’t offer reasons for the flipside of our opening question; being why not start the story with praise and descriptions of our salvation? The Nesivos Shalom posits it is because the main part of the mitzvah of telling the story isn’t the miraculous nature by which we were redeemed, rather the fact we were chosen by Hashem’s for salvation. To emphasize the profound love with which the Jewish people were chosen, we stress the shame and dishonor with which our nation was originally steeped in to demonstrate that Hashem’s choice wasn’t dependant on anything other than unadulterated love for the People of Israel. The Nesivos Shalom further elaborates on the Machloket of Rav and Shmuel, described above. It isn’t just about the storyline and our description of past events, but a lens into the essence of a Jew. Rav cites our idolatrous beginnings because he says the essential trait of a Jew is emunah, faith.

Therefore, being enveloped in avodah zarah is antithetical to proper worship of Hashem, and the story of our people begins there, ascending to our redemption and our ability to demonstrate our full faith in God. Shmuel argues a Jew’s essence lies in his service—a service inhibited when subservient to others. As long as we were enslaved, proper kedusha attained by service could not be achieved. However, when Hashem intervened on our behalf, He began the process resulting in our ultimate and holy, religious servitude. Both those ideas, emunah and kedusha, exemplify the Jewish people’s destiny and goals. They are the reasons we became the Chosen People and to neglect the origins of why they are such important national goals would be to blind ourselves to their true value. For this reason, we must begin our Seder with a discussion of the previously tainted nation, so we can better appreciate and understand our purpose as a people, both faithful and in service to, Hashem. Rachel Gelnick Echad mi Yodea After a long night of telling over the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim, and recounting the numerous miracles that HaShem did for us along the way, it is interesting that we finish with an almost childish song of Echad Mi Yodeah. Would it not be more appropriate to sing a more meaningful song, maybe have something like Yaakov Shwekey’s Vehi She’amda to really set the tone for individuals to think about their lives and HaShem’s influence on them? If we take a closer look at the main question of this song we may gain a better understanding of its placement at the end of the Seder. The question is ‘Who knows 1?’ We all very simply say ‘I know 1 – 1 is HaShem the G-d of the heavens and the earth.’ Is it so simple to say that we KNOW HaShem. Are we all so in touch with our spiritual nature to be able to say we know the G-d of the heavens and the earth? The Rambam lists as one of the foundations of Judaism, and as even as a commandment that we must KNOW HaShem and that He is the ‘primary entity.’ If it is a commandment, we must be able to fulfill it, so how precisely are we supposed to ‘know’ HaShem. The Kuzari asks a question from Har Sinai that enlightens us on this concept. He asks, ‘Why did HaShem say at Har Sinai that I am your G-d that took you out of Egypt?’ He should have made a stronger claim, saying, “I am your G-d who created the world!’ The Kuzari answers the question saying that while none of the Jews at Har Sinai were at creation, they all had just experienced Yetziyas Mitzraim and all of the wondrous miracles. They were able to relate to that time that HaShem was referring to, and could say with certainty that they Knew HaShem. Since that time, about 3500 years ago, the Jewish people have been telling over the story every year with the hope of fulfilling the gridline of “seeing oneself as if they themselves left Mitzryim.” With this in mind, we can now understand the final question of the Seder. “Who Knows One?” After going through the whole seder night, eating all the foods, singing all the songs, discussing all the miracles and Torah, who can say that they went through Yitzyias Mitztayim to be able to say that they KNOW HaShem! With the help of HaShem we should all be able to answer, “Who knows One?” with a resounding “I know 1.” Chag Sameach.

--- Based on a Dvar Torah by Rabbi Label Lam Tara Seidel Conclusion of the Seder The Haggadah, which has been read by Jews at the Passover Seder for thousands of years, starts and ends with this exact sentiment. At the beginning of the Seder we say, "This year we are here, next year we will be in Jerusalem". And at the very end of the long Seder night, we sing together the song "L'shanah Haba’ah B'yerushalayim - Next Year in Jerusalem". These words were faithfully sung by our ancestors in good times and in bad times. They were sung through the First and Second Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Chmielnicki pogroms of 1648-1649, and, yes, even in Auschwitz. We have been through so much, but we have never despaired, for we always knew that G-d was looking after us the same way He had lovingly taken care of our abandoned and persecuted ancestors way back when in Egypt. Today, thank G-d, we are blessed to be living in a Malchus Shel Chesed, a country which treats all its citizens fairly and equally. There is no Inquisition or Nazi Party. And yet, our survival as a nation is being threatened in a different way - from the inside. We are losing more Jews today to apathy and assimilation than ever before in our history. Some have even suggested adding a Fifth Son to the original Four Sons mentioned in the Haggadah - The Son Who Doesn't Show Up At The Passover Seder Altogether. The Seder has traditionally been the way that all the traditions and customs and the whole idea of what it means to be a Jew have been handed down from generation to generation. The Seder and all its implicit lessons have given Jews the strength to withstand the myriad tests and tribulations that have befallen us as a nation. Passover is that time when our children learn about who they are as Jews, and, more importantly, what our mission and purpose is here on earth. Ending the Seder with "Next year in Jerusalem" helps us keep our priorities straight and our hopes up for the Jewish people.