Index to the Services of PASSOVER

BRECHAT HANER - Kindling of the CandlesKIDDUSH - First Cup: The Cup of BlessingURCHATZ - Washing of the HandsKARPAS - Dipping of the ParsleyYACHUTZ - Breaking of the Middle MatzahMAGGID - The Story of the PassoverMA-NISHTANAH - The Four QuestionsMAKKOT - Second Cup: The Cup of PlaguesRACHATZ - Washing of the HandsMARROR - Eating of the Bitter HerbsKORECH - Eating of the Bitter Herbs with CharosethSHULCHAN ORECH - The Passover SupperTZAPHUN - Eating of the AfikomenHA-GEULAH - The Third Cup: The Cup of RedemptionHALLEL - Fourth Cup: The Cup of Praise

ISRAEL’S NATIONAL ANTHEM - HATIKUAH (“OUR HOPE”)

As long as a Jewish heart beats,And as long as Jewish eyes look eastward,

then our two thousand year hope tobe a free nation In Zion,

is not deadBEDIKATH CHAMETZ

When God commanded the children of Israel to leave Egypt, He commanded them to eat only unleavened bread with the Passover meal:

Read: Exodus 12:19,20

(Comment: In Jewish homes, several days before the evening of Passover the mother will begin cleaning the house. Her cleaning is to fulfill the commandment of the LORD that there should be no leaven found in the house during Passover. The mother gets rid of all leaven –cakes, cookies, breads, and anything else containing yeast of leavening such as baking powder or baking soda.)

THE SEDER SERVICE BEGINS

BRECHAT HANER

INSTRUCTION: Mother at each table will light candles at the table and say the blessing.

Mothers: Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast sanctified us by the commandments and has commanded us to kindle the Festival-light. Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast kept us in life, and hast preserved us, and has enabled us to reach this season.

FOUR CUPS OF WINE

Read: Exodus 6:6,7

THE KIDDUSH(first cup: the cup of blessing)

INSTRUCTION: The father shall ask the people to raise the cup of the fruit of the vine. This cup will be drunk from four times during the evening - two times before the meal and two times after, so they should take small sips.

LEADER: The first cup is the cup of sanctification which represents the first “I will” - “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.” This is God’s promise that He would bring the people out from under the cruel laws of the Egyptians.

ALL: Blessed art thou, O Eternal, our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, Ruler of the world, Who chose us out of all the people and selected us over all of the nations, and made us holy through His commandments. Lovingly, O Lord our God, Thou hast given us Sabbath days for rest and festival days for joy, and this feast of Passover, anniversary of our freedom, a holy assembly, honoring our departure from Egypt; for Thou has chosen us and made us holier than other peoples and Thy holy festivals did Thou give us lovingly and kindly with happiness and joy. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Who made holy the Sabbath, the people of Israel and the festivals.

(COMMENT: The Kiddush is drunk while leaning to the left. This is a reminder that on this night they were freed from bondage in Egypt. The reclining symbolizes relaxation and freedom.)

THE URCHATZ(washing of the hands)

INSTRUCTION: The leader will take some of the water and pour it over his hands over the basin. Then he will wipe his hands with the towel.

THE KARPAS(dipping of the parsley)

INSTRUCTION: The father will locate the parsley (Karpas), break off a sprig for each person and dip it into the salt water, and say the blessing.

Leaders: Blessed art thou, O Eternal, our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruits of the earth.

Leader: As the wine is red in color and represents the blood of the Passover lamb, so also do the greens represent the hyssop which was used to place the blood of the Passover lamb upon the door posts and the lintel. The salt water represents the tears shed in Egypt and the Red Sea.

All eat together of the Karpas.

THE YACHUTZ(breaking of the middle matzah)

INSTRUCTION: The Father takes the middle matzah and breaks it in two, leaves one half between the whole ones, and wraps the other half in a linen cloth for the “Afikomen.”

Leader: The unleavened bread is found in its special covering, termed a Unity, even though it has three sections. Bypassing the first section and the third section, the middle piece of matzah is removed; it is broken in half and one half is hidden in a small napkin and is call the Afikomen.

THE MAGGID(retelling of the story of the Exodus)

LEADER: The story of the exodus is found in Exodus, chapter 12, verses 1-13, and it tells how God redeemed His people from Egypt by His might power.INSTRUCTION: The “unity” container is raised and the blessing is said in unison by the fathers.

Leaders: This is the bread of affliction which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt; let those who are hungry, enter and eat thereof, and all who are in distress, come and celebrate the Passover. At present we celebrate it here, but next year we hope to celebrate it in the land of Israel. This year we are servants here, but next year we hope to be free men in the land of Israel.

INSTRUCTION: Place the unity back on the table.

THE FOUR QUESTIONS(asked by the youngest at the table)

Youngest: Why is this night different from all other nights?

Oldest: We were slaved to Pharaoh in Egypt and the Lord redeemed us with a mighty hand. If the Holy and Blessed One had not taken our fathers out of Egypt, then we, our children and our grandchildren, too, would be Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. This is why, even though we might be wise and learned and experienced, though we might know the Torah well, it is our duty to tell the story of the outgoing from Egypt; and the more one tells of the outgoing from Egypt, the more praise-worthy he is.

Youngest: On all other nights we eat either leavened or unleavened bread; why on this night do we eat only matzah which is unleavened bread? On all other nights we eat vegetables and herbs of all kinds; why on this night do we eat only bitter herbs? On all other nights we never think of dipping herbs in water or in anything else; why on this night do we dip the parsley in salt water and the bitter herbs in charoseth? On all other nights we eat either sitting upright or reclining; why on this night do we all recline?

Leader: I am glad you asked these questions. This night is different from all other nights, because on this night we celebrate the going forth of the Jewish people from slavery into freedom. Why do we eat only matzah tonight? When Pharaoh let our forefathers go from Egypt they were forced to flee in great haste. They had no time to bake their bread and could not wait for the yeast to rise. The sun which beat down on the dough as they carried it along baked it into unleavened bread called matzah. Why do we eat bitter herbs tonight? Because our forefathers were slaves in Egypt and their lives were

made very bitter. Why do we dip the herbs twice tonight. We dip the parsley in salt water because it reminds us of the green of springtime and the tears of those in bondage. We dip the bitter herbs in sweet charoseth to remind us that our forefathers were able to withstand bitter slavery, because it was sweetened by the hope of freedom. Why do we recline at the table? Because reclining was a sign of a free man long ago, and since our forefathers were freed on this night, we recline at the table.

THE FOUR SONS

Leader: The story of the exodus, or flight from Egypt, is to be told and retold from generation to generation. Fathers will tell it to their children who, in turn, will tell it to their children. But the rabbis long ago discovered that not all children are alike. Some are very inquisitive while others are too young to know how to ask; some are eager to learn while others care only about themselves. In all, there are four kinds of children, and each needs to hear the Passover story in a different way.

First Son: What says the wise son? He asks: What are these testimonies, statutes and judgments which the Eternal, our God, hath commanded you? Then thou shalt instruct him in the laws of the Passover, teaching him that after the paschal lamb no dessert ought to be set on the table.

Second Son: What says the wicked son? He asks: What mean you by this service? By the word “you” it is clear he doth not include himself, and thus has withdrawn himself from the community; it is therefore proper to retort upon him by saying, “This is done, because of what the Eternal did for me, when I went forth from Egypt,” for me and not for him; for had he been there, he would not have been thought worthy to be redeemed.

Third Son: What says the innocent son? He asks: What is this? Then thou shalt tell him: With a mighty hand did the Eternal bring us forth from Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Fourth Son: But as for him who hath no capacity to inquire, thou must begin the narration as it is said: “and thou shalt relate to thy son on that day, this is done because of what the Eternal did for me, when I went forth from Egypt.”

Leader: Originally, our ancestors were idolaters, but at present the Lord hath brought us near to His service; as it is said: “And Joshua said unto all the people, thus saith the Eternal, the God of Israel. Your ancestors dwelt on the other side of the river; Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor,

and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the river and led him throughout all the land of Canaan and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac; and I gave unto Isaac, Jacob and Esau, and I gave unto Esau, Mount Seir in his possession; but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.”

Leader: Blessed be he, who observeth strictly his promise to Israel. Blessed be the Most Holy who computed the end of the captivity, that He might perform what He had promised to our father Abraham at the covenant between the parts, as it is said: “And he said unto Abraham, know of a certainty, that thy seed shall be strangers in a land that is not their’s and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years. And also that nation whom they shall serve, will I judge; they shall afterwards go forth with great abundance.”

Leader: Go forth and inquire what Laban, the Syrian, intended to do to our father Jacob. Pharaoh decreed the destruction of the males only, while Laban designed to root out the whole, as it is said: A Syrian had nearly caused my father to perish; and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there with a few persons, and there became a nation, great, might and numerous. And the Egyptians ill-treated us, afflicted us and laid heavy bondage upon us. And we cried unto the Eternal, the God of our fathers, and the Eternal heard our voice, saw our affliction, our sorrow and our oppression. And the Eternal brought us forth from Egypt, with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, and with great terror, and with signs and wonders.

Leader: And the Eternal brought us forth from Egypt: not by means of an angel, nor by means of a Seraph, nor by means of a messenger; but the most Holy, blessed be He, in His own glory, as it is said, “I will pass through the land of Egypt in this night, and I will smite every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment, I, the Eternal. I will pass through the land of Egypt: I, Myself, and not an angel. And I will smite every firstborn: I, Myself, and not a Seraph: And on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I, Myself, and not a messenger, I, the Eternal, I am He, and none other.

Leader: “With a strong hand.” This denotes the pestilence; as it is said: Behold, the hand of the Lord will be upon thy cattle which are in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep; a very grievous pestilence. “And with an outstretched arm.” This denotes the sword; as it is said: And a drawn sword, in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem. “And with great terror.” This denotes the appearance of the Divine Presence; as it is said: Or hat God assayed to go and take unto him a nation from the midst of another nation, by proofs, signs and wonders;

by war, and a mighty hand; by an outstretched arm, and great terror according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt, before your eyes. “And with signs.” This denotes the miracles performed with the rod; as it is said: And thou shalt take this rod in thy hand, where-with thou shalt do the signs. “And with wonders.” This denotes the plague of blood, as it is said: And I will show wonders in the heavens, and on the earth, blood and fire, and ascending pillars of smoke. It may also be explained thus: “With a strong hand,” denotes two plagues. “With an outstretched arm,” two plagues. “With great terror,” two plagues. “With signs,” two plagues, and “with wonders,” two plagues.

THE TEN PLAGUES

INSTRUCTIONS: Each person dips the little finger into the cup of the fruit of the vine, pulls out a drop, and lets it fall onto their plate.

Leader: These are the ten plagues, which the Most Holy, blessed be He, brought on the Egyptians in Egypt:

INSTRUCTIONS: As each of the 10 plagues is read, a drop of wine is place on the plate.

Leader: BLOOD, FROGS, VERMIN, FLIES, PESTILENCE, BOILS, HAIL, LOCUSTS, DARKNESS, SLAYING THE FIRST-BORN

Leader: And Jehovah spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to theme very man a lamb, according to their father’s houses, a lamb for a household: and if the household be too little for a lamb, then shall he and his neighbor next unto his house take one according to the number of the souls; according to every man’s eating ye shall make your count for the lamb.

Member (Table 1): “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old; ye shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats: and ye shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at even.”

Member (Table 2): “And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side posts and on the lintel, upon the house wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire and unleavened bread; with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roast with fire; its head with its legs and with the inwards thereof.”

Member (Table 3): “And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it: with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is Jehovah’s Passover.

Member (Table 1): “For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am Jehovah. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over your, and there shall no plague be upon you, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to Jehovah: throughout your generations ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.” (Exodus 12:1-14)

DAYENU(we would have been satisfied)

Leader: If He had merely rescued us from Egypt, but had not punished the Egyptians

All: Dayenu

Leader: If He had merely punished the Egyptians, but had not destroyed their gods

All: Dayenu

Leader: If He had merely destroyed their gods, but had not slain their first born

All: DayenuLeader: If He had merely slain their first born, but had not given us their property

All: Dayenu

Leader: If he had merely given us their property, but had not split the sea for us

All: Dayenu

Leader: If He had merely brought us through on dry ground, but had not drowned our oppressors

All: Dayenu

Leader: If He merely drowned our oppressors, but had not supplied us in the desert for forty years

All: Dayenu

Leader: If He had merely supplied us in the desert for forty years, but had not fed us with manna

All: Dayenu

Leader: If He had merely fed us with manna, but had not given us the Sabbath

All: Dayenu

Leader: If He had merely given us the Sabbath, but had not brought us to Mount Sinai

All: Dayenu

Leader: If He had merely brought us to Mount Sinai, but had not given us the Torah

All: Dayenu

Leader: If He had merely given us the Torah, but had not brought us to the land of Israel

All: Dayenu

Leader: If He had merely brought us to the land of Israel, but had not built us the Temple

All: We would have been satisfied

Leader: How much more then are we indebted for the manifold favors the Lord conferred on us? For He DID take us out of Egypt, and execute judgments on them and judgments on their gods and DID slay their first-born and give us their substance, and DID tear the sea apart for us and bring us through it dry, and sink our oppressors in the midst of it, and DID satisfy our needs in the desert for forty years and feed us manna, and DID give us the Sabbath, and DID bring us to Mount Sinai and gave us the Torah and bring us into the land of Israel, and DID build us the House of His choosing to atone for all our sins.

PESACH

INSTRUCTION: The leader takes hold of the shankbone, shows it to the company and recites:

Leader: The paschal lamb which our forefathers ate in Temple times - for what reason? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, spared the houses of our ancestors in Egypt, as it is said: Ye shall declare, This is the Paschal offering unto the Lord who passed over the houses of the children of Israel when He struck Egypt and spared our houses. Then the people bowed in worship.

MATZAH

INSTRUCTION: There will be a plate with several pieces of matzah on it other than the Unity container. Each father will take that second plate and raise it while the next portion is read.

Leader: This Matzah which we eat, what is the reason for it? It is because there was not enough time for our fathers’ dough to rise when the King of all Kings appeared, when the Holy and Blessed One redeemed them. As the Scriptures say, “and they baked the dough, which they had brought out of Egypt, into matzah cakes; for it had not risen, because they had been driven out of Egypt and could not tarry nor prepare food.”

MAROR

INSTRUCTION: The “Maror” is the red or white horseradish on the Seder plate. Raise it up as you recite this portion.

Leader: This Maror which we eat, what is the reason for it? It is because the Egyptians embittered the lives of our forefathers in Egypt, as the Holy Scriptures say, “they made their life bitter with hard labor, with bricks and mortar, with all kinds of work in the fields, all of this forced labor being rigorous.”

Leader: The bitter herb speaks of the sorrow, the persecution and the suffering of our people under the hand of Pharaoh; and as horseradish brings tears to the eyes, so, also, did the great affliction of our people bring tears to their eyes. In every generation let each man look on himself as if he came forth out of Egypt. As the Bible says: “And thou shalt tell they son in that day, saying: It is because of that which the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.”(Exodus 13:8)

Leader: It was not only our fathers that the Holy One, blessed be He, redeemed, but us as well did He redeem along with them. As the Bible says: “And He brought us out from thence, that He might bring us in, to give us the land which He swore unto our fathers.” (Deuteronomy 6:23)

INSTRUCTIONS: The fathers raise the cup, as do all, while the leader recites the blessing.

Leader: We, therefore, are privileged to thank, praise, adore, glorify, extol, honor, bless, exalt, and reverence Him, who wrought all the miracles for our ancestors and us: for He brought us forth from bondage to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from mourning into holy days, from darkness to great light, and from servitude to redemption: and therefore, let us chant unto Him a new song, Hallelujah!

INSTRUCTIONS: Replace the cup

THE HALLEL(The Praise)

Psalms 113-114

Leader: Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.

All: Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.

Leader: From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the Lord’s name is to be praised.

All: The Lord is night above all nations, and His glory above the heavens; Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, Who humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!

Leader: He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; that He may set Him with princes, even with the princes of His people.

All: He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.

Leader: When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language; Judah was His sanctuary, and Israel His dominion.

All: The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs. What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? Thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? Ye mountains, that

ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?

Leader: Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.INSTRUCTION: The second cup is raised and all recite the following:

All: Blessed art Thou, O Eternal, our god, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

INSTRUCTIONS: All drink together

THE RACHATZ(washing of the hands before the meal)

INSTRUCTION: The leaders will now wash his hands the 2nd time while reciting the blessing.

Leaders: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, Ruler of the world, Who made us holy by His commandments and commanded us concerning the washing of hands.

MOTZI, MATZOT

INSTRUCTION: The father at each table takes the “Unity” and raises it while saying the blessing.

Leaders: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.

INSTRUCTION: After replacing the “Unity” the father breaks olive size pieces from the upper and middle matzahs and distributes them. All recite the following benediction:

All: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the eating of unleavened bread.

INSTRUCTION: All eat the piece of matzah.

MAROR(eating of the bitter herbs)

INSTRUCTION: The bottom matzah from the “Unity” is broken into small pieces, and the father will take from the Seder plate a portion of the horseradish and put it on each piece, giving it to each person at the table.

Tradition says enough horseradish should be put on the matzah to make tears come to the eyes, reminding everyone of the tears shed in Egypt.

ALL: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the eating of bitter herbs.

INSTRUCTION: All eat of the maror.

KORECH(eating of the bitter herbs with charoseth)

INSTRUCTION: The father breaks off two pieces of matzah from the bottom matzah and puts the charoseth between the pieces like a sandwich. This is given to each person.

COMMENT: The “Charoses” represents the bricks made while in bondage, and the sweet taste represents the promise of God that someday He would place them in the Promised Land.

Leader: As the bitter herb is a symbol of suffering, the salt water a symbol of tears, the greens a symbol of hyssop, the wine a symbol of blood, so the charoseth is a symbol of mortar, representing the clay bricks which were made by our people in Egypt.

INSTRUCTION: All eat the Charoseth.

SHULCHAN ORECH(The Passover Supper)

TZAPHUN(eating of the Afikomen)

INSTRUCTION: The “Afikomen” is the final dessert of the Passover meal and is considered a substitute for the Passover lamb. Everyone searches in the room for the Afikomen. The leader redeems it by giving the finder a coin (this is traditionally done by the children). The matzah is broken and distributed in olive size pieces to all.

All eat of the Afikomen.

HA-GEULAH(third cup: the cup of redemption)

All: Blessed art Thou, O Eternal, our God, King of the Universe, Who createst

the fruit of the vine.

INSTRUCTIONS: All drink the third cup of wine

ELIJAH’S PLACE

INSTRUCTION: The leader fills Elijah’s cup with wine and the door is opened.

Leader: You will note that one place setting has not been touched throughout the meal. This is the traditional place for Elijah. The door is opened to see if the prophet Elijah will come.

INSTRUCTION: After a pause the leader has someone close the door.

Leader: You will also note some items on the Seder plate which have not been touched. One, the Betzah, or roasted egg; and two, the shankbone of the lamb. The roasted egg speaks of sacrifice, which can no longer be made because the Temple was destroyed. Is it not strange that an egg is used to represent sacrifice? But one must remember that sacrifice not only means death; it also means life. The shankbone of the lamb is untouched, because lambs are no longer sacrificed.

Comment: Once a rabbi was asked why the egg represents a sacrifice. To this the rabbi responded, “As a chicken lays an egg once a day and generally in the morning, so it represents the time of the sacrifice for the sins of the people in the days of the Temple - once a day, in the morning. And as the egg has been cooked or roasted, so it also represents a sacrifice because, as the lamb was burnt upon the altar, it became a sweet aroma unto the Lord. Thus, the egg represents the sacrifice.

HALLEL

Leader: The Eternal hath remembered us, He will bless us, He will bless the house of Israel, He will bless the house of Aaron. He will bless those who revere the Eternal, the small as well as the great: May the Eternal increase you, more and more, you and your children. Ye are blessed of the Lord, the make of heaven and earth. The heavens are the heavens of the Eternal, but the earth hath He given to the children of men. The dead praise not the Eternal, nor do they who descend into the silent grave. But we will bless the Eternal, from henceforth until evermore. Hallelujah!

All: Praise the Eternal, all ye nations; praise Him, all ye people; For His mercy prevaileth over us, and the truth of the Eternal endureth for ever. Hallelujah!

Leader: I will praise Thee, for Thou hast answered me and become my deliverance. The stone which the builders rejected, hath become the chief

cornerstone. This hath proceeded from the Eternal, it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Eternal hath appointed, we will rejoice and be glad in it.

All: Blessed be he who cometh in the name of the Eternal; we bless you from the house of the Eternal. The Eternal is God, and it is He who granted us light. Bring the sacrifice bound with myrtles to the horns of the alter.

Leader: Thou art my God, and I will praise Thee! O my God, I will extol Thee. Give thanks unto the Eternal, for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever.

Leader: We come to the fourth and last drinking of the cup. This cup represents the fourth “I will” - “I will take you to Me for a people.” This speaks of the time when the Lord will gather Israel again in the Lord.

INSTRUCTION: All raise the cup

All: Blessed art Thou, O Eternal, our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

INSTRUCTION: All drink

All: Blessed art thou, O Eternal, our God, King of the universe, for the wine, and for the fruit of the vine, and for the produce of the field and for that desirable, good and spacious land which Thou granted our ancestors to inherit, to eat of its fruit, and be satisfied with its goodness. Have compassion, O Eternal, our God, upon us, on Israel Thy people, upon Jerusalem, Thy city, on Zion, the residence of Thy glory, and upon the altar and Thy temple; rebuild Jerusalem, Thy holy city, speedily in our days; cheer us on this day of the feast of unleavened bread, for Thou, O Eternal, our God, art good and beneficent unto all, and therefore do we give thanks unto Thee for the land, and for the fruit of the vine. Blessed art Thou, O Eternal, for the land and for the fruit of the vine.

Leader: The Seder of Passover is now complete, even as our salvation and redemption are complete. Just as we were privileged to celebrate it this year, so may we be privileged to do so in the future.

Leader: O, Pure One, Who dwells on high, restore Thy numberless congregation...; speedily lead the shoots of the garden Thou hast planted, redeemed, joyfully to Zion.

All: NEW YEAR IN JERUSALEM!

Comment: Next year in Jerusalem (L’sha-nah ha-bah, bey-y’ru-shah’lie’im) has been the traditional closing of Seders since the diaspora, the scattering

of the Jewish people around the world began. Amidst the suffering there was always hope that next year we might observe Passover in Jerusalem, the city of peace.

THE END OF THE PASSOVER SERVICE

PASSOVER / SEDER REFLECTIONS1. from “The Death Factory” by Filip Muller (this complete story was used in the “Shedding Light on the Shadow” POWER section of this curriculum)

...The Dajan tried, using examples from history, to explain to the angry men that as long as mankind had existed, inhumanity like that in Auschwitz had always taken place, even if in a different form, and that everything happening here was really nothing new, but only a repetition of past events. In a choked voice he tried to explain the meaning of the Bible, which not only told the history of the Jews, but was also the expression of an eternal law which stated: What happened to the fathers is an omen to their descendants. Then a young man called Avroham asked indignantly: ‘Dajan, does that mean that the Nazis can commit murder because the Pharaohs committed murder?’ Avroham was just twenty-five years old and lived in the Warsaw ghetto - his 20-year-old wife had been slain with their baby. He had then gone to Majdanek, from which he had managed to escape. After wandering for two months near the German-Soviet frontier, he was captured again and brought to Auschwitz. Here he came into the Sonderkommando.

‘Indeed not,’ the Dajan replied almost humbly to Avroham’s question. ‘I only meant,’ he went on, ‘that the pious Jew does not read the Bible like a legend, but applies its content to the present. A few years ago when I read in the synagogue from the Book of Esther, which describes the cruel annihilation of the defenseless Jewish people, I had the same feeling as now. When on the eve of the Seder I hear the biblical verses on the more than 300-year-long oppression by the Pharaohs, I experience again the earlier events as our fathers experienced them in the time of the Roman dominion or in the dark days of the Middle Ages. And if the Hagada commands man in each generation to look at himself as if he himself had migrated from Egypt, the brothers who perhaps by a miracle will manage to survive will read the Hagada, made whole by their experience in Auschwitz, Majdanek or Treblinka. In every generation, my brothers, there were Pharaohs who wanted to exterminate us, but - praised be the Most Holy - he has always rescued us from their hands.’

- What parallels , if any, can you see in the story of the Passover and the Holocaust?- Do you see any connection between the tradition of the Seder and the longevity of the

Jewish people? Explain.

2. from “Jacob the Baker” by Noah benShea (“In the Ashes”)

When Jacob woke, he opened his eyes cautiously. He reassured himself by measuring his pace in each word of his morning prayer. He was anxious to get to the bakery while it was still dark, to lay his cheek on the warming oven. Nevertheless, halfway to the bakery, Jacob decided to stop at Mr. Gold’s, hoping he would be awake. Under the lamp post of a full moon, Jacob rapped gently on the shutters closeting Mr. Gold’s window. Mr. Gold heard the sound and thought he was a young man again, being called to prayers.

“I’m coming! I’m coming!” he shouted to the dawn.Jacob was touched to see memory capable of drawing Mr. Gold out of the darkness.

When he saw it was Jacob, Mr. Gold motioned for his friend to come in and grew a smile for his company. Then just as quickly, Mr. Gold’s head dipped downward.

“Do you know who I am, Jacob?” He didn’t give Jacob an opportunity to speak. “I am an old man, and I am dying.”

Mr. Gold seemed to sink beneath his sadness.“Tell me, Jacob. Is this it?” He motioned around the room. “Is there nothing more? We

become attached to this life only to be torn from it like some crude joke in the stars.”“We make life not only crude but cold,” said Jacob, “by dressing ourselves in a

nakedness woven from our own ignorance.”Then Mr. Gold spoke again from behind his sadness. “It doesn’t make sense,” he said.

“Our days amount to nothing!”Jacob’s eyes listened without arguing or agreeing. He thought of the pain festering in

Mr. Gold’s words. When Jacob spoke, his voice unfolded with the attitude of a man not filled with knowing but caring.

“Mr. Gold, all passes, nothing stops. Our days do amount to nothing, but that is because we are not a collection. We are a process. The truth about the seasons is that the seasons change. While everything appears to live and die, it is only the appearance of things which lives and dies. The dead are buried. Their memory is not.”

Mr. Gold’s voice considered Jacob’s words. “You know, Jacob, you are wise, and I am old.”

“Then you already know, Mr. Gold, that the roots of time hold both memory and promise.”

“Will you remember me, Jacob?”“I promise, one day, I will join you, Mr. Gold.”Mr. Gold’s laughter sounded like a trumpet and brought light to the corners of the room.

Then the silence regained its balance, and the two men sat there, making music from the quiet between their notes. It was Mr. Gold who counted time and eventually spoke first.

“Jacob, where do you find the strength to carry on in life?”“Life is often heavy only because we attempt to carry it,” said Jacob. “But, I do find a

strength in the ashes.”

“In the ashes?” asked Mr. Gold.“Yes,” said Jacob, with a confirmation that seemed to have traveled a great distance.

“You see, Mr. Gold, each of us is alone. Each of us is in the great darkness of our ignorance. And, each of us is on a journey. In the process of our journey, we must bend to build a fire for light, and warmth, and food. But when our fingers tear at the ground, hoping to find the coals of another’s fire, what we often find are the ashes. And, in these ashes, which will not give us light or warmth, there may be sadness, but there is also testimony. Because these ashes tell us that somebody else has been in the night, somebody else has bent to build a fire, and somebody else has carried on. And that can be enough, sometimes.”

-Explain the phrase, “the roots of time hold both memory and promise” as it relates to the Passover Seder.

- Why did the ashes serve to fill Jacob with strength?- Why are we not meant to enjoy the coals of another’s fire?- Explain the last sentence of the story: “And that can be enough, sometimes.”

3. When he was in a Nazi concentration camp with his father, Hugo Gryn recalls how meager were the daily rations. With luck the inmates were given a pat of margarine each week. It was barely enough fat to keep each person alive and was, as a result, among the most precious of items. One December, as the holiday of Hanukkah approached, the eight-day celebration which recalled the ancient Maccabean struggle for Jewish freedom and marked by a daily lighting of a flame, he saw his father and the other prisoners putting aside their margarine. When the first night of Hanukkah came he could not believe his eyes when his father took a small piece of string, placed it in the melted margarine, said the prayers and lit the wick. “But father,” protested the young Hugo, “I don’t understand. You’ve taught me that pikuah nefesh, saving a life, nillifies all the other commandments. How can you give up your margarine, which you need to sustain yourself just to light a Hanukkah light?” “My son,” Hugo’s father replied, “You and I have seen that it is possible to live up to three weeks without food. We once lived almost three days without water; but without hope we would not be able to survive for even three minutes.”

- How can “hope” be more vital to survival than sustenance?- Why do you think the Jewish religious observances such as Passover and Hanukkah

have been able to preserve hope even in the most difficult of times?