Passover:

the celebration of freedom

What is the meaning of freedom?

_Boruch HaBa! WELCOME!

Our feast of Passover is here. About this holiday, it is written: "And thou shalt tell thy child in that day, saying: It is because of that which was done...when I came forth out of Egypt." We gather together tonight as a family of families to remember the bondage of our ancestors, so that we, as sons and daughters, may be inspired to cherish the freedom we now have, to recognize the bondage of those who are not yet free, and to encourage our daughters and sons to help in the struggle to free all men and women. On these evenings, the bond of love and family reaches out from our homes - as from this gathering - to unite us with all Jews in remembering and in hope.

We are an old people; our history reaches back over 4000 years. In that history, our forebears have seen bondage and freedom, trial and triumph, high achievements and terrible disasters; today, too, as we recline in the luxury of our freedom, let us not forget how deeply our brothers and sisters in other places yearn for the simple necessity of release from their bondage.

You Don't Have to Be Jewish to Celebrate Freedom

Passover is a Jewish holiday, but it isn't just for Jews. We welcome our non-Jewish brothers and sisters to our celebration of liberation. Liberation from oppression is always a deep concern of Jews, because of our history. But Jews are not the only people who suffer under the yoke of oppression. We invite our friends and family to share this night with Jews all over the world, as we take this opportunity to celebrate our freedom and pray for the freedom of all those who suffer, wherever and whoever they may be.
The light of Passover is the light of freedom; the hope of passover is the hope of freedom. Our ancestors suffered in the darkness of slavery and dreamed of their liberty; some of our brothers and sisters must yet do the same. In the flame of the Passover candle we celebrate the light of freedom, the light that gives life.

The Seder plate is the center of the Pesach ritual.
On it rests the Egg, the Parsley (Karpas) and salt water, the Charosas (Wine, Nuts and Apples), the Shankbone, the Maror (Bitter herbs - Horseradish) and the Matzah (unleavened bread).

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BORUCH ATTO ADONOI ELOHENU MELECH HO'OLOM BORE P'RI HAGGOFEN

The celebrants wash hands.

Karpas (Parsley)

In Mitzrayim, our ancestors awoke from their sleep in chains to the life of freedom; in the long wandering out of bondage, our people were reborn into a new life.

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BORUCH ATTO ADONOI ELOHENU MELECH HO'OLOM BORE P'RI HO'ADOMO

(Take the parsley, symbol of spring and hope, and dip it into the salt water, symbol of the bitterness and tears of our people, and eat it.)

YACHATZ

From the host takes the middle piece, breaks it in two, and wraps one of the halves in a napkin. This special Matzah is called the Afikomen and will serve as the final dessert of the supper. It is customary to hide the Afikomen so that the children may search and find it at the conclusion of the meal, and receive token gifts for its return.

Raise the tray with the matzot and say:

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HO LACH-MO AN-YO, DEE A-CHO-LOO AV-HO-SO-NO B'AR-O D'MEETZ-RA-YEEM.

This is the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat; whoever is in need, let him come and conduct the Seder of Passover. This year [we are] here; next year in the land of Israel. This year [we are] slaves; next year [we will be] free people.

The tray with the matzot is moved aside, and the second cup is POURED.(Do not drink it yet).

Now the child asks "Mah Nishtana?"

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MA NISH-TA-NA HA-LAI-LOH HA-ZEH, MI-KOL HA-LAY-LOT?

What makes this night different from all [other] nights?
On all nights we need not dip even once, on this night we do so twice!
On all nights we eat chametz or matzah, and on this night only matzah.
On all nights we eat any kind of vegetables, and on this night maror!
On all nights we eat sitting upright or reclining, and on this night we all recline!

"We were slaves. . ."

Can you identify the 4 types of sons in politics?

Four thousand years ago, our forefather, Jacob, was a wanderer, owning flocks and many tents. In a time of famine, he went down to Egypt and settled there with his family. One of his sons, Joseph, was already the Prime Minister. Pharaoh, King of Egypt, loved Joseph and gave all his family the good land of Goshen to live in. And the children of Jacob (Israel) prospered there for many generations.

But there arose a new king over Egypt who feared the Jews because they were different. And he said to his people, "Look at how rich and how powerful are these children of Israel. If war comes, they may join themselves to our enemies and fight against us." This unfortunate fear has reappeared many times throughout our long history.

Therefore, Pharaoh made slaves of our ancestors and set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. He tried to subdue them by making them gather straw to make bricks, so that they could build cities for him upon the plain. He tried to reduce their numbers by casting their male children into the river. And the lives of our ancestors became bitter with pain.

But one Jewish mother, trying to save her son, placed him in the river in a little boat of reeds, trusting to the current rather than man's cruelty - and so the great story of Moses begins. It goes on to tell of how Pharaoh's daughter found and loved the child, and took for her own, and that, without knowing, hired Moses' own mother to be his nurse.

Moses grew up and became determined to free his people from bondage. Once, while alone in the desert, he had a strange and marvelous experience with a burning bush. This experience taught him that BEING (and BECOMING) is the very purpose of life. Liberation became his mission. The ancient story tells of how Moses went repeatedly to the Pharaoh, asking that the Egyptians let the Jews go -- but Pharaoh would not; his heart hardened more each time that Moses asked.

But Moses feared not; his compassion and pride made him persistent. And then, the legend says, came the PLAGUES, one by one, descending upon Egypt. Here are the Ten Plagues, as they are listed in the Bible story; for each, we diminish the wine in our cups, to give expression to our sorrow for the pain and loss which each plague exacted of other humans, even our ancient oppressors.

Pouring a drop of wine for each plague:

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DOM. TZ'FAR-DAY-A. KI-NEEM. O-ROV. DE-VER. SH'CHEEN. BO'ROD. ARBEH. CHO-SHECH. MA-KAS B'CHO-ROS.

Blood. Frogs. Gnats. Flies. Diseased cattle. Boils. Hail. Locusts. Darkness. Slaying of the First Born.

Many Egyptians perished, and their suffering was great. Each time a plague appeared, Pharaoh agreed to let the Jews go.

But each time the plague vanished, Pharaoh relented. Finally, amidst great sorrowing over the death of his first-born, Pharaoh ordered Moses to take his people out of the land.

And Moses did, and the people arose from the midst of their oppressors, and fled from their bondage.

In each and every generation, it is a man's duty to regard himself as though he went forth out of Egypt, as it is said: And thou shalt tell thy son in that day...

Take the Matzot in the order that they are lying on the tray - the broken piece between the two whole Matzot;
hold them in your hand and recite the following blessing:
Blessed are You, L-rd, our G-d, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

Do not break anything off the Matzot. First put down the third Matza (the bottom one), and recite the following blessing over the broken Matza and the top one.

When reciting the following blessing, have in mind that it refers also to the eating of the "Sandwich" of Korech - which will be made with the third Matza - and also the eating of the Afikoman.

Blessed are You, L-rd, our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the eating of Matza.
Now break off a kezayit (the volume of one olive) of the 2 Matzot held, and eat the 2 pieces together in reclining position.

Now take the volume of one olive of the Maror, dip it into the Charoset -but then shake off the Kharoset that stuck to it, so that the bitter taste will not be neutralized.

Recite the following blessing:

Blessed are You, L-rd, our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the eating of Maror.

Now eat the Maror, without reclining.

Take the third Matza, and also a volume of one olive of the Chazeret - which is to be dipped into Kharoset.

Combine the two [like a sandwich], and say the following:

Thus did Hilel do at the time of the Bet HaMikdash: He would combine Passover - lamb, Matza and Maror and eat them together, as it said:

"They shall eat it with Matza and bitter herbs." Now eat them together - in the reclining position.

Is the Jewish cooking healthy?

After the meal, take the Afikoman and divide it among all the members of the household, by giving everyone a kezayit (the volume of one olive).

Take care not to drink after the Afikoman.

It is to be eaten in the reclining position and this ought to be done before midnight.

Cup of Elijah

Many centuries ago, there lived a prophet whose name was Elijah. He was a brave man who denounced the slavery of his day. Legend has it that he never died and that he will return some day to announce the coming of a new world in which war, human cruelty, and the enslavement of one person by another will find no place. In his image, he embodies the vision of all wise people, his spirit brings a message of hope for the future, brings faith in the goodness of humanity, and brings the assurance that freedom will come to all.

Let us open the door and invite Elijah to enter and join with us as we drink the wine of our freedom.

(Fill the cups with wine; open door; all rise)

May the spirit of Elijah enter the hearts of all of us, and inspire us to build a good world, in which justice and freedom shall be the inheritance of all people. Elijah Hanavi

(All raise glasses of wine and say:)

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          AY-LEE-YA-HOO HA-NO-VEE.     
          AY-LEE-YA-HOO HA-TISH-BEE.     
          AY-LEE-YA-HOO AY-LEE-YA-HOO AY-LEE-YA-HOO HA-GI-LA-DEE.     
      
We raise the last cup of wine and affirm our unity with all people in the     
struggles for human freedom.     
     
  

              
        May slavery give way to freedom.        
        May hate give way to love.        
        May ignorance give way to wisdom.        
        May despair give way to hope.        
        Next year, at this time, may everyone, everywhere, be free! 

Abroad it is customary to say this hymn on the first evening: So and it came to pass at midnight... Mighty is He! He will build His house up soon again. Speedily, speedily, in our days and soon again.

ECHAD MI YODEA - ECHAD ANI YODEA

Had Gadia