Passover 2020 - Dessen Haggadah

Passover 2020
Dessen Haggadah

Table of Contents
Let Us Begin ............................................................................................................. 1
Candle Lighting ..............................................................................................................................1
Blessing of the Children ..................................................................................................................2
Passover Seder Plate ......................................................................................................................2
Karpas................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Marror .................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Charoset ............................................................................................................................................................... 2
Zeroah .................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Beitzah.................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Prayer for a Pandemic ....................................................................................................................3
From Generation to Generation - Exodus, Holocaust, and 9-11 ........................................................4
Kadesh ....................................................................................................................... 5
Four Cups of Wine ..........................................................................................................................5
First Cup of Wine ...........................................................................................................................5
Urchatz (Hand Washing) ....................................................................................... 6
Karpas (Dipping and Eating the Green Vegetable) ....................................... 6
Song of Songs ................................................................................................................................6
Yachatz (Breaking the Middle Matzah) ............................................................... 7
Maggid (Telling the Story) ................................................................................... 7
Ha Lachma Anya ............................................................................................................................7
Exodus … Movement of Jah People ................................................................................................8
The Four Questions ........................................................................................................................8
The Answer....................................................................................................................................9
Avadim Hayinu ..................................................................................................................................................... 9
The Rabbis Pull an All-Nighter .............................................................................................................................. 9
The Four Children ............................................................................................................................................... 10
The Ten Plagues ................................................................................................................................................. 11
Leaving Egypt ..................................................................................................................................................... 12
Struggle and Oppression Continue ................................................................................................ 12
Ani Maamin ........................................................................................................................................................ 13
Elijah (Eliyahu Hanavi) .................................................................................................................. 14
Miriam’s Cup ............................................................................................................................... 14
Dayenu ........................................................................................................................................ 15
Think About Dayenu in 2020 .............................................................................................................................. 15
Three Passover Symbols; Pesach, Matzah, and Marror .................................................................. 16
Pesach ................................................................................................................................................................ 16
Matzah ............................................................................................................................................................... 16
Marror ................................................................................................................................................................ 16
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Table of Contents
Second Cup of Wine ..................................................................................................................... 16
Motzi Matzah .......................................................................................................... 17
Marror (Bitter Herbs) ........................................................................................... 18
Korech ..................................................................................................................... 18
Shulchan Orech ..................................................................................................... 18
Tzafun ..................................................................................................................... 19
Barech ..................................................................................................................... 19
Kos Eliyahu .................................................................................................................................. 20
Fourth Cup of Wine ...................................................................................................................... 20
Poem for Freedom ....................................................................................................................... 21
The New Colossus .............................................................................................................................................. 21
Nirtzah ................................................................................................................... 22
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Let Us Begin
Passover is the story of freedom. The Seder tells us of the Exodus
from Egypt over 3,000 years ago.
By celebrating this holiday, we obey the commandment to teach the
story of Passover to our children.
We pray for a better world, and this year we pray for an end to the
coronavirus pandemic that has turned all our lives upside down.
Candle Lighting
We begin the celebration by lighting the holiday candles
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who makes us
holy with commandments and commands us to light the (Shabbat
and) festival lights.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who has kept us
alive, sustained us, and enabled us to celebrate this joyous occasion.
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Blessing of the Children
May God Bless you and keep you.
May God shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May God look upon you and give you peace.
Passover Seder Plate
Each item on the Seder plate symbolizes a part of Passover.
Karpas is a green vegetable that symbolizes the arrival of spring,
rebirth, and rejuvenation.
Marror is a bitter herb that symbolizes the bitterness the Jews faced
as slaves in Egypt.
Charoset is a mixture of nuts, fruit, and wine that symbolizes brick
and mortar and the slaves’ hard labor.
Zeroah is a roasted shank bone that symbolizes the lamb offering at
the time of the Temple in Jerusalem and symbolizes the
"outstretched arm" God used to bring the Jews out of slavery.
Beitzah is a roasted egg that symbolizes mourning and rebirth, the
circle of life, and the festival offering at the time of the Temple in
Jerusalem.
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Prayer for a Pandemic
By Cameron Bellm
May we who are merely inconvenienced
Remember those whose lives are at stake.
May we who have no risk factors
Remember those most vulnerable.
May we who have the luxury of working from home
Remember those who must choose between preserving their health
or making their rent.
May we who have the flexibility to care for our children when their
schools close
Remember those who have no options.
May we who have to cancel our trips
Remember those that have no safe place to go.
May we who are losing our margin money in the tumult of the
economic market
Remember those who have no margin at all.
May we who settle in for a quarantine at home
Remember those who have no home.
As fear grips our country,
let us choose love.
During this time when we cannot physically wrap our arms around
each other,
Let us yet find ways to be the loving embrace of God to our
neighbors.
Amen.
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From Generation to Generation - Exodus, Holocaust, and 9-11
Tonight, along with Jews throughout the world, we sit down to begin
our Seder. We tell a story that has been retold year after year for
over 3,000 years. The story of the Exodus from Egypt reminds us of
the hardships and bitterness that our ancestors endured while
slaves in Egypt. The Exodus also celebrates freedom. Not only is it
essential to tell this story on Passover, but the Torah also commands
it. We discuss the Exodus so that each generation knows the
struggles of the Jewish people and the importance of freedom.
For this same reason, we must also teach our children about the
Holocaust. Our responsibility to talk with our children about Jewish
hardships must not end with the Exodus but must also include other
historical difficulties. Understanding these struggles binds Jews
throughout the world as one nation.
Tonight, we also remember those who lost family and friends in the
September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center. We
remember them always—but especially on Passover—because
Passover represents freedom. On 9-11, terrorists attacked not only
the buildings but also the freedoms we hold so dear and sometimes
take for granted. While the 9-11 tragedies were not limited to the
Jewish people, the attacks violate the freedoms so fundamental to
us, both as Jews and Americans, that it is appropriate to remember
and discuss these tragedies during the Passover Seder. We
remember those who died and those whose lives were forever
changed, both Jews and non-Jews alike.
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Kadesh
Kadesh means to sanctify. But what does sanctify mean? It means to
make holy or special. We make tonight special by telling our
children about our ancestors’ Exodus from Egypt. And by relating
the Exodus to the struggles of Jews throughout history and the
struggles of everyone ever oppressed. Some oppressions come from
outside, but some come from within ourselves.
We pray tonight for those who suffer from inner struggles and hope
that they can experience freedom from their suffering.
Four Cups of Wine
On this night we drink four cups of wine. Each cup represents one of
the four promises God made to the Jewish people in Egypt.
1. I will free you from the forced labor of the Egyptians.
2. I will deliver you from bondage.
3. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through
mighty acts and judgment.
4. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God.
First Cup of Wine
“To life, to life L ’Chaim, L ‘Chaim, L ‘Chaim to life.” From Fiddler
on the Roof to welcoming Shabbat, from bris to wedding ceremony,
Jews celebrate with wine, as a symbol of joy. We sanctify this
celebration by drinking the first cup of wine.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who creates the
fruit of the vine. (Drink the Wine)
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Urchatz (Hand Washing)
We wash our hands to prepare to eat the Karpas and to
symbolize the ritual cleansing during the time of the Temple.
For how long should we wash our hands? The answer in 2020 is
twenty-seconds.
Karpas (Dipping and Eating the Green Vegetable)
The green vegetable represents the coming of spring. The
saltwater into which we dip the vegetable symbolizes the
tears our ancestors shed in Egypt. May we never be so
complacent that we forget the pain of others.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, Creator of the
fruit of the earth.
Song of Songs
In honor of the coming of spring, we read from the Song
of Songs.
Come, my beloved, my lovely one, come.
Behold, winter is past, the rains are over and gone,
Flowers appear on earth.
The season for singing has come,
The song of the dove is heard in our land.
The fig tree is forming its first green figs,
And the blossoming vines smell so great.
Come then, my beloved, my lovely one, come.
Come, my beloved, let us go to the fields.
We'll spend the night in the village,
And in early morning we'll visit the vineyards.
We'll see if the grapes have blossomed,
If the pomegranate trees are in flower.
For then shall I give you the gift of my love.
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Yachatz (Breaking the Middle Matzah)
We take the middle of the three Matzahs and break
it in two. We place the smaller piece back in-between
the other two Matzahs. We wrap the larger piece in a napkin, and it
becomes the Afikomen, from the Greek word for dessert. Later in
the evening, we will need the Afikomen to finish the Seder.
Maggid (Telling the Story)
Ha Lachma Anya
We are now ready to begin the storytelling part of the Seder. We
start by reciting Ha Lachma Anya, which reminds us of the
importance of social responsibility and freedom.
• We invite whoever is hungry to eat with us.
• We invite whoever is in need to join in our celebration.
• We view ourselves as still in bonds.
• We hope that next year brings freedom to everyone.
This is the bread of affliction, the poor bread our ancestors ate as
slaves in Egypt. Let all who are hungry come and eat. Let all who
are needy share the hope of this Passover celebration. This year we
are here, next year may we be in the land of Israel. This year we are
still in bonds, next year may we all be free.
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Exodus … Movement of Jah People
We now tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt. We
begin by asking questions. Questioning is a sign of
freedom; it shows that we are free to investigate and to satisfy
our curiosity. We encourage everyone to ask questions, but
especially our children. It is our responsibility to let our children
know that they are encouraged to ask questions and seek
knowledge. It is also our responsibility to answer their questions.
The Four Questions
Why is this night different from all other nights?
1. On all other nights we eat both leavened bread and unleavened
bread; why on this night do we eat only unleavened bread?
2. On all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs; why on this night
do we eat especially bitter herbs?
3. On all other nights we do not usually dip our foods even once;
why on this night do we dip twice?
4. On all other nights we eat while sitting up straight or
reclining; why on this night do we only recline?
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The Answer
We answer the four questions by telling the Passover story, which
reminds us of the importance of freedom.
Avadim Hayinu l’faroh b’mitzrayim. Vayotzieinu Adonai Eloheinu
misham, b’yad chazakah uvizroa n’tuyah
We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and God brought us out from
there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. If God had not
brought us out of Egypt, then we, our children, and our
grandchildren would still be slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt. It is a
mitzvah to tell about the Exodus from Egypt. And whoever
elaborates on it is praiseworthy.
The Rabbis Pull an All-Nighter
During the Seder, we speak about five rabbis that spent the whole
night talking about the Exodus from Egypt.
It once happened that Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua,
Rabbi Elazar Ben Azaryah, Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi
Tarfon were reclining in Bnei Brak. They were
discussing the Exodus from Egypt all that night until
their students came and said to them: "Our teachers, the
time has arrived to read the morning Shema."
Why is this story important? It is important because it shows us
that even the wisest and knowledgeable rabbis can find new
meaning and lessons from the story of Exodus. It shows us that we
should never stop learning.
“In learning you will teach,
And in teaching you will learn”
(Phil Collins. “Son of Man” 1999)
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The Four Children
Four times the Torah tells parents to teach their children
about Passover. Each time represents one of the four types of
children. To each child, we must respond differently, according to
the child, the question, the situation, and the need.
The wise children ask, "What is the meaning of the rules that God
has commanded?" We respond to the wise children by explaining the
Passover observances, and by teaching them everything about the
holiday and its customs. Their minds are open to learning. We also
discuss with them the concepts of freedom and justice.
The wicked children ask, "What is the meaning of this Seder to
you?" By saying "to you," the wicked children exclude themselves
from the group and the Jewish community. We respond to the
wicked children by telling them that we participate in the Seder
because of what God did for us when he took us out of Egypt. We
explain that if they were in Egypt, they would not have been freed.
The simple children ask, "What does this mean?" We respond to the
simple children by telling them that a long time ago we were forced
to work as slaves in Egypt. Then God led us to freedom. And tonight,
we celebrate our freedom.
The children who do not know how to ask; for them, we take the
initiative to tell them the Passover story.
While we traditionally talk about four different types of children, we
can think of ourselves in each one’s role.
• There are times you are wise,
• There are times you are bad,
• There are times you do not fully understand, and
• There are times you do not understand at all.
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The Ten Plagues
Pharoh, Egypt’s ruler, refused to let the Jews leave.
Pharaoh would not give the Jews their freedom. So God
brought ten plagues upon the Egyptians. Pharaoh could have let the
Jews leave at any time, but it took ten plagues before Pharaoh
agreed to let the Jews go.
As we recall the ten plagues that God inflicted upon the Egyptians,
we dip a finger into our wine ten times. While we celebrate our
freedom and triumph over slavery, our happiness cannot be
complete since others were sacrificed for its sake. We dip one time
for each plague so that we are not so overwhelmed with joy that we
forget the suffering of others, even our enemies.
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Leaving Egypt
After God delivered the ten plagues, Pharaoh agreed to let the Jews
go. Leaving Egypt as quickly as they could, the Jews did not have
time for their dough to rise. The dough baked in the hot sun and
became matzah.
Then Pharaoh changed his mind and chased after the Jews. Caught
between drowning in the sea in front of them or facing the Egyptian
army behind them, the Jews did not know what to do. Then, God
miraculously split the Red Sea, and the Jews crossed safely. When
the Egyptians entered the sea, the waters closed, and the Egyptian
army drowned. The Jews were now free.
“Free at last, Free at last, Thank God almighty we are free at last.”
(Martin Luther King, Jr., “I Have a Dream.” August 28, 1963)
Struggle and Oppression Continue
The struggle for freedom is constant. Every age brings new
freedoms. Yet each age also creates more Pharaohs. We must work
towards a time when everyone will be free from oppression.
On this Seder night, we recall with anguish and love the six million
Jews of Europe who were destroyed at the hands of a modern-day
Pharaoh, one far worse than Pharaoh of Egypt. We must never
forget their memory. We remember the Holocaust and tell our
children about its atrocities.
The memory of the six million Jews who died at the hands of the
Nazis will never be forgotten, and the light of their hope will never
be extinguished.
We now read an excerpt from "Ani Maamin," a poem by Elie Wiesel
about Passover in the concentration camps.
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Ani Maamin
A camp. An inmate.
A creature without a name. A man without a face.
Without a destiny,
It is night.
The first night of Passover.
The camp is asleep. He alone is awake.
He talks to himself soundlessly.
I hear his words, I capture his silence.
To himself, to me, He is saying:
I have not partaken of Matzot, nor of Marror.
I have not emptied the four cups, symbols of the four deliverances.
I did not invite the hungry to share my repast, or even the hunger.
No longer have I a son to ask me the four questions,
No longer have I the strength to answer.
The parable of Chad Gadya is misleading:
God will not come to slay the slaughterer.
The innocent victims will go unavenged.
The ancient wish—Leshana Habaa Bi-Yerushalayim—
Will not be granted.
I shall not be in Jerusalem next year. Or anywhere else.
Next year I shall not be. And then,
How do I know that Jerusalem is there, Far away.
That Jerusalem is not here?
Still, I recite the Haggadah as though I believe in it.
And I wait the prophet Elijah, as I did long ago.
I open my heart to him and say: Welcome, prophet of the promise,
Welcome, herald of redemption. Come, share in my story.
Come, rejoice with the Dead that we are.
Empty the cup that bears your name.
Come to us,
Come to us on this Passover night: We are in Egypt,
And we are the ones to suffer God's plagues.
Come, friend of the poor, Defender of the oppressed,
Come. I shall wait for you.
And even if you disappoint me, I shall go on waiting.
Ani Maamin
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Elijah (Eliyahu Hanavi)
On the table is a cup of wine known as "Kos Eliyahu" in honor of the
prophet Elijah. During his lifetime, Elijah challenged injustice and
fought for the poor and oppressed. His spirit returns each year to
wish everyone a year of peace and freedom.
During the Seder, we open our doors and our hearts to let Elijah’s
spirit enter our celebration.
Miriam’s Cup
On the table is a cup filled with water known as Miriam’s Cup, in
honor of the prophetess Miriam.
But why do we fill Miriam's cup with water and not wine?
We fill Miriam’s Cup with water to symbolize Miriam’s Well, the
source of water for the Jews during their journey through the desert.
God gave Miriam the well to honor her bravery and devotion.
Miriam’s Well held Divine power to heal and renew. Its waters
sustained us as we were transformed into a free nation.
We fill Miriam's cup with water to honor her role in ensuring the
survival of the Jewish people. We place Miriam’s Cup on the Seder
table to honor the important role of Jewish women in our tradition
and history, whose stories have been too sparingly told.
We recite the following prayer in honor of Miriam.
You abound in blessings, God, Creator of the universe,
who sustains us with living water.
May we, like children of Israel leaving Egypt, be guarded
and nurtured and kept alive in the wilderness, and may
You give us wisdom to understand that the journey itself
holds the promise of redemption. (Rabbi Susan Schnur)
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Dayenu
God did many wonderful things for the Jews. He brought us out of
Egypt, gave us the Shabbat, gave us the Torah, and brought us into
the land of Israel. Any one of these acts would have been enough.
We sing Dayenu, which means "that would have been enough," to
show our gratefulness for all that God has done for the Jewish
people.
Ilu hotzianu mimitzrayim -
Dayenu
Ilu natan lanu et hashabbat -
Dayenu
Ilu natan lanu et hatorah -
Dayenu
Ilu hichnisanu l'eretz yisra'eil -
Dayenu
אִ‏ לּ וּ ה וֹ צִ‏ י אָ‏ נ וּ מִ‏ מִּ‏ צְ‏ רָ‏ יִ‏ ם
דַּ‏ יֵּ‏ נוּ
אִ‏ לּוּ נָתַ‏ ן לָ‏ נוּ אֶ‏ ת הַ‏ שַּׁ‏ בָּ‏ ת
דַּ‏ יֵּ‏ נוּ
אִ‏ לּוּ נָתַ‏ ן לָ‏ נוּ אֶ‏ ת הַ‏ תּוֹרָ‏ ה
דַּ‏ יֵּ‏ נוּ
אִ‏ לּוּ הִ‏ כְ‏ נִ‏ יסָ‏ נוּ לְ‏ אֶ‏ רֶ‏ ץ יִ‏ שְׂ‏ רָ‏ אֵ‏ ל
דַּ‏ יֵּ‏ נוּ
If God had brought us out of Egypt, that would have been enough.
If God had given us the Shabbat, that would have been enough.
If God had given us the Torah, that would have been enough.
If God had brought us into the Land of Israel, that would have been
enough.
Think About Dayenu in 2020
What would be enough?
What is your 2020 Dayenu?
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Three Passover Symbols; Pesach, Matzah, and Marror
The Passover Seder is rich in symbolism. Yet, according to Rabbi
Gamliel, we have not fulfilled our responsibilities until we have
explained these three symbols: Pesach, Matzah, and Marror.
Pesach
Why did our ancestors eat the Pesach offering during the
time of the Temple?
Because God passed over the houses of the Jewish people
in Egypt when God struck the Egyptians.
Matzah
Why do we eat Matzah?
Because Matzah reminds us of the unleavened bread our
ancestors baked as they left Egypt.
Marror
Why do we eat Marror?
Because in every generation, each person should feel as
though he or she went forth from Egypt.
Second Cup of Wine
We drink the second cup of wine and self-reflect on our own
struggles. During troubled times, we must look to raise ourselves up.
But we need not do this on our own. When struggling, look to family
and friends for help.
“Happiness can be found in the darkest of times if one
only remembers to turn on the light.” (Albus Dumbledore)
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who creates the
fruit of the vine. (Drink the Wine)
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Rachtza
Before we eat, we wash our hands.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who sanctified us
with God's commandments and commanded us to wash our hands.
Motzi Matzah
We are approaching the meal. Before we eat, we say the blessing for
the meal and the blessing for the matzah.
Baruch ata adonai elohaynu melech haolam hamotzi lechem min
haaretz
Baruch ata adonai elohaynu melech haolam asher kideshanu
b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat matzah.
(Eat the Matzah)
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Marror (Bitter Herbs)
(Dip the bitter herbs in the Charoset)
Baruch ata adonai elohaynu melech haolam asher kideshanu
b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat marror
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who makes us
holy with commandments and commands us to eat marror
(Eat the bitter herbs in the Charoset)
Korech
(Make a sandwich with Matzah and Marror)
When the Temple still stood in Jerusalem, the sage Hillel originated
the tradition of eating matzah and marror together. In remembrance
of the Temple, we eat a sandwich of Matzah and Marror.
(Eat the Matzah and Marror sandwich)
Shulchan Orech
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Tzafun
We conclude our meal by eating the Afikomen.
Where is the Afikomen?
The Afikomen is missing.
Has anybody seen the Afikomen?
We cannot continue our meal without the Afikomen.
Barech
We have eaten, and our hunger is satisfied. Thank you, God, for our
meal and the opportunities you provide to us.
Third Cup of Wine
We drink the third cup of wine as we hope for a world where
everyone is treated equally and without prejudice.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who creates the
fruit of the vine. (Drink the Wine)
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Kos Eliyahu
We fill the fourth cup of wine and open the door for Elijah. Tradition
promises that when Elijah returns, all disputes will be resolved, and
there will be peace throughout the world.
We welcome Elijah by opening our door and singing Eliyahu Hanavi.
Eliyahu hanavi Eliyahu hatishbi Eliyahu, Eliyahu, Eliyahu hagiladi
Bimheirah b’yameinu, yavo eileinu Im mashiach ben-David Im
mashiach ben-David
Fourth Cup of Wine
We drink the fourth cup of wine to remind ourselves of our
responsibility to bring freedom to those enslaved, peace to those at
war, and food to those who hunger.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who creates the
fruit of the vine. (Drink the Wine)
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Poem for Freedom
Mother of Exiles
Emma Lazarus, a New York poet and the descendant of Jewish
immigrants, had spent her life writing about anti-Semitism and ethnic
prejudice, and in the 1880s, became a fierce advocate for Jewish
refugees fleeing a massacre in Russia. Her sonnet, “The New Colossus,”
reflected that conviction.
The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to
land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall
stand.
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows worldwide welcome; her mild eyes
command.
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
(Emma Lazarus: Selected Poems and Other Writings. 2002)
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Nirtzah
We have told the story of the Exodus from Egypt.
We have explained the symbols of the Passover Seder.
We have discussed the importance of freedom.
We appreciate the goodness in our lives.
But we understand that there are those less fortunate.
For them, we hope for better times.
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.
Next year, at this time, may we all be able to gather in person.
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