About the
Seder
The Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast held at the beginning
of the Jewish holiday of Passover.[1] The Seder is an
intergenerational family ritual prescribed according to Jewish law
and based on the interpretation of the Biblical verse commanding
Jews to retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt: "And you shall
tell it to your son on that day, saying, 'Because of this God did
for me when He took me out of Egypt.'" (Exodus 13:8)
Traditionally, families and friends gather in the evening to read
the text of the Haggadah, an ancient work derived from the seder
service prescribed by the Mishnah (Pesahim 10) including the
narrative of the Israelite exodus from Egypt, special blessings and
rituals, commentaries from the Talmud, and special Passover songs.
Seder customs include drinking of four cups of wine, eating matza
and partaking of symbolic foods placed on the Passover Seder Plate.
With a Haggadah serving as a guide, the Seder is performed in much
the same way by Jews all over the world.
Jews generally observe one or two seders: in Israel, one seder is
observed on the first night of Passover; in the Diaspora
communities other than Reform and Reconstructionist Jews hold a
seder also on the second night.
While many Jewish holidays revolve around the synagogue, the Seder
is conducted in the family home, although communal Seders are also
organized by synagogues, schools and community centers, some open
to the general public. It is customary to invite guests, especially
strangers and the needy. The Seder is integral to Jewish faith and
identity: as explained in the Haggadah, if not for divine
intervention and the Exodus, the Jewish people would still be
slaves in Egypt. Therefore, the Seder is an occasion for praise and
thanksgiving and for rededication to the idea of liberation.
Furthermore, the words and rituals of the Seder are a primary
vehicle for the transmission of the Jewish faith from grandparent
to child, and from one generation to the next. Attending a Seder
and eating matza on Passover is a widespread custom in the Jewish
community, even among those who are not religiously
observant.
Some Sephardi and Oriental Jews call the service the Haggadah, as
it constitutes the act of narrating. The full name for the ceremony
is Seder Haggadah, "the order of narration"; the word "Seder" is
applicable to any ceremony with a set order, for example Seder Leil
Shabbat (the Friday night service) or Seder Rosh Hashanah (the
service for the eve of the Jewish New Year).
Set-up of the
Seder
The Seder table is traditionally set with the finest place settings
and silverware, and family members come to the table dressed in
their holiday clothes. There is a tradition for the person leading
the Seder to wear a white robe called a kittel. For the first half
of the Seder, each participant will only need a plate and a wine
glass. At the head of the table is a Seder Plate containing various
symbolic foods that will be eaten or pointed out during the course
of the Seder. Placed nearby is a plate with three matzot and dishes
of salt water for dipping.
Each participant receives a copy of the Haggadah, which
is often a traditional version: an ancient text that contains the
complete Seder service. Men and women are equally obligated and
eligible to participate in the Seder. In many homes, each
participant at the Seder table will recite at least critical parts
of the Haggadah in the original Hebrew and Aramaic. Halakhah
requires that certain parts be said in language the participants
can understand, and critical parts are often said in both Hebrew
and the native language. The leader will often interrupt the
reading to discuss different points with his or her children, or to
offer a Torah insight into the meaning or interpretation of the
words.
In some homes, participants take turns reciting the text of the
Haggadah, in the original Hebrew or in translation. It is
traditional for the head of the household and other participants to
have pillows placed behind them for added comfort. At several
points during the Seder, participants lean to the left - when
drinking the four cups of wine, eating the Afikoman, and eating the
korech sandwich.
Themes of the
Seder
Slavery and freedom
The rituals and symbolic foods associated with the Seder evoke the
twin themes of the evening: slavery and freedom. The rendering of
time for the Hebrews was that a day began at sunset and ended at
sunset. Historically, at the beginning of the 15th of Nisan at
sunset in Ancient Egypt, the Jewish people were enslaved to
Pharaoh. After the tenth plague struck Egypt at midnight, killing
all the first-born sons in the land, Pharaoh let the Hebrew nation
go, effectively making them freedmen for the second half of the
night.
Thus, Seder participants recall the slavery that reigned during the
first half of the night by eating matzo (the "poor man's bread"),
maror (bitter herbs which symbolize the bitterness of slavery), and
charoset (a sweet paste representing the mortar which the Jewish
slaves used to cement bricks). Recalling the freedom of the second
half of the night, they eat the matzo (the "bread of freedom" and
also the "bread of affliction") and 'afikoman', and drink the four
cups of wine, in a reclining position, and dip vegetables into salt
water (the dipping being a sign of royalty and freedom, while the
salt water recalls the tears the Jews shed during their
servitude).
Table set for the beginning of the Passover Seder, including
Passover Seder Plate (front center), salt water, three shmurah
matzot (rear center), and bottles of kosher wine. A Hebrew language
Haggadah sits beside each place setting.
The Four Cups
There is an obligation to drink four cups of wine (or pure
grape juice) during the Seder. The Mishnah says (Pes. 10:1) that
even the poor are obligated to drink the four cups. Each cup is
imbibed at a specific point in the Seder. The first is for Kiddush
(קידוש), the second is for 'Magid' (מגיד), the third is
for Birkat Hamazon (ברכת המזון) and the fourth is for
Hallel (הלל).
The Four Cups represent the four expressions of deliverance
promised by God Exodus 6:6-7: "I will bring out," "I will deliver,"
"I will redeem," and "I will take."
The Vilna Gaon relates the Four Cups to four worlds: this world,
the Messianic age, the world at the revival of the dead, and the
world to come. The Maharal connects them to the four Matriarchs,
Sarah, Rebeccah, Rachel, and Leah. (The three matzot, in turn, are
connected to the three Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.) The
Abarbanel relates the cups to the four historical redemptions of
the Jewish people: the choosing of Abraham, the Exodus from Egypt,
the survival of the Jewish people throughout the exile, and the
fourth which will happen at the end of days. Therefore it is very
important.
Seder Plate
The Passover Seder Plate (ke'ara) is a special plate containing six
symbolic foods used during the Passover Seder. Each of the six
items arranged on the plate have special significance to the
retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The seventh
symbolic item used during the meal—a stack of three matzot—is
placed on its own plate on the Seder table.
The six items on the Seder Plate are:
* Maror and Chazeret; Two types of bitter herbs, symbolizing the
bitterness and harshness of the slavery which the Jews endured in
Ancient Egypt. For maror, many people use freshly grated
horseradish or whole horseradish root. Chazeret is typically
romaine lettuce, whose roots are bitter-tasting. Either the
horseradish or romaine lettuce may be eaten in fulfillment of the
mitzvah of eating bitter herbs during the Seder.
* Charoset; A sweet, brown, pebbly mixture, representing the mortar
used by the Jewish slaves to build the storehouses of Egypt.
* Karpas; A vegetable other than bitter herbs, usually parsley but
sometimes something such as celery or cooked potato, which is
dipped into salt water (Ashkenazi custom), vinegar (Sephardi
custom) or charoset (older custom, still common amongst Yemenite
Jews) at the beginning of the Seder.
* Z'roa; A roasted shank bone, symbolizing the korban Pesach
(Pesach sacrifice), which was a lamb offered in the Temple in
Jerusalem and was then roasted and eaten as part of the meal on
Seder night.
* Beitzah; A roasted egg, symbolizing the korban chagigah (festival
sacrifice) that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem and was then
eaten as part of the meal on Seder night.
Focus on the
children
Since the retelling of the Exodus to one's child is
the object of the Seder experience, much effort is made to arouse
the interest and curiosity of the children and keep them awake
during the meal. To that end, questions and answers are a central
device in the Seder ritual. By encouraging children to ask
questions, they will be more open to hearing the answers.
The most famous question which the youngest child asks at the Seder
is the Mah Nishtanah - "Why is this night different from all other
nights?" After the asking of these questions, the main portion of
the Seder, Magid, gives over the answers in the form of a
historical review. Also, at different points in the Seder, the
leader of the Seder will cover the matzot and lift his cup of wine;
then put down the cup of wine and uncover the matzot—all to
elicit questions from the children.
In Sephardic tradition, the questions are asked by the assembled
company in chorus rather than by a child, and are put to the leader
of the seder, who either answers the question or may direct the
attention of the assembled company to someone who is acting out
that particular part of the Exodus. Physical re-enactment of the
Exodus during the Passover seder is common in many families and
communities, especially amongst Sephardim.
Families will follow the Haggadah's lead by asking their own
questions at various points in the Haggadah and offering prizes
such as nuts and candies for correct answers. The afikoman, which
is hidden away for the "dessert" after the meal, is another device
used to encourage children's participation. In some families, the
leader of the Seder hides the afikoman and the children must find
it, whereupon they receive a prize or reward. In other homes, the
children hide the afikoman and the parent must look for it; when he
gives up, the children demand a prize (often money) for revealing
its location.
Order of the Seder
Kadeish (blessings and the first cup of
wine)
Kadeish is Hebrew Imperative for Kiddush. This Kiddush is a special
one for Passover, it refers to matzot and the Exodus from Egypt.
Acting in a way that shows freedom and majesty, most Jews have the
custom of filling each other's cups at the Seder table. The Kiddush
is normally said by the father of the house.
Ur'chatz (wash hands)
In traditional Jewish homes, it is common to ritually wash the
hands before a meal. According to most traditions, no blessing is
recited at this point in the Seder, unlike the blessing recited
over the washing of the hands before eating bread at any other
time. However, followers of Ramba"m or the Gaon of Vilna do recite
a blessing.
Karpas (appetizer)
Each participant dips a vegetable into either salt water
(Ashkenazi custom; said to serve as a reminder of the tears shed by
their enslaved ancestors), vinegar (Sephardi custom) or charoset
(older Sephardi custom; still common among Yemenite Jews). Another
custom mentioned in some Ashkenazi sources and probably originating
with Meir of Rothenburg[citation needed], was to dip the karpas in
wine.
Yachatz (breaking of the middle matzah)
The middle of the matzot on the Seder Plate is broken in two. The
larger piece is hidden, to be used later as the afikoman, the
"dessert" after the meal. The smaller piece is returned to its
place between the other two matzos.
Magid (The telling)
The story of Passover, and the change from slavery to freedom is
told. At this point in the Seder, Moroccan Jews have a custom of
raising the Seder plate over the heads of all those present while
chanting "Bivhilu yatzanu mimitzrayim, halahma anya b'nei horin"
(In haste we went out of Egypt [with our] bread of affliction, [now
we are] free people).
The matzot are uncovered, and referred to as the "bread of
affliction". Participants declare (in Aramaic) an invitation to all
who are hungry or needy to join in the Seder. Halakha requires that
this invitation be repeated in the native language of the
country.
Mah Nishtanah (The Four Questions)
The Mishna details questions one is obligated to ask on the night
of the seder. It is customary for the youngest child present to
recite the four questions.Some customs hold that the other
participants recite them quietly to themselves as well. In some
families, this means that the requirement remains on an adult
"child" until a grandchild of the family receives sufficient Jewish
education to take on the responsibility. If a person has no
children capable of asking, the responsibility falls to his wife,
or another participant. The need to ask is so great that even if a
man is alone at the seder he is obligated to ask himself and to
answer his own questions.
Ma nishtana ha lyla ha zeh mikkol hallaylot?
Why is this night different from all other nights?
1. Shebb'khol hallelot en anu matbillin afillu pa‘am eḥat,
vehallayla hazze sh'tei fe‘amim.
Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip [our food] even
once, but on this night we dip them twice?
2. Shebb'khol hallelot anu okh’lin ḥamets umatsa, vehallayla
hazze kullo matsa.
Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat either
leavened bread or matza, but on this night we eat only matza?
3. Shebb'khol hallelot anu okh’lin sh’ar y'rakot, vehallayla
hazze maror.
Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables,
but on this night we eat bitter herbs?
4. Shebb'khol hallelot anu okh’lin ben yosh’vin uven m'subbin,
vehallayla hazze kullanu m'subbin.
Why is it that on all other nights we dine either sitting upright
or reclining, but on this night we all recline?
A fifth question which is present in the mishnah has been removed
by later authorities due to its inapplicability after the
destruction of the temple is:
5. Shebb'khol hallelot anu okh’lin basar tsali shaluk umvushal,
vehallayla hazze kullo tsali.
Why is it that on all other nights we eat meat either roasted,
marinated, or cooked, but on this night it is entirely
roasted?
The Four Sons
The Haggadah speaks of "four sons"—one who is
wise, one who is wicked, one who is simple, and one who does not
know to ask. Each of these sons phrase the question, "What is the
meaning of this service?" in different ways. The Haggadah
recommends answering each son according to his question, using one
of the three verses in the Torah that refer to this father-son
exchange.
The wise son, who inquires "What is the meaning of the statutes and
laws that God has commanded you to do?", is answered with "You
should reply to him the laws of pesach: one may not eat any dessert
after the paschal sacrifice.", which seems at first glance to be a
nonsequitur. This has been interpreted, however, as the son who
already knows the facts becoming impatient with their recitation
and wishing to skip over them to a deeper analysis; the answer is
that it is absolutely required to retell the facts of the story
publicly, for the edification of all attendees, whatever their
level of knowledge.
The wicked son, who asks his father the seemingly similar, "What is
this service to you?", in fact differentiates himself by the
disinterested vagueness of his question, and is thus seen to be
isolating himself from the Jewish people, standing by objectively
and watching their behavior rather than participating. Therefore,
he is rebuked by the explanation that "It is because God acted for
my sake when I left Egypt." (This implies that the Seder is not for
the wicked son because the wicked son would not have deserved to be
freed from Egyptian slavery.) Where the four sons are illustrated
in the Haggadah, this son has frequently been depicted as wearing
stylish contemporary fashions.
The simple son, who asks, "What is this?" is answered with "With a
strong hand the Almighty led us out from Egypt, from the house of
bondage."
And the one who does not know to ask is told, "It is because of
what the Almighty did for me when I left Egypt."
Some modern Seders have taken to referring to the "Sons" as
"Children", and some have added a fifth child. The fifth child can
represent the children of the Shoah who did not survive to ask a
question or to Jews who have drifted so far from Jewish life that
they do not participate in a Seder. [1][2] For the former,
tradition is to say that for that child we ask "Why?" and, like the
simple son, we have no answer.
Four verses in Deuteronomy (26:5-8) are then expounded, with an
elaborate, traditional commentary. ("5. And thou shalt speak and
say before the Lord thy God: 'A wandering Aramean was my father,
and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number;
and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6. And
the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us
hard bondage. 7. And we cried unto the Lord, the God of our
fathers, and the Lord heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and
our toil, and our oppression. 8 And the Lord brought us forth out
of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great
terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders.")
The Haggadah explores the meaning of those verses, and embellishes
the story. This telling describes the slavery of the Jewish people
and their miraculous salvation by God. This culminates in an
enumeration of the Ten Plagues:
1. Dam (blood)—All the water was changed to blood
2. Tzefardeyah (frogs)—An infestation of frogs sprang up in
Egypt
3. Kinim (lice)—The Egyptians were afflicted by lice
4. Arov (wild animals)—An infestation of wild animals (some say
flies) sprang up in Egypt
5. Dever (pestilence)—A plague killed off the Egyptian
livestock
6. Sh'chin (boils)—An epidemic of boils afflicted the
Egyptians
7. Barad (hail)—Hail rained from the sky
8. Arbeh (locusts)—Locusts swarmed over Egypt
9. Choshech (darkness)—Egypt was covered in darkness
10. Makkat Bechorot (killing of the first-born)—All the
first-born sons of the Egyptians were slain by God
With the recital of the Ten Plagues, each participant
removes a drop of wine from his or her cup using a fingertip.
Although this night is one of salvation, the Sages explain that one
cannot be completely joyous when some of God's creatures had to
suffer. A mnemonic acronym for the plagues is also introduced:
"D'tzach Adash B'achav", while similarly spilling a drop of wine
for each word.
At this part in the Seder, songs of praise are sung, including the
song Dayeinu, which proclaims that had God performed any single one
of the many deeds performed for the Jewish people, it would have
been enough to obligate us to give thanks to Him.
Kos Sheini (Second Cup of
Wine)
Magid concludes with the drinking of the Second Cup of Wine.
Rohtzah (ritual washing of
hands)
The ritual hand-washing is repeated, this time with all customs
including a blessing.
Motzi Matzo (blessings over the
matzot)
Lifting all three matzot, we recite the regular blessing for bread,
then release the bottom matzo and recite the special blessing for
the mitzvah of matzo. We then eat a portion of matzo from the top
two matzot while leaning. (We can add more from other matzot as
necessary for all the people at the table but we leave the third
matzah for the Korech.)
The size of this portion of matzo should be no less than one half
of a hand matzo or two-thirds of a machine matzo. Ideally it should
be eaten within two minutes and not more than eighteen
minutes.
In the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, a third blessing would be
said at this time, asher kidishanu b'mitzvotov v'tzivanu l'echol et
hazevach (who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded
us to eat the Paschal sacrifice.)
To charoset, then the charoset is shaken off and the maror is eaten
as a symbol of former slavery. The amount eaten is required to be a
kazayis or kayazit (literally meaning the mass of an olive [3]), or
greater.
Koreich
(sandwich)
The matzo and maror are combined, similar to a sandwich, and eaten.
This follows the tradition of Hillel, who did the same at his Seder
table 2000 years ago (except that in Hillel's day the Paschal
sacrifice, matzo, and maror were eaten together.)
Shulchan Orech (the
meal)
The festive meal is eaten. Traditionally it begins with the
hard-boiled egg on the Seder plate.
Tzafun (eating of the
afikoman)
The afikoman, which was hidden earlier in the Seder, is
traditionally the last morsel of food eaten by participants in the
Seder.
Each participant receives an olive-sized portion of matzo to be
eaten as afikoman. After the consumption of the afikoman,
traditionally, no other food may be eaten for the rest of the
night. Additionally, no intoxicating beverages may be consumed,
with the exception of the remaining two cups of wine.
In some families, the children steal the afikoman and ask for a
reward for its return.
Bareich (Grace after
Meals)
The recital of Birkat
Hamazon.
Kos Shlishi (the Third Cup
of Wine)
The drinking of the Third Cup of Wine.
Note: The Third Cup is customarily poured before the Grace after
Meals is recited because the Third Cup also serves as a Cup of
Blessing associated with the Grace after Meals on special
occasions.
Kos shel Eliyahu ha-Navi (cup of
Elijah the Prophet)
In many traditions, the front door of the house is opened
at this point. Psalms 79:6-7 is recited in both Ashkenazi and
Sephardi traditions, plus Lamentations 3:66 among Ashkenazim.
Most Ashkenazim have the custom to fill a fifth cup at this point.
This cup is traditionally called the Kos shel Eliyahu ("Cup of
Elijah"). Traditionally, Elijah the Prophet visits each home on
Seder night as a foreshadowing of his future arrival at the end of
the days, when he will come to announce the coming of the Jewish
Messiah. Some Jewish feminists place a Cup of Miriam filled with
water beside the Cup of Elijah. The Passover Seder is traditionally
connected with the Messianic age.
Hallel (songs of praise)
The entire order of Hallel which is usually recited in the
synagogue on Jewish holidays is also recited at the Seder table,
albeit sitting down. The first two Psalms, 113-114, are recited
before the meal. The remaining Psalms of the Hallel proper, Psalms
113-118, are recited after the Grace after Meals, followed by Psalm
136.
Following Psalm 136, the Nishmat, a portion of the morning service
for Shabbat and festivals, is traditionally recited. There is a
divergence concerning the paragraph Yehalleluha which normally
follows Hallel. Ashkenazim recite it immediately following the
Hallel proper, i.e. at the end of Psalm 118. Sephardim recite it at
the end of Nishmat.
Afterwards the Fourth Cup of Wine is drunk and a brief Grace for
the "fruit of the vine" is said.
Nirtzah
The Seder concludes with a prayer that the night's service be
accepted. A hope for the Messiah is expressed: "L'shanah haba'ah
b'Yerushalayim! - Next year in Jerusalem!" Jews in Israel, and
especially those in Jerusalem, recite instead "L'shanah haba'ah
b'Yerushalayim hab'nuyah! - Next year in the rebuilt
Jerusalem!"
Although the 15 orders of the Seder have been complete, the
Haggadah concludes with additional songs which further recount the
miracles that occurred on this night in Ancient Egypt as well as
throughout history. Some songs express a prayer that the Beit
Hamikdash will soon be rebuilt. The last song to be sung is Chad
Gadya ("One Kid Goat"). This seemingly childish song about
different animals and people who attempted to punish others for
their crimes and were in turn punished themselves, was interpreted
by the Vilna Gaon as an allegory to the retribution God will levy
over the enemies of the Jewish people at the end of days.
Following the Seder, those who are still awake may recite the Song
of Songs, engage in Torah learning, or continue talking about the
events of the Exodus until sleep overtakes them.
Non-Traditional
Seders
Public Seders
The group of people who hold a Passover Seder together is referred
to in the Talmud (tractate Pesachim) as a chavurah (group). In the
Far East, for example, Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries regularly
conduct Seders for hundreds of visiting students, businesspeople
and Jewish travelers. The Chabad Seder in Katmandu regularly
attracts more than 1,200 participants. In 2006, the Federation of
Jewish Communities of the CIS and Baltic Countries organized over
500 public Seders throughout the Former Soviet Union, led by local
rabbis and Chabad rabbinical students, drawing more than 150,000
attendees in total.
In Israel, where permanent residents only observe one Seder,
overseas students learning in yeshivas and women's seminaries are
often invited in groups up to 100 for "second-day Seders" hosted by
outreach organizations and private individuals.
Messianic Seders
Many Messianic Jews celebrate Passover, observing
all or most of the traditional observances, but adding additional
readings or sacraments found in Christianity and Messianic Judaism.
Additional readings may be from the Berit Chadashah (Hebrew for New
Covenant), Messianic prophecies such as those found in Isaiah, or
prayers containing Messianic elements. Additionally, the Tzafun and
the Kos Shlishi are sometimes done in conjunction with communion,
citing that Yeshua instituted communion right after dinner, which
is where the eating of the afikoman and drinking of the third cup
takes place in a traditional Seder. There are various Messianic
Haggadahs used to perform a Seder in the traditional family
setting, at a Messianic Congregation, at a church for explaining
Passover to gentiles, or in a public setting for all to attend.
However, many Jews believe this is blasphemous and deceptively
tries to mislead Jews into converting to Christianity.
Christian Seders
Many Christians, and Evangelical Protestants in particular, have
recently taken great interest in performing seders according to the
ancient rubric. Many churches host Seders, usually adding a
Christian (Messianic Passover) message, and many times inviting
Messianic Jews to lead and teach on it. Many Christians cite to the
meal as a way to connect with the heritage of their own religion
and to see how the practices of the ancient world are still
relevant to Christianity today.
Interfaith Seders
A number of congregations hold interfaith Seders where Jews and
non-Jews alike share in the story and discuss common themes of
peace, freedom, and religious tolerance.[citation needed] During
the American Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, interfaith Seders
energized and inspired leaders from various communities who came
together to march for equal protection for all.[citation needed]
Today, many Unitarian Universalist congregations (a liberal
religion that encompasses many faith traditions) hold annual
interfaith community Seders. A number of Interfaith Passover Seder
Haggadahs have been written especially for this purpose.[citation
needed]
Seders in the White House
The staff of the Office of the President of the United States have
held seders since at least the Clinton administration of the late
1990s. On April 7, 2009 President Obama added a second-night seder
to his official schedule, to be observed April 9, 2009. This is the
first time that a sitting president is known to have hosted and
observed a seder at the White House.
