Kolel: Jewish Holidays

Passover Contents

Introduction
The Passover Seder
Suggestions for Families with Young children
Maggid: The Four Children
Haggadot and Links

The Seder Table

Various symbolic items that grace the seder table. Each can have traditional as well as contemporary meanings.

Three Matzot under a cover: These represent: Miriam, Aaron and Moses or Cohen, Levi, Yisrael or man, woman and God or.... Take a few moments during your Seder to decide what your three matzot stand for. An additional piece of Matzah may also be added to represent those still living under oppression who may not be able to be present at the seder.

Cup for Elijah: It is traditional to have an extra cup of wine for Elijah the Prophet, who is the one who will come to announce the coming of the Messianic age. This cup represents all the "unfinished business" of our world, or the Messianic hope for redemption, or... Talk about who Elijah was. Are there any "messengers of peace" who live among us now? Some families fill the cup at the beginning of the Seder. Others leave it empty, and at that point in the Haggadah, everyone pours a bit from their own cups into the Elijah cup to fill it, symbolizing our need to work together for redemption. Or do one way one night, another the second.

Cup for Miriam: Today a new tradition has developed to include a cup for Miriam, the older sister of Moses, who was also a prophet. A midrash explains that it was due to the merit of the young Miriam that Moses' life was saved as an infant and he (and she) were able to lead the Israelites to freedom. Miriam led the women and children in song, and it was in her name that the Israelites were provided with fresh water to drink throughout their years of wandering in the wilderness. For this reason, Miriam's cup is usually filled not with wine but with fresh water.

Salt Water: This represents the tears of slavery. Other traditions associate it with the waters of the Red Sea. We also wash during the Seder. What is the symbolism of water to you? What are the differences between salt water for dipping and unsalted water for washing?

Pillows: It is customary to recline during the Seder. Try really reclining this year, on a fluffy pillow.

Clothing: It is traditional for the Seder leader(s) to wear white.

The Seder Plate

Karpas: any green vegetable, (traditionally parsley or celery – some families use potato!)
Haroset: recipes (see below), try a few different kinds!
Maror: horseradish, or grated bitter herb, or any bitter lettuce, traditionally Romaine; substitute endive or radicchio.
Beitzah: a roasted egg, represents new life. Non-Ovo Vegetarians: use an avocado seed.
Zeroa: shank bone. Vegetarians: the Talmud suggests use of a cut, broiled beet, which will have the same look of "blood".
Hazeret: an additional bitter herb. If you use bitter lettuce for Maror, use horseradish here.

Tapuz: an orange. A new tradition is the inclusion of an orange on the seder plate. An orange on the seder plate!? Exactly. The origins of this are usually explained that Susanna Heschel was speaking and a man challenged her with: "a woman belongs on the bimah like an orange on the seder plate". This story has taken a life of its own, but Heschel Susannah herself has set the record straight in a number of publications (and web sites). She had substituted (a tangerine, originally) instead of bread! that some Jewish lesbians were using because according to some rabbi 'lesbians' belonged to Judaism like bread on a seder plate. Regardless of the original account, the orange has come to represent the empowerment of Jewish women, and to many people the orange now stands for the inclusion of all who have been marginalized. Our family uses a blood orange- since blood is a dominant symbol in the Passover story.

What new meanings might you give to the symbols of Karpas, Matzah, Maror and the Egg? What other symbols would you add to the Seder plate?

The Passover Seder

Planning Your Seder

Preparation is key. Take advantage of the preceding weekend to count the number of people you have invited to the Seder, the number of chairs you will need, who you forgot to invite, etc. Think about who will be at your Seder. Will there be many children? Mostly adults? Non-Jewish friends and neighbours? Seders are most successful and rewarding when they are a good fit for the make-up of the group.

Go over the Haggadah well beforehand. See if there are any parts that you would like to ask your guests to lead. (Instead of "going around the table" - it is much more effective to pre-assign parts. Ask a family to present the Four Children, or the Plagues, or the theme of Freedom). Know the order of the Haggadah, so you are not surprised. Decide in advance what you might leave out and what extras you might like to add. Being organized avoids "dead time" trying to figure out what to do next; that's when the leader typically loses the participants' attention.

Consider everything about the evening as a way to reenact the freedom to slavery story. Consider the evening a night of improvisation theatre. It is actually the first dinner theatre! The table is the set, the food the props, the Haggadah a script. But don't be afraid to "leap off the page." The evening should be one of "telling," not reading! It is all about families, struggles, pains and joys. Real drama with real history. Your Seder is your insurance that the story lives on; that hopes for freedom, wherever it is denied, are still alive. Think of how your family and guests can make this story real and personalized.

The search for Hametz is a perfect way to begin your planning. Try and see this not only as a physical act, but as a spiritual activity. It can be a "spring cleaning of the soul" as well! Take your Hametz to a food bank or community pantry. This is a way to do two Mitzvot at the same time: both Tzedakah and the removal of leavening from your house. Hametz is not just the leavening in your home, think of it as another opportunity to remove the oppressive forces that bog us down throughout the year.

The more you know about the evening, the better your Seder will be. This is not to deny spontaneity, but rather, the more preparation, the more the story will unfold, the more its message will be clear.

Leading the Seder

The Seder traditionally follows the rubrics of a popular mnemonic (which can be sung at the beginning of the seder: Kadesh, Urchatz, Karpas, Yachatz, Maggid, Rachzoh, Motzi Matzah, Maror, Korech, Shulchan Orech, Tzafun, Barech, Hallel, Nirtzah. Below are suggestions for enriching each section. Be creative; every year you should try something new. You don't want your Seder to be mitzrayim bondage! WARNING! DO NOT TRY TO DO EVERYTHING BELOW! The following is a list of optional enhancements. Choose carefully the few that would enhance your seder.

In each section, it is possible to add or create your own "new traditions." However, be selective; like a Bar Mitzvah buffet, don't try to eat everything. Leave some things for another night, or another year. Remember - you know your 'audience' best; keep the participants in mind. The seder that works for 4 year olds won't work for teenagers. While inserting parts may add meaning, keep the Seder moving so that people have energy to focus on Maggid, the telling of the Exodus. In other words, work on Maggid being the "heart" of the Seder.

Remember:
PARTICIPATION is the key. Make sure that you help everyone feel part of the story.
CHILDREN may get fidgety. Having an activity at the table will make the meal seem not so far off. Some people cover the table with brown craft paper and crayons (like kid friendly restaurants), and encourage the children to draw the story of the Exodus during the telling of the story.
Have plenty of WINE - The Mitzvah that makes the heart glad.
Try actually RECLINING.
Check to see if your Haggadah has appropriate non-gender specific language.
Make your Seder CONTEMPORARY and RELEVANT. Relate the traditional themes to the modern experience.
Give TZEDAKAH. Maimonides taught that even the poorest person is obligated to eat Matzah on Pesach. But Matzah (and everything else you need) costs money. From this developed the practise of Maot Hittim ("Wheat Money") or Kimha de-Pisha ("Flour for Pesach"). Give Tzedakah so that no one will have to go without on Pesach.
Above all, be with friends and family, tell the story, and have fun.

The Order of the Seder

KADESH: Before candle lighting, add a private "kavannah", a private meditation or an appropriate reading such as "Blessed is the Match" by Hannah Senesh. Make the day distinct as not regular-time, but God-time. Traditionally, this is done simply by reciting kiddush over the first cup of wine. It can also be done in additional ways, such as with distinct clothing. Some people have a tradition (and I mean an old tradition) to start the seder by dressing up as ancient Israelites with staffs and suitcases at the ready. As the children march around the table, the adults ask them, "Who are you?" and they respond "the Children of Israel." "Where are you coming from?" "The land of Egypt." Etc.

Before Kiddush, discuss why we drink four cups. Does the number four have any particular meaning in your family? What other fours will we find in the Seder? Perhaps someone in your group can discuss the "12 steps" as personal liberation from the slavery of addiction.

URCHATZ: Have people wash each other’s hands. Reflect on the state of water today.

KARPAS: Since the green is representative of spring, have gardeners bring something from their spring garden to display during this section. Instead of a cut flower arrangement, pick up a few potted hyacinth and daffodils from your local garden centre. Traditionally, the Song of Songs which speaks of spring is read during Pesach. Pick your favorite chapter and have someone read it; or pick some songs you might recognize from it and have everyone sing together. If you plant parsley seeds at Tu BiShevat (too late for this year), you can have home grown parsley at your seder. My favourite idea: use an eggshell as the pot! Another amazing idea: keep a horseradish root in water a few weeks before the holiday and it will sprout. Then you wil have transformed Maror into a spring symbol.

YACHATZ: This is the perfect time, when breaking the middle matzah, to share "The Matzah of Hope" for oppressed or imprisoned Jews. There are many readings available in Haggadot. The broken matzah is incomplete. How are we incomplete? What must be broken in order to be made whole?

MAGGID: This is the heart of the Seder, the "telling." There are many sections that can be elaborated upon. Here are a few suggestions:

* It begins with the invitation, "let all who are hungry come and eat." It might be appropriate to talk about Mazon, a Jewish organization fighting hunger. Mazon has prepared a reading.
* For Kids: Go around the table and ask each person what one thing they would have brought with them as they hurried out of Egypt. Or, go through the alphabet and name, letter by letter, what the Israelites might have brought (ex: apples, booths, camels...).
* The four questions: how many languages can be shared? What are our real questions?
* The Four Children: Describe who these sons/daughters would be in today's world? Consider these children as different generations. How is your generation different than your parents? Your parent's parents? Consider why this story is included in the Haggadah? Are there four "types" of Jewish children in Hebrew School? (Ex: the docile, the aggressive, the over-achiever, the spoiled, the underachiever, the alienated, the enthusiastic...) Others suggest these are four types that exist in each person? When are you Rasha? When are you Tam? See the Four Children page for an extended analysis.
* Slavery to Freedom: What are our personal stories of freedom? On what levels do we move from slavery to freedom? Where are people still in slavery today. Supplement the Haggadah with contemporary freedom songs. Ask your guests to bring a favourite poem or reading on the themes of Passover and freedom.
* The heart of the Maggid is the retelling of the Exodus story, beginning with Joseph's descent into Egypt and ending with the triumph of liberation. The central Torah verses can be read and discussed from the Plaut commentary: Deuteronomy 26:5-8; page 1508. Mitzrayim ("narrow" - The Hebrew name for Egypt) is a symbol for any kind of oppression. What oppresses you? Can religious obervance become oppression?
* Discuss hardening Pharaoh’s heart. Why were there 10 plagues? For the dropping of ten drops of wine, one for each plague, add your own "10 plagues" of today, perhaps going around the table, diminishing the wine cup for each "new" plague as well as the traditional list. Have a plagues kit complete with plastic bugs and frogs and locusts etc. Act out the plagues.
* When the shankbone is "pointed out" you can read Ezekiel's prophecy of the Valley of the Dry Bones, found in Plaut, page 1660 (the Haftarah for the Shabbat in Pesach).
* Sing Mi Chamocha (sung at the Red Sea) having guests jump over or through a basin filled with water!

ROCHTZAH: and MOTZI MATZAH: Talk about the relationship between hametz (pride) and matzah (humility). What ‘puffs’ us up? How does pride separate us from experiencing freedom?

MAROR and KORECH: Discuss what embitters us today, and how we "sweeten" our lives. Have each guest research and bring one "exotic" haroset recipe.

SHULCHAN ORECH: Many Ashkenazic families begin the meal with a hard boiled egg dipped in salt water, symbolizing rebirth; as well the fact that they are boiled but not destroyed has overtones of Jewish survival. Cook Pesach dishes from around the world. Many Jewish cookbooks will have sections on this.

TZAFUN: If you have no children present, the afikomen can still be "hidden." Have the leader put the matzah away somewhere. When it comes time to "redeem" it, the person whose turn it was to read or lead must "ransom" the hidden matzah from the leader by: a) performing some funny act; b) giving a donation to the leader's designated charity in honor of the Seder; c) promising some act of work to be performed later in the leader's home, office, or synagogue; d) make up your own creative act of "ransom." There is a Sephardic custom where the Seder leader carries the afikomen on his/her shoulder, around the room, on the way to hiding it, acting out the story of leaving Egypt.

BARECH: Acknowledge the Source of your food. How can we help others take part in such a meal? Or even in any meal at all? (One way is through Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger. That link is the American office. Mazon Canada is at 788 Marlee Avenue, Suite 206, Toronto, ON M6B 3K1, phone: (416) 783-7554 or, in Montreal, (514) 931-6000. Opening the door for Elijah: go around the table and ask: what will the Messianic era look like? or what blessing will we ask Elijah for?

HALLEL: Sing songs of praise, conclude the Seder, and sing more songs added over the ages just for fun. There's no reason to limit yourself to the songs added during the Middle Ages. Pick songs of spring and freedom that people are familiar with. Maybe you could add some of the great freedom songs from the American Civil rights movement, or some of the songs of Jewish freedom given to us by the Zionist movement.

NIRTZAH: When we say, "Next year in Jerusalem": Have anyone at your Seder who has ever been to Israel show pictures or slides and tell about Jerusalem in their own eyes. Include readings on Israel today.

The Second Night Seder

What makes this seder different? The practice of duplicating the Seder experience on the second night gives rise to the opportunity for a second chance or, more importantly, a second glance. Consider making the second night Seder different from the first night.

On the second night, have a seder dealing with a specific theme (eg., The Peace Process, A Women’s Seder, A Freedom Seder, An Inter-faith Seder). Hold a progressive Seder, moving from room to room, or hold the Maggid in a more comfortable space. Do a Bibliodrama: a dramatic recreation of the events of the Exodus. Have guests volunteer their funniest Passover story or most memorable Seder experience. Be creative and have fun.