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DAYENU

THE GRATEFULNESS HAGGADAH

Rabbi Henry Glazer

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GRATEFUL FOR:

Jacob Lederman, of blessed memory

Loving father, husband and brother; master tailor, blacksmith and soccer player.

With wife Betty at their ninetieth birthday party

Zeide will always be remembered for his humor, strength and love of grandchildren.The strains of his singing words of Hallel-”mah lecho hayom,” will always echo in our hearts as we celebrate Passover at our family Seders.

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GRATEFUL FOR:

Eric Joel Tanenbaum, of blessed memory Scholar, loving father, caring brother, and fun-loving cousin.

Rosanna, daughter, and Eric in Sussex, England, 2004.

He drank deeply from the cup of life, savored the ʻharosetʼ-like sweetness of family, friends and travel, faced lifeʼs ʻmarorʼ-like bitterness with courage and humility. We sat together at the Seder table as children, blessed by the presence of our “zeide” Dovid and our families.

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I AM DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR...

...the beautiful artistic background of the Haggadah cover that was the creative result of Maria Costa, author and artist....

...the outstanding crew of tutors at the Apple One-To -One program at the Garden State Plaza, Paramus, NJ, without whose competent, dedicated and patient assistance this Haggadah would never have come to fruition...

...Dr. Jacob Lindenthal, friend and mentor, whose ongoing comments, humor and insights were invaluable, and who recommended the Apple One-to-One program to me...

...my devoted and loving friend, Abraham Menashe, photographer and poet, who in moments of darkness showed me the light, believing in the sacred duty of listening to oneʼs own voice...

...my beautiful son, Jeremiah, a young man of exceptional creativity and decency, for his technical and emotional support...

...my daughter Jessica, my wife Rose, who together with my son, constitute the most precious of all human gifts, the gift of a loving family.

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Table of ContentsTHE COLOR OF GRATITUDETHE NATURE OF THIS HAGGADAH HAGGADAT DAYENU THE GRATEFULNESS HAGGADAH : INTRODUCTION SEARCH FOR THE HAMETZ-ביטול חמץ KINDLING THE FESTIVAL CANDLES-הדלקת נרות BLESSING OF THE CHILDREN-ברכת הבנים THE ORDER OF THE SEDER KADESH-KIDDUSH- קדש UʼRECHATZ-WASH- ורחץ KARPAS/GREEN VEGETABLE-כרפס YACHATZ / DIVIDE-יחץ MAGID / NARRATE-מגיד!MAH NISHTANAH-THE FOUR QUESTIONS - מה נשתנה AVADEEM HAYINU - עבדים היינו; STORY TELLING-”WE WERE SLAVES...” THE FOUR CHILDREN - ארבעה בניםIN THE BEGINNING- מתחלה E S E R M A K O T - THE TEN PLAGUES-עשר מכות DAYENU- דיינוו. HALLEL-!הלל KOS SHEINEE -SECOND CUP OF WINE RAHTZAH -LAVE / WASHING:רחץ MOTZEE - MATZAH - מוציא, מצה MAROR-מרור KOREKH / HILLEL SANDWICH - כור SHULHAN OREKH/MEAL- שלחן עור TZAFUN/AFIKOMAN / DESSERT-צפון BAREKH / BIRKAT HAMAZON - בר SHORTER FORM OF GRACE-BIRKAT HAMAZON . KOS SHʼLISHEE - THIRD CUP-כוס שלישי KOS SHEL ELIYAHU -CUP OF ELIJAH -כוס של אליהו MiIRIAMʼS CUP FOURTH CUP -KOS RʻVEE - EE - כוס רביעי NIRTZAH / ACCEPTANCE- נרצה SONGS

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The Color of Gratitude#

As a toddler, my daughterʼs favorite book and movie was titled “Rainbow Brite.” She loved to have me read about how the villains of the story did everything in their power to rid the world of color, and leave behind a landscape of drab and colorless gloom. But Rainbow Brite, the pretty heroine, and her friends, each representing a different color, always defeated the villains and preserved a beautiful world saturated with an array of countless colors.# The metaphor of color as beauty, happiness and hope, is one that is universal. Color is a powerful vehicle for the communication of moods, feelings and states of mind and heart. Each culture views color in a different way; individuals associate a variety of colors to different states of mind which reflect their individuality and uniqueness as human beings.# Colors also resonate with a shared, even universal significance and association. Black and white are understood as contrasting shades, while yellow, the color of the sun, suggests brightness, joy and openness. Green reflects fertility, and blue the expansiveness and mystery of the seas and skies. Many describe the spectrum of passionate emotions in colors of red, with anger and violence often expressed in hues of bloody red. Jewish mysticism understands divine manifestations in terms of colors as well. As light is scattered into colors through the prisms of moisture-filled air, so too does Godʼs light find colorful expression through the Sefirot, the emanations of the divine light. For example, within the chromatic schema of the ten sefirot, the sixth emanation, Tifʼeret, Splendor, is associated with the colors sapphire-blue and magenta, in which three colors (white, red, and [yellowish] green) are to be united. Positioned at the very center of the Tree of Life—and thus connecting the realms of above and below—Tifʼeret corresponds to the location of the heart, just as this emanation is associated with the attributes of beauty, glory, harmony, and compassion.# Because of colorsʼ powerful role in the unfolding of the human spiritual experience, I decided that the use of colors could transmit to the reader the broad spectrum of gratitude as a core component of the Seder experience. By using a wide variety of colors in the background of my pages of commentary, colors that are indeterminate and open to individual interpretation, the readerʼs visceral understanding could be expanded and deepened. My choice of colors was often unconscious and intuitive, in the hope that somehow the full scope of gratefulness could be arrived at through the exposure to this rainbow of color without prior prejudice by way of suggested specific selections.

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# In essence, there is no one color that fully encompasses the richness of the gratefulness posture in life. As human experience stretches to touch the widest range of realities, so too does gratefulness offer us a path by which to embrace this totality of life. # #. # # My hope is that the colors of this Haggadah will enhance the readerʼs capacity to brush up against the brilliance of lifeʼs untold blessings and elicit a response of genuine gratefulness for all the gifts of being alive.

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This Haggadah presents the Seder participant or reader with the following features:

1.The full traditional Hebrew text, transliteration and translation.

2.Commentary recorded against backgrounds of color to enhance our awareness

and cultivation of Gratefulness in our Passover experience.

3.DOING GRATEFULNESS exercises to concretize and emotionalize the dimension

of gratefulness in our telling of the Passover story.

Doing Gratefulness

Before you begin the actual Seder, invite all participants to share their “gratitude

color.”

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Haggadat Dayenu-the Gratefulness Haggadah

Introduction: As a child growing up in the cold Canadian city of Montreal, I remember the first night of Pesach as a magical time. Returning from the synagogue with my zeide, my grandfather, we trudged along streets drenched in slush, awaiting the approaching sunshine of spring that would once again bring warmth and free movement to our lives. We would soon shed our ear muffs, mittens and galoshes, and rush out into the parks and play grounds for our first toss of the baseball; needless to say, we were passionate hockey players but by the time April rolled around, another sport beckoned, one we greeted without fur laden coats and itchy woolen sweaters. The air was saturated with a delightful mixture of chilly briskness and a welcome spring thaw. The first evening of Passover was a culmination of days of preparation-shopping for Passover foods, removing year long modern utensils and bringing up ancient ones for Passover from places of concealment, dinnerware drenched in the old-a brass mortar and pestle in which the Haroset,the mixture of apples, wine, nuts cinnamon and sugar, was made; knives and forks yellow with age and tipped with elaborate designs; dishes and bowls offering sumptuous Seder meals for generations gone by, both in Canada and in shtetls of Poland and Russia. Tables and counter tops were covered with planks of wood and cardboard, all taken from discarded boxes and containers. I loved the banging out of nails and the sawing of thick slabs of wood especially designated for sinks and stove tops. Our house was transformed, not into a palace of elegance but into a space of special magic, a place that announced to one and all-Pesach is here! I could not wait to be home, surrounded by the sights, sounds, smells and sweetness of the Seder table. My heart would swell with anticipation. Looking back I ask: What made the night of Passover so different from all other nights? What did this night teach us about all nights, about all days, about all of life, for that matter? On this night the child in all of us-whether or not we consider ourselves among the wise, the sophisticated or the educated, poses a question that seeks a response not of our minds as much as of our hearts. The question that we struggle to recognize is not an academic or factual one. To ask for an explanation-historic, scientific, even moral –is quite natural. When the youngest asks: Why is this night

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different from all other nights and he/she is shown the symbols and tangible artifacts of the ritual, the answer is readily available: We were slaves and now we are free. But the journey from slavery to freedom, from darkness to light, from grief to gratitude, from enslavement to redemption is more complex. It is not a static or straightforward one; often we must cross hills and valleys, roads that are rough, stretches of dry desert and towering mountains demanding arduous ascent. We are expected to reenact the journey, to experience it anew in a deeply personal way. ”In each generation we are obligated to see ourselves as if we had actually been redeemed from Mitzrayim!” This obligation conveys the challenge to experience the journey through words, memories, rituals, songs, feelings, wine and food. The journey is an internal process of ongoing spiritual growth, one that allows for shuttling, taking detours when roads are impassable, and carrying the compass of a courageous heart and a compassionate soul. Often, however, responses of the heart and soul elude us; we know and understand that something is different on this night, but we need to further explore the why, the mystery of Passover. We need help, we need each other, we need a history, generations of our people and their experiences; we cannot discover the mystery in isolation. The task is challenging and exciting, an adventure of the human spirit. Perhaps the following brief statements summarize the experience best:

Instructions for living a life: Pay attention Be astonished Tell about it Mary Oliver, Red Bird.

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# Our tradition informs us that the Seder night is designed not only to arouse childrenʼs curiosity but to help all of us, the wise and the foolish, the clever and the simple, the young and the old, to pay attention to this story of liberation and discover the astonishment in the story. Thus we are told, in the response to the inability to ask,והגדת- “Vʼheegadtah”- you shall tell, relate, recount, tell the story, saying - “Baʼavur zeh…”-בעבור זה , “It is because of this… that the Lord did all the miracles for me when I left Egypt.” We are speechless; articulation of feelings is so difficult; we need the Haggadah, the story, the answer, to help us discover the right question and thereby reach our ultimate destination. First time events have a powerful and an immediate impact on; the passage of time and repeated similar circumstances erode the freshness of the experience. What remains is the story, the memory, the ritual, words and songs as vehicles for the reliving of the original event, so that it preserves its vibrancy and relevance.# The challenge of every Seder celebration is to “pay attention” so that we “are astonished” and then are to “tell it” so that we and our children will be reminded of our godly images as sources of connection to the divine. Every step and component of the Haggadah is a reflection of praise and gratefulness that undergirds the entire experience. We re-experience the “zeh,” זה- “this,” the specific and particular reason and nuance for every phase of our Seder rejoicing and testimony. We begin the Seder with a question born of wonder when the “child” asks:#“Mah nishtanah halaylah hazeh”-מה נשתנה הלילה הזה-“How different is this night!” The “mah”-מה-how, why, the not knowing, the mystery of everything is connected to the last word of the question or exclamation-“zeh”-זה. The question of the “Tam,” ”?the innocent child (of the four children) is summarized in two words- “mah zot ,תם That is, out of a (זה :fem. zeh = זאת: zot).What is this? (Exodus 13:14) ?מה זאתsense of wholehearted innocence, from a place of trust and faith, this part of us encounters the wonder, the mystery of the night in the word The “zeh”-זה of the night of Passover suggests the uniqueness and the miraculous of this night as a time of transition from the darkness of slavery and death to the morning of redemption and life. This transition, this night becoming day, this moment of enslavement passing and morphing into redemption is a moment of miracle for which we praise, urging the exercise of our associations and imaginations to arrive at the fullness of meaning embedded in the word.

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Between the beginning and end of the narrative, the “zeh”-זה helps us understand the nature of the Midrashic [Rabbinic] explication of Godʼs miracles in the midst of the narrative. Essentially, the “zeh”-זה of the Seder is an elaboration of the declaration uttered by Moses and Israel at the Sea of Reeds–“zeh eli vʼanvayhu”- זה אלי ”.this is my God and I will enshrine Him with my praise “ -ואנויהו

Zeman Herutaynu- זמן חרותנו-The Festival of our Freedom

The focus of this Haggadat Dayenu, this Gratefulness Haggadah, is directed to the internal process of individual, spiritual freedom, to the achievement of an inner sense of being free and living a joyful and fulfilling spiritual life. It is hoped that through this inner path of freedom, we will find ourselves closer to bringing about the external freedoms so desperately needed by so many as well.# It is my belief that a central gateway to inner freedom is that of gratefulness. The Haggadah in its content and context provides us with many pathways of awareness that lead us along the road of gratefulness whose ultimate destination is freedom. Repeatedly, from the opening words of the Kiddush-the Sanctification over the wine, to Dayenu and beyond, words, songs and rituals all resonate with resounding echoes of gratefulness, of Halleluyah, of thanksgiving and praise. Gratitude saturates the Seder experience making it evident that to arrive at a spiritual posture of freedom the way of gratefulness is essential.# The Torah makes use of four phrases or languages of redemption/ freedom- “I will free you…I will deliver you…I will redeem you…I will take you to be My people.”(Exodus 6:6-7). Each of these languages of freedom can be understood as a stage in the spiritual journey from the perspective of being separated, of seeing the world as a place of dual realities between the subject, the ego and the outside world, the object, to a consciousness of unity, eventually witnessing the world as a place of integration and unity. Each expression of freedom is a way of realizing the evolutionary spiritual growth embedded in the human spirit.

#

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#The Festival of Passover is referred to as zeman herutaynu-זמן חרותנו- the season of our freedom; חרות, the Hebrew for freedom, encompasses the meaning of harut-חרות, inscribed, imprinted, etched into. In other words, what is implied in this term is the notion that freedom is intrinsic to the human soul. Passover thus becomes a challenge to reach into the inner soul and rediscover or retrieve the dimension of freedom that lives deep within our very being. Freedom is the soulʼs signature; the spiritual journey demands the removal of barriers that stand in the way of our gaining access to this deeply recessed part of our souls.

Rumi, the Persian poet of the soul, understands the meaning of love in similar fashion: Your task is not to seek love

But merely to seek and find all the barriers

That you have built against it.

The same can be said of freedom; we build barriers against it, barriers born of fear-fear of death, fear of not having enough, fear of not being enough, fear of being happy. An antidote to these fears is gratefulness; when we cultivate our awareness of life as a gift freely given, instead of our enslavement to greed we learn the liberating power of gratitude; we recognize our thankfulness for who we are rather than being trapped by the compulsion to be perfect; rather than the fear of and the fixation on, tomorrow, we feel the joy of the moment; we discover the capacity to shed the chains of paralyzing guilt and embrace instead the redeeming possibilities of gratefulness as the impetus for doing the good and the compassionate in life.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”Melodie Beattie, Gratitude.

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In a real sense, the journey of the Seder is one to our authentic selves, to the purity of our souls, souls that yearn to be free, to rest in the fullness of everything and in that way to touch the fringes of the divine. For many, the purpose of the Passover story is to remind us of our history, foster group solidarity and Jewish identity, celebrate the strength and unity of the Jewish family. The Seder is a powerful ethnic experience, with unique foods, its own language and vocabulary, a range of colorful symbols and an array of intimate emotional strands of Jewishness that weave themselves together into a mosaic of being part of a special people and tradition. For others, the Passover story is a constant reminder to renew efforts in achieving freedom for the oppressed everywhere-its message is a universal and political one that touches the aspirations of all groups who suffer the pain of enslavement. These purposes, important as they are, should indeed be incorporated in our Seder experience. Yet, I believe that the overriding objective of this annual enactment is to tell a story that astonishes, amazes us, and in the midst of this experience of wonder, to find in our hearts and voices the desire to sing praises, articulate our gratefulness, in the Presence of the divine.

We now begin our journey.

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Bʼdikat Hametz-Searching for Hametz: On the night before the Seder, we place small morsels of bread in each room, and with a lit candle and feather in our hand, we search for the leaven and collect the pieces of bread for burning the next morning. The light of the candle that is focused in its illumination helps us pay attention to the fullness of the experience. In a way, this search is an introduction to the process of careful attentiveness that guides us through our journey from the mundane to the holy, from slavery to freedom, from darkness to light. By paying attention, by focusing our light, we observe the thinking and feeling that often produce a “puffed-up,” a “hametz”-חמץ-leavened, barrier that thickens and blocks our heart. We can then free ourselves to engage in the practice of “bedikah,” - of searching for and -בדיקהremoving the road blocks that stand in the way of living with an n open heart, a place of greater humility, patience and compassion. Involvement of children makes this search particularly joyful.

SEARCH FOR THE HAMETZ-ביטול חמץ

On the night preceding Passover, each family searches for leaven-hametz-.Customarily,we search by the light of a candle or flashlight and use a feather to sweep up the hametz into a paper bag. Before the search, small pieces of hametz-bread are placed in every room on a napkin and collected during the search. ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם, אשר קדשנו במצותיו, וצונו על בעור חמץ.

Baruch ata adonai, eloheinu melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al BI-UR HAMETZ.

Praised are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has taught us theway of holiness through the commandments and has enjoined us to remove all hametz.

The following formula in Aramaic is recited after the search and again the next morning after the leaven is disposed of, usually by burning, no later than 10:am כל חמירא וחמיעה דאכא ברשותי דלא חמתה ודלא בערתה ודלא ידענא לה לבטל ולהוי הפקר כעפרא דארעא.

Kol chamira vachamiah d’ika virshuti d’la chamiteih ud’lah vi-arteih ud’lah Yedana lah l’vateil v’lehavei hefker k’afra d’arah.

All the leaven in my possession that I have not seen and not eradicated is hereby nullified and considered like the dust of the earth.

ERADICATING THE HAMETZ

Repeat above formula after disposing of all leaven.

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KINDLING OF FESTIVAL CANDLES-הדלקת נרות

ברוך אתה יי אלהינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצוותיו וצונו להדליק נר של (שבת ושל) יום

טוב.

Baruch ata Adonai, elohainu melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel (shabbat v’)Yom Tov.

Praised are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has taught us the way of holiness through the mitzvoth, and enjoined us to kindle the lights of (SABBATH and) the PASSOVER FESTIVAl.

Add the THANKSGIVING blessing recited on the firstoccurrence of any event or celebration

, אלהינו מלך העולם, שהחינו וקימנו ברוך אתה ייוהגיענו לזמן הזה:

.Baruch ata Adonai, eloheinu melech ha’olam, she,heh,cheh,yanu v’keemanu v’hee,gee,anu la’zman hazeh.

Praise are You. Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us and enabled us to reach this day.

Kindling the Festival Lights: Closing our eyes, we recall the darkness in the world-hunger, disease, poverty, loneliness, war and the human causes for this darkness-greed, envy, hatred and fear. We quietly resolve to take the gratefulness we feel at the moment-gratefulness for life, for health, for sustenance, for the love of family and friends, for our home, for the peace we enjoy, for our freedom, and translate these gifts into offerings of chessed, חסד ,of compassionate generosity so that our light will bring a ray of hope in the darkness of others.

A story from the Buddhist tradition:# One day, the King, Queen and people of a certain city wished to honor the Buddha by lighting thousands of lamps around the monastery. An old mendicant woman wanted to make an offering but after a whole day of begging, she had only one cent. So she decided not to eat, and she bought some oil with the penny and poured it into the many lamps displayed at the gate of the monastery.# Early in the morning, the master of the monastery went out to blow out the lamps. All the lamps went out except the one into which the beggar lady poured her oil. As he tried repeatedly to blow it out, it only grew brighter and brighter.

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Doing Gratefulness

In the silence of the moment, feel deeply that which makes you grateful and happy.

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Parental BlessingPlacing our hands on thetender heads of our child/children we open our hearts and extend a blessing to them, in love and in hope, reaching into the deepest wells of gratitude for these gifts of our children

BLESSING OF THE CHILDREN-ברכת הבנים

For sons we say:

Yesimcha elohim k’ephrayim v’cheemnashehMay God make you like Ephraim and Menashe

For daughters we say:

Yesimeich elohim k’Sarah,Rivkah, Racheil v’LeahMay God make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and LeahFor all children:

Yevarechecha Adonai v’yish’mrechaYaeir Adonai panav eilehcha vi’choonehkaYisa Adonai panav eilehcha v’yaseim lecha SHALOM

May God bless you and protect youMay God turn His light toward you so that you may be gracious and generousMay God favor you , your loved ones, Israel and the human community, with PEACE.THE G

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THE ORDER OF THE SEDER MNEMONIC-KADDESH U’RECHATZ-

קדש.ורחץ

(the outline of the Seder is recited as an aid to the proper implementation of the Seder’s many diverse rituals and practices.)(Recited or chanted)

KADESH UʼRECHATZ-קדש ורחץ

Sanctification and Partial Washing

Karpas Yachatz-כרפס יחץDipping of green herbs and breaking of Matzah

Magid Rachtzah-מגיד רחצהTelling the narrative and full washing

Motzi Matzah-מוציא מצה.Blessing over the Matzah

MarorKorech-מרור כורךEating of bitter herbs and sandwich

Shulchan Orech-שלחן עורך.Festive Meal

Grateful for Order The highlight of Passover is the Seder-the meal of remembrance, fellowship and enhanced awareness of the Divine. Seder,סדר- "order," in itself is a term that taps into the depth of the human psyche and its awareness is itself reason for gratefulness. Without the notion of order, our physical and psychic worlds would dissolve into places of chaos and terror. As the human mind proceeds to discover dimensions of order in physical space -- natural changes in the seasons, the ebb and flow of the oceans' tides, laws of gravity and magnetism that maintain the sensitive equilibrium of earth and the planets around us, the cycles of birth, life, decay and death, laws of cause and effect--all phenomena that lend some predictability to the complexity of the cosmos, we cannot help but feel only grateful wonder for the marvelous fragility of human existence. Consider the mechanisms of the mind. Perhaps the most basic definition of psychosis, of human insanity, is inextricably connected to the experience of psychological chaos and disorder.Imagine the inability to perceive the world around you in terms that are predictable and

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Zafun Barech-צפון ברEating the Hidden Matzah-Afikoman- and Grace

HALLEL NIRTZAH - הלל.נרצהSpecial Psalms of praise and informal singing

I

am

Therefore

I

# # # thank

understandable; we can barely conceive of the sheer panic of psychic isolation and its utter confusion. It is the awareness of order that renders us sane, confident, even happy. One can succinctly say: "I am, therefore I thank!"

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1.KADESH-KIDDUSH- קדש(לשבת ויהי ערב ויהי בקר

יום הששי, ויכלו השמים והארץ וכל-צבאם: ויכל אלהים ביום השביעי, מלאכתו אשר עשה, וישבת ביום השביעי, מכל-מלאכתו אשר עשה: ויברך אלהים את-יום השביעי, ויקדש אתו, כי בו שבת מכל-מלאכתו, אשר-ברא אלהים לעשות:)Vayehi erev va’yhi voker yom hashishi. Vayechulu hashamayim v’ha’aretz v’chol tzeva’am.Vayechal elohim et bayom hashvi’I melachto asher asah. Va yishbot bayom ha’shvi’I mikpl melachto asher asah. Va’yevarech E;ohim et yom hashvi-I va’yekadesh oto,ki vo shavat mikol melachto asher bara Elohim la-asot.

(On Shabbat we add)

"And there was evening and there was morning , the sixth day. Now the heavens and all their host were completed. God completed the work of creation on the seventh day. God then blessed the seventh day imbuing it with holiness because on that day God ceased creating.”

, אלהינו מלך העולם, בורא פרי הגפן: ברוך אתה יי

.Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheunu melech ha’olam, borei PRI HAGAFEN.

Praised are You, Adonai, our God, sovereign of the universe, who has created the FRUIT OF THE VINE.

, אלהינו מלך העולם, אשר בחר בנו ברוך אתה יימכל-עם, ורוממנו מכל-לשון, וקדשנו במצותיו, ותתן-לנו יי אלהינו באהבה (לשבת שבתות למנוחה ו)מועדים לשמחה, חגים וזמנים לששון את-יום (לשבת השבת הזה ואת-יום) חג המצות הזה. זמן חרותנו, (לשבת באהבה,) מקרא קדש, זכר ליציאת מצרים. כי בנו בחרת ואותנו קדשת מכל-העמים. (לשבת ושבת) ומועדי קדשך (לשבת

KADESH- GRATEFUL FOR –THE GIFT OF- JOY“A song of praise is sung only over wine.” (Talmud Berachot 35a) Holiness or sanctity usually conjures up images of the somber and intimidating. The holy man is typically seen as the ascetic, disembodied from the physical gifts and pleasures of life, demanding deprivation and suffering. It is no wonder therefore that the religious term of holiness is not often greeted with interest or appeal. In Judaism, "Kadosh"-קדוש-holy-is understood in a radically different way. Needless to say, the notion of holy implies some process or movement away from the mundane toward that which is viewed as godly. There are indeed elements of disciplined behavior, of guidelines that need to be followed. But holiness should not repel us by scary associations of punishment and faultfinding. While "Kadesh" suggests the transcendent, that which is beyond the mundane, nonetheless it can be yearned for from a perspective of intimacy and joy, not fear and retreat. The beginning of the Seder is entered into by reciting a blessing over wine and in this way the occasion is marked as a sacred moment. The first of four cups of wine is drunk to celebrate the sanctity of the festival. Holiness is

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באהבה וברצון) בשמחה ובששון הנחלתנו: ברוך , מקדש (לשבת השבת ו)ישראל והזמנים: אתה יי

Baruch ata Adonai, Elohainu melech haolam, asher bachar banu mikol am v’romemanu mi’kol lashon,v’kidshanu b’mitzvotav,vateetein llanu Adonai Elohainub’ahaveh(shabbatot lemnucha u)moadim l’simcha, chagim uzmanim l’sason et yom (hashabbat hazeh v’et yom) chag ha’matzothazeh, zeman cheirutaynu(b’ahavah) mikra kodesh, zeicher l’yetziat Mitzrayim. Ki vanu vacharta v’otanu kedashta mikol-ha-amim (v’shabbat) u’moadei kod’shecha (b’ahavah u’vratzon) b’simcha uv’sason hinchaltanu.Baruch ata Adonai, mekadesh (ha’shabbat v’) yisrael v’ ha’zmanim.

Praised are You.Adonai our God, sovereign of the universe, Who chose us for a unique relationship, raising us, who know the language of wonder and gratitude above those who speak the language of the ordinary, blind to the miracle of life, enabling us to encounter holiness through Your mitzvoth, giving us in love (Shabbat for rest) holidays for joy,festivals and special times for celebration,particularly this (Shabbat and this) Passover, this time of freedom(given in love) this sacred gathering, this re-enactment of our going out of Mitzrayim. It is You who has chosen us,You who jave shared Your holiness with us in amanner different from all other peoples. For with (Shabbat and) festive revelations of Your holiness, happiness and joy You have granted us ( lovingly and willingly). Praised are You, Adonai, Who imbues (Shabbat),Israel and the seasons with holiness.

On Saturday evening, we add the following “havdallah” section into the Kiddush to separate the sanctity of the Sabbat from the sanctity of Passover (כשחל יו"ט במוצאי שבת מוסיפים כאן ברכות הבדלה.

, אלהינו מלך העולם, בורא מאורי ברוך אתה ייהאש:

arrived at through the taste of wine, that "which gladdens the human heart." This would suggest, therefore, that the psychological and spiritual state of mind that leads us to holiness and a greater awareness of the divine is joy. The Talmud conveys this psychological reality quite stunningly when it asserts, "The Schekhina-שכינה-the Divine Presence- does not rest on one who is immersed in sorrow-ʻatzvutʼ-עצבות... but only when one is engaged in rejoicing while fulfilling a religious act.”(Shabbat 30b) The Festival is termed in the Bible as a "Mikrah Kodesh"- .a calling to holiness-מקרא קדשThus the Seder summons us to embrace all that brings joy in our life and in this way proceed along the path of spiritual maturity and holiness. One sanctifies life, time, the occasion of celebration, by gratefully rejoicing in the totality, the "allness" of God's gift of life and the world.

" Know that joy is rarer, more difficult than sadness.Once you make this all-important discovery,you must embrace joy as a moral obligation."- Andre Gide

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KADESH- GRATEFUL FOR THE GIFT OF MEMORY At the center of the Kiddush is the reference to its recitation as –zecher leʼyetziat mitzrayim -זכר ליציאת recalling,” “a“-מצריםremembrance of ,” the Exodus from Egypt. An act of remembering is a sacred one, one which engages both mind and heart, one which allows the human being to connect mindfully to events of the past that anchor oneʼs life to the deep foundations of human history. In being mindful of the Exodus, the Jew is rooted in an ancient moment of redemption that remains attached to a moment of deliverance yet to be. To remember is to step towards the dawn of a new beginning, to see the light, the “or,”-אור -that which God declared to be good at the beginning of time. To forget, to not pay attention, is to retreat into darkness, into the “choshech,”-חשך- the time of chaos and emptiness, a primordial time of terrifying nothingness. The Passover journey is one that begins in darkness.and leads toward light, “meʼafaylah leʼorah”- When we-מאפילה לאורהforget, we stumble in darkness. If one were to rearrange the letters of “choshech,”-חשך- one would arrive at the Hebrew word “shachoach,”-שכח- to forget.

, אלהינו מלך העולם, המבדיל בין ברוך אתה ייקדש לחל בין אור לחשך, בין ישראל לעמים, בין יום השביעי לששת ימי המעשה. בין קדשת שבת . ואת-יום השביעי מששת לקדשת יום טוב הבדלת. הבדלת וקדשת את-עמך ימי המעשה קדשת, המבדיל בין קדש ישראל בקדשתך. ברוך אתה יילקדש:)Baruch Ata Adonai,Elohaynu Melech Haolam, Boreh Meoray Haesh

Baruch ata Adonai,Eloheinu melech ha’olam, hamavdil bein kodesh l’chol,bein or l’hoshech,bein Yisrael l’amim,bein yom ha’shevi-I l’sheishet yemei ha’maaseh, bein kedushat Shabbat l’kedushat Yom Tov hivdalta,v’et Yom ha’shevi-i mi sheishet yemei ha’maaseh kidashta; hivdalta v’kidashta et amcha Yisrael be’kdushatehcha. Baruch ata Adonai,hamavdil bein kodesh l’kodesh.

Praised are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who differentiates between the sacred and the profane , between light and darkness, between Israel and the other nations, between the the seventh day and the six days of creating. you made a distinction between the sanctity of the Sabbath and the sanctity of the festivals, and You sanctified Shabbat more than the other days of the week, distinguishing and hallowing Your people through Your holiness. Praised are You, Adonai who differentiates between the sanctity of Shabbat and the sanctity of Yom

Baruch Ata Adonai,Elohaynu melech ha-olam, Boreh Me oray Ha-eish.

Praised are You Lord, Sovereign of the Universe, Who creats the lights of fire.

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“Zechor, “-זכר- the Hebrew for remember,when its letters are re-arranged spells “rakoz”-רכז-concentrate, focus, pay attention. Thus the ritual is designed to help us be mindful, to shed light on a distant reality that bears relevance now and for all time, the story of freedom. How remarkable that the human has been given the gift of being able to step back into history and recapture the past and experience the “You are there” feeling! Human memory is a gift which elicits gratitude.

“Remembering is the source of redemption,while forgetting leads to exile.”

Baal Shem Tov

Doing Gratefulness:

As you sip the wine, close your

eyes and pay attention to its

taste-be a wine “connoisseur” and

let the wine swirl around in your

mouth, allowing the palette to fully

absorb its sweetness and/or

tartness. Feel the liquid flow into

your stomach and warm your

belly.

, אלהינו מלך העולם, שהחינו ברוך אתה ייוקימנו והגיענו לזמן הזה:

Baruch ata Adonai Elohainu melech ha’olam,shehecheyanu,v’kiyemanu,v’heegeanu, lazman ha’zeh.

Praised are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe , for giving us life, for sustaining us and enabling us to celebrate this festival.

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GRATEFUL FOR THE SENSES#

HAVDALLAH ,הבדלה or separation, is the ritual that separates the Sabbath and the Festival from the other days of the week.Normally, wine, light and spices are used . Each item speaks to the richness of each of the human senses to experience the delight of being alive. Wine is tasted, light is seen and spices are smelled. The senses are indispensable ways by which to experience the world and serve as gateways to human joy and pleasure. Havdallah-הבדלה- reminds us of these gifts for which we can heighten our gratitude and thanks

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11. U’RECHATZ-WASH- ורחץ

We perform a “partial” washing without the recitation of a blessing normally connected to this symbolic act of “purification” prior to a full meal with a staple food such as bread. Either the leader or all participants pour a little water from a pitcher on to their hands to fulfill this task. This is an activity that can engage children who can be called upon to pass around the washing bowl and towel.

GRATEFUL FOR –THE GIFT OF- TRUST “Rechatz"-רחץ-the ritual of washing, in Aramaic means trust. While washing is a tangible act, trusting is a response of the heart. It is only in the aftermath of recognizing the sacredness of life through joy that one is able to extend the heart and hand with a sense of trust. As the heart opens to all that is, it is touched by the capacity to let go and to love. Washing the hands is wedded symbolically and spiritually to an act of inner cleansing. As the prophet Ezekiel states in the segment read for Parashat Parah,-פרשת the Sabbath on which the-פרהlaws of the Red Heifer are read, only a few weeks before Passover-"I will sprinkle pure water upon you...I will purify you from all impurities and all your fetishes.. and I will give you a new heart-I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh."(Ez36:25-26) 

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What is a heart of stone? The impurities and fetishes referred to by Ezekiel are the constituent parts of a heart of stone. Such a heart is impervious to feeling, to empathy, to trust. It is a heart rooted in suspicion and fear, hardening itself to form artificial barricades of self-protection and emotional distance by investing meaning in outside objects that are worshipped as fetishes and idols. Behind barriers of defensiveness and distrust, the world is seen as a place of danger, and life, a burden of blight. How does one acquire a heart of flesh? Waters of purity, of gentle goodness will wash away the hardness. Instead of stone, the heart will pulsate with the soft and pliant fleshiness of feeling and vulnerability. The Targum, the Aramaic translation of the Bible, interestingly renders heart of flesh as " Lev Dachil-"לב דחיל- a heart with fear of God, reverence, awe, perhaps vulnerability.

Doing Gratefulness :

Recite: Water flows over these hands

May I use them skillfully

To preserve our precious planet

(Thich Nhat Hanh-Present Moment ,Wonderful Moment)

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KARPAS- GRATEFUL FOR-THE GIFT OF- SIMPLICITY Seder participants take a small morsel of an ordinary vegetable, dip it in salt water, and recite the blessing of thanks. Each of these elements that grows from the earth together with he salt water representing the oceans of this planet, embrace the fundamental totality of all life. Taking these items together and praising the Source of these essentials of life bring to our attention the wonder of the ordinary. The obvious becomes mystery, activating a heightened sensitivity to the simplicity inherent in everything.# Our generation is a complex one. Technology's intention to simplify has paradoxically, in fact, only made life more intricate, even confusing. Karpas-כרפס- and salt water return us to our beginnings, to the basics of human existence. Simple food, simple drink, simple taste.

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III. KARPAS/ GREEN VEGETABLE-כרפס

Some vegetable traditionally eaten at this time include parsley, celery, onion or potato. At growing numbers of Sedarim a platter of assorted vegetable is presented to the participants to allow for some preliminary satisfying of one’s hunger.The vegetable is dipped in salt water as an act of “purification” and seasoning, and as a reminder of the tears of slavery.

, אלהינו מלך העולם, בורא פרי ברוך אתה ייהאדמה:

Praised are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who creates the FRUIT OF THE EARTH.

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“The ordinariness of spiritual life comes from a heart that has learned to trust, from a gratefulness for the gift of human life.. like water which finds its way between the stones or wears them away a little at a time and gradually lowers itself to the ocean, this ordinariness brings us to rest."(A Path With Heart, Jack Kornfield,Bantam New Age Books,1993,pp.319). Salt water has been seen as the tears of suffering and sorrow. Amidst the sadness of life however, the gift of the simple and ordinary grants us comfort and hope. Salt water incubates lifelessness. The green vegetable graces our palates with the prospect of renewal and aliveness. But tears also open the heart. In some mysterious way they wash away the heaviness and the hardness that make life such a burden.Without tears, it is impossible to touch the deepest parts of ourselves. The Buddhist monk, Ajahn Chah said it well: “If you havenʼt wept deeply, you havenʼt begun to meditate.” “ Simple in actions and in thoughts, you return to the source of being." (The Wisdom the Tao te Ching) The simple, ordinary act of karpas in salt water speaks volumes of the power of life to conquer death. Passover, after all, celebrates the process of redemption from the salty tears of slavery to the refreshing flowering of freedom, from the confusion of complexity to the clarity of the simple and ordinary.

Doing Gratefulness

With eyes closed, pay attention to the feeling of the vegetable in your

mouth; be aware of the saltiness, the natural flavor of the green herb.

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Yachatz-Gratefulness for the gift of Imperfection Judaism does not insist on perfection. In all of Jewish sacred texts, nowhere do we come across the divine demand: Thou shalt be perfect. Recognizing that perfection belongs exclusively to God, pursuing it would be construed as an act of hubris. Judaism did, however, hold out the expectation that we strive for holiness, to emulate Godʼs deeds of compassion and justice, but never to entertain the prospect of becoming God. Human life is incomplete, imperfect, in a state of fragmentation and brokenness. We break the Matzah-מצה, putting one part aside and hiding it for later, with the knowledge that the divided piece will suffice for our current celebration. Wholeness, perfection, the ideal, is something hidden, “zafun,”- צפון- as yet undiscovered. The ultimate transcends our awareness; all we can do is imagine and reach for that which we conceive of as God-the Source of perfection, unity, “Shalom”-.שלום To engage in the journey toward greater God consciousness, we can only break up the wholeness of life into understandable segments, partialize reality and grasp, if blessed, only momentary glimpses of God. The matzah

I V. YACHATZ / DIVIDE-יחץ

The middle matzah-מצה- is divided into two parts, with the larger part reserved for the Afikomen- This piece is either “hidden” by the children .אפיקומןwith the expectation that the adults will later search for it and return it or by the adults so that the children could conduct the search and return it on the condition that a reward is offered in exchange. However this is carried out, its purpose is to stimulate interest and memory in the minds and hearts of the young people at the Seder table.

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over which we conduct our Seder is”Lechem Oni,”-לחם עני-a broken matzah, the food of humans whose mortality and creatureliness render us insignificant, almost desperate in our search for the divine. It is poor manʼs bread, as we emerge spiritually impoverished, a faulty facsimile of Godʼs Image and likeness.# Yet, it is precisely by way of a broken heart that we arrive at an awareness of greater proximity to God. Can we pray when feeling smug about life, perfect and complacent? The mature heart is not perfectionist; it rests in the compassion of our being instead of the ideals of the mind. Before we seek the piece that fits the puzzle of our bewilderment, and restore the hidden piece to our fuller awareness and knowledge of God, we bless, praise God for the partiality of life, of matzah-מצה, and discover gratefulness in every bite of this bread of affliction. We are left with the shattered pieces of our lives, with the fragments of our history as a people still struggling to unify Godʼs name in this world. What remains as we continue our ritual is the broken matzah-מצה, and the story of lives, unleavened and incomplete.

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MAGID-GRATEFUL FOR-THE GIFT OF-THE STORY# “To Tell About It”- The Haggadah-“ the telling.” The name of the festival,Pesach, -פסח- can be divided into two syllables, each of which spells out a word; peh=פה-mouth, sach=סח-speak. Thus the very essence of Passover, inherent in its name, is the exercise of talking out, of speaking the story. # Every story has a theme, a thread that runs through the narrative that provides the listener with something to hold on to, something that helps organize and integrate oneʼs life in such a way that meaning and purpose are conferred upon our existence. The word haggadah- הגדה -telling, contains the letters gimel-ג- and daled-ד-letters that constitute the word, “gid” - גיד -vein or artery. As the life force of our bodies is carried through our #veins, so too is the essence of our souls transmitted through the ʻstoriesʼ of our spiritual traditon. (I thank Rabbi David Ingber, rabbi of Rommemu, the Center for Mind, Body and Spirit, NYC. for this insight.) The Haggadah is a religious-literary articulation of the attempt to raise our spiritual consciousness of the wonder of life so that we can respond

V. MAGID / NARRATE-מגיד

HA LACHMAH ANYA-THIS IS THE BREAD OF AFFLICTION-

The matzah is pointed to or raised over the heads of participants as this segment is recited.

הא לחמא עניא די אכלו אבהתנא בארעא דמצרים. כל דכפין ייתי ויכול, כל דצריך ייתי ויפסח. השתא הכא, לשנה הבאה בארעא דישראל. השתא עבדי, לשנה הבאה בני חורין:

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with gratefulness and thereby know the joy of living. Referring again to the mode of interpretation known as “gematriah”-the numerical value of the word-we discover an intriguing connection between the act of telling and its unique purpose. The numerical value of the word -haggadah - the telling or the story, is 17.Hay=5; gimel=3; daled=4 ; hay=5, their total is 17. Likewise, the word for vein, “gid”-גיד , is numerically equivalent to 17: Gimel=3; yod=10 and daled is 4. Emerging from this connection is the conclusion that the spiritual purpose, the theme and bloodline of the Passover narrative is the goodness inherent in the universe and in the act of human liberation. Reading the history of Jewish liberation is recognizing the unending wonder of life. Being astonished and expressing praise are the dual dimensions of the ancient Hebrew chant, the Biblical melody and song. . This item of immediacy, tangible and indispensable to life, in the here and now, embraces the totality of our past and our future, the past experience of slavery and freedom and the future hope and expectation of redemption. The reader is presented with the power of the “now moment,” infusing the present with the infinity of

This is the bread of affliction which our ancestors ate in the land Of Mitzrayim, Let all who are hungry come and eat.Let all who are in need, come and celebrate the Passover.Today, we are here. Next year in the land of Israel.Today, we are slaves. Next year, we will be free.

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the past and the future, recognizing eternity in the fleeting moment of life. The morsel of matzah reminds us that in spite of the ease by which matzah can break into crumbs, in spite of how fragile our lives, how lonely and frightening, the knowledge of being rooted in a past and connected to the future, blesses us with hope and meaning and gives us reason for being grateful.# # This grateful awareness engenders generosity as we #continue to recite: “Kol dichfin yeitei vʼyeichul ”-כל דיכפין ייתי וייכול-Let all who are hungry come and eat… Having guests at our table, especially the poor, represents the concretization of gratefulness into acts of hessed, act of compassion and kindness. As we step up to the starting point of now, of the world as we know it, with its poverty, hunger and homelessness, we look down the road, beyond the first laps of the race toward redemption and catch a glimpse of a vision where all will have a roof over their heads and a table laden with food at which to take a seat as dignified human beings, free from want. Gratefulness in Hebrew is hakarat hatov-הכרת הטוב-recognizing the good, unearthing the gold of gratitude from the dross of downheartedness and despair.

HA LACHMAH ANEEYA-הא לחמא עניא-GRATEFUL FOR –THE GIFT OF

THE “NOW.”

“ This is the bread of affliction”- “ha”-הא in Aramaic is “Zeh”-זה-this. We begin the Seder by pointing to an object, as if it is a focus for the meditative experience of recounting the story of freedom in the deepest recesses of our consciousness. “Anneya,”-עניא- in addition to its standard meaning of “poor” or “afflicted,” has been translated as “response, answer,” from the root #“Anoh“ -ענה. “Samuel said-The bread of “Oni”-עני- Bread over which we respond with many words.” (Pesachim 115 b.) If one is hungry, it is hard to speak; we preserveoour energy just to breathe, to live. Emptiness and want are saturated with silence. Human language, speech, communication are all fueled by “ lechem ”-לחם, by food, by bread. And so we bless after we have eaten-“You shall eat, feel satisfied and then bless.” Curiously, the verb ”anoh”-ענה- is associated with a liturgical #response of gratitude and thankfulness . in the Sanctuary, a psalm is recited each morning during daily prayers. “Enoo Ladonai bʼtodah,” -ענו ליי בתודה-Lift your voice-respond, in thanks to the Lord; Sing to the Lord a song of praise -JPS translation 1985- (Psalm147:7). “ #

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To tell a story is an act by which we try to realize our capacity

for wonder, meaning and delight. We understand human experience when we listen

to a story, and its meaning changes as our capacity to understand unfolds and

grows. All of us have stories; all of us are stories in the making, whose value is

appreciated when we pay greater attention to their meaning.

In Jewish thinking, " God, as it were, camouflaged Himself in

stories."(Breslov Haggadah).

# The narrative of the Bible, especially that of the Exodus,

transcends literature, words of entertainment and education. The stories of Scripture

in mystical thinking are the disguises of divinity in the world. God is hidden in every

word, every episode, and every experience. This is what transforms Scripture into a

sacred story.

The Exodus story, a tale of exile and eventual redemption, is

the story not only of Israel, but of all humanity, and of God Himself. As Israel and

humanity are in exile, so too is the Shechinah,שכינה, the Divine Presence. We tell

the story to rescue ourselves, others, even God.

“ Facts lead us to knowledge, but stories lead to

wisdom." (Rachel Naomi Remen-Kitchen Table Wisdom.)

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Story telling transcends the social, the psychological. Sharing

stories around the Seder table-Magid-מגיד-transports us to a place where God's

hand in history and the world becomes evident. In a sense, a story is a renewed

revelation but hidden and discreet, requiring an openness of heart and mind to

perceive the pulse of the divine.

Stories stir our souls, shape memories and connections, stretch

our imaginations and nurture our hearts. Magid-מגיד-“story-teller”, offers us a

vehicle of invaluable spiritual enrichment, linking us to those who came before and

leading us into the unknowable future with roots out of which we can meet with what

lies ahead with greater wisdom and faith.

"The one who elaborates upon the story of “Yetziat Mitzrayim”-

" .the Exodus from Egypt-is considered praiseworthy-יציאת מצרים

We are grateful for the story and for the gift of again being able share it in others

and ourselves.

# When the Ba'al Shem Tov had to fulfill a difficult task before him,

he would go to a certain place in the woods, light a fire, and meditate in prayer, and

what he set out to perform was done.

# When a generation later the "Maggid" of Mezeritz was faced with

the same task, he would go to the same place in the woods and say:“ We can no

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longer light the fire but we can still say the prayers," and what he wanted done

became a reality.

# Again, a generation later, Rabbi Moishe of Sassov had to perform a

task. And he too went into the woods and said:“ We can no longer light a fire, nor do

we know the secret meditations belonging to the prayer, but we do know the place

in the woods to which it all belongs, and that must be sufficient,” and sufficient it

was.

But when another generation had passed, and Rabbi Israel of Rishin

was called upon to perform the task, he sat down on his chair and said: " We cannot

light the fire, we cannot speak the prayers, we do not know the place, but we can

tell the story of how it was done." And the story that he told had the same effect as

the actions of the other three.

#

# "In every generation we are obligated to tell the story..." The story will

enable us to perform the holy task of touching the Holy Presence. The story is all we

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MAH NISHTANAH-GRATEFUL FOR –THE GIFT OF-ASKING QUESTIONS Imagine a world in which there were no questions, no sense of curiosity or wonderment! What would the world be like if everything were understood, there was no mystery, all was evident and known? Childrenʼs eyes would never sparkle with the light and joy of discovery! Scientists would never experience the thrill and delight of a “eureka” moment! Parentʼs would never relish their sense of pride when their child successfully figured out the answer to a riddle or difficult question! How bland and boring life would be without the gift of exploration, the adventure of learning and understanding, even with the many moments of frustration and false conclusions!

REFILL THE WINE CUPS

MAH NISHTANAH-THE FOUR QUESTIONS - מה נשתנה

The youngest child is customarily invited to recite the FOUR QUESTIONS. This practice my be shared among all children at the table to again prompt an ongoing sense of interest and involvement of the young in the Passover proceedings.

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To ask is to be human, to feel the exhilaration of the search for truth, and to reap the deepest reward when catching a glimpse of its reality.“To ask “what” or “why” is not to ask scientific definitions, but to probe the unknown, to insist on depths yet to be plumbed.” (Zornberg, Aviva,The Particulars of Rapture,p.207.) Jewish tradition is abundant in questions; the very sinews of Talmud are those constituting questions of every conceivable type. The “gematria ,” the numerical value of the word “geulah,”-גאולה- redemption, is 45 [gimel=3; aleph=1; vav=6; lamed=30; hay=5] ; this corresponds to the numerical value of the word “mah”-מה-what, or why, the word that initiates all questions [mem=40; hay=5]. The first step toward redemption stretches out of a mind that asks, out of a heart that hears the mystery of all things. Thus the youngest are introduced to this process at the Seder table, and we witness with gratitude our children stepping into the unexplored terrain of human life armed with curiosity, and the relent less desire to know! Together with them we ask: What is the spiritual meaning of the Exodus, of freedom, of life? Where can we meet with the

ה נשתנה הלילה הזה מכל הלילות? מ

Mah nishtanah halayla hazeh mikol ha-leilot?

Why is this night of Passover different from all other nights of the year ?

שבכל הלילות אנו אוכלין חמץ ומצה. הלילה הזה כלו מצה:

Sheb'chol ha-leilot anu och'lin chameitz umatzah. Ha-laylah hazeh kulo matzah.

On all other nights, we eat either leavened or unleavened bread, why on this night do we eat only matzah

שבכל הלילות אנו אוכלין שאר ירקות הלילה הזה מרור:

Shebechol haleilot anu ochlin shear yerakot,halaylah hazeh, maror.

On all other nights, we eat vegetables of all kinds, why on this night must we eat bitter herbs?

שבכל הלילות אין אנו מטבילין אפילו פעם אחת. הלילה הזה שתי פעמים:

Shebchol hasleylot ayn anu matbilin afilu pa’am echat,halayla hazeh,shtei peamim.

On all other nights, we do not dip vegetable even once, why on this night do we dip greens into salt water and bitter herbs into sweet haroset?

שבכל הלילות אנו אוכלין בין יושבין ובין מסבין. הלילה הזה כלנו מסבין:

Shebʼkhol ha-leilot anu okhlim bein yoshvin uvein mʼsubin, halailah hazeh kulanu mʼsubin.

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wonder, the miraculous, and the mystery? How do we become aware of and cultivate a relationship to, the giftedness of life, of seeing the hand of the divine in all things? How do we incorporate an ongoing response of gratefulness and goodness to the totality of human existence?

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On all other nights, everyone sits up straight at the table, why on this night do we recline and eat at leisure?

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AVADEEM HAYEENU”- GRATEFUL FOR –THE GIFT OF ANSWERS A life without answers is a frightening one, one without purpose and direction. We need answers to serve us and our children as guidelines by which to make our way through life with a sense of joy and anticipation, a sense of trust and predictability, a sense of order. We provide answers deeply embedded in the history of our people, a tragic history of enslavement, persecution and homelessness, but one suffused with hope and the messianic expectation of redemption. Thus the process of answering and the answers themselves infuse us with gratefulness for the awareness of their indispensable significance to our own personal journeys.

AVADEEM HAYINU - עבדים היינו

Storytelling: “We were slaves”

(Read in unison, Hebrew or English, or ask different individuals at your Seder table moving around, right to left, with the privilege of “passing.”)

עבדים היינו לפרעה במצרים. ויוציאנו יי אלהינו משם, ביד חזקה ובזרוע נטויה, ואלו לא הוציא

הקדוש ברוך הוא את־אבותינו ממצרים, הרי אנו ובנינו ובני בנינו, משעבדים היינו לפרעה במצרים. ואפילו כלנו חכמים, כלנו נבונים, כלנו זקנים, כלנו יודעים את־התורה, מצוה עלינו לספר ביציאת מצרים. וכל המרבה לספר ביציאת מצרים, הרי זה משבח:

Avadim hayinu l'faroh b'mitzrayim. Vayotzi-einu Adonai Eloheinu misham, b'yad chazakah uvizroa n'tuyah, v'ilu lo hotzi hakadosh Baruch hu et avoteinu mimitzrayim, harei anu uvaneinu uv'nei vaneinu, m'shubadim hayinu l'faroh b'mitzrayim. Va-afilu kulanu chachamim, kulanu n'vonim, kulanu z'keinim, kulanu yod'im et hatorah, mitzvah aleinu l'sapeir bitzi-at mitzrayim. Vʼchol hamarbeh l'sapeir bitzi-at mitzrayim, harei zeh m'shubach.

We were slaves in Egypt and the Lord freed us from Egypt with a mighty hand. Had not the holy one liberated our people from Egypt, then we, our children and our children's children would still be enslaved.THE G

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GRATEFUL FOR THE “ALLNESS” OF LIFE The Midrash presented by Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah is perplexing; all his life he failed to understand the meaning of the practice to mention the Exodus in the night time until Ben Zoma interpreted the one ostensibly insignificant word of the Torah-”kol”--כל-”all,“ in the passage “all the days of your life” to suggest that the word “all “refers to the night time. To me this word-”all”-carries with it a fundamental implication regarding our relationship to the world and to God. We remember the Exodus-the capacity for freedom even when our lives are darkened by slavery, in the night time of our lives. The comprehensiveness and totality of life ever allows us to gain a glimpse of light amidst darkness, to hold in our memory and hope the possibility of freedom when engulfed by external or internal forces that enslave us. Thus we remain grateful for this gift of hopeful memory and recite the Exodus in the night time of our daily experiences as well.

A Moment from a Seder of our Sages:, ורבי אלעזר בן־ מעשה ברבי אליעזר, ורבי יהושעעזריה, ורבי עקיבא, ורבי טרפון, שהיו מסבין בבני־ברק, והיו מספרים ביציאת מצרים, כל־אותו הלילה, עד שבאו תלמידיהם ואמרו להם: רבותינו, הגיע זמן קריאת שמע, של שחרית:

Ma-aseh b'rabi Eli-ezer, v'rabi Y'hoshua, v'rabi Elazar ben azaryah, v'rabi Akiva, v'rabi Tarfon, she-hayu m'subin bivnei vrak, v'hayu m'sap'rim bitzi-at mitzrayim, kol oto halaylah, ad sheba-u talmideihem v'am'ru lahem. Raboteinu, higi-a z'man k'ri-at sh'ma, shel shacharit.

It once happened that Rabbis Eliezer, Joshua, Elazar ben Azaryah, Akiva and Tarfon were reclining at the seder table in Bnei Brak. They spent the whole night discussing the Exodus until their students came and said to them: "Rabbis, it is time for us to recite the Shema”

אמר רבי אלעזר בן־עזריה. הרי אני כבן שבעים שנה, ולא זכיתי, שתאמר יציאת מצרים בלילות. עד שדרשה בן זומא. שנאמר: למען תזכר, את יום צאתך מארץ מצרים, כל ימי חייך. ימי חייך הימים. כל ימי חייך הלילות. וחכמים אומרים: ימי חייך העולם הזה. כל ימי חייך להביא לימות המשיח:

Amar rabi Elazar ben Azaryah. Harei ani k'ven shivim shanah, v'lo zachiti, shetei-ameir y'tzi-at mitzrayim baleilot. Ad shed'rashah ben zoma. Shene-emar: l'ma-an tizkor, et yom tzeitcha mei-eretz mitzrayim, kol y'mei chayecha. Y'mei chayecha hayamim. Kol y'mei chayecha haleilot. Vachachamim om'rim. Y'mei chayecha ha-olam hazeh. Kol y'mei chayecha l'havi limot hamashi-ach.

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Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah said: "I am like a seventy-year old man and I have not succeeded in understanding why the Exodus from Egypt should be mentioned at night, until Ben Zoma explained it by quoting: "In order that you may remember the day you left Egypt all the days of your life." The Torah adds the world all to the phrase the days of your life to indicate that the nights are meant as well. The sages declare that "the days of your life" means the present world and "all " includes the messianic era.

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THE FOUR CHILDREN-GRATEFUL FOR –THE GIFT OF-CHILDREN Children are sources of spiritual repair in this world; the ARI-Isaac Luria, the great mystic of Safed in the sixteenth century, pointed out that the Hebrew letters for repair and mending, “tikun,”- are the same as those -תקוןthat spell the Hebrew for baby or infant-”tinok”- תנוק. It is no accident that the Seder incorporates and embraces the presence and participation of children whose presence at the Seder in whatever way is a vital animus in the process of spiritual liberation. Children, the targeted audience of the Seder story, cover a range of character types-the wise, the wicked, the simple, the one who is not able to formulate the question. The Haggadah is not selective; of course there is admiration for children who meet the higher standards of adult expectation; yet no child is “left behind,” ignored or excluded from the spiritual process. Approaches toward the diversity of children vary, adjusted to each level of the childʼs uniqueness. The parentʼs task is to customize the response recognizing each childʼs singularity and individuality. Underlying these diverse responses is the awareness that gratefulness can and should inform and

The Four Children - ארבעה בנים

ברו המקום, ברו הוא. ברו שנתן תורה לעמו ישראל, ברו הוא. כנגד ארבעה בנים דברה תורה . אחד חכם, ואחד רשע, ואחד

תם, ואחד שאינו יודע לשאול

Baruch hamakom, baruch hu. Baruch shenatan torah l'amo yisra-eil, baruch hu. K'neged arba-ah vanim dib'rah torah. Echad chacham, v'echad rasha, v'echad tam, v'echad she-eino yodei-a lishol.

.

The Torah speaks of four types of children: one is wise, one is wicked, one is simple, and one does not know how to ask.

חכם מה הוא אומר? מה העדת והחקים והמשפטים, אשר צוה יי אלהינו אתכם? ואף אתה

אמר־לו כהלכות הפסח: אין מפטירין אחר הפסח אפיקומן:

1. Chacham mah hu omeir? Mah ha-eidot v'hachukim v'hamishpatim, asher tzivah Adonai Eloheinu etchem? V'af atah emor lo k'hilchot hapesach. Ein maftirin achar hapesach afikoman.

The Wise One asks: "What is the meaning of the laws and traditions God has commanded?" (Deuteronomy 6:20) You should teach him all the traditions of Passover, even to the last detail.

רשע מה הוא אומר? מה העבדה הזאת לכם? לכם ולא לו. ולפי שהוציא את־עצמו מן הכלל, כפר

בעקר. ואף אתה הקהה את־שניו, ואמר־לו: בעבור

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inspire our relationship with our children, simply because they are our children. Our love is defined largely by our sense of gratefulness for having the child/children that we do. Every question, no matter how agreeable or oppositional, warrants an appropriate and grateful response. In this way, there is every possibility that the child will hear our message and take to heart the story in all its grandeur and hope. The “four children” is also a metaphor for the four parts of the human personality. We all are constituted by a capacity for wisdom; we do not lack for inclinations toward that which is detrimental, even destructive, of ourselves and others; there persists an aspect of our identity that remains fixed on our being childlike, simple and innocent; and all of us share a level of bewilderment and confusion that often makes it impossible to know even how to frame the question that will help us find an answer, find a clarity in the midst of our ignorance. We are imperfect, a mosaic of various shades and strands of inconsistencies and contradictions, seeking wholeness, equilibrium and integration. The Seder invites us to recognize and embrace all parts of who we are and through this compassionate awareness arrive at the portal of greater wisdom and kindness in the choices that we

זה, עשה יי לי, בצאתי ממצרים, לי ולא־לו. אלו היה שם, לא היה נגאל:

2. Rasha, mah hu omer? Mah ha-avodah ha-zot lachem? Lachem vʼlo lo. Ul'fi shehotzi et atzmo min hak'lal, kafar ba-ikar. V'af atah hakheih et shinav, ve-emor lo. Ba-avur zeh, asah Adonai li, b'tzeiti mimitzrayim, li v'lo lo. Ilu hayah sham, lo hayah nigal.

The Wicked One asks: "What does this ritual mean to you?" (Exodus 12:26) By using the expression "to you" he excludes himself from his people and denies God. Shake his arrogance and say to him: "It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt..." (Exodus 13:8) "For me" and not for him -- for had he been in Egypt, he would not have been freed.

תם מה הוא אומר? מה זאת? ואמרת אליו: בחזק יד הוציאנו יי ממצרים, מבית עבדים.

3. Tam mah hu omeir? Mah zot? V'amarta eilav. B'chozek yad hotzi-anu Adonai mimitzrayim mibeit avadim.

The Simple One asks: "What is all this?" You should tell him: "It was with a mighty hand that the Lord took us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage."

ושאינו יודע לשאול - את פתח לו, שנאמר: והגדת לבנך ביום ההוא לאמר, בעבור זה עשה יי לי בצאתי ממצרים.

4. V'she-eino yodei-a lishol, at p'tach lo. Shene-emar. V'higadta l'vincha, bayom hahu leimor. Ba-avur zeh asah Adonai li, b'tzeiti mimitzrayim.

As for the One Who Does Not Know How To Ask, you should open the discussion for him, as it is written: "And you shall explain to your child on that day, 'It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt." (Exodus 13:8)

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make. The totality of our identity is to be acknowledged and celebrated gratefully. Thus we address each of our own “inner children” and pay attention to each question sympathetically and earnestly.

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The Four Children from the perspective of Gratefulness:

Popular interpretation of the nature of the four children has

established a particular level of priority beginning with the “wise” child as the most

desirable and the “wicked” as the least. The other two, the “simple one” and the “one

who doesnʼt know how to ask” fall into the category of blameless children who

require the assistance of the adults.

Except for the “wicked” one, it appears that each child is

defined according to her/his intellectual capacity.

If we apply the criterion of gratefulness as a spiritual

standard by which to understand the four children, a different set of priorities is

called for, and each of the childrenʼs descriptions demands a new interpretation. The

following represents such a categorization:

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1. CHACHAM-חכם-The WISE ONE: What motivates the wise

child in her approach to the Seder and to life is the need to know the “how” of

everything, to investigate the scientific understanding of everything, to be able to

objectively grasp the meaning of all things before she can be satisfied, even

grateful. Therefore, her question is a demand for proof-”what are the exact

testimonies and principles and decisions connected to Passover without which I can

never master all the necessary requirements.” The wise one takes nothing on faith;

knowledge is the ultimate good in her life.

# The answer of the haggadah is straightforward, an answer that

is comprehensive and structured, leaving nothing to chance. Once the established

rituals are completed according to the organized patterns of Jewish tradition, we do

not engage in any extraneous activity beyond the given parameters of a fixed text.

The Seder experience is quantified and measured ; gratitude is the product of

intellectual certainty and predictability.

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2. RASHA-רשע-The WICKED ONE: This individual sees the

world and the Seder experience through the lens of ingratitude. He asks: What is

this service, which is just so much work, a form of servitude, that you perform it and

somehow find meaning in it? The journry toward freedom, life lived with purpose and

for the sake of others is simply a burden, its demands unfair, thus cynically rejecting

any value to its spiritual dimensions. #

He stands outside of the spiritual orbit of life, and looking in

angrily and critically, declares emphatically:”Leave me alone! Donʼt bother me with

any intimations of lifeʼs giftedness and blessing for which we can be grateful! Life

sucks!”

The RASHA is so cynical preferring to be a critic rather than a

companion to the spiritual enterprise the best one can do as a response is to try and

blunt the sharpness of his assaults, expressing oneʼs disappointment:”How sad, but

had you been present at the original event of the Exodus you would not have

recognized the wonder of the event and would have remained behind,” but never

closing the door to even the slightest gratitude that may seep through the walls of his

anger and fear.

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" 3. THE ONE WHO DOESNʼT KNOW HOW TO ASK -ושאינו

:יודע לשאול

Like most of us, we recognize the centrality of gratefulness in

the unfolding of the full spiritual life, yet we fail to find the right ways by which to

express such levels of awareness and maintain them. Thus the need for a

conscious discipline and ritual as the Seder which we celebrate tonight.

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# 4 .TAM-תם-The SIMPLE ONE-The model child for the pursuit of

gratefulness is the Tam-the simple one. To be simple in this context is not related to

ignorance, foolishness or stupidity. Rather, simplicity evokes the capacity to

genuinely and sincerely relate to the Seder, to life, to God with the innocence of

profound faith grounded in the ability to experience all of life gratefully and thankfully.

Consider the following enjoining statement in the book of Deuteronomy-”Tamim

teeyeh eem adonai elohehcha”-תמים תהיה עם יי אלהך-You must be wholehearted

with the Lord your God (Chpt.18:13) In other words, the spiritual quest is directed

toward the ability to achieve openheartedness and love, to embrace the totality of life

in the awareness of lifeʼs giftedness and blessing, and thus respond in deed, word

and feeling with an outpouring of gratefulness.

The Tam interestingly simply asks: “MAH ZOT?”-מה זאת-

Whatʼs this? The “zot,” -זאת- this, as pointed out in my introduction, is a direct

exclamation of wonder, an open hearted outpouring of praise upon witnessing the

grandeur, beauty and the miraculous of life.

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Essentially all of us encompass these “four children” within our

own lives. Like the “wise” one, we wish to understand to better grasp the fullness of

life; like the “wicked,” often we are cynical and angry, and find it near impossible to

feel grateful especially when stricken with pain, loss or sorrow.

Who of us can always find the right words by which to properly express our

gratitude? So we feel like the “one who cannot ask” the right question; and all of us

are blessed with the purity of soul that yearns to connect itself to the essential beauty

and blessing of life and live in the embrace of wholeheartedness and simplicity, of a

gratefulness which can bring endless joy, strength and peace.

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In The Beginning - מתחלה

מתחלה עובדי עבודה זרה היו אבותינו. ועכשו קרבנו המקום לעבודתו. שנאמר: ויאמר יהושע

אל־כל־העם. כה אמר יי אלהי ישראל, בעבר הנהר ישבו אבותיכם מעולם, תרח אבי אברהם ואבי נחור. ויעבדו אלהים אחרים: ואקח את־

אביכם את־אברהם מעבר הנהר, ואולך אותו בכל־ארץ כנען. וארבה את־זרעו, ואתן לו את־יצחק: ואתן ליצחק את־יעקב ואת־עשו. ואתן לעשו את־הר שעיר, לרשת אותו. ויעקב ובניו ירדו מצרים:

Mit'chilah ov'dei avodah zarah hayu avoteinu. V'achshav keir'vanu hamakom la-avodato. Shene-emar: Vayomer Y'hoshua el kol ha-am. Koh amar Adonai Elohei yisra-eil, b'eiver hanahar yash'vu avoteichem mei-olam, Terach avi avraham va-avi nachor. Vaya-avdu Elohim acheirim. Va-ekach et avichem et avraham mei-eiver ha-nahar, va-oleich oto b'chol eretz k'na-an. Va-arbeh et zaro, va-eten lo et Yitzchak. Va-etein l'yitzchak et Ya-akov v'et Eisav. Va-etein l'eisav et har sei-ir, lareshet oto. V'ya-akov uva-nav yar'du mitzrayim.

At first our forebears worshiped idols, but then the Omnipresent brought us near to divine service, as it is written: "Joshua said to all the people: so says the Lord God of Israel--your fathers have always lived beyond the Euphrates River, Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor; they worshipped other gods. I took your father Abraham from the other side of the river and led him through all the land of Canaan. I multiplied his family and gave him Isaac. To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau; to Esau I gave Mount Seir to inherit, however Jacob and his children went down to Egypt."

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ברוך שומר הבטחתו לישראל, ברוך הוא. שהקדוש ברוך הוא חשב את הקץ לעשות כמו שאמר

לאברהם אבינו בברית בין הבתרים, שנאמר: ויאמר לאברם, ידע תדע כי גר יהיה זרעך בארץ לא להם,

ועבדום וענו אתם ארבע מאות שנה. וגם את הגוי אשר יעבדו דן אנכי ואחרי כן יצאו ברכש גדול.

Baruch shomeir havtachato l'yisra-eil. Baruch hu. Shehakadosh Baruch hu chishav et hakeitz, la-asot k'mah she-amar l'avraham avinu bivrit bein hab'tarim. Shene-emar: vayomer l'avram yadoa teida, ki geir yihyeh zaracha, b'eretz lo lahem, va-avadum v'inu otam arba meiot shanah. V'gam et hagoy asher ya-avodu dan anochi. V'acharei chein yeitz'u, birchush gadol.Praised be He who keeps His promise to Israel; praised be He. The holy one, blessed be he, predetermined the time for our final deliverance in order to fulfill what He had pledged to our father Abraham in a covenant, as it is written: "He said to Abram, your descendants will surely sojourn in a land that is not their own, and they will be enslaved and afflicted for four hundred years; however, I will punish the nation that enslaved them, and afterwards they shall leave with great wealth." והיא שעמדה לאבותינו ולנו? שלא אחד בלבד עמד עלינו לכלותנו, אלא שבכל דור ודור עומדים עלינו

לכלותנו והקדוש ברוך הוא מצילנו מידם

V'hi she-am'dah la-avoteinu v'lanu. Shelo echad bilvad, amad aleinu l'chaloteinu. Ela sheb'chol dor vador, om'dim aleinu l'chaloteinu, v'hakadosh Baruch hu matzileinu mi-yadam.This covenant that remained constant for ourancestors and for us has saved us against any who arose to destroy us in every generation, and throughout history when any stood against us to annihilate us, the Kadosh Barukh Hu kept saving us from them.

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Aramee Oved Avi -“My Ancestor Was A Wandering Aramean”- א ר מ י אבד אבי

(We lower the wine cup and continue with the recitation of the traditional Midrash or Rabbinic discussion of the Passover Exodus story as recorded in the Torah, beginning first with the threat to Israel from Lavan and then the threat from Pharaoh.)

Go and Learn

צא ולמד מה בקש לבן הארמי לעשות ליעקב אבינו. שפרעה לא גזר אלא על הזכרים ולבן בקש לעקור את הכל, שנאמר: ארמי אבד אבי, וירד מצרימה ויגר שם

במתי מעט, ויהי שם לגוי גדול, עצום ורב

Tzei ul'mad, mah bikeish lavan ha-arami la-asot l'ya-akov avinu. She-paroh lo gazar ela al haz'charim, v'lavan bikeish la-akor et hakol, shene-emar:

Go and learn: Note well that Lavan the Aramean intended ultimately to kill our ancestor Jacob, after he trapped him into working for his wives and flocks for 20 years. Even Pharaoh only intended to kill the male children, while Lavan intended to annihilate all of Jacobʼs family, bringing the Jewish People to an end.

The Torah Story of Slavery and Redemption

וירד מצרימה, אנוס על פי הדבורVayeired mitzraymah. Anus al pi hadibur.

He went down to Egypt, compelled by divine decree.

MIDRASH-GRATEFUL FOR-THE GIFT OF- EXEGESIS # Midrash -מדרש- plays a central role in the unfolding of the Passover story.# What is Midrash- Derived from the ?מדרשroot,”darosh,”-דרש- meaning seeking, interpreting, studying, explicating, when we exercise our creativity and imagination, as we encounter a sacred text, we compose midrash-מדרש. When we allow our thinking to soar to heights of freedom and poetry, we become Midrash- makers. When we recognize the indeterminate richness of human language, especially Hebrew-the language of the Bible, we step into the refreshing waters of Midrash-.מדרש# Midrash-מדרש- helps us pay attention so that we can gain astonishment and discover the miracle and wonder of life. Certain common words or terms act as focal points around which basic ideas revolve, words that act as signposts guiding us on the journey of greater attentiveness to the holy.

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ויגר שם. מלמד שלא ירד יעקב אבינו להשתקע במצרים, אלא לגור שם, שנאמר:

ויאמרו אל־פרעה, לגור בארץ באנו, כי אין מרעה לצאן אשר לעבדיך, כי כבד הרעב בארץ כנען. ועתה, ישבו־נא עבדיך בארץ גשן:

Vayagor sham. M'lameid shelo yarad ya-akov avinu l'hishtakei-a b'mitzrayim, ela lagur sham, shene-emar: vayomru el paroh, lagur ba-aretz banu, ki ein mireh latzon asher la-a-vadecha, ki chaveid hara-av b'eretz k'na-an. V'atah, yeish'vu na avadecha b'eretz goshen.

He sojourned there implies that he didnʼt come to settle in Egypt - only to dwell temporarily, as it is written: "They said to Pharaoh: 'We have come to sojourn in this land because there is no pasture for your servants' flocks; the famine is severe in Canaan. For now, though, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.' "(Deut. 26:5)

במתי מעט. כמה שנאמר: בשבעים נפש, ירדו אבתיך מצרימה. ועתה, שמך יי אלהיך,

ככוכבי השמים לרב.

Bimtei m'at. K'mah shene-emar: b'shivim nefesh, yar'du avotecha mitzray'mah. V'atah, sam'cha Adonai elohecha, k'choch'vei hashamayim larov.

Few in number, as it is written: "With seventy souls your ancestors went down to Egypt, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky."

ויהי שם לגוי. מלמד שהיו ישראל מצינים שם:

Robert Alter brilliantly explicated the use in the Bible of what he has called: “ leitworter,” thematic key words, which play a central role in conveying core concepts to the reader. (The Art of Biblical Poetry, Robert Alter) Furthermore, the Rabbis recognized the indispensable function of the word itself and its association with its repetition in other locations of the text as a means of arriving at sacred exegesis and understanding. God is encountered within sacred texts rather than sacred spaces. Rabbinic commentators were called upon to capture the resonances and nuances dormant in the canonical texts. In the response of the Haggadah to the one who is unable to articulate a question about Passover and the experience of its narration and celebration, the author quotes a verse from the Torah, Exodus 13:8: “You shall tell your children on that day. It is because of this…that the Lord did for me when I left Egypt.” Freely translated, the reference to “this”-“zeh,”-זה- is expanded to mean “ for the sake of “- what the Lord did for me when I went out of Egypt.” Thus the pivotal word by which one can grasp the ability to ask out of a sense of mystery and wonder and with a feeling of profound gratefulness, is the word Zeh”- this.” Because of “this” one“-זה

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Vay'hi sham l'goy. M'lameid shehayu yisra-eil m'tzuyanim sham.

There he became a nation means that they became a distinct people in Egypt.

גדול עצום, כמה שנאמר: ובני ישראל, פרו וישרצו, וירבו ויעצמו, במאד מאד, ותמלא

הארץ אתם:

Gadol atzum. K'mah shene-emar: uv'nei yisra-eil, paru vayishr'tzu, vayirbu vaya - atzmu, bimod m'od, vatimalei ha-aretz otam.

Great, mighty, as it is written. "The children of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and became mighty, and the land was full of them."

ורב. כמה שנאמר: רבבה כצמח השדה נתתיך, ותרבי, ותגדלי, ותבאי בעדי עדיים: שדים נכנו,

, ואת ערם ועריה: ושערך צמח

Varav. K'mah shene-emar: R'vavah k'tzemach ha-sadeh n'tatich, vatirbi, vatigd'li, vatavo-i ba-adi adayim. Shadayim nachonu, us'areich tzimei-ach, v'at eirom v'eryah.

And numerous, as it is written: "I made you as populous as the plants of the field; you grew up and wore choice adornments; your breasts were firm and your hair grew long; yet, you were bare and naked."

can begin to sense the miracle of the Exodus. Obviously, as the normative reading explains, the “zeh”-זה-this, refers to the Exodus from Egypt. Yet, the word by itself conveys a vagueness that evokes spiritual speculation and association to other references as well. What are the implications of the “zeh- Is it merely a generalized ”?זהreference or does it convey a specificity and depth that helps us connect to dimensions of divinity and wonder? In its broadest sense, “zeh”-זה- points to a specific item in a particular context. As a demonstrative pronoun, it designates a thing that is nearer than something else or something less remote in thought or idea. At the same time, to recognize the content or meaning of “this,” context is all-important. In examining the associations of “zeh”-זה (masc.) or “Zo”,- זו-“Zot”-זאת-(fem.) in other places in the scriptural narrative, the term unmistakably highlights the intimate experience of wonder and miracle that is embedded in the very soul of the Exodus event.# “The zeh-זה- in Midrashic code language signifies the “pointing finger,” the visual, concrete apprehension of the object.”( Zornberg, Avivah Gottlieb, “The Particulars of Rapture-Reflections on Exodus,” Doubleday, 2001,p.222-223) Thus the occurrence of “zeh”- in the Haggadah is a means -זהby which to make the

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וירעו אתנו המצרים ויענונו. ויתנו עלינו עבדה קשה:

Vayarei-u otanu hamitzrim vay'anunu, Vayit'nu aleinu avodah kashah

The Egyptians treat us badly. They persecuted us and imposed hard labor on us.”(Deut. 26:6)

וירעו אתנו המצרים. כמה שנאמר:הבה

נתחכמה לו. פן־ירבה, והיה כי־תקראנה מלחמה, ונוסף גם הוא על־שנאינו, ונלחם־בנו

ועלה מן־הארץ:

Vayarei-u otanu hamitzrim. Kʼmah shene-emar: havah nitchak'mah lo, pen yirbeh, v'hayah ki tikrenah milchamah, v'nosaf gam hu al soneinu, v'nilcham banu v'alah min ha-aretz.

And the Egyptians mistreated us as it is written:"Come let us deal wisely with them, lest they should multiply and it come to pass that when a war should happen, they might join our enemies, fight against us and then depart from us."

ויענונו. כמה שנאמר: וישימו עליו שרי מסים, למען ענתו בסבלתם: ויבן ערי מסכנות לפרעה,

את־פתם ואת־רעמסס: And afflicted us, as it is written: "They set taskmasters over them in order to oppress them with their burdens; the people of Israel built Pithom and Raamses as storecities for Pharaoh."ויתנו עלינו עבדה קשה. כמה שנאמר: ויעבדו

מצרים את־בני ישראל בפרך:Vayit'nu aleinu avodah kashah. K'mah shene-emar: vaya-avidu mitzrayim et b'nei yisra-eil b'farech.

experience of liberation a more concrete and visceral on. The “pointing finger” of zeh -זה- is the spiritual stratum of gratefulness which underpins the Exodus enterprise. The “zeh”-זה- of the Haggadah points to the here and now, the immediate, the obvious, as dimensions of divinity. Every stage of the Seder is the articulation and enactment of many “zehs,” a series of steps on the journey to redemption, each step another “Zeh”-זה- or “Zot”-זאת- each one inviting us to the awareness of wonder for which we can only be grateful. Each “zeh”-זה- or “zot”- is an invitation to pay -זאתattention.# In the unfolding of the rabbinic Midrash-מדרש- as a way of glorifying and praising God for the deliverance of the Exodus, the Haggadah provides an extensive exegesis on selected passages from the book of Exodus. The following are some examples: “Bʼyad hazakah-zo hadever”- “With a mighty hand”-“zo,”-זו- this, refers to the plague of pestilence. “ Bʼzroa netuya-zo haherev”- “And with an outstretched arm”-“zo,”-זו- this, refers to the sword.

“Uvʼmorah gadol- zeh haʼSchechinah” -“And with great awe”-“zeh,”-זה- this . refers to the revelation of the

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They imposed hard labor upon us, as it is written: "They imposed back-breaking labor upon the people of Israel."ונצעק אל־יי אלהי אבתינו, וישמע יי את־קלנו,

וירא את־ענינו, ואת־עמלנו, ואת לחצנו:

Vanitzak el Adonai elohei avoteinu, vayishma Adonai et koleinu, vayar eton'yeinu, v'et amaleinu, v'et lachatzeinu.

When we cried out to Adonai, the God of our ancestors,Adonai heard our voice, saw our affliction, saw our toil and our oppression.

ונצעק אל־יי אלהי אבתינו, כמה שנאמר: ויהיבימים הרבים ההם, וימת מלך מצרים, ויאנחו

בני־ישראל מן־העבדה ויזעקו. ותעל שועתם אל־האלהים מן־העבדה:

Vanitzak el Adonai elohei avoteinu. K'mah shene-emar: vay'hi va-yamim harabim ha-heim, va-yamot melech mitzrayim, va-yei-an'chu v'nei yisra-eil min ha-avodah vayizaku. Vata-al shavatam el ha-Elohim min ha-avoda.

We cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, as it is written: "It happened in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died; the children of Israel sighed because of their labor and cried; their cry of servitude reached God."

וישמע יי את־קלנו. כמה שנאמר: וישמע אלהים

את־נאקתם, ויזכר אלהים את־בריתו, את־אברהם, את־יצחק, ואת יעקב:

Vayishma Adonai et koleinu,k'mah shene'emar-Vayishma Elohim et na'akatam vayizkor Elohim et berito et Avraham,et Yitzchak v'et Yaakov.

Shechinah,-שכינה- the Divine Presence. “Uvʼotot”- zeh hamateh”- “And with signs”-“zeh”,-זה- this, refers to the staff.

All the above indications introduced by the word “zeh-זה- or “zo”-זו-clearly highlight the intervention of the divine in the Exodus process reinforcing and crystallizing the religious notion of the miraculous and amazing in the experience of liberation. The Haggadahʼs intention therefore is to provide a vehicle by which a sense of wonder can be evoked and a spiritual response of grateful praise can be forthcoming.THE G

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And God heard our voice as it is written-"And God heard their groaning and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

וירא את־ענינו: זו פרישות דרך ארץ. כמה שנאמר: וירא אלהים את־בני ישראל. וידע

אלהים:

Vayar et on'yeinu. Zo p'rishut derech eretz. K'mah shene-emar: vayar Elohim et b'nei yisra-eil. vayeida Elohim.

And saw our affliction, that is, the conjugal separation of husband and wife, as it is written: "God saw the children of Israel and God knew."

ואת עמלנו - אלו הבנים. כמה שנאמר: כל הבן הילוד היארה תשליכהו וכל הבת תחיון.

V'et amaleinu. Eilu ha-banim. Kmah shene-emar: kol habein hayilod hayʼorah tashlichu-hu, vʼchol-habat t'chayun.

Our toil refers to the drowning of the sons, as it is written: "Every son that is born you shall cast into the river, but you shall let every daughter live"

ואת לחצנו. זה הדחק. כמה שנאמר: וגם־ראיתי את־הלחץ, אשר מצרים לחצים אתם:

V'et lachatzeinu. Zeh had'chak. K'mah shene-emar: v'gam ra-iti et ha-lachatz, asher mitzrayim lochatzim otam

On an ordinary night, our attention is diffuse; we are tired from a full dayʼs work, preoccupied with the everyday challenges of daily living. We canʼt pay sufficient attention. On Passover night, we pause, we pay attention, we ask, we praise, we tell the story. We touch the magic, the remarkable, and we share “ it” with our children#

The “it” we tell about is the “zeh”-זה-referred to above. The “zeh”-זה-helps us focus, pay attention, rediscover the shower of blessing that enfolds us. “ In each generation we are obligated to see ourselves as if we went out from Egypt.”

Our story is rooted in pain. A lengthy period of oppression, harshness, hard labor, the dissolution of family togetherness, the drowning of children, the utter sense of abandonment and powerlessness-all sources of unspeakable pain. The narrative moves on to ways of eventual release and redemption. Israel cries heavenward-cries of anguish, cries of confrontation and protest; what else could they do? And “God heard their cry and their voice and saw their affliction” and was moved to tears, and to action, and “He brought us out of Egypt.”

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Our oppression means the pressure used upothem, as it is written: "I have also seen how the Egyptians are oppressing them

ויוצאנו יי ממצרים ביד חזקה ובזרע נטויה, ובמרא גדל,ובאתות ובמפתים.

Vayotzi-einu Adonai mimitzrayim, b'yad chazakah, uvizroa n'tuyah, uv'moragadol uv'otot uv'mof'tim."The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great awe, miraculous signs and wonders."(Deut. 26:8)

ויוצאנו יי ממצרים. לא על־ידי מלאך, ולא על־. אלא הקדוש ברוך ידי שרף. ולא על־ידי שליחהוא בכבודו ובעצמו. שנאמר: ועברתי בארץ

מצרים בלילה הזה, והכיתי כל־בכור בארץ מצרים, מאדם ועד בהמה, ובכל־אלהי מצרים אעשה שפטים אני יי:

Vayotzi-einu Adonai mimitzrayim. Lo al ydei malach, v'lo al yʼdei saraf. V'lo al yʼdei shali-ach. Ela hakadosh Baruch hu bichvodo uv'atzmo. Shene-emar: v'avarti v'eretz mitzrayim ba-laylah hazeh, v'hikeiti chol b'chor b'eretz mitzrayim, mei-adam v'ad b'heimah, uvʼchol elohei mitzrayim e-eseh sh'fatim ani Adonai.

The Lord brought us out of Egypt not by an angel, not by a seraph, not by a messenger, but by the holy one, blessed be He, Himself, as it is written: "I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night; I will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt from man unto beast; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments; I am the Lord." (Deut. 26:8)

a. Grateful for Tears: It is said that God creates the healing before the affliction. One source of relief as we experience suffering is our capacity to cry, to weep. Tears soften our hearts, open our eyes to the fullness and goodness of the universe, make our pain more tolerable, even instructive.

b.Grateful for prayer:Prayer is the human voice to God. Whether in words or mere sounds, even silent cries of the heart, it is our gift of speech in the Presence of the Source of Compassion and Love. Prayer assures us that the universe cannot be cold and callous; prayer is the heart beat of a world suffused with kindness. THE G

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ועברתי בארץ־מצרים בלילה הזה, אני ולא מלאך

V'avarti v'eretz mitzrayim balaylah hazeh, ani v'lo malach

I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, myself and not an angel

והכיתי כל בכור בארץ־מצרים. אני ולא שרף.V'hikeiti cholb'chor b'eretz mitzrayim. ani v'lo saraf. I will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, myself and not a seraph

ובכל־אלהי מצרים אעשה שפטים, אני ולא . השליח

Uv’chol elohei mitzrayim e-eseh sh'fatim, ani v'lo hashali-ach.

On all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments, myself and not a messenger

. אני הוא ולא אחר: אני יי

Ani Adonai. Ani hu v'lo acheir.

I am the Lord, I and none other.

ביד חזקה. זו הדבר. כמה שנאמר: הנה יד־יי הויה, במקנך אשר בשדה, בסוסים בחמרים

בגמלים, בבקר ובצאן, דבר כבד מאד:

B'yad chazakah. Zo ha-dever. Kʼmah shene-emar: hineih yad Adonai hoyah, b'mikn'cha asher basadeh, basusim bachamorim bag'malim, babakar uvatzon, dever kaveid m'od.

Doing Gratefulness

Compose your own Midrash -מדרש-based on the passage-“My father was a wandering Aramean”-consider your personal ancestry and how your forebears wandered and experienced their homelessness and the eventual miracle of settling down, in America, Israel or elsewhere.

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bmassot b’otot u’vmoftim uv’milchama uv'yad cha zaka uvizroan'tuyah,uv'moraim g'dolim. K'chol asher

asah lachem Adonai eloheichem b'mitzrayim, l'einecha.

Great awe alludes to the divine revelation, as it is written: "Has God ever attempted to take unto Himself, a nation from the midst of another nation by trials, miraculous signs and wonders, by war and with a mighty hand and outstretched arm and by awesome revelations, just as you saw the Lord your God do for you in Egypt, before your eyes?"

ובאתות - זה המטה, כמה שנאמר: ואת המטה הזה תקח בידך, אשר תעשה בו את האתת.

Uv'otot. Zeh hamateh, k'mah shene-emar: v'ete ehazeh tikach b'yadecha, asher ta-aseh bo et hae.

Miraculous signs reועברתי בארץ־מצרים בלילה e, אני ולא מלאךfers to the miracles performed with the staff of Moses, as it is written: "Take this staff in your hand, that you may perform the miraculous signs with it."

Mighty hand refers to the disease among the cattle, as it is written: "Behold the hand of the Lord strikes your cattle which are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks--a very severe pestilence."

ובזרע נטויה. זו החרב. כמה שנאמר: וחרבו

שלופה בידו, נטויה על־ירושלים:Uvizroa n'tuyah. Zo ha-cherev. K'mah shene-emar: v'charbo sh'lufah b'yado, n'tuyah al yʼrushalayim.

Outstretched arm means the sword, as it is written: "His drawn sword in his hand, outstretched over Jerusalem."

ובמורא גדול, זה גלוי שכינה. כמה שנאמר: או הנסה אלהים, לבוא לקחת לו גוי מקרב גוי,

במסת באתת ובמופתים ובמלחמה, וביד חזקה ובזרוע נטויה, ובמוראים גדלים. ככל אשר־

עשה לכם יי אלהיכם במצרים, לעיניך:

Uv'mora gadol. Zeh giluy sh'chinah. K'mah shene-emar: o hanisah Elohim, lavo lakachat lo goy mikerev goy, b'masot b'otot uv'mof'tim uv'milchamah, uv'yad chazakah uvizroa n'tuyah, uv'moraim g'dolim. K'chol asher asah lachem Adonai eloheichem b'mitzrayim, l'einecha.

Great awe alludes to the divine revelation, as it is written: "Has God ever attempted to take unto Himself, a nation from the midst of another nation by trials, miraculous signs and wonders, by war and with a mighty hand and outstretched arm and by awesome revelations, just as you saw the Lord your God do for you in Egypt, before your eyes?"

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ובאתות - זה המטה, כמה שנאמר: ואת המטה הזה תקח ביד, אשר תעשה בו את האתת.

Uv'otot. Zeh hamateh, k'mah shene-emar: v'et hamateh hazeh tikach b'yadecha, asher ta-aseh bo et ha-otot.

Miraculous signs refers to the miracles performed with the staff of Moses, as it is written: "Take this staff in your hand, that you may perform the miraculous signs with it."

ובמופתים. זה הדם. כמה שנאמר: ונתתי מופתים, בשמים ובארץ

uʼvemoftim,zeh hadam,kemah shene-emar: vʼnatati moftim bashamayim uʼva-aretz.

“Wonders”:This refers to the miracle where the waters of Egypt turned into blood as we see from the verse:” I will show wonders in the heaven and on the earth.”

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ESSER HAMAKOT-THE TEN AFFLICTIONS- MEASURED GRATEFULNESS The Passover story contains suffering, violence and death; the suffering of victims, and the death of oppressors. it is understandable to experience gratefulness when delivered from the hands of enemies, especially when those who lose their lives wish to take ours. It seems just; it feels as if there is a moral rightness in the world when the wicked are punished and no longer pose a threat to the innocent. Yet the Rabbis remind us that when the Egyptians were drowning in the Sea of Reeds and the ministering angels embarked on singing Godʼs praises, they were silenced and God reprimanded them with these words: # “The creations of My hands are drowning and you wish to sing praises, to express thankfulness?” # (Megillah 10b) #

E S E R M A K O T -The Ten Plagues-עשר מכות A. Should We Rejoice For The Plagues?

( There is a custom of removing 16 drops oneʼs cup of wine, They are (1) the three plagues stated by the prophet Joel that follow now: “blood, fire and smoke,” - “ (2) next, the more familiar Ten Plagues” and (3) then the three terms which comprise the Rabbinic acronymn for the Ten Plagues).These are the Plagues that the holy one, blessed be he, brought upon Egypt.1.This is the first recitation of three terms.

דם ואש ותימרות עשן

Dam Vʼeish Vʼtimʼro ashan

"Blood, and fire and pillars of smoke. . . .”

Before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes, I will set wonders in the sky and on the earth. . . blood, fire and pillars of smoke: The sun shall turn to darkness and the moon into blood.” Joel 3:32. Another Way Of Counting “Ten” Plagues דבר אחר: ביד חזקה - שתים, ובזרע נטויה

- שתים, ובמרא גדל - שתים, ובאתות - שתים, ובמפתים - שתים

Davar acheir. B'yad chazakah sh'tayim. Uvizroa n'tuyah sh'tayim. Uv'mora gadol sh'tayim.

Uv'ototsh'tayim. Uv'mof'tim sh'tayim.

Another interpretation of Deuteronomy 26:8 is: “strong hand” indicates two plagues; “out-stretched arm” indicates two more plagues; “great awe” indicates two plagues; “signs” indicates two more plagues because it is plural; and “wonders” two more plagues because it is in the plural. This then is a total of Ten Plagues.

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3. ESER MAKOT / Ten Plagues- עשר מכות

( This is the traditional listing and counting of the Ten Plagues.)

אלו עשר מכות שהביא הקדוש ברו הוא

על המצרים במצרים , ואלו הן

Eilu eser makot sheheivi hakadosh baruch hu al hamitzrim b'mitzrayim, v'eilu hein:

These are the Plagues that the holy one, blessed be he, brought upon Egypt:

דם צפרדע " כנים ערוב " דבר " שחין "" ברד ארבה" חש ""

מכת בכורת ,

#Thus our gratefulness is restrained as we are instructed to empty a drop of wine from our cup when we recite each of the plagues; our sense of complete gratefulness is decreased as is the full measure of wine in our cups. We dare not allow our cups to run over with gladness and gratitude when life anywhere is lost or threatened

Doing Gratefulness. # Empathy is the quality of humanization for which we are grateful. Share examples of empathy for those whom we donʼt like and would prefer that they not enjoy any of lifeʼs successes; discuss how difficult it is to arrive at such a place in our hearts. Consider how compassionate we can grow even for those whom we dislike, those who have harmed us or wish our failure.# Perhaps a silent “meta,” compassion, meditation, would be appropriate for a few minutes in which we silently wish that those whom we consider our enemies “be blessed with happiness, well-being and peace.”

#

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Dam Blood,

Tzfardeah Frogs,

Kinim Lice,

Arov Beasts,

Dever Cattle Plague, Shʼhin Boils,

Barad Hail, Arbeh Locusts,

Hoshekh Darkness,

Makat Bʼkhorot Slaying of First Born.

The recitation of the Ten Plagues is a place in our journey that is especially troublesome. Perhaps the following activity, which is playful in nature, can help us neutralize the harshness that often accompanies the unfolding of freedom. This exercise is particularly delightful for children, and helps remove the sharpness of this segment of the narrative. Miniature toys and symbolic objects are used to re-enact the plagues. Kits containing these simple items are readily available. For example, the plague of darkness is enacted when a pair of sun glasses is worn for several seconds by a younger member of the group. Again, a special source of gratefulness is the presence of participating children, their laughter and pleasure. #

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.

A Final Way To Count and Recall The Ten Plagues.רבי יהודה היה נותן בהם סמנים

דצ" עד"ש באח"ב.

Rabbi Y'hudah hayah notein bahem simanim.

Rabbi Yehuda would assign the plagues three mnenomic signs::

DʼTZ”KH A-Da”SH BʼAH”V

Grateful for Jewish Sensitivity Why did Rabbi Yehudah assign to the plagues three mnemonic signs? , Conventionally, this device is designed to help us remember. Perhaps that was Rabbi Yehudahʼs intention. But why? Is it so difficult to remember the ten plagues? After all, there are other lists of items or events that could be associated with a mnemonic and yet there is none! The Ten Commandments come to mind, as an example.# I believe that it was Rabbi Yehudahʼs intention to minimize the harshness and brutality associated with these disasters and soften the psychological affect on the participant. Again, the recitation of this mnemonic resonates with the Midrash- read above in which -מדרשour capacity to praise is curtailed by the reality of death, no matter how justified. We are grateful for our ability to remain compassionate and not sink into the violence and the gloating that often accompany acts of vengeance, no matter how objectively justified. The mnemonic lessens the elaboration of the plagues and in someway disguises its severity. # By contrast, the rabbinic enhancement of the nature of the plagues seems to

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suggest a glorification of this violence. In fact , it is the rabbinic way to heap praise upon God for His act of deliverance. Yet, the tendency toward hyperbole could raise the prospect of untoward relishing of this event of destruction and loss of life?# Perhaps it was the rabbisʼ way of recognizing the limitless source of wonder embedded in these plagues, and in perceiving this event midrashically, gave expression to their boundless sense of gratefulness which they felt was inadequate to the to the magnitude of the miracle.

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A. There Were 10 Plagues in Egypt and 50 at the Sea of Reeds

רבי יוסי הגלילי אומר: מנין אתה אומר שלקו המצרים במצרים עשר מכות ועל

הים לקו חמשים מכות ? במצרים מה הוא אומר? ויאמרו החרטמים אל פרעה:

אצבע אלהים הוא, ועל הים מה הוא אומר? וירא ישראל את היד הגדלה אשר

עשה יי במצרים , וייראו העם את יי, ויאמינו ביי ובמשה עבדו. כמה לקו

באצבע? עשר מכות . אמור מעתה : במצרים לקו עשר מכות ועל הים לקו

חמשים מכות .

Rabbi Yose the Galilean says: How does one derive that, after the ten plagues in Egypt, the Egyptians suffered fifty plagues at the Sea? Concerning the plagues in Egypt the Torah states that "the magicians said to Pharaoh, it is the finger of God." However, at the Sea, the Torah relates that "Israel saw the great hand which the Lord laid upon the Egyptians, and the people revered the Lord and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses." It reasons that if they suffered ten plagues in Egypt, they must have been made to suffer fifty plagues at the Sea.

B. There Were 40 Plagues in Egypt and 200 at the Sea of Reeds

רבי אליעזר אומר: מנין שכל מכה ומכה שהביא הקדוש ברו הוא על המצרים

במצרים היתה של ארבע מכות? שנאמר: ישלח בם חרון אפו, עברה וזעם וצרה,

משלחת מלאכי רעים. עברה - אחת, וזעם

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- שתים, וצרה - שלש, משלחת מלאכי רעים - ארבע. אמור מעתה : במצרים לקו ארבעים מכות ועל הים לקו מאתים מכות .

Rabbi Eliezer says: How does one derive that every plague that God inflicted upon the Egyptians in Egypt was equal in intensity to four plagues? It is written: "He sent upon them his fierce anger, wrath, fury and trouble, a band of evil messengers." Since each plague was comprised of 1)wrath, 2)fury, 3)trouble and 4)a band of evil messengers, they must have suffered forty plagues in Egypt and two hundred at the Sea.

C. There were 50 plagues in Egypt and 250 at the Sea of Reeds.

רבי עקיבא אומר: מנין שכל מכה ומכה שהביא הקדוש ברו הוא על המצרים במצרים היתה של חמש מכות ? שנאמר: ישלח בם חרון אפו,

עברה וזעם וצרה, משלחת מלאכי רעים . חרון אפו- אחת,, עברה - שתים, וזעם - שלוש, וצרה - ארבע, משלחת מלאכי רעים - חמש. אמור

מעתה : במצרים לקו חמשים מכות ועל הים לקו חמשים ומאתים מכות .

Rabbi Akiva says: How does one derive that every plague that God inflicted upon the Egyptians in Egypt was equal in intensity to five plagues? It is written: "He sent upon them his fierce anger, wrath, fury and trouble, a band of evil messengers." Since each plague was comprised of 1)fierce anger 2)wrath 3)fury 4)trouble and 5) a band of evil messengers, they must have suffered fifty plagues in Egypt and two hundred and fifty at the Sea.

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DAYENU- GRATEFULNESS AT ITS PEAK. The heart of the Seder is the Dayenu-דיינו- ditty. It is located immediately following the history and rescue of Israel and precedes the pronouncement of the three primary symbols of the Seder-Pesach,פסח- Matzah-מצה- and Maror- מרור-which flow into the words of Hallel,הלל- words of praise. Dayenu-דיינו- captures the essence of the Seder experience, acknowledging the infinite generosity and compassion of God in the Exodus experience which organically results in our own pursuit of and commitment to lives of gratefulness, goodness and loving-kindness. The words are simple and direct, lean and lyrical, encouraging us to joyfully partake in a reliving of the experience of Jewish gratefulness, a historic experience that acts as a paradigm for all of Jewish history, and for our personal lives as well. In the words of another Haggadah- “A Night to Remember”-the concept of ʻdayenuʼ can be expressed in the following, brief prayer:”Thank you, God, for overdoing it!”# To recognize the abundant nature of each phase of liberation-to be grateful for every step and phase of the process-is to achieve the

DAYENU- דיינו.

“It Would Have Been Sufficient”ו

כמה מעלות טובות למקום עלינו:

אלו הוציאנו ממצרים,ולא עשה בהם שפטים,

דינו:

אלו עשה בהם שפטים,ולא עשה באלהיהם,

דינו:

אלו עשה באלהיהם,

ולא הרג את־בכוריהם, דינו:

אלו הרג את־בכוריהם,

ולא נתן לנו את־ממונם, דינו:

אלו נתן לנו את־ממונם,

ולא קרע לנו את־הים, דינו:

אלו קרע לנו את־הים,ולא העבירנו בתוכו בחרבה

דינו:

אלו העבירנו בתוכו בחרבה,ולא שקע צרינו בתוכו,

דינו:

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fullness of spiritual maturity and joy.# Dayenu-דיינו- is the liturgical antidote to human greed. The reiteration of the multiplicity of reasons for gratefulness sensitizes our souls to respond in song with expressions of praise. Only after achieving this level of godly awareness is it possible to not only proclaim the meaning of pesach,- and מצה-matzah -פסחmaror-מרור, but to partake in the consumption of these items as part of our repast, a bodily reflection of profound gratitude for the totality of the Passover experience.

"

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אלו שקע צרינו בתוכו,ולא ספק צרכנו במדבר ארבעים שנה,

דינו:

אלו ספק צרכנו במדבר ארבעים שנה,

ולא האכילנו את־המן, דינו:

אלו האכילנו את־המן,

ולא נתן לנו את־השבת, דינו:

אלו נתן לנו את־השבת,ולא קרבנו לפני הר סיני,

דינו:

אלו קרבנו לפני הר סיני,

ולא נתן לנו את־התורה, דינו:

אלו נתן לנו את־התורה,ולא הכניסנו לארץ ישראל,

דינו:

אלו הכניסנו לארץ ישראל,

ולא בנה לנו את־בית הבחירה, דינו:

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God has bestowed many favors upon us.

Had He brought us out of Egypt, and not executed judgments against the Egyptians,It would have been enough--Dayyenu

Had He executed judgments against the Egyptians, and not their gods, It would have been enough--Dayyenu

Had He executed judgments against their gods and not put to death their firstborn, It would have been enough--Dayyenu

Had He put to death their firstborn, and not given us their riches, It would have been enough--Dayyenu

Had He given us their riches, and not split the Sea for us, It would have been enough--Dayyenu

Had He split the Sea for us, and not led us through it on dry land, It would have been enough--Dayyenu

Had He led us through it on dry land, and not sunk our foes in it, It would have been enough--Dayyenu

Had He sunk our foes in it, and not satisfied our needs in the desert for forty years, It would have been enough--Dayyenu

Had He satisfied our needs in the desert for forty years, and not fed us the manna, It would have been enough--Dayyenu

Had He fed us the manna, and not given us the Sabbath, It would have been enough--Dayyenu

Had He given us the Sabbath, and not brought us to Mount Sinai, It would have been enough--Dayyenu

Had He brought us to Mount Sinai, and not given us the Torah, It would have been enough--Dayyenu

Had He given us the Torah, and not brought us into Israel, It would have been enough--Dayyenu

Had He brought us into Israel, and not built the Temple for us, It would have been enough--Dayyenu

Doing

Gratefulness:

# #

Compose you own

dayenu before Passover

and read with group at the

seder table.

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We sing together.

Ilu hotzi hotzi-anu mimitzrayim, hotzi-anu mimitzrayim

(2) DayeinuHad He brought us out of Egypt, It would have been enough--

Dayyenu

Ilu natan natan lanu et hashabat, natan lanu et hashabat (2)

DayeinuHad He given us the Sabbath It would have been enough--

Dayyenu

Ilu natan natan lanu natan lanu et hatorah (2) DayeinuHad He given us the Torah It would have been enough--

Dayyenu

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A contemporary application of Dayenu:

# 1. LIBERATION: “Had He taken us out of Mitzrayim-מצרים… Dayenu-דיינו !”

Consider one aspect of freedom that you enjoy now

# 2 .THE NEGATIVE: “Had He carried out judgments against the Egyptians…

Dayenu:-דיינו!”

Think of someone or something you do not like; is there any redeeming quality in the

relationship to that thing, person or experience that can make you grateful for it?

# 3. RESCUE: “Had He divided the sea for us…Dayenu:-דיינו!”

Is there an experience of danger that you or a loved one were rescued from for

which you are grateful?

# 4. SUSTENANCE: “Had He fed us manna…Dayenu-דיינו!”

What is the source of your livelihood and what aspects of it make you particularly

grateful?

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#

5. SABBATH-LEISURE: “Had He given us Shabbat-שבת…Dayenu!”

If you could select one feature of your day-off above all others, what would that be?

# 6. WISDOM: “Had He given us the Torah…Dayenu-דיינו! “

Can you single out one idea, thought or words of wisdom without which your spiritual

life would be incomplete?

# 7. HOLY SPACES: “Had He led us to the Land of Israel,,,Dayenu-דיינו!”

What place do you consider a refuge and sacred in which you encounter the best in

your inner life?

#

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Doing Gratefulness

# Discuss what freedom means to you.

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“THEREFORE WE ARE OBLIGATED TO

" " " " " " " THANK”…

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R A B B A N G A M L I E L - רבן גמליאל

רבן גמליאל היה אומר:כל שלא אמר שלשה דברים אלו בפסח, לא יצא ידי חובתו, ואלו

הן:

פסח,

מצה,

ומרור. Rabban Gamli-eil hayah omeir: Kol shelo amar sh'loshah d'varim eilu bapesach, lo yatza y'dei chovato, v'eilu hein: Pesach. Matzah, U-maror

Rabban Gamliel would teach that all those who had not spoken of three words on Passover had not fulfilled their obligation to tell the story, and these three words are: Pesah [Paschal Lamb], Matzah and Maror [Bitter Herb].

A.[Everyoneʼs attention is now drawn to the shankbone on the Seder Plate, but it is not touched or raised. ]

פסח שהיו אבותינו אוכלים בזמן שבית המקדש היה קים, על שום מה? על שום שפסח הקדוש ברו הוא על בתי אבותינו

במצרים , שנאמר: ואמרתם זבח פסח הוא ליי, אשר פסח על בתי בני ישראל במצרים בנגפו את מצרים , ואת בתינו הציל? ויקד

העם וישתחוו.

Pesach she-hayu avoteinu och'lim, bizman shebeit hamikdash hayah kayam, al shum mah? Al shum

Grateful for the Power of Speech Why the need to recite the words and brief explanations associated with the three primary items on the Passover plate? After all, we see them clearly sitting prominently on our tables; we will taste them and ingest them into our very bodies. Yet, Rabbi Gamliel iterates that without the pronouncement of words we fail in our obligations. Awareness is all important; every characteristic of the human being is summoned into the service of greatest consciousness. Through speech and intellectual recognition, we further the depth of our perceptions and make the Passover experience a more enduring and meaningful one. We thank God for the capacity to use speech to heighten our awareness and our humanity.

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she-pasach hakadosh Baruch hu, al batei avoteinu b'mitzrayim, shene-emar: va-amartem zevach pesach hu lʼAdonai, asher pasach al batei v'nei yisra-eil b'mitzrayim, b'nag'po et mitzrayim v'et bateinu hitzil, vayikod ha-am vayishtachavu.

The Pesah which our ancestors ate when the Second Temple stood: what is the reason for it? They ate the Pesah because the holy one, Blessed be He “passed over” the houses of our ancestors in Egypt, as it is written in the Torah: “And You shall say, ʻIt is the Passover offering for Adonai, who passed over the houses of the Israelites saving us in Mitzrayim but struck the houses of the Egyptians. . . .ʼ”

The plate of Matzah is raised.

מצה זו שאנו אוכלים, על שום מה? על שום שלא הספיק בצקם של אבותינו להחמיץ עד שנגלה עליהם מל מלכי

המלכים, הקדוש ברו הוא, וגאלם, שנאמר: ויאפו את הבצק אשר הוציאו

ממצרים עגת מצות, כי לא חמץ, כי גרשו ממצרים ולא יכלו להתמהמה, וגם

צדה לא עשו להם.

Matzah zo she-anu och'lim, al shum mah? Al shum shelo hispik b'tzeikam shel avoteinu l'hachamitz, ad sheniglah aleihem melech malchei ham'lachim, hakadosh Baruch hu,ug'alam, shene-emar: vayofu et habatzeik, asher hotzi-u mimitzrayim, ugot matzot, ki lo chameitz ki gor'shu mimitzrayim, v'lo yach'lu l'hitmahmeiha, v'gam tzeidah lo asu lahem.

Matzah - what does it symbolize in the Seder? There was insufficient time for the dough of our

“Not because of victories I sing # # having none, But for the common sunshine, # # The breeze, The largess of the spring; Not for victory# But for the dayʼs work done as well as I was able; not for the seat upon the dais but at the common table.” Charles Reznikoff, Te Deum#

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ancestors to rise when the holy one, Blessed be He was revealed to us and redeemed us, as it is written in the Torah: “And they baked the dough which they brought forth out o Egypt into matzah - cakes of unleavened bread - which had not risen, for having been driven out of Egypt they could not tarry, and they had mad no provisions for themselves.”

The Maror is raised.

מרור זה שאנו אוכלים, על שום מה? על שום שמררו המצרים את חיי אבותינו

במצרים , שנאמר: וימררו את חייהם בעבדה קשה, בחמר ובלבנים ובכל עבדה

בשדה את כל עבדתם אשר עבדו בהם בפר.

Maror zeh she-anu och'lim, al shum mah? al shum shemeir'ru hamitzrim et chayei avoteinu b'mitzrayim, shene-emar. Vay'mararu et chayeihem ba-avodah kashah, b'chomer uvilveinim, uvʼchol avodah basadeh, eit kol avodatam, asher av'du vahem b'farech.

Why do we eat Maror? For the reason that the Egyptians embitter the lives of our ancestors in Mitzrayim, as the Torah states: “And they embittered their lives with servitude, with mortar and bricks without straw, with every form of slavery in the field and with great torment.”

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BʼKHOL DOR VADOR -“In Every Generation”- בכל דור ודור

בכל דור ודור חיב אדם לראות את עצמו כאלו הוא יצא ממצרים , שנאמר: והגדת לבנ ביום ההוא לאמר, בעבור זה עשה יי לי בצאתי ממצרים . לא את אבותינו

בלבד גאל הקדוש ברו הוא, אלא אף אותנו גאל עמהם, שנאמר: ואותנו

הוציא משם , למען הביא אתנו, לתת לנו את הארץ אשר נשבע לאבתנו.

B'chol dor vador chayav adam lirot et atzmo, k'iluhu yatza mimitzrayim, shene-emar: v'higadta l'vincha bayom hahu leimor: ba-avur zeh asah Adonai li, b'tzeiti mimitzrayim. Lo et avoteinu bilvad, ga-al hakadosh Baruch hu, ela af otanu ga-al imahem, shene-emar: v'otanu hotzi misham, l'ma-an havi otanu, latet lanu et ha-aretz asher nishba la-avoteinu.

In each generation, every individual should feel as if he or she had actually been redeemed from Mitzrayim as it is said:"You shall tell your children on that day, saying."it is because of what Adonai did for me when I went free from Mitzrayim.' "(Exodus 13:8).For the holy One redeemed not only our ancestors but us as well as it is said:" He brought us out of there, so that He might bring us to the land promised to our ancestors.(Deut. 6:23)

“In each

generation we

are obligated to

see ourselves

as if we went

out from

Egypt.”THE G

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Grateful for the Sense of History: Awareness of the past makes us human .Each one of us is part of a chain in human existence, a link in the grand unfolding of life and time. We are part of the a temporal community that stretches back to the beginning of time and that will extend into the endless future. Each link is important; the struggle for freedom is an ongoing dynamic, one that is nurtured and strengthened by the conscious knowledge that we are not alone, but part of a reality beyond ourselves, one that has evolved without us in the past and will continue to reach beyond our limited years till the end of time. #

“Every covenantal time experience is both retrospective, reconstructing and reliving the bygone, as well as prospective, anticipating the “about to be.” In retrospect, covenantal man re-experiences the rendezvous with God in which the covenant as a promise, hope and vision, originated. In prospect, he beholds the full eschatological realization of this covenant, its promise, hope and vision.” Joseph B. Soloveichick,The Lonely Man of Faith, p.46

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הללויה

PRAISE

HALLELUYAH

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HALLEL-"הלל

לפיכ אנחנו חיבים להודות, להלל, לשבח, לפאר, לרומם, להדר, לבר, לעלה

ולקלס למי שעשה לאבותינו ולנו את כל הנסים האלו: הוציאנו מעבדות

לחרות מיגון לשמחה, ומאבל ליום טוב, ומאפלה לאור גדול, ומשעבוד לגאלה.

ונאמר לפניו שירה חדשה: הללויה.

Lʼfichach anachnu chayavim l'hodot, l'haleil, l'shabei-ach, l'fa-eir, l'romeim, l'hadeir, l'vareich, l'aleih ul'kaleis, l'mi she-asah la-avoteinu v'lanu et kol hanisim ha-eilu. Hotzi-anu mei-avdut l'cheirut, mi-yagon l'simchah, umei-eivel l'yom tov, umei-afeilah l'or gadol, umishibud ligulah. V'nomar l'fanav shirah chadashah. hal'luyah.

Therefore we are obligated, to thank, sing the Hallel, praise, glorify, exalt, honor, bless, elevate and raise our voices for joy to the holy one, Blessed be He, Who performed all these miracles for our ancestors and therefore for us!You brought us from human servitude to freedom, from sorrow to joy, for a time of mourning to a festive day, from deep darkness to great light and from slavery to redemption!In Your presence we renew our singing as in ancient days: Hallel-lu-yah

Sing Hallel to God.

HALLEL-GRATEFUL FOR –THE GIFT OF –PRAISE# “It is not you alone, or we, or those others who pray; all things pray, all things pour forth their souls. The heavens pray, the earth prays, every creature and every living thing prays. In all life there is longing. Creation itself is but a longing, a kind of prayer to the Almighty.” Yosef Michah Beredichevsky#

The Seder repast is sandwiched between two parts of the Hallel; grateful praise is the soul of the narrative and the Passover experience.

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Psalm 113 reflects Godʼs concern for the poor and needy, the childless and the lowly. As a Source of Compassion to the powerless we can only feel grateful for the gift of this loving reality in human life. In the popular imagination, a god of power is conceived of as dwelling in places remote from the powerless. The more powerful the god, the more distant and aloof. Godly closeness suggests the attenuation of omnipotence and superiority. The only relationship to power is submission and obedience.# Hallel-הלל- resounds with the strains of a very different theology. Godʼs greatness is defined by His humility: Her concern for the lowly and the imperfect. God descends from the farthest reaches of icy indifference to the dust under our feet where the downtrodden cry out and beg for some sign of care and love, for the wresting of the salvageable from the wastelands of life. In all things there is compassion, beauty and holiness.

#

Psalm 113הללויה הללו עבדי יי, הללו את שם יי. יהי

שםיי מברך מעתה ועד עולם. ממזרח שמש

עדמבואו מהלל שם יי. רם על כל גוים יי, על השמים כבודו. מי כיי אלהינו המגביהי

לשבת, המשפילי לראות בשמים ובארץ? מקימי מעפר דל, מאשפת ירים אביון,

להושיבי עם נדיבים, עם נדיבי עמו. מושיבי עקרת הבית, אם הבנים

שמחה. הללויה.

Hal'luyah, hal'lu avdei Adonai, hal'lu et sheim Adonai. Y'hi sheim Adonai m'vorach, mei-atah v'ad olam. Mimizrach shemesh ad m'vo-o, m'hulal sheim Adonai. Ram al kol goyim Adonai, al hashamayim k'vodo. Mi k'Adonai Eloheinu, hamagbihi lashavet. Hamashpili lirot, bashamayim uva-aretz. M'kimi mei-afar dal, mei-ashpot yarim evyon. L'hoshivi im n'divim, im n'divei amo. Moshivi akeret habayit, eim habanim s'meichah, hal'luyah.

Praise the Lord! Praise, you servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forever.From the rising of the sun to its setting, the Lord's name is to be praised. High above all nations is the Lord; above the heavens is His glory.Who is like the Lord our God, who though enthroned on high, looks down upon heaven and earth? He raises the poor man out of the dust and lifts the needy one out of the trash heap, to seat them with nobles, with the nobles of His people. He turns the barren wife into a happy mother of children.Halleluyah!

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PSALM 114 בצאת ישראל ממצרים , בית יעקב מעם

לעז, היתה יהודה לקדשו, ישראל ממשלותיו . הי ם

ראה וינס, הירדן יסב לאחור. ההרים רקדו כאילים, גבעות - כבני צאן. מה ל הים כי

תנוס, הירדן - תסב לאחור, ההרים - תרקדו כאילים, גבעות - כבני צאן. מלפני

אדון חולי ארץ, מלפני אלוה יעקב. ההפכי הצור אגם מים, חלמיש - למעינו

מים.

B'tzeit yisra-eil mimitzrayim, beit ya-akov mei-am loeiz. Hay'tah y'hudah l'kod'sho, yisra-eil mamsh'lotav. Hayam ra-ah vayanos, hayardein yisov l'achor. Heharim rak'du ch'eilim, g'va-ot kivnei tzon.Mah l'cha hayam ki tanus, hayardein tisov l'achor. He-harim tirk'du ch'eilim, g'va-ot kivnei tzon. Milifnei adon chuli aretz, milifnei eloha ya-akov. Hahof'chi hatzur agam mayim, chalamish l'may'no mayim.

When Israel went out of Egypt, When the household of Jacob left a people with a strange tongue, Judah became the place from which Godʼs holiness went forth,Israel became the seat from which the world would know of Gods rule. The sea looked and fled, The Jordan reversed its curse. Mountains skipped like rams and the hills jumped about like young lambs.What is happening that you turn back, O sea,Jordan, why do you reverse your course? Mountains, why do you skip like rams And hills why do you jump like lambs?You are beholding the face of your Creator,Before God, before the God of Jacob, Turning rocks into swirling waters and stone into a flowing spring.

Psalm 114 poetically infuses Nature with a living reality of exuberant praise and gratefulness as it witnesses Godʼs hand in the process of human freedom. Nature is no longer transcendent, passive or indifferent to human yearning but rather a joyful audience beholding the glorious spectacle of divine unfolding in the emergence of human striving for harmony and unity.

#

#

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Grateful for the Poetic Imagination Science rightly claims that nature is immutable, its laws beyond human control. Man cannot make rain, bring sunshine out of the skies or change the nature of a rock. Some human modification is possible, yet nature is stubborn it its regularity. The realm of religion allows us to perceive nature and the world not merely as inescapably conditioned by certain laws, unmoved, unresponsive and uncaring whose field of activity unfolds through processes of birth, growth, decay and death. Rather, religion gives us metaphor, the poetic construct that opens our heart to Natureʼs wonder and recognizes its domain as the arena in which God celebrates His creation.

# In real life, mountains do not dance, nor do rivers change their course or rocks erupt with cascading waters. In the universe of the religious imagination, however, all of nature pulsates with divine blessing. Thus the Psalmist asks:

”Mountains, why do you skip like rams,

# # And hills, why do you jump like lambs?”

#

This perception endows life with an expanded sense of wonder, making possible our witnessing the miracle of natureʼs rejoicing and celebration.#

Thus, the Hallel, praise from the wells of gratitude

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Doing Gratefulness

# Discuss your feelings about Nature. Is there an experience of a natural

phenomenon that you recall suggesting a similarity of response to that of the

Psalmist?

#

#

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KOS SHEINEE -Second Cup of Wine

ברו אתה יי אלהינו מל העולם, אשר גאלנו וגאל את אבותינו ממצרים ,

והגיענו ללילה הזה לאכל בו מצה ומרור. כן יי אלהינו ואלהי אבותינו יגיענו

למועדים ולרגלים אחרים הבאים לקראתנו לשלום, שמחים בבנין עיר וששים

בעבודת. ונאכל שם מן הזבחים ומן הפסחים אשר יגיע דמם על קיר מזבח

לרצון, ונודה ל שיר חדש על גאלתנו ועל פדות נפשנו. ברו אתה יי גאל ישראל.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher g'alanu v'ga-al et avoteinu mimitzrayim, v'higi-anu lʼlalaylah hazeh, le-echol bo matzah u-maror. Kein, Adonai Eloheinu veilohei avoteinu, yagi-einu l'moadim v'lirgalim acheirim, ha-ba-im likrateinu l'shalom. S'meichim b'vinyan irecha, v'sasim ba-avodatecha,v'nochal sham min haz'vachim umin hap'sachim (On Saturday night substitute: min hap'sachim umin haz'vachim ), asher yagi-a damam, al kir mizbachacha l'ratzon, v'nodeh l'cha shir chadash al g'ulateinu, v'al p'dut nafsheinu. Baruch atah Adonai, ga-al yisra-eil. Praised are you, Adonai, our God, sovereign of the universe, who has redeemed us and our fathers from Egypt and enabled us to reach this night that we eat matzo and marror. Lord our God and God of our fathers, enable us to reach also the forthcoming holidays and festivals in peace, rejoicing in the rebuilding of Zion your city, and joyful at your service. There we shall eat of the offerings and Passover sacrifices (On Saturday night read: of the Passover sacrifices and offerings) which will be acceptably placed upon your altar. We shall sing a new hymn of praise to you for our redemption and

Grateful for Repetition: Jewish practice mandates that once a blessing over wine is recited, there is no need to repeat the blessing later if more wine is drunk. Yet, at the Seder, we repeat the blessing over the wine before each of the four cups. The Seder seems to highlight the importance of repetition as a means for deepening the experience of freedom and liberation.# Repetition however can cause the stifling of freshness and renewal. How do we utilize the repetitive process to heighten and deepen our experience?# When we invest each level of repetition with an inner awareness of our souls and hearts, the act of repetition contains an element of the new and unexpected. Like a gem that requires polishing to liberate its fullest radiance, so too does the soul, the jewel of manʼs humanity, require repeated refinement in words and ritual to open its receptivity to the luminous reality of Godʼs indwelling Presence in the Universe.#

#

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Judaism is an ongoing, repetitive discipline that defines and refines our inner capacity for greater godliness.

for our liberation. Praised are you, Adonai, who has redeemed Israel.

ברו אתה יי אלהינו מל העולם בורא פרי הגפן.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam," borei p'ri hagafen.

Praised are you, Adonai, our God, sovereign of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine.

.

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VI. RAHTZAH -Lave / Washing:רחץ

( The hands are ritually washed before the meal, as is required at any meal; it is performed similar to the previous hand-washing. Now, though, all wash with the usual benediction as the hands are dried. We wash because (1) we are a “kingdom of priests” and whenever we wash before eating, we are reminded of that special role, and (2) the ritual washing recalls the priestly eating of their tithes in purity. It is customary not to speak - but you can hum quietly - until all are ready to recite MOTZEE-MATZAH.)

ברו אתה יי אלהינו מל העולם, אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על נטילת ידים.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu al n'tilat yadayim.

Praised are you, Adonai, our God, sovereign of the universe, who has taught us the way of holiness through commandments, commanding us to wash our hands.

RACHTZAH-GRATEFUL FOR –THE GIFT OF-FULLER TRUST We have told the story. Responses reflecting diversity among us have been shared. We are not alone in our thoughts and feelings. The story has softened our hearts, has penetrated the hardness of our fears and artificial defenses, and pierced open the stoniness of our suspicion and distrust. Our children have asked the questions and we have tried to answer them, honestly and openly. Children recognize insincerity instantaneously; we dare not deceive them with disconnected intellectualization or abstract pontification. We thus extend the depth of our feeling and memory with them, inviting them to step into our stories in the hope that they will be lovingly nurtured through our personal and intimate revelations of who we were and who we try to be. After all, the story is told around a family table; its listeners are loved ones; its conveyers are sources of care and concern. We let go of barriers of distance and detachment, embracing one another's words and gestures hungrily and gratefully.# Now we feel more trusting; sharing strengthens bonds of togetherness-it is time for "rachtzah"-רחצה-fuller trusting,

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tangibly executed by the washing of the hands with the pronouncement of a blessing, expressing our trust in and gratitude to, God.The water refreshes and cleanses our spirit of the dross of feeling apart, isolated, even alone; we are family again, our ties reinforced by a common story of reaching for redemption.# We ready ourselves for the meal, for the partaking in a scrumptiously sacred meal; but first a reminder of the paradoxes of life and how to embrace them with the wisdom of the heart.

Doing Gratefulness

With a cup or washing bowl, pour water over your hands allowing the flow to register the feeling of coolness. Pay attention to how the water cleanses and refreshes your hands.

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VII - VIII. MOTZEE - MATZAH - ,מוציא מצה( The usual beracha over bread, the motzee - is recited.However, before eating the matzah, a second beracha, thanking God for the requirement to eat matzah, is recited.)

, אלהינו מלך העולם, המוציא לחם ברוך אתה יימן הארץ

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha-aretz.

Praised are you, Adonai, our God, sovereign of the universe, who provides sustenance from the earth.

( We do not yet eat the matzah. Instead, immediately after the Motzee, we now put the bottom matzah back in its place and continue, reciting the matzah beracha holding the top and middle matzah.)

ברו אתה יי אלהינו מל העולם, אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על אכילת מצה

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al achilat matzah.

Praised are you, Adonai, our God, sovereign of the universe, who has taught us the way of holiness through commandments, commanding us to eat matzah.

( We now break up the top and middle matzot into pieces and distribute them for all to eat a portion while reclining.)

MOTZI-MATZAH: GRATEFUL FOR-THE GIFT OF-HOLINESS (“WHOLINESS”)# The wholeness of the Matzah,-מצה- restored to its original intactness, reminds us of the inseparability of life's polarities, how attached we are to life's ambivalences and ambiguities. Perhaps that is why Hillel suggested the practice of "Korech," -כורך-making a "sandwich," as the next step along our spiritual journey of redemption. # The salient substance and symbol of Passover is Matzah- unleavened bread. One -מצהof the several names of the Passover celebration is the Festival of Unleavened Bread-"Hag Ha 'Matzot”-חג Of all the multitudes of -המצותlegal minutiae surrounding the observance of Passover, no other item but Matzah -מצה-and its counterpart, Hametz- occupies so much -חמץattention and "halachik," legal consideration. Matzah-מצה- is moored to life's ambivalences. Its two ingredients, water and flour, simple and unadulterated by spices or seasonings, hearken back to the two primordial opposites of dry land and water. Mingled in chaotic formlessness, dry land and water are separated, pulled apart by divine words.      On Passover, mixed together once more, they are forged into

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# On the one hand, Matzah-מצה- represents the bread of affliction, the food of slavery, simple, primitive, prepared and eaten quickly, without the luxury of leisure and comfort. It is the food of flitting impatience, eaten on the run while hurried and harassed. Conversely, matzah- is eaten on the night of -מצהredemption, while reclining, bearing the taste of Mannah, -.of the bread from Heaven-מן# As we chew on its hardened crust we become aware of life's polarities and contradictions, darkness and light, sadness and joy, good and evil, love and hate, affection and anger, life and death. As "lechem oni"- לחם the food of response and -עניstory-telling, we begin to gain an insight into the unity of all things, recognizing that at the core of all reality is a harmony and interconnected integration enfolding everything in an embrace of compassion and love. # Matzah-מצה- makes for the unfolding of spiritual maturity, enabling us to hold these contradictions of life in our heart, and understand life's ambiguities and crosscurrents, its many levels of inherent conflict. The heart's graciousness endows us with the gift of grasping the whole, the outrageousness and the beauty, under a canopy of grateful compassion.#

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The blessing over bread-the staple of life-is the "Hamotzi"- המוציא-"Who brings forth bread from the earth. " Implied in this blessing is the emerging awareness that "Lechem"--לחם-bread-the very sustenance of life, is extracted from the earth. In other words, the spark of God, that which engenders life, is inherent in the physical and material fabric of existence, in the earthiness of life itself.# The dichotomy of heaven and earth as loci of God's presence is artificial and misleading. "The earth is replete with God's glory"-God is everywhere, not only in the farthest reaches of heaven. The entire cosmos is suffused with God's reality.# When we recite the blessing -"Hamotzi"-המוציא-we extract the godliness that is contained in the earthiness of our experience. The Hebrew word for bringing forth-Hamotzi-is closely related to the Hebrew word for finding, for discovering , "matzoh"-מצא. As we acknowledge in formal words the hand of God in the provision of food, we rediscover His presence in the depths of our earthly existence. On Passover, we recite this blessing over Matzah-,מצה- the "bread of affliction, of impoverishment and servitude." Passover allows us to perceive with our hearts ,through story telling and tangible tastes of ritual foods, the nearness of the divine in contexts of struggle and hardship. While our outward awareness is blinded to God's presence because of suffering and want, reciting a blessing reminds us deeply of the hidden ness of God that will eventually re-emerge into fuller view. We wash our hands first-Rachtzah- רחצה-and with complete trust we are able to speak the words of blessing that allow us to recognize and rediscover the elusive reality of God's presence everywhere and anywhere.

Doing Gratefulness

# Slowly bite into the matzah-מצה. Chew it carefully as you feel the the crunchiness in your

mouth. Consider the taste-its blandness, its simplicity. As you swallow it, be attentive to the feel of

its digestion.

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MAROR- GRATEFUL FOR- THE GIFT OF – BITTERNESS ? Maror,מרור- the bitter herbs, are never eaten without the sweet condiment known as "Haroset," a mixture of sweet fruits, spices, nuts and wine. We all experience bitterness in our lives. How do we deal with those moments of misery, those times of tragedy and trial? Passover, the Seder, suggest that the discernment of sweetness amid adversity can be derived from this practice of mingling "maror" -מרור-with - haroset." The"-חרוסתbitterness of life becomes bearable only if somehow we discover a morsel of meaning and depth in this suffering. God never imposes a challenge we cannot withstand, we cannot bear.# How do we cope with bitterness? However difficult and demanding it may be, we somehow find the strength to recite a blessing, as we do before partaking of the "maror"-.מרור Our Rabbis indicate that in the same way we recite God's praises when life is sweet, likewise do we bless God when life's shadows cross our paths. To praise God at moments of challenge like death and loss is to transcend the immediate and touch the eternal. Is this not the reason for reciting Kaddish, the prayer said by the mourner after the loss of a loved one? Kaddish

IX.MAROR-מרור

ברו אתה יי אלהינו מל העולם, אשר קדשנו

במצותיו וצונו על אכילת מרור

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al achilat maror.

Praised are you, Adonai, our God, sovereign of the universe, who has taught us the way of holiness through commandments, commanding us to eat the bitter herb.

[ Small pieces of horse-radish are dipped into the haroset ]

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says nothing of death; it is a prayer of praise. Saying these words-"Magnified and Sanctified be Thy Great Name..." stretches our souls to savor the sweetness of grateful acceptance of life's mystery and totality.#

As we chew on the harshness of "maror, "-מרור- its bitterness is mitigated, is softened to the point of coming to terms with its severity and being able to swallow the sting of its pain.

# Doing Gratefulness

As you bite into the bitter herbs, try to stay with the bitter and harsh taste-pay attention to the biting flavor, to the desire to swallow quickly to rid yourself of the bitterness. Notice the feeling as you mindfully focus awareness on the sensation in your mouth.

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X. KOREKH / Hillel Sandwich - כור

( In ancient times, Hillel ate the three symbolic foods (lamb, matzah and bitter herbs) folded together so that each mouthful contained all three.)

זכר למקדש כהלל. כן עשה הלל בזמן שבית המקדש היה קיים: היה

כור מצה ומרור ואוכל ביחד, לקיים מה שנאמר: על מצות ומררים יאכלהו.

Zeicher l'mikdash k'hileil. Kein asah hileil bizman shebeit hamikdash hayah kayam. Hayah koreich pesach, matzah, u-maror v'ocheil b'yachad. L'kayeim mah shene-emar. “Al matzot um'rorim yochlu-hu.”

This way of eating matzah, maror and haroset reminds us of how Hillel would do so when the Second Temple still existed, making a sandwich of the Pashal lamb, matzah and maror, fulfilling the Torah injunction: “with matzot and maror they shall eat the Paschal lamb.”

GRATEFUL FOR-THE GIFT OF - UNITY IN DIVERSITY# When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, it was Hillel's custom to combine the Matzah-מצה- and Maror -מרור-and eat them together. Today we place Maror between two pieces of Matzah forming a sandwich and eating it. "Korech"-כורך-means to bind, to wrap, and to enfold. No new substances are added to our celebration. Rather, the primary items-Matzah-מצה- and Maror-מרור , the Paschal Offering as well when the Temple stood, were eaten as a unified substance and not as separate and individual items.# It is the act of binding together, of enfolding, that gives this ritual step a unique spiritual significance.# The sandwich transcends plurality and difference. Multiplicity and individuality are preserved. The Maror does not lose its taste; it is only connected to a different enfolding and embracing substance that points to the "divine manifestation" of Unity and harmony.# The Breslav Haggadah puts it best: “In this world we experience plurality. The oneness of all things, the Unity of God as it is manifested in Creation, is hidden. We find it difficult to comprehend how from the One comes the many...Hillel realized that all things are One. (The schools

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of Hillel and Shammai disagreed on a wide range of issues, but there was great accord and mutual respect between them.) # It is the Holy Temple which symbolizes the great harmony in Creation, the elevation of all things to their Source.... With the Holy Temple, we experience the unity of humanity, the oneness of adversity and contentment."# Unity is not equivalent to sameness. Judaism proclaims the legitimacy and necessity of diversity and individuality under an all-embracing canopy of unity and commonality. Sharing does not mean relinquishing the singularity of one's identity, one's ideas or levels of understanding. We were all created in the image of God yet no two individuals are identical. The Mishnah points out this phenomenon as an expression of God's omnipotence and insuperable creativity. “Therefore but a single man was created in the world to proclaim the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He; for man stamps many coins with one seal and they are all like one another; but the King of Kings has stamped every human with the seal of the first human yet not one is like his fellows.” (Sanhedrin, Chpt.4, Mishnah 5)# The Matzah,-מצה- symbol of freedom in its sandwich form, suggests the capacity of the human heart to gain freedom as it enfolds the bitterness of life in its loving embrace of life's fullness and totality, especially the

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#

#

suffering and pain. "Korech- reminds us that "-כורךavoidance is not the way of freedom; compassionate embrace, is.

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SHULCHAN ORECH- GRATEFUL FOR –THE GIFT OF-FOOD What is so special about this step? After all, until now we have encountered a variety of foods, from greens to bitter herbs and matzah- the sharpness of our hunger has been blunted. Yet, the ready and full availability of food has not been arrived at until this moment- "Shulchan Orech"-שלחן a prepared table, a table-עורךladen with food awaiting our consumption. Food takes on an immediacy, and we are called upon to heighten our grateful awareness for this repast. We have been patient. We can afford to wait if there is certainty that the table will be set with provisions needed for our basic survival. For ourselves, we trust in God; we open our hearts to that which is beyond time. For others, however, we are enjoined to open our hearts with kindness and compassion, to share a full table with one whose table is bare. Gratefulness is complete only when it unfolds into acts of compassion.# Now our God has set a table-laden with blessings-in sight of our "enemies," our fears of the future.

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Any moment, preparing this meal

could be gas thirty- thousand

feet in the air soon

# to fall out poisonous on leaf,

frond and fur. Everything

# in sight would cease.

# And still we cook,

# putting a thousand cherished

dreams on the table, to nourish

# and reassure those close and dear.

(Edward Espe Brown, The Tassajara Recipe

Book)

We eat, "our cup runneth over," grateful for

our appetites and for the gift of God's gracious

Hand. "You open Your hand, and satisfy every

living thing."

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THE GRATEFUL R

ABBI Doing Gratefulness

With each type of food, allow the food to remain in your mouth and slowly

chew and be attentive to the texture, taste and feeling on your palate. Bring your full

attention to the experience of eating and drinking.

Gratefully extend thanks to those involved in the preparation of the meal

and the Seder.

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ZAFUN-GratefulGRAE FOR –THE GIFT OF - DISCOVERy# So much of our lives is hidden. We conceal things from others, even from ourselves often because of shame or fear. We feel that a good part of who we are is unworthy of disclosure, preferring to let that part remain buried deep within us. So preoccupied are we in hiding from view who we are, we fail to feel free. Our spiritual and psychological energy is invested in hiding, in concealing ourselves from others, in making sure that nothing of our true identities that we may consider unacceptable slips out of our private and insular grasp.# Many are reluctant to feel grateful for who they are and share that with others for fear that such exposure would suggest hubris or a vulnerability to the envy or ill-will of others. Jewish culture is not without its share of ancient superstitions, one of which is the fear of the

If one of the children has “stolen” it, or if the adults have hidden the Afikoman- אפיקומן-when it is first put aside and let the children look for it during the meal to win a prize, it is now time to redeem the Afikoman-Then, each person eats a portion of the Afikoman-.אפיקומן.After one eats the Afikoman,-אפיקומן- we avoid eating anything further or drinking anything but for the two remaining mandatory ritual cups of wine, one for the Grace after meals and one for Hallel-הלל. Afikoman -אפיקומן- is a Greek word connoting the dessert – dates, parched corn, nuts, sweet fruits, etc. The Seder meal in the time of the Temple was concluded with a taste of the Paschal lamb that had been offered in the Temple, after which nothing further was eaten.The suggestion has been made that the word afikoman-אפיקומן-is akin to a Greek word meaning “entertainment” which concluded the Greco-Roman festive meal. Whether dinner music,” “dessert,” or “the practice of going from house to house after dinner,” the Sages of the Talmud prohibited any practices which might detract from the attention that must be paid to the symbol of Passover, the Paschal sacrifice.

XII. TZAFUN/AFIKOMAN / Dessert - צפון

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“evil eye,” the ayin hara-,עין הרע -especially in situations of well being and

good fortune.

Zafun,-צפון-that which is hdden,ie. the Matzah,-מצה- is now searched for

and brought out in full view of the participants and shared by all. It is customary to

have children either hide or search for the Afikomen,אפיקומן- the hidden piece of

Matzah.

# What is the meaning of the word "Afikoman"-אפיקומן? The normative

understanding is related to the concept of eating a dessert or refreshments following

the meal. Jewish law instructs us not to eat any dessert following the consumption

of the Paschal lamb, or in our day, the final piece of Matzah-מצה-the Afikoman-

.אפיקומן

# A more homiletic interpretation touches upon the idea of revealing the hidden in

our souls. The word can be divided into two parts-"Afiko"-אפיקו-and "Man."-מן. The

first word is translated as 'bring out or bring forth' and the second word suggests a

word found in the Torah uttered in bewilderment by the Israelites when they

witnessed the "Manna" fall from heaven and exclaimed-"Man huh?"-מן הוא? What

is it? That is, the word "Man"-מן -denotes the unknown, the unexplainable, perhaps

the mysterious.

# Thus returning to our current attempt to understand the term-"Afiko-man, "--אפיקו

does it not suggest that at this point in the Seder we are called upon to reveal ,מן

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the hidden, the unknown, and the mysterious in our lives? Are we not bidden to

bring out and bring forth our authentic selves, without the trappings of super

sophistication and the layers of grown up convention superimposed upon our fragile

and tender souls? How do we accomplish this personal revelation?

As children figure so prominently in the act of discovering the hidden

matzah-מצה, does this not intimate an insistence that we return to the child within

us, to that dimension of dormant innocence and trust, awaiting an awakening in the

midst of the caution and censorship so characteristic of adult, cerebral life? Is this

not the perfect moment during which to throw bias, discrimination, analysis,

intellectualization to the winds and instead bask in the carefree warmth of the

Seder's safety and security? After all, we are surrounded by loved ones, we feel

God's protecting care hover above us. It is "leil shimurim"- ליל שמורים-the night of

being protected, watched over, and cared for. No harm can befall us; we need not

raise up false defenses against imaginary fears. We are free to be who we are, and

this freedom gives us the inner strength to be ourselves-"For You are our refuge and

our fortress!"

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#

Doing Gratefulness

If there are children among the Seder guests, be mindful of their joy and

how precious it is to be with them. If only adults are present, allow “the child” within

you take pleasure in hiding the “afikomen”-אפיקומן- in searching for it, in bartering

for its return. Feel the excitement of children as they make their own discoveries.

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XIII. BAREKH / Birkat HaMazone - בר

( Fill the cup before the Birkat HaMazone / grace. The following is is the traditional, complete “Grace After Meals,” including, of course, thankfulness for the Passover holiday.)

BARECH-GRATEFUL FOR-THE GIFT OF- BLESSING AND THANKING# Most religious traditions require a blessing before we eat; Judaism adds the obligation of blessing after we eat. This prescription is based on a Biblical passage from the book of Deuteronomy: ” When you have eaten your fill, give thanks to the Lord your God." More literally the phrase is translated as: ” You shall eat, be satisfied and bless your God."ואכלת ושבעת וברכת.(Deut.8:10)# It is a commonplace that once we have eaten and feel satiated, the desire to think of the source of our satisfaction becomes somewhat attenuated. When the belly is full, our souls seem to slumber. For this reason, our tradition enjoins us to awaken our souls "to give them an opportunity to express their yearnings, their cravings for God."(Breslov Haggadah)THE G

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Psalm 126שיר המעלות: בשוב יי את שיבת ציון היינו כחלמים. אז ימלא שחוק פינו ולשוננו רנה.

אז יאמרו בגוים: הגדיל יי לעשות עם אלה.הגדיל יי לעשות עמנו, היינו שמחים.

שובה יי את שביתנו כאפיקים בנגב. הזרעים בדמעה, ברנה יקצרו. הלו יל

ובכה נשא מש הזרע, בא יבא ברנה נשא אלמתיו.

Shir ha-maʼalot bʼshuv Adonai et sheevat Tziyon hayinu keholmim. As yʼmalel sehok pinu ulʼshonenu rina. As yomru vagoyim higdil Adonai la-asot im eileh, higdil Adonai la-asot imanu hayinu semeihim. Shuva Adonai et sheviteinu ka-afikim baNegev. Hazorim bedimah berinah yiktzoru. Halokh yelekh uvakho, nosei meshekh hazarah, bo yavo vʼrinah nosei alumatav.

A Song of Ascents. When the Lord returned us from exile back to Zion, it was as though we were dreaming. We laughed in joy and sang happy songs. It was said around the world: "The Lord has done great things for them." The Lord did great things for us, and we rejoiced. God, restore our captives. We shall be like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears shall ultimately reap in joy. Though the farmer bears the measure of seed to the field in sadness, he shall come home with joy, bearing his sheaves.

# Perhaps the Biblical reference to "You shall be satisfied" points to the feeling of gratefulness as a prologue to blessing. When we feel grateful i.e. satiated, fulfilled, we are then spiritually inclined to acknowledge the ultimate source of this feeling of well-being, and to bless God.# At this point in the Seder, we have engaged in many steps on our journey toward spiritual freedom. We have recited the story, completed the rituals, and eaten to satiety a festive repast. All that is left to do is to respond to God out of a deep feeling of gratitude.

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Leader:רבותי, נבר

Rabotai nʼvarekh.

Friends, let us say grace.

Everyone:יהי שם יי מבר מעתה ועד עולם.

Yʼhi sheim Adonai mʼvorakh mei-ata vʼad olam.Praised be the name of the Lord now and forever.

Leader: ברשות מרנן ורבנן ורבותי, נבר [אלהינו] שאכלנו משלו

*included when there is a minayn present

Leader: Birshut maran vʼraban vʼrabotai nʼvareikh ( Eloheinu* ) she-akhalnu mee-shelo.

With your permission, let us now bless ( *our ) God whose food we have eaten. .*included when there is a minayn presen

Everyone: ברו [אלהינו] שאכלנו משלו ובטובו חיינו

Barukh( Eloheinu ) she-akhalnu mee-shelo uvʼtuvo hayeenu. *included when there is a minayn presen

Blessed be (our God) whose food we have eaten and through whose goodness we live.

Leader: ברו [אלהינו] שאכלנו משלו ובטובו חיינו

Barukh (Eloheinu) she-akhalnu mee-shelo uvʼtuvo hayeenu.*included when there is a minyan present

Blessed be (our God) whose food we have eaten and through whose goodness we live.

Everyone: ברו הוא וברו שמו

Barukh hu uvarukh shʼmo

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Blessed be He and blessed be His name

ברו אתה יי אלהינו מל העולם הזן את העולם כלו בטובו בחן בחסד

וברחמים הוא נותן לחם לכל בשר כי לעולם חסדו. ובטובו הגדול תמיד

לא חסר לנו, ואל יחסר לנו מזון לעולם ועד. בעבור שמו הגדול, כי הוא

אל זן ומפרנס לכל ומטיב לכל, ומכין מזון לכל בריותיו אשר ברא.

ברו אתה יי הזן את הכל.

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh haolam, hazal et haolam kulo bʼtuvo bʼhein bʼhesed uvʼrahamim, hu notein lehem lʼkhol vasar kee lʼolam hasdo. uvʼtuvo hagadol, tamid lo hasar lanu, vʼal yehsar lanu mazol lʼolam vaed. Baʼavur shʼmo hagadol, kee hu eilzan umʼfarneis lakol umei-tiv lakol, umeikhin mazon kʼkhol bʼriyotav asher bara, Barukh atah Adonai, hazan et hakol.

Praised are you, Adonai our God, King of the universe, who nourishes the whole world with grace,kindness and mercy. You provide food to all creatures, for yourkindness endures forever.Through this great great goodness we have never been in want; may we never be in want of sustenance. God sustains us all, doing good to all, and providing food for all creation. Praised are you, Adonai, who sustains all.

Grateful for a sense of “allness” We canʼt have everything; each one of us is given a “portion” of life. This reality often elicits dissatisfaction and the desire for more, for a bigger portion. Whether our meal is one of meager morsels or a cornucopia of delicacies, we recite the same blessing asserting that God nurtures every sentient being-”hakol”-.All-הכל In the words of the Sages:

Who is wealthy? The one who is content with what one has.” Ethics of our Sages- Chpt 4:2

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נודה ל יי אלהינו על שהנחלת לאבותינו ארץ חמדה טובה ורחבהועל שהוצאתנו יי אלהינו מארץ מצרים, ופדיתנו מבית עבדים, ועל

ברית שחתמתבבשרנו, ועל תורת שלמדתנו, ועל חקי שהודעתנו, ועל חיים חן

וחסד שחוננתנו, ועל אכילת מזון שאתה זן ומפרנס אותנו תמיד, בכל יום ובכל עת ובכל

שעה:

Nodeh lʼkha Adonai Eloheinu al she-hinhalta la-avoteinu, eretz hemdah tovah u-rʼhavah, vʼal she-hotzetanu Adonai Eloheinu me-eretz Mitzrayim, u-fʼditanu mi-beit avadim, vʼal bʼritʼkha she-hatamta bi-vʼsarenu, vʼal Toratʼkha she-limadtanu, vʼal hukekha she-hoda-tanu, vʼal hayim hen va-hesed she-honantanu, vʼal akhilat mazon she-atah zan u-mʼfarnes otanu tamid, bʼkhol yom u-vʼkhol et u-vʼkhol sha-ah.

We thank you, Adonai, our God, for having given a beautiful, good, and spacious land to our ancestors as a heritage; for having taken us out from the land of Egypt and redeemed us from the house of slavery; your covenant which you sealed in our flesh; for your Torah which you taught us; for your laws which you have given to us; for the life, grace and kindness you have granted us; and for the food with which you always sustain us.

ועל הכל יי אלהינו אנחנו מודים ל ומברכים אות, יתבר שמ בפי כל

חי תמיד לעולם ועד: ככתוב, ואכלת ושבעת וברכת את יי אלהיעל הארץ הטובה אשר נתן ל. ברו אתה יי על הארץ ועל המזון:

Vʼal ha-kol Adonai Eloheinu, anahnu modim lakh u-mʼvarkhim otakh, yitbarakh shimʼkha bʼfi khol hai tamid lʼolam va-ed. Ka-katuv vʼakhalta vʼsava-ta, u-verakhta et Adonai Elohekha al ha-aretz ha-tovah asher natan lakh. Barukh atah Adonai, al ha-aretz vʼal ha-mazon.

For everything, Adonai, our God, we thank and praise you. May your name be blessed by all forever, as it is written: "After you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless Adonai, our God for the good land he has given you." Praised are you, Adonai, for the land and the food.

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רחם נא יי אלהינו, על ישראל עמך, ועל ירושלים עירך, ועל ציון משכן כבודך, ועל מלכות בית דוד משיחך, ועל הבית הגדול והקדוש שנקרא שמך עליו.

אלהינו, אבינו, רענו, זוננו, פרנסנו, וכלכלנו, והרויחנו, והרוח לנו יי אלהינו מהרה מכל צרותינו, ונא, אל תצריכנו יי אלהינו, לא לידי מתנת בשר ודם, ולא לידי הלואתם. כי אם לידך המלאה, הפתוחה, הקדושה והרחבה, שלא

נבוש ולא נכלם לעולם ועד:

Rachem nah adonai elohaynual yisrael amecha,vʼal yerushalayim eerecha,vʼal malkhut beit David mʼshihekha, vʼal ha-bayit ha-gadol vʼha-kadosh she-nikra

shimʼkha alav. Eloheinu, avinu, rʼenu, zunenu, parnʼsenu, vʼkhalkʼlenu, vʼharvihenu, vʼharvah lanu, Adonai Eloheinu mʼherah mi-kol tzaroteinu, vʼna al tatzrikhenu Adonai

Eloheinu, lo lidei matnat basar va-dam, vʼlo lidei halva-atam. Ki im mʼle-ah, ha-pʼtuhah, ha-gʼdushah vʼha-rʼhavah, she-lo nevosh vʼlo nikalem lʼolam va-ed.

Have mercy, Adonai our God, on Israel your people, on Jerusalem your city, on Zion the abode of your glory, on the kingdom of the house of David your anointed one, and on the great and holy Temple that bears your name. Our God, our Father, tend and feed us; sustained and support us and relieve us. Speedily, Adonai our God, grant us relief from all our troubles. Lord our God, O make us not rely on the gifts and loans of men but rather on your full, open and generous hand, that we may never be put to shame and disgrace.

בשבת מוסיפין: רצה והחליצנו יי אלהינו במצותי ובמצות יום השביעי השבת הגדול

והקדוש הזה. כי יום זה גדול וקדוש הוא לפני לשבת בו ולנוח בו באהבה כמצות רצונ.

וברצונ הניח לנו יי אלהינו שלא תהא צרה ויגון ואנחה ביום מנוחתנו. והראנו יי אלהינו בנחמת ציון עיר ובבנין ירושלים עיר

קדש כי אתה הוא בעל הישועות ובעל הנחמות.

On Shabbat add:#(Rʼtzei vʼha-halitzenu Adonai Eloheinu bʼmitzvotekha, u-vʼmitzvat yom ha-shʼvi-i, ha-Shabbat ha-gadol vʼha-kadosh ha-zeh. Ki yom zeh gadol vʼkadosh hu lʼfanekha, lishbot bo vʼlanu-ah bo, bʼahavah kʼmitzvat rʼtzonekha, u-virtzonʼkha hanah lanu, Adonai Eloheinu, she-lo tʼhi tzarah vʼyagon va-anahah bʼyom mʼnuhatenu. Vʼhar-enu Adonai Eloheinu bʼnehamat Tziyon irekha, u-vʼvinyan Yʼrushalayim ir kodshekha, ki atah hu ba-al ha-yʼshu-ot u-va-al ha-nehamot.)

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On Shabbat add: Favor us and strengthen us, Lord our God, with your commandments-with the commandment concerning the seventh day, this great and holy Sabbath. This day is great and holy before you to abstain from work and rest on it in love according to your will. In your will, Lord our God, grant us rest so that there be nor sorrow and grief on our day of rest. Let us, Lord our God, live to see Zion your city comforted, Jerusalem your holy city rebuilt, for you art Master of all salvation and consolation.

אלהינו ואלהי אבותינו, יעלה ויבא ויגיע ויראה וירצה וישמע ויפקד ויזכר

זכרוננו ופקדוננו, וזכרון אבותינו, וזכרון משיח בן דוד עבד, וזכרון ירושלים עיר קדש, וזכרון כל עמ בית ישראל לפני, לפליטה

לטובהלחן ולחסד ולרחמים, לחיים ולשלום ביום חג המצות הזה זכרנו יי אלהינו בו לטובה ופקדנו בו לברכה והושיענו בו לחיים. ובדבר

ישועה ורחמים חוס וחננו ורחם עלינו והושיענו, כי אלי עינינו,כי אל מל חנון ורחום אתה.

For Passover:Eloheinu veilohei avoteinu, yaleh vʼyavo vʼyagiah, vʼyei-ra-eh, vʼyei-ratzeh, vʼyishma, vʼyipakeid, vʼyizakheir zikhroneinu ufik-doneinu, vʼzikhron avoteinu, vʼzikhron mashiah ben david avdekha, vʼzikhron yʼrushalayim ir kod-shekha, vʼzikhron kol amkha beit yisrael lʼfanekha, lifleita lʼtova lʼhein ulʼhesed ulʼrahamim, lʼhayim ulʼshalom bʼyom hag ha-matzot hazeh. zokhreinu Adonai Eloheinu bo lʼtova, ufokdeinu vo livrakha vʼhoshi-einu vo lʼhayim,uvʼd-var yʼshu-ah vʼrahamim, hus vʼha-neinu, vʼraheim aleinu vʼhoshi-einu ki ei-lekha eineinu, ki eil melekh hanun vrahum ata.

Our God and God of our fathers, may the remembrance of us, of our fathers, of the anointed son of David your servant, of Jerusalem your holy city, and of all your people the house of Israel, ascend, come, appear, be heard, and be accepted before you for deliverance and good, for grace, kindness and mercy, for life and peace, on this day of the Festival of Matzot. Remember us this day, Lord our God, for goodness; consider us for blessing; save us for life. With a word of salvation and mercy spare us and favor us; have pity on us and save us, for we look to you, for you art a gracious and merciful God and King.

ובנה ירושלים עיר הקדש במהרה בימינו. ברו אתה יי בונה ברחמיו ירושלים. אמן

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Uv 'nei Yʼrushalayim ir ha-kodesh bi-mʼherah vʼyameinu. Barukh atah Adonai, boneh vʼrahamav Yʼrushalayim. Amen

Rebuild Jerusalem the holy city speedily in our days. Praised are you, Adonai, who will rebuild Jerusalem in mercy. Amen. ברו אתה יי אלהינו מל העולם, האל אבינו מלכנו אדירנו בוראנו גאלנו יוצרנוקדושנו קדוש יעקב רוענו רועה ישראל המל הטוב והמטיב לכל שבכל יום ויום הוא הטיב, הוא מטיב, הוא ייטיב לנו. הוא גמלנו הוא גומלנו הוא יגמלנו לעד, לחן ולחסד ולרחמים ולרוח הצלה והצלחה, ברכה וישועה נחמה פרנסה וכלכלה ורחמים וחיים ושלום וכל טוב, ומכל טוב לעולם על יחסרנו..Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, ha-El, avinu, malkenu, adirenu, bor-enu, go-alenu, yotzrenu, kʼdoshenu, kʼdosh Ya-akov, ro-enu, ro-eh Yisra-el, ha-melekh ha-tov vʼha-metiv la-kol, she-bʼkhol yom va-yom hu hetiv, hu metiv, hu yeitiv lanu. Hugʼmalanu, hu gomlenu, hu yigmʼlenu la-ad, lʼhen u-lʼhesedu-lʼrahamim, u-lʼrevah, ha-tzalah vʼhatzlahah, bʼrakhah vishu-ah, nehamah parnasah vʼkhalkalah, vʼrahamim vʼhayim vʼshalom vʼkhol tov, u-mi-kol tuv lʼolam al yʼhasrenu.

Praised are you, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe. Adonai, you are our father, our king and sovereign, our creator, our redeemer, our maker, the holy one of Jacob, the shepherd of Israel, the good king who does good to all and has done good, is doing good, and will do good. You bestow favors on us constantly. You lavish on us kindness and mercy, relief and deliverance, success, blessing, salvation, comfort, sustenance, support mercy, life and peace and all goodness. May you never deprive us of any good thing.

הרחמן הוא ימלו עלינו לעולם ועד.

.Ha-rahaman, hu yimlokh aleinu lʼolam va-ed

May the Merciful One reign over us forever and ever.

הרחמן הוא יתבר בשמים ובארץ Ha-rahaman, hu yitbarakh ba-shamayim u-va-aretz

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May the Merciful One be blessed in heaven and on earth.

הרחמן הוא ישתבח לדור דורים, ויתפאר בנו לעד ולנצח נצחים, ויתהדר בנו לעד ולעולמי עולמים.

Ha-rahaman, hu yishtabah lʼdor dorim, vʼyitpa-ar banu lʼnetzah nʼtzahim, vʼyit-hadar banu la-ad u-lʼolmei olamim

May the Merciful One be praised for all generations; may He be glorified in us forever and ever; may He be honored in us to all eternity.

הרחמן הוא יפרנסנו בכבוד.

Ha-rahaman, hu yʼfarnʼsenu bʼkhavod.

May the Merciful One grant us an honorable livelihood הרחמן הוא ישבור עלנו מעל צוארנו, והוא יוליכנו קוממיות לארצנו.

Ha-rahaman, hu yishbor ulenu me-al tzavarenu vʼhu yolikhenu komʼmiyut lʼartzenu.

May the Merciful One break the yoke from our neck; may He lead us upstanding into our land.

הרחמן הוא ישלח לנו ברכה מרבה בבית הזה, ועל שלחן זה שאכלנו עליו

. Ha-rahaman, hu yishlah bʼrakhah mʼrubah ba-bayit ha-zeh, vʼal shulhan zeh she-akhalnu alav.

May the Merciful One send ample blessing into this house and upon this table at which we have eaten.

הרחמן הוא ישלח לנו את אליהו הנביא זכור לטוב, ויבשר לנו בשורות טובות ישועות ונחמות.

Ha-rahaman, hu yishlah lanu et Eliyahu ha-navi, zakhur la-tov, vivaser lanu bʼsorot tovot, yʼshu-ot vʼnehamot.

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May the Merciful One send us Elijah the prophet of blessed memory who will bring us good tidings of consolation and comfort.

הרחמן הוא יבר את אבי מורי( בעל הבית הזה. ואת )אמי מורתי( בעלת הבית הזה), אותם ואת ביתם ואת זרעם ואת כל אשר להם.

אותנו ואת כל אשר לנו, כמו שנתברכו אבותינואברהם יצחק ויעקב בכל מכל כל, כן יבר אותנו כלנו יחד בברכה

שלמה, ונאמר, אמן. Harachaman, hu y'vareich et avi mori ba-al ha-bayit ha-zeh, vʼet imi morati ba-alat ha-bayit ha-zeh

May the Merciful One bless(at the home of oneʼs parents, add words in parenthesis)

(my revered father) the master of this house and (my revered mother) the mistress of this house

( at a gathering of the family in your home:)

אותי ואבי ואמי ואשתי ואת זרעי ןאת כל אשר לי

oti (vʼavi vʼimee) (vʼ ishti vʼet zar-i vʼet kol asher li)me (and my revered father and mother) (my wife and children and all that is mine)

( leading at anotherʼs home)

את בעל הבית הזה ואת בעלת הבית הזה אותם ואת ביתם את זרעם ואת כל אשר להם

et ba-al ha-bayit ha-zeh, vʼet ba-alat ha-bayit ha-zeh otam vʼet beitam vʼet zar-am vʼet kol asher lahem

our host and our hostess them their children and all that belongs to them

אותנו ואת כל אשר לנו

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otanu vʼet kol asher lanu.

כמו שנתברכו אבותינואברהם יצחק ויעקב בכל מכל כל, כן יבר אותנו כלנו יחד בברכה

שלמה, ונאמר, אמן.

kʼmo she-nitbarkhu avoteinu, Avraham, Yitzhak, vʼYa-akov: ba-kol, mi-kol, kol. Ken yʼvarekh otanu kulanu yahad bi-vʼrakhah shʼlemah, vʼnomar: Amen.

all those who are participating in this meal. May He bless us all together and all our possessions just as He blessed our forebears Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with every blessing. May He bless us all together with a perfect blessing, and let us say, Amen.

במרום ילמדו עליהם ועלינו זכות שתהא למשמרת שלום. ונשא ברכה מאת יי , וצדקה מאלהי ישענו,ונמצא חן ושכל טוב בעיני אלהים ואדם.

Ba-marom yʼlamdu aleihem vʼaleinu zʼkhut, she-tʼhi lʼmishmeret shalom, vʼnisa vʼrakhah me-et Adonai, u-tzʼdakah me-Elohei yish-enu, vʼnimtza hen vʼsekhel tov bʼeinei Elohim vʼadam.

May heaven find merit in us that we may enjoy a lasting peace. May we receive blessings from the Lord, justice from the God of our salvation, and may we find favor and good sense in the eyes of God and men.

בשבת: הרחמן הוא ינחילנו יום שכלו שבת ומנוחה לחיי העולמים

(On Shabbat add) Ha-rahaman, hu yanhilenu yom she-kulo Shabbat u-mʼnuhah, lʼhayei ha-olamim. )( May the Merciful One cause us to inherit the day which will be all Sabbath and rest in the eternal life. )

הרחמן הוא ינחילנו יום שכלו טוב.

Ha-rahaman, hu yanhilenu yom she-kulo tov.May the Merciful One cause us to inherit the day of total goodness.May the Merciful One bless the State of Israel.May the Merciful One bless this country.May the Merciful One bless those who serve in the IDF and watch over them.

הרחמן הוא יזכנו לימות המשיח ולחיי העולם הבא. Ha-rahaman, hu yʼzakenu limot ha-mashi-ah u-lʼhayei ha-olam ha-ba.

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May the Merciful One enable us to live in the days of the Messiah and in the world to come.

מגדול ישועות מלכו ועשה חסד למשיחו לדוד ולזרעעד עולם. עשה שלום במרומיו, הוא יעשה שלום

עלינו ועל כל ישראל ואמרו, אמן.

Migdol yʼshu-ot malko, vʼoseh hesed li-mʼshiho, lʼDavid u-lʼzar-o ad olam. Oseh shalom bi-mʼromav, hu ya-aseh shalom aleinu vʼal kol Yisra-el, vʼimru: Amen.God is our tower of salvation, showing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendents forever. May he who creates peace in his heavenly heights, may he grant peace for us, all Israel; and all humanity, and we can say, Amen.

יראו את יי קדשיו, כי אין מחסור ליראיו. כפירים רשו ורעבו, ודרשי יי לא יחסרו

כל טוב. הודו ליי כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו. פותח את יד, ומשביע לכל חי רצון.

ברו הגבר אשר יבטח ביי, והיה יי מבטחו. נער הייתי גם זקנתי, ולא ראיתי צדיק נעזב, וזרעו

מבקש לחם.יי' עז לעמו יתן, יי יבר את עמו בשלום.

Yʼru et Adonai kʼdoshav, ki ein mahsor lire-av. Kʼfirim rashu vʼra-evu, vʼdorshei Adonai lo yahsʼru khol tov. Hodu ladonai ki tov, ki lʼolam hasdo. Pote-ah et yadekha, u-masbi-a lʼkhol hai ratzon. Barukh ha-gever asher yivtah badonai, vʼhayah Adonai mivtaho. Na-ar hayiti gam zakanti, vʼlo ra-iti tzadik ne-ezav, vʼzar-o mʼvakesh lahem. Adonai oz lʼamo yiten, Adonai yʼvarekh et amo va-shalom.

Revere the Lord, all Godʼs holy ones for those who revere Adonai suffer no want. Lions may starve, but those who seek the Lord shall lack nothing. Give thanks to the Lord, for God is good; Godʼs kindness endures forever. You open your hand and satisfy the needs of every living thing. Blessed is the everyone who trusts in the Lord, for the Lord will surely guarantee protection. I once was young and now I am old, but never have I seen a righteous person forsaken, nor his children in want of bread. The Lord strengthens Godʼs people, blessing them with peace.

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Shorter form of the Grace / Birkat HaMazon

Psalm 126שיר המעלות: בשוב יי את שיבת ציון היינו כחלמים. אז ימלא שחוק פינו ולשוננו רנה. אז יאמרו בגוים: הגדיל יי לעשות עם אלה.הגדיל יי

לעשות עמנו, היינו שמחים. שובה יי את שביתנו כאפיקים בנגב. הזרעים בדמעה, ברנה יקצרו. הלו יל ובכה נשא מש הזרע, בא יבא

ברנה נשא אלמתיו.

Shir ha-maʼalot bʼshuv Adonai et sheevat Tziyon hayinu keholmim. As yʼmalel sehok pinu ulʼshonenu rina. As yomru vagoyim higdil Adonai la-asot im eileh, higdil Adonai la-asot imanu hayinu semeihim. Shuva Adonai et sheviteinu ka-afikim baNegev. Hazorim bedimah berinah yiktzoru. Halokh yelekh uvakho, nosei meshekh hazarah, bo yavo vʼrinah nosei alumatav.

A Song of Ascents. When the Lord returned us from exile back to Zion, it was as though we were dreaming. We laughed in joy and sang happy songs. It was said around the world: "The Lord has done great things for them." The Lord did great things for us, and we rejoiced. God, restore our captives. We shall be like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears shall ultimately reap in joy. Though the farmer bears the measure of seed to the field in sadness, he shall come home with joy, bearing his sheaves.

Leader :רבותי, נברך

Rabotai nʼvarekh.

Friends, let us say grace.

Everyone:יהי שם יי מבר מעתה ועד עולם.

Yʼhi sheim Adonai mʼvorakh mei-ata vʼad olam.

Praised be the name of the Lord now and forever.

Leader:יהי שם יי מבר מעתה ועד עולם

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Yʼhi sheim Adonai mʼvorakh mei-ata vʼad olam.

Praised be the name of the Lord now and forever.

*included when there is a minayn presentLeader:ברשות מרנן ורבנן ורבותי, נבר [אלהינו] שאכלנו משלו

Birshut maran vʼraban vʼrabotai nʼvareikh ( Eloheinu* ) she-akhalnu mee-shelo.

*included when there is a minayn present

With your permission, let us now bless ( *our ) God whose food we have eaten. .

*included when there is a minayn presen

Everyone:ברו [אלהינו] שאכלנו משלו ובטובו חיינו

Barukh( Eloheinu ) she-akhalnu mee-shelo uvʼtuvo hayeenu.

*included when there is a minayn presen

Blessed be (our God) whose food we have eaten and through whose goodness we live.

Leader: ברו [אלהינו] שאכלנו משלו ובטובו חיינו

Barukh( Eloheinu ) she-akhalnu mee-shelo uvʼtuvo hayeenu.

Blessed be (our God) whose food we have eaten and through whose goodness we live.

Everyone: ברו הוא וברו שמו

Barukh hu uvarukh shʼmo.

Blessed be He and blessed be His name.

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ברו אתה יי אלהינו מל העולם הזן את העולם כלו בטובו בחן בחסדוברחמים הוא נותן לחם לכל בשר כי לעולם חסדו. ובטובו הגדול

תמידלא חסר לנו, ואל יחסר לנו מזון לעולם ועד. בעבור שמו הגדול, כי

הואאל זן ומפרנס לכל ומטיב לכל, ומכין מזון לכל בריותיו אשר ברא.

ברו אתה יי הזן את הכל.

Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh haolam, hazal et haolam kulo bʼtuvo bʼhein bʼhesed uvʼrahamim, hu notein lehem lʼkhol vasar kee lʼolam hasdo. uvʼtuvo hagadol, tamid lo hasar lanu, vʼal yehsar lanu mazol lʼolam vaed. Baʼavur shʼmo hagadol, kee hu eilzanumʼfarnei lakol umei-tiv lakol, umeikhin mazon kʼkhol bʼriyotav asher bara, Barukh atah Adonai, hazan et hakol.

Praised are you, Adonai, our God, sovereign of the universe, who nourishes the whole world with grace, kindness and mercy. You provide food to all creatures, for your kindness endures forever. Through this great goodness we have never been in want; may we never be in want of sustenance. God sustains us all, doing good to all, and providing food for all creation. Praised areyou, Adonai, who sustains all.

נודה ל יי אלהינו על שהנחלת לאבותינו ארץ חמדה טובה ורחבהועל שהוצאתנו יי אלהינו מארץ מצרים, ופדיתנו מבית עבדים, ועל

ברית שחתמתבבשרנו, ועל תורת שלמדתנו, ועל חקי שהודעתנו, ועל חיים חן

וחסד שחוננתנו, ועל אכילת מזון שאתה זן ומפרנס אותנו תמיד, בכל יום ובכל עת ובכל

שעה:

Nodeh lʼkha Adonai Eloheinu al she-hinhalta la-avoteinu, eretz hemdah tovah u-rʼhavah, vʼal she-hotzetanu Adonai Eloheinu me-eretz Mitzrayim, u-fʼditanu mi-beit avadim, vʼal bʼritʼkha she-hatamta bi-vʼsarenu, vʼal Toratʼkha she-limadtanu, vʼal hukekha she-hoda-tanu, vʼal hayim hen va-hesed she-honantanu, vʼal akhilat mazon she-atah zan u-mʼfarnes otanu tamid, bʼkhol yom u-vʼkhol et u-vʼkhol sha-ah.

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We thank you, Adonai, our God, for having given a beautiful, good, and spacious land to our ancestors as a heritage; for having taken us out from the land of Egypt and redeemed us from the house of slavery; your covenant which you sealed in our flesh; for your Torah which you taught us; for your laws which you have given to us; for the life, grace and kindness you have granted us; and for the food with which you always sustain us.

ועל הכל יי אלהינו אנחנו מודים ל ומברכים אות, יתבר שמ בפי כל

חי תמיד לעולם ועד: ככתוב, ואכלת ושבעת וברכת את יי אלהיעל הארץ הטובה אשר נתן ל. ברו אתה יי על הארץ ועל המזון:

Vʼal ha-kol Adonai Eloheinu, anahnu modim lakh u-mʼvarkhim otakh, yitbarakh shimʼkha bʼfi khol hai tamid lʼolam va-ed. Ka-katuv vʼakhalta vʼsava-ta, u-verakhta et Adonai Elohekha al ha-aretz ha-tovah asher natan lakh. Barukh atah Adonai, al ha-aretz vʼal ha-mazon.

For everything, Adonai, our God, we thank and praise you. May your name be blessed by all forever, as it is written: "After you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless Adonai, our God for the good land he has given you." Praised are you, Adonai, for the land and the food.

בשבת מוסיפין: רצה והחליצנו יי אלהינו במצותי ובמצות יום השביעי השבת הגדול

והקדוש הזה. כי יום זה גדול וקדוש הוא לפני לשבת בו ולנוח בו באהבה כמצות רצונ.

וברצונ הניח לנו יי אלהינו שלא תהא צרה ויגון ואנחה ביום מנוחתנו. והראנו יי אלהינו בנחמת ציון עיר ובבנין ירושלים עיר

קדש כי אתה הוא בעל הישועות ובעל הנחמות.

On Shabbat add:Rʼtzei vʼha-alitzenu Adonai Eloheinu bʼmitzvotekha, u-vʼmitzvat yomha-shʼvi-i, ha-Shabbat ha-gadol vʼha-kadosh ha-zeh. Ki yom zeh gadol vʼkadosh hulʼfanekha, lishbot bo vʼlanu-ahbo, bʼahavah kʼmitzvat rʼtzonekha, u-virtzonʼkha hanalanu, Adonai Eloheinu, she-lo tʼhi tzarah vʼyagon va-anahah bʼyom mʼnuhatenu.Vʼhar-enu Adonai Eloheinu bʼnehamat Tziyon irekha, u-vʼvinyan Yʼrushalayim irkodshekha, ki atah hu ba-al ha-yʼshu-ot u-va-al ha-nehamot.]

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On Shabbat add:Favor us and strengthen us, Lord our God, with your commandments-with thecommandment concerning the seventh day, this great and holy Sabbath. This day is great and holy before you to abstain from work and rest on it in love according to your will. In your will, Lord our God, grant us rest so that there be nor sorrow and grief on our day of rest. Let us, Lord our God, live to see Zion your city comforted, Jerusalem your holy city rebuilt, for you artMaster of all salvation and consolation.

, ויראה, וירצה, וישמע, ויפקד אלהינו ואלהי אבותינו, יעלה ויבא ויגיעויזכרזכרוננו ופקדוננו, וזכרון אבותינו, וזכרון משיח בן דוד עבד,

וזכרון ירושלים עיר קדש, וזכרון כל עמ בית ישראל לפני, לפליטה לטובהלחן ולחסד ולרחמים, לחיים ולשלום ביום חג המצות הזה

זכרנו יי אלהינו בו לטובה ופקדנו בו לברכה והושיענו בו לחיים. ובדבר ישועה ורחמים חוס וחננו ורחם עלינו והושיענו, כי אלי עינינו,כי אל

מל חנון ורחום אתה.

(For Passover)" Eloheinu veilohei avoteinu, yaleh vʼyavo vʼyagiah, vʼyei-ra-eh, vʼyei-ratzeh, vʼyishma, vʼyipakeid, vʼyizakheir zikhroneinu ufik-doneinu, vʼzikhron avoteinu, vʼzikhron mashiah ben david avdekha, vʼzikhron yʼrushalayim ir kod-shekha, vʼzikhron kol amkha beit yisrael lʼfanekha, lifleita lʼtova lʼhein ulʼhesed ulʼrahamim, lʼhayim ulʼshalom bʼyom hag ha-matzot hazeh. zokhreinu Adonai Eloheinu bo lʼtova, ufokdeinu vo livrakha vʼhoshi-einu vo lʼhayim,uvʼd-var yʼshu-ah vʼrahamim, hus vʼha-neinu, vʼraheim aleinu vʼhoshi-einu ki ei-lekha eineinu, ki eil melekh hanun vrahum ata.

( For Passover) Our God and God of our fathers, may the remembrance of us, of our ancestors, of the anointed son of David your servant, of Jerusalem your holy city, and of all your people the house of Israel, ascend, come, appear, be heard, and be accepted before you for deliverance and good, for grace, kindness and mercy, for life and peace, on this day of the Festival of Matzot. Remember us this day, Lord our God, for goodness; consider us for blessing; save us for life. With a word of salvation and mercy spare us and favor us; have pity on us and save us, for we look to you, for you art a gracious and merciful God and King. ובנה ירושלים עיר הקדש במהרה בימינו. ברו אתה יי בונה ברחמיו ירושלים. אמן

U-vʼnei Yʼrushalayim ir ha-kodesh bi-mʼherah vʼyameinu. Barukh atah Adonai, boneh vʼrahamav Yʼrushalayim. Amen

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במרום ילמדו עליהם ועלינו זכות שתהא למשמרת שלום. ונשא ברכה מאת יי , וצדקה מאלהי ישענו,ונמצא חן ושכל טוב בעיני אלהים ואדם.

Ba-marom yʼlamdu aleihem vʼaleinu zʼkhut, she-tʼhi lʼmishmeret shalom, vʼnisa vʼrakhah me-et Adonai, u-tzʼdakah me-Elohei yish-enu, vʼnimtza hen vʼsekhel tov bʼeinei Elohim vʼadam.

May heaven find merit in us that we may enjoy a lasting peace and receive blessings from the Lord, justice from God, and may we find favor and good sense in the eyes of God and men.

בשבת: הרחמן הוא ינחילנו יום שכלו שבת ומנוחה לחיי העולמים

( On Shabbat add) Ha-rahaman, hu yanhilenu yom she-kulo Shabbat u-mʼnuhah, lʼhayei ha-olamim.

May the Merciful One cause us to inherit the day which will be all Sabbath and rest in the eternal life.

הרחמן הוא ינחילנו יום שכלו טוב

Ha-rahaman, hu yanhilenu yom she-kulo tov.

May the Merciful One cause us to inherit the day of total goodness.May the Merciful One bless the State of Israel.May the Merciful One bless this country.May the Merciful One bless those who serve in the IDF and watch over them.

הרחמן הוא יזכנו לימות המשיח ולחיי העולם הבא

Ha-rahaman, hu yʼzakenu limot ha-mashi-ah u-lʼhayei ha-olam ha-ba.May the Merciful One enable us to live in the days of the Messiah and in the world to come.

מגדול ישועות מלכו ועשה חסד למשיחו לדוד ולזרעועד עולם. עשה שלום במרומיו, הוא יעשה שלום

עלינו ועל כל ישראל ואמרו, אמן.

Migdol yʼshu-ot malko, vʼoseh hesed li-mʼshiho, lʼDavid u-lʼzar-o ad olam. Oseh shalom bi-mʼromav, hu ya-aseh shalom aleinu vʼal kol Yisra-el, vʼimru: Amen.

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God is our tower of salvation, showing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever. May he who creates peace in his heavenly heights, may he grant peace for us, all Israel; and and all humanity, and we can say, Amen.

`יראו את יי קדשיו, כי אין מחסור ליראיו. כפירים רשו ורעבו, ודרשי יי לא יחסרו

כל טוב. הודו ליי כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו. פותח את יד, ומשביע לכל חי רצון.

ברו הגבר אשר יבטח ביי, והיה יי מבטחו. נער הייתי גם זקנתי, ולא ראיתי צדיק נעזב, וזרעו

מבקש לחם.יי' עז לעמו יתן, יי יבר את עמו בשלום.

Yʼru et Adonai kʼdoshav, ki ein mahsor lire-av. Kʼfirim rashu vʼra-evu, vʼdorshei Adonai lo yahsʼru khol tov. Hodu ladonai ki tov, ki lʼolam hasdo. Pote-ah et yadekha, u-masbi-a lʼkhol hai ratzon. Barukh ha-gever asher yivtah badonai, vʼhayah Adonai mivtaho. Na-ar hayiti gam zakanti, vʼlo ra-iti tzadik ne-ezav, vʼzar-o mʼvakesh lahem. Adonai oz lʼamo yiten, Adonai yʼvarekh et amo va-shalom.

Revere the Lord, all Godʼs holy ones for those who revere Adonai suffer no want. Lions may starve, but those who seek the Lord shall lack nothing. Give thanks to the Lord, for God is good; Godʼs kindness endures forever. You open your hand and satisfy the needs of every living thing. Blessed is the everyone who trusts in the Lord, for the Lord will surely guarantee protection. I once was young and now I am old, but never have I seen a righteous person forsaken, nor his children in want of bread. The Lord strengthens Godʼs people, blessing them with peace.

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THE GRATEFUL R

ABBI

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KOS SHʼLISHEE - THIRD CUP-כוס שלישי

We conclude the Grace after the meal by drinking the Third Cup of wine, the cup of blessing, while reclining to the left.

ברו אתה יי אלהינו מל העולם בורא פרי הגפן.

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p'ri hagafen.

Praised are you, Adonai, Lord of the universe, who has created the fruit of the vine.

THE GRATEFUL R

ABBI

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KOS SHEL ELIYAHU -Cup of Elijah-כוס של אליהו

At this point in the Seder, we fill the Cup of Elijah on the table. We rise, and we generally send the youngest child(ren) still awake to open the door for Elijah, who by tradition is the forerunner of the Messiah, the harbinger of hope. Sing "Eliyahu Ha-Navi" and then close the door.

אליהו הנביא אליהו התשבי אליהו (3) הגלעדי

במהרה בימינו יבוא אלינו עם משיח בן דוד(2)

Eliyahu Ha-navee Eliyahu Ha-tish-bee Eliyahu, Eliyahu Eliyahu Ha-giladeeBim Heira Bʼyameinu Yavo eileinu Eem mashiah ben David Eem mashiah ben David

God has taught all men to love their neighbors as themselves. Yet, in almost every age, some have not obeyed His command. Our people have suffered frequently at the hands of such men. In Godʼs own way and in His own time, the wicked pay the price of their wickedness. For God is a God of justice. As we open our doors and our hearts to Elijah, we pray that there soon will be an end to all evil deeds in the world. God has shown us the paths to peace. Amen.

Pour Out Thy Wrath- שפ חמת (A late addition to the Haggadah, after the period of the Crusades and the pogroms of the Rhineland. The Crusades were a series of military conflicts of a religious character waged by Christians from 1096-1291, usually sanctioned by the Pope. The FirstCrusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the dual goals of liberating the sacred city of

ELIJAHʼS CUP -GRATEFUL FOR –THE GIFT OF- FIGHTERS OF FREEDOM# We open the door and invite a spiritual presence into our home, the presence of passionate compassion. Elijah, the invisible honored guest, personifies an unyielding passion for justice. At the same time he is viewed as a disguised beggar who goes to extraordinary lengths bringing blessings of compassion and kindness to the poor,the humble and the needy. As both champion of justice and exemplar of compassion, he inspires us to emulate his ways and his commitments; we are grateful for this source of spiritual strength in our lives.# How empty our cups of blessing would be had the myriad numbers of heroes not come forward and willingly sacrificed their lives so that we could enjoy our blessings of freedom and security!

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Gratitude is not only a natural response to this recognition; it is a response rooted in our capacity to touch our moral sense and declare-this is the right thing to do. “Gratitude is the moral memory of mankind.” (George Simmel)

Doing Gratefulness# Share with those at the table people no longer alive who have influenced your life in a way for which you are grateful. Select a figure from public life or a member of your family or friend.

Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslims, and freeing the Eastern Christians from Muslim rule. Inevitably the Crusades also involved destruction and oppression of Jewish communities in Europe and the Holy Land. The harshness of this section often causes it to be excluded or skipped in many a modern Seder.)

שפ חמת אל הגוים אשר לא ידעוועל ממלכות אשר בשמ לא קראו. כי אכל את יעקב ואת נוהו השמו. שפעליהם זעמ וחרון אפ ישיגם. תרדף

באף ותשמידם מתחת שמי יי.

Pour out your fury on the nations that do not know you, upon the kingdoms that do not invoke your name, they have devoured Jacob and desolated his home.” (Ps. 79:6,7) “Pour out your wrath on them; may your blazing anger overtake them.” (Ps. 69.25) “Pursue them in wrath and destroy them from under the heavens of the Lord!” (Lam. 3:66)

Let us not forget the Avenue of the Righteous Gentiles and the efforts of the Jewish People to remember that there is good as well as evil in humanity. Let us try to emphasize the good.

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MIRIAMʼS CUP-GRATEFUL FOR –THE GIFT OF- NURTURANCE Contemporary celebrations of the Seder recognize the equal role of women in the experience of freedom historically and as freedom unfolds in the present. Miriam, Mosesʼ sister, is viewed as a prophet and an essential figure in the process of liberation and redemption. Rabbinic teaching informs us that the well of water that accompanied the Israelites through the wilderness was called Miriamʼs Well. In other words, Miriam reemerges as the embodiment of nurturance and life-supporting refreshment. # Without the quality of care, compassion and sacrifice embedded in the nature of womanhood, redemption would remain incomplete. We appeal to Godʼs “feminine” side when we pray for compassion, forgiveness and leniency. The waters of Miriam are cooling and comforting, quenching the thirst for feeling protected and loved. The Midrash, Shemoth Rabah-1: 26 states:

Pour Out Your Love On The Righteous Gentiles

Pour out your love on the nations who have known you and on the kingdoms who call upon your name. For they show loving-kindness to the seed of Jacob and they defend your people Israel from those who would devour them alive. May they live to see the sukkah of peace spread over your chosen ones and to participate in the joy of your nations.

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” ʻI had no peaceʻ( Job.3:26 ) from the first decree that Pharaoh laid on me-”and they embittered (vaʼyimararu-וימררו- their lives (Exodus 1:13)...But then God raised up a redemeer for me-that is , Miriiam named for bitterness.” (MAR-bitter.)

Doing Gratefulness

Think of a heroine or a personal female figure in your life for whom you are grateful; discuss how that individual has blessed your life.

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We approach the saddest of all moments...

We do so in silence....

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AUSCHWITZAUSCHWITAUSCHWITZלעלא... Le’ ayla– Beyond

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A moment beyond gratitude beyond all praise and blessing beyond comprehension... we are left with silence; sadness; memory # even madness... # gratitude is beyond our grasp and we grope for meaning and hope perhaps gratitude can grow out of ashes so that faint whispers of praise will sigh back into the empty spaces

# of our souls.

# # # # # # # # # # AMEN.

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ו א ף ע ל פ י כ ן...

and yet...

#Time tries as I drift across it

to sink me by mixing my nectar with poison

against my body it raised its hand

after taking my wealth and son

But I will foil its plans.

I will praise my Maker with endless song.

Todros Abulafia(1247-1300)

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T

# Can we go from grief to Gratitude-How do we do it?

## Compassionately , Humbly ! # # # # # #

Share # thoughts and feelings of this challenging # process.THE G

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HALLEL- PART 2 GRATEFUL FOR-THE GIFT OF- PRAISING # “Tell us, O poet, what do you do? I praise; But those dark, deadly devastating ways,/ How do you bear them, suffer them? I praise. And the Nameless, beyond guess or gaze, How can you call it, conjure it? I praise. And whence your right, in every kind of maze/ in every mask, to remain true? I praise. And that the mildest and the wildest ways/ Know you like star and storm? Because I praise. # Rilke “Sometimes we feel overwhelmed. Where to turn? # Where to begin? So much to do, so much to correct...Jealousy. Anger. Pride. How do we get rid of them? Gossip. Bickering. They embitter our lives... Sometimes we simply want to become better people, better Jews ... Itʼs too much to deal with at one time. We must find one path, one attribute to give us the proper perspective, to show us the right way out of the maze of confusion and fear. Hallel is this response, the golden way to awareness of the divine. To praise God is to overcome illusion and to touch Reality." (Breslov Haggadah)

לא לנו , יי, לא לנו , כי לשמ תן כבוד, על חסד, על אמת. למה יאמרו הגוים:

איה נא אלהיהם? ואלהינו בשמים , כל אשר חפץ עשה. עצביהם כסף וזהב מעשה ידי אדם. פה להם ולא ידברו, עינים להם ולא יראו.

אזנים להם ולא ישמעו, אף להם ולא יריחון. ידיהם ולא ימישון, רגליהם ולא יהלכו, לא יהגו בגרונם. כמוהם יהיו

עשיהם, כל אשר בטח בהם. ישראל בטח ביהוה, עזרם ומגנם הוא. בית אהרן בטחו ביהוה, עזרם ומגנם הוא. יראי יהוה בטחו

ביהוה, עזרם ומגנם הוא.

Lo lanu, Adonai, lo lanu, ki l'shimcha tein kavod, al chasd'cha al amitecha. Lamah yomru hagoyim, ayeih na Eloheihem. Veiloheinu vashamayim, kol asher chafeitz asah. Atzabeihem kesef v'zahav, ma-aseih y'dei adam. Peh lahem v'lo y'dabeiru, einayim lahem v'lo yiru. Oz'nayim lahem v'lo yishma-u, af lahem v'lo y'richun. Y'deihem v'lo y'mishun, ragleihem v'lo y'haleichu, lo yehgu bigronam. K'mohem yihyu oseihem, kol asher botei-ach bahem. Yisra-eil b'tach bʼAdonai, ezram u-maginam hu. Beit aharon bitchu v'Adonai, ezram umaginam hu. Yirei Adonai bitchu v'Adonai, ezram u-maginam hu.

Nor for our sake, O Lord, not for our sake, but for your name's sake give glory, because of your kindness and your truth. Why should the nations say: "Where is their God?" Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases!Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have a mouth, but they cannot speak; they have eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but they cannot hear; they have a nose, but

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they cannot smell; they have hands, but they cannot feel; they have feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throat. Those who make them shall become like them, whoever trusts in them. O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and shield. You who revere the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and shield.

Psalm 115:12-18 יי זכרנו יבר . יבר את בית ישראל, יבראת בית אהרן, יבר יראי יי, הקטנים עם הגדלים. יסף יי עליכם, עליכם ועל בניכם.

ברוכים אתם ליי, עשה שמים וארץ. השמים שמים ליי והארץ נתן לבני אדם. לא המתים

יהללויה ולא כל ירדי דומה. ואנחנו נבר יה מעתה ועד עולם. הללויה.

Adonai z'charanu y'vareich, y'vareich et beit yisra-eil, y'vareich et beit aharon. Y'vareich yirei Adonai, hak'tanim im hag'dolim. Yoseif Adonai aleichem, aleichem v'al b'neichem. B'ruchim atem l'Adonai, oseih shamayim va-aretz. Hashamayim shamayim l'Adonai, v'ha-aretz natan livnei adam. Lo hameitim y'hal'lu yah, v'lo kol yor'dei dumah. Va-anachnu n'vareich yah, mei-atah v'ad olam, hal'luyah.

The Lord who has remembered us will bless; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron; He will bless those who revere the Lord, the small with the great. May the Lord increase you, you and your children.You are blessed by the Lord, who made the heaven and earth. The heaven is the Lord's heaven, but he has given the earth to mankind. The dead cannot praise the Lord, nor can any who go down into silence. We will bless the Lord from this time forth and forever. Halleluyah!

אהבתי כי ישמע יי את קולי, תחנוני. כי הטה אזנו לי ובימי אקרא. אפפוני חבלי מות ומצרי שאול מצאוני, צרה ויגון אמצא. ובשם

Grateful beyond reciprocity: “ How can I repay the Lord for all his kind acts toward me?”# The essence of the Hallel is the awareness of our inability to repay God for the gifts and kindnesses in the world. Psalm 116 speaks of offerings of thanksgiving for all the good bestowed upon humanity. Ironically, the one reference to a possible reason for not being grateful-but the very opposite-is the verse:”Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his pious followers!” How do we reconcile this unexplainable reality and tragedy with the bulk of the psalmʼs insistence upon thanksgiving and gratitude? The moral incongruity of the death of the good while the evil prosper remains a dilemma for which there is no obvious or rational answer. The Psalmist seems to suggest that this reality is inevitable and the only response from God is His response of grief to such circumstances. Thus, any expectation of intervention on Godʼs part is futile. What remains is the totality of the world and life that enfolds this grievous loss in a context of abundance and goodness, of everlasting kindness that surrounds us always, and

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יי אקרא: אנא יי מלטה נפשי! חנון יי וצדיק, ואלהינו מרחם. שמר פתאים יי, דלתי ולי יהושיע. שובי נפשי למנוחיכי, כי יי גמל עליכי. כי

חלצת נפשי ממות, את עיני מן דמעה, את רגלי מדחי. אתהל לפני יי בארצות החיים. האמנתי כי אדבר, אני עניתי מאד. אני אמרתי

בחפזי: כל האדם כזב. Ahavti ki yishma Adonai, et koli tachanunay. Ki hitah oz'no li, uv'yamai ekra. Afafuni chevlei mavet, um'tzarei sh'ol m'tza-uni, tzarah v'yagon emtza. Uv'sheim Adonai ekra, anah Adonai maltah nafshi. Chanun Adonai v'tzadik, veiloheinu m'racheim. Shomeir p'ta-im Adonai, daloti v'li y'hoshi-a. Shuvi nafshi limnuchay'chi, ki Adonai gamal alay'chi. Ki chilatzta nafshi mimavet, et eini min dimah, et ragli midechi. Et-haleich lifnei Adonai, b'artzot hachayim. He-emanti ki adabeir, ani aniti m'od. Ani amarti v'chof'zi, kol ha-adam kozeiv

I love that the Lord hears my supplications. Because he has inclined his ear to me, I will call upon him as long as I live. The cords of death encircled me; the pains of the grave have overtaken me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: "O Lord, save my life!" Gracious is the Lord, and righteous and our God is merciful. The Lord protects the simple; I was brought low and he saved me. Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has been kind to you. You delivered me from death, my eyes from tears and my feet from stumbling. I shall walk before the Lord in the lands of the living. I kept faith even when I cry out: "I am greatly afflicted.' I kept faith even when I said in haste: "All men are deceitful."

Psalm 116:12-19מה אשיב ליי כל תגמולוהי עלי. כוס ישועות אשא ובשם יי אקרא.

נדרי ליי אשלם נגדה נא לכל עמו. יקר בעיני יי המותה לחסידיו. אנא יי כי אני עבד, אני עבד בן אמת, פתחת למוסרי. ל אזבח זבח

תודה ובשם יי אקרא. נדרי ליי אשלם נגדה נא לכל עמו. בחצרות בית יי, בתוככי ירושלים. הללויה.

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Mah ashiv l'Adonai, kol tagmulohi alay. Kos y'shuot esa, uv'sheim Adonai ekra. N'darai l'Adonai ashaleim, negdah na l'chol amo. Yakar b'einei Adonai, hamav'tah lachasidav. Anah Adonai ki ani avdecha, ani avd'cha ben amatecha, pitachta l'moseiray. L'cha ezbach zevach todah, uv'sheim Adonai ekra. N'darai l'Adonai ashaleim, negdah na l'chol amo. B'chatzrot beit Adonai, b'tocheichi y'rushalayim, hal'luyah.

How can I repay the Lord for all his kind acts toward me? I will raise the cup of salvations, and call upon the name of the Lord. My vows to the Lord I will pay in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his pious followers. O Lord, I am truly your servant; I am your servant, the son of your handmaid; You has loosened my bonds. To you I sacrifice a thanksgiving offering, and call upon the name of the Lord. My vows to the Lord I will pay in the presence of all his people, In the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of Jerusalem. Halleluyah!

Psalm 117הללו את יי כל גוים, שבחוהו כל האמים. כי גבר עלינו חסדו, ואמת יי לעולם. הללויה. Hal'lu et Adonai, kol goyim, shab'chu-hu, kol ha-umim. Ki gavar aleinu chasdo, ve-emet Adonai l'olam, hal'luyah

.Give thanks to the Lord, all you nations; praise him, all you peoples! For his kindness overwhelms us, and the truth of the Lord is forever, Halleluyah!

Psalm 118:1-4הודו ליי כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו. יאמר נא ישראל כי לעולם חסדו.

יאמרו נא בית אהרן כי לעולם חסדו. יאמרו נא יראי יי כי לעולם חסדו.

allows us to transcend our grief with the awareness of how abundant life is despite our loss and sadness. # Therefore, one can conclude that while we mourn angrily and sorrowfully, thankfulness still waits in the wings.

“I thank you for you have answered me”- Often we feel as if God has not answered us, has not fulfilled our desires in a way that we understand as necessary for us. Thus, many interpret this verse of the Psalmist as suggesting that I will thank God -ki- כי-when, He answers me. # The Psalmistʼs assertion could be read differently; the ki - here could be translated as -כי“because,” indicating that God has already answered us and continues to do so; thus the spiritual necessity or expectation that thankfulness be in our hearts at all times- “Odecha”-אודך- I

thank and I will thank, unceasingly, with every breath I breathe, and without interruption. As a pivotal reference point of the climatic crescendo to the experience of liberation, we meet with “zeh,” -זה-ʻthis,ʼ at the end of our service as we praise God for making this day a source of rejoicing and gratefulness. A poignant reference to “zeh” -זה-is that which is found in the verses of Psalms read as part of the Hallel during the Seder. “Zeh haʼshaar lʼadonai zaddikim yavohoo vo”- -זה השער ליי

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Hodu l'Adonai ki tov, ki l'olam chasdo. Yomar na yisra-eil, ki l'olam chasdo. Yomru na veit aharon, ki l'olam chasdo. Yomru na yirei Adonai, ki l'olam chasdo.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His kindness endures forever. Let Israel say: his kindness endures forever. Let the house of Aaron say: his kindness endures forever. Let those who revere the Lord say: his kindness endures forever.

Psalm 118:5-29מן המצר קראתי יה, ענני במרחב יה. יי לי, לא אירא - מה יעשה לי אדם? יי לי בעזרי ואני אראה בשנאי. טוב לחסות ביי מבטח באדם. טוב לחסות ביי מבטח בנדיבים. כל גוים סבבוני, בשם יי כי אמילם. סבוני גם סבבוני, בשם יי כי אמילם. סבוני כדברים , דעכו כאש קוצים, בשם יי כי אמילם. דחה דחיתני לנפל, ויי עזרני. עזי וזמרת יה ויהי לי לישועה. קול רנה וישועה באהלי צדיקים: ימין יי עשה חיל, ימין יי רוממה, ימין יי עשה חיל. לא אמות כי אחיה, ואספר מעשי יה. יסר יסרני יה, ולמות לא נתנני. פתחו לי שערי צדק, אבא בם, אודה יה. זה השער ליי, צדיקים יבאו בו. Min hameitzar karati yah, anani vamerchav yah. Adonai li lo ira, mah ya-aseh li adam. Adonai li b'oz'ray, va-ani ereh v'son'ay. Tov lachasot bʼAdonai, mib'toach ba-adam. Tov lachasot bʼAdonai, mib'toach bindivim. Kol goyim s'vavuni, b'sheim Adonai ki amilam. Sabuni gam s'vavuni, b'sheim Adonai ki amilam. Sabuni chidvorim do-achu k'eish kotzim, b'sheim Adonai ki amilam. Dachoh d'chitani linpol, v'Adonai azarani. Ozi v'zimrat yah, vay'hi li lishuah. Kol rinah vishuah b'aholei tzadikim, y'min Adonai osah chayil. Y'min Adonai romeimah, y'min Adonai osah chayil. Lo amut ki echyeh, va-asapeir ma-asei yah. Yasor yis'rani yah, v'lamavet lo n'tanani. Pitchu li sha-arei tzedek, avo vam

this is the“-צדיקים יבואו בוgateway to the Lord, the righteous shall enter therein.” What is the gateway that leads to an awareness of divinity, to a closeness with God, to a consciousness of Shechinah,-שכינה- of the presence of the sacred in our lives? The Psalmist leaves the point of reference vague, although it is assumed that this Psalm was recited in the precincts of the Sanctuary during occasions of pilgrimage. In a more imaginative and expanded way, I would suggest that the gateway to godliness can be located by the “zeh”-זה-the “this” pointing backward to the very end of the previous verse: “Pitchoo li shaarei zedek, avoh bam, ohdeh yah,”-פתחו לי שערי צדק אבוא open for me the”-בם אודה יהgates of triumph, that I may enter to thank, to praise God.” By reversing the order of the activities contained in the verse, we can understand its meaning by the following paraphrasing- By praising God, I pass through the gateway and enter into the presence of the Compassionate One. Thus “zeh-”זה- ʻthis” again re-emerges as an axis around which the enterprise of spiritual freedom revolves, and the Seder becomes another gateway through which all of us-not only the righteous-can pass through and gain access to the majesty, grandeur, warmth, joy and love of this night of freedom.

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odeh yah. Zeh hasha-ar lʼAdonai, tzadikim yavo-u vo.

From the straits I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me by placing me in a great expanse. The Lord is with me; I have no fear of what man can do to me. The Lord is with me among my helpers; I shall see the defeat of my foes. It is better to seek refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to seek refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. All nations have encompassed me; but in the name of the Lord, I routed them. They swarmed around me; but in the name of the Lord, I cut them down. They swarmed like bees about me, but they were extinguished like a fire of thorns; but in the name of the Lord, I cut them down. You pushed me that I might fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and song; He has become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is heard in the tents of the righteous: "The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. The Lord's right hand is raised in triumph; the Lord's right hand does valiantly!" I shall not die, but live to relate the deeds of the Lord. The Lord has surely punished me, but he has not left me to die. Open for me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter and praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous may enter through it

אוד כי עניתני ותהי לי לישועה. אודכי עניתני ותהי לי לישועה. אבן מאסו הבונים היתה לראש פנהאבן מאסו הבונים היתה לראש פנה. מאת יהוה

היתה זאת היא נפלאת בעינינו.מאת יהוה היתה זאת היא נפלאת בעינינו

Od'cha ki anitani, vat'hi li lishuah. Od'cha ki anitani, vat'hi li lishuah.Even ma-asu habonim, hay'tah l'rosh pinah. Even ma-asu habonim, hay'tah l'rosh pinah.Mei-eit Adonai hay'tah zot, hi niflat b'eineinu. Mei-eit Adonai hay'tah zot, hi niflat b'eineinu.

Parenthetically, the Hebrew for gate--שער-sh-aa-r- when the letters are rearranged, spell the word o-sher -עשר-which means wealth. Thus to further reinforce the centrality of gratefulness during the Seder, wealth according to Judaism is not reflected in the level of possession but rather the depth of perception. The Hallel declares- “Meyʼet Adonai hayta Zot…” This is“ -מאת יי היתה זאתthe doing of the Lord, it is marvelous in our sight.” When the Psalm asserts-“zeh hayom asah Adonai, nagilah vʼnismecha vo- זה היום עשה יי this is the day“-נגילה ונשמחה בוthe Lord has made, let us exult and rejoice in it,” this day is filled with the sunshine of unsparing generosity and freedom, suffusing time and space with the sounds of grateful joy and song.

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Zeh hayom asah Adonai, nagilah v'nism'chah vo. Zeh hayom asah Adonai, nagilah v'nism'chah vo.

I thank you for you have answered me, becoming my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected has become the major cornerstone. This the Lord's doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord has made; We will be glad and rejoice on it.

א. אנא יי, הושיעה נאנא יי, הושיעה נא. אנא יי, הצליחה נא. אנא יי, הצליחה נא.

Ana Adonai hoshi-ah na. Ana Adonai hoshi-ah na. Ana Adonai hatzlichah na. Ana Adonai hatzlichah na

O Lord, please save us! O Lord, please save us! O Lord, let us prosper! O Lord, let us prosper!

( Each verse is recited twice.).ברוך הבא בשם יי, ברכנוכם מבית יי. ברו הבא בשם יי, ברכנוכם

מבית יי. אל יי ויאר לנו . אסרו חג בעבתים עד קרנות המזבח. אל יי ויאר לנו . אסרו חג בעבתים עד קרנות המזבח. אלי אתה ואודך, אלהי -

ארוממך. אלי אתה ואודך, אלהי - ארוממך. הודו ליי כי טוב, כי לעולם חסדו. הודו ליי כי טוב, כי לעולם חסדו.

Baruch haba b'sheim Adonai, beirachnuchem mibeit Adonai. Baruch haba b'sheim Adonai, beirachnuchem mibeit Adonai. Eil Adonai vaya-er lanu, isru chag ba-avotim ad karnot hamizbei-ach. Eil Adonai vaya-er lanu, isru chag ba-avotim, ad karnot hamizbei-ach. Eili atah v'odeka, elohai arom'meka. Eili atah v'odeka, elohai arom'meka. Hodu l'Adonai ki tov, ki l'olam chasdo. Hodu l'Adonai ki tov, ki l'olam chasdo.

Blessed be he who comes in the name of the Lord; We bless you from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God who has shown us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords, up to the altar-horns. You are my God, and I thank you;You are my God, and I exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His kindness endures forever.

יהללו יי אלהינו כל מעשי, וחסידי צדיקים עושי רצונ, וכל עמ

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בית ישראל ברנה יודו וישבחו ויפארו, וירוממו ויעריצו, ויקדישו וימליכו את שמ, מלכנו. כי

ל טוב להודות ולשמ נאה לזמר, כי מעולם ועד עולם אתה אל.

May all creation praise You,Adonai our God. May the pious, the righteous who do Your will and al your people the house of Israel, join in thanking You with joyous song. May they praise, revere, adore, extol,exalt and sanctify Your sovereign glory, our King. To you it is good to give thanks,to your glory it is fitting to sing.From age to age, everlastingly, You are our God.

THIS - - - - - - זאת

I WILL אודה # # # # THANK

THIS - - - - - - זה

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Psalm 136הודו ליי כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו.

הודו לאלהי האלהים כי לעולם חסדו. הודו לאדני האדנים כי לעולם חסדו.

לעשה נפלאות גדלות לבדו כי לעולם חסדו. לעשה השמים בתבונה כי לעולם חסדו. לרוקע הארץ על המים כי לעולם חסדו.

לעשה אורים גדלים כי לעולם חסדו. את השמש לממשלת ביום כי לעולם חסדו.

את הירח וכוכבים לממשלות בלילה כי לעולם חסדו. למכה מצרים בבכוריהם כי לעולם חסדו.

ויוצא ישראל מתוכם כי לעולם חסדו. ביד חזקה ובזרוע נטויה כי לעולם חסדו.

לגזר ים סוף לגזרים כי לעולם חסדו. והעביר ישראל בתוכו כי לעולם חסדו.

ונער פרעה וחילו בים סוף כי לעולם חסדו. למולי עמו במדבר כי לעולם חסדו.

למכה מלכים גדלים כי לעולם חסדו. ויהרג מלכים אדירים כי לעולם חסדו.

לסיחון מל האמרי כי לעולם חסדו. ולעוג מל הבשן כי לעולם חסדו.

ונתן ארצם לנחלה כי לעולם חסדו. נחלה לישראל עבדו כי לעולם חסדו.

שבשפלנו זכר לנו כי לעולם חסדו. ויפרקנו מצרינו כי לעולם חסדו.

נתן לחם לכל בשר כי לעולם חסדו. הודו לאל השמים כי לעולם חסדו.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, His kindness endures forever;Give thanks to the God above gods, His kindness endures forever;

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The moon and the stars to reign by night, His kindness endures forever;

To him who smote Egypt in their firstborn, His kindness endures forever;And took Israel out from among them, His kindness endures forever;With strong hand and outstretched arm, His kindness endures forever;To him who parted the Red Sea, His kindness endures forever;And caused Israel to pass through it, His kindness endures forever;And threw Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, His kindness endures forever;To him who led His people through the wilderness, His kindness endures forever;To him who smote great kings, His kindness endures forever;And slew mighty kings, His kindness endures forever;Sihon, king of the Amorites, His kindness endures forever;And Og, king of Bashan, His kindness endures forever;And gave their land as an inheritance, His kindness endures forever;

Give thanks to the Lord of lords, His kindness endures forever;To him who alone does great wonders, His kindness endures forever;To him who made the heavens with understanding, His kindness endures forever;To him who stretched the earth over the waters, His kindness endures forever;To him who made the great lights, His kindness endures forever;The sun to reign by day, His kindness endures forever;

An inheritance to Israel his servant, His kindness endures forever; Who remembered us in our low state, His kindness endures forever;

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And released us from our foes, His kindness endures forever;Who gives food to all creatures, His kindness endures forever;Give thanks to God of all heaven, His kindness endures forever.

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נשמת כל חי תבר את שמ, יי אלהינו, ורוח כל בשר תפאר ותרומם זכר, מלכנו,

תמיד. מן העולם ועד העולם אתה אל, ומבלעדי אין לנו מל גואל ומושיע, פודה ומציל ומפרנס ומרחם בכל עת צרה וצוקה. אין לנו מל אלא אתה. אלהי הראשונים

והאחרונים, אלוה כל בריות, אדון כל תולדות, המהלל ברב התשבחות, המנהג

עולמו בחסד ובריותיו ברחמים. ויי לא ינום ולא יישן - המעורר ישנים והמקיץ נרדמים, והמשיח אלמים והמתיר אסורים והסומ

נופלים והזוקף כפופים. ל לבד אנחנו מודים.

אלו פינו מלא שירה כים, ולשוננו רנה כהמון גליו, ושפתותינו שבח כמרחבי רקיע, ועינינו מאירות כשמש וכירח, וידינו פרושות

כנשרי שמים, ורגלינו קלות כאילות - אין אנחנו מספיקים להודות ל , יי אלהינו

ואלהי אבותינו , ולבר, את שמ על אחת, מאלף, אלפי אלפים ורבי רבבות פעמים, הטובות שעשית עם אבותינו

ועמנו. ממצרים גאלתנו, יי אלהינו, ומבית עבדים פדיתנו, ברעב זנתנו ובשבע

כלכלתנו, מחרב הצלתנו ומדבר מלטתנו, ומחלים רעים ונאמנים דליתנו. עד הנה

עזרונו רחמי ולא עזבונו חסדי, ואל תטשנו, יי אלהינו, לנצח. על כן אברים

שפלגת בנו ורוח ונשמה שנפחת באפינו ולשון אשר שמת בפינו - הן הם יודו ויברכו

וישבחו ויפארו וירוממו ויעריצו ויקדישו וימליכו את שמ מלכנו. כי כל פה ל יודה,

Grateful for God as Creator, Liberator, Protector and Provider Praise is the spiritual expression of a sense of gratitude for the awareness of having been given essential gifts of our existence-the world, the capacity to be free, feeling safe and secure and knowing that human needs can be met.

These gifts flow out of a divine source or reality that saturates all things with kindness and love. This dimension of compassion is enduring and indestructible. Frequently this reality is hidden, submerged under layers of cruelty and indifference, like the sun concealed behind ominous clouds. As long as we can praise, the reality of compassion is within our grasp, and the sunʼs rays reappear.

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וכל לשון ל תשבע, וכל בר ל תכרע, וכל קומה לפני תשתחוה, וכל לבבות ייראו, וכל קרב וכליות יזמרו לשמ, כדבר שכתוב, כל

עצמתי תאמרנה: יי, מי כמו מציל עני מחזק ממנו ועני ואביון מגזלו. מי ידמה ל ומי ישוה ל ומי יער ל האל הגדול, הגבור והנורא, אל

עליון, קנה שמים וארץ. נהלל ונשבח ונפאר ונבר את שם קדש, כאמור: לדוד, ברכי נפשי את יי וכל קרבי את שם קדשו.

The soul of every living being shall bless your name, Lord our God the spirit of all flesh shall ever glorify and exalt your remembrance, our King. Throughout eternity Thou art God. Besides Thee we have no king who redeems and saves, ransoms and rescues, sustains and shows mercy in all times of trouble and distress. We have no King but Thee-God of the first and of the last, God of all creatues, Master of all generations, One acclaimed with a multitude of praises, He who guides His world with kindness and His creatures with mercy. The Lord neither slumbers nor sleeps; He rouses those who sleep and wakens those who slumber; He enables the speechless to speak and loosens the bonds of the captives; He supports those who are fallen and raises those who are bowed down. To Thee alone we give thanks.Were our mouth filled with song as the ocean, and our tongue with joy as the endless waves; were our lips full of praise as the wide heavens, and our eyes shining like the sun or the moon; were our hands spread out in prayer as the eagles of the sky and our feet running as swiftly as the deer--we should still be unable to thank Thee and bless your name, Lord our God and God of our fathers, for one of the thousands and even myriads of favors which Thou hast bestowed on our fathers and on us. Thou hast liberated us from Egypt, Lord our God, and redeemed us from the house of slavery. Thou has fed us in famine and sustained us with plenty. Thou hast saved us from the sword, helped us to escape the plague, and spared us from severe and enduring diseases. Until now your mercy has helped us, and your kindness has not forsaken us; mayest Thou, Lord our God, never abandon us.Therefore, the limbs which Thou has given us, the spirit and soul which Thou has breathed into our nostrils, and the tongue which Thou hast placed in our mouth, shall all thank and bless, praise and glorify, exalt and revere, sanctify and acclaim your name, our King. To Thee, every mouth shall offer thanks; every tongue shall vow allegiance; every knee shall bend, and all who stand erect shall bow. All hearts shall revere Thee, and men's inner beings shall sing to your name, as it is written: "all my bones shall say: O Lord, who is like Thee? Thou savest the poor man from one that is stronger, the poor and needy from one who would rob him." Who may be likened to Thee? Who is equal to Thee? Who can be compared to Thee? O Great, mighty and revered God, supreme God is the Master of heaven and earth. Let us praise,

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acclaim and glorify Thee and bless your holy name, as it is said: "A Psalm of David: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let my whole inner being bless His holy name."

האל בתעצמות עז, הגדול בכבוד שמ, הגבור לנצח והנורא בנוראותי, המל היושב על כסא רם ונשא. שוכן עד מרום וקדוש

שמו. וכתוב: רננו צדיקים ביהוה, לישרים נאוה תהלה.

O God in your mighty acts of power, great in the honor of your name, powerful forever and revered for your awe-inspiring acts, O King seated upon a high and lofty throne!

He who abidest forever, exalted and holy is His name. And it is written: "Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous; it is pleasant for the upright to give praise."

בפי ישרים תתהלל, ובדברי צדיקים תתבר,

ובלשון חסידים תתרומם, ובקרב קדושים תתקדש.

By the mouth of the upright you shall be praised; By the words of the righteous you shall be blessed; By the tongue of the pious you shall be exalted; And in the midst of the holy you shall be sanctified.

ובמקהלות רבבות עמ בית ישראל ברנה יתפאר שמ, מלכנו, בכל דור ודור, שכן חובת כל היצורים לפני, יי אלהינו ואלהי אבותינו ,

להודות להלל לשבח, לפאר לרומם להדר לבר, לעלה ולקלס על כל דברי שירות ותשבחות דוד בן ישי עבד, משיח.

In the assemblies of the multitudes of your people, the house of Israel, with song shall your name, our King, be glorified in every generation. For it is the duty of all creatures to thank, praise, laud, extol, exalt, adore, and bless Thee; even beyond the songs and praises of David the son of Jesse, your anointed servant.

ישתבח שמ לעד מלכנו, האל המל הגדול והקדוש בשמים ובארץ, כי ל נאה, יי אלהינו ואלהי אבותינו , שיר ושבחה, הלל וזמרה, עז

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וממשלה, נצח, גדלה וגבורה, תהלה ותפארת, קדשה ומלכות, ברכות והודאות מעתה ועד עולם. ברו אתה יי , אל מל

גדול בתשבחות, אל ההודאות, אדון הנפלאות, הבוחר בשירי זמרה, מל אל חי

העולמים.

Praise be your name forever, our King, who rules and is great and holy in heaven and on earth; for to Thee, Lord our God, it is fitting to render song and praise, hallel and psalms, power and dominion, victory, glory and might, praise and beauty, holiness and sovereignty, blessings and thanks, from now and forever.

Fourth Cup-K O S R ’ V E E - E E - כוס רביעי

[ The fourth cup of wine is filled and after the following beracha we drink this final cup of the

Seder. ]ברו אתה יי אלהינו מל העולם בורא פרי

הגפן.Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p'ri hagafen. Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

העולם, על הגפן ועל פרי אתה יי אלהינו מל ברוהגפן , על תנובת השדה ועל ארץ חמדה

טובה ורחבה

Grateful for the obligation to praise: What comes first, the feeling or the word? In the prayer of praise recited at this point in the Seder we affirm that it “is the duty of all creatures to thank, praise, laud, adore etc.” Somehow the obligation in itself is a source of great significance. As often happens in life and in religious experience, the starting point of our journey toward expanded inner awareness is one of mere practice and mechanical movement-But, ”mee-toch shelo lishmah, bah lishmah”-מתוך שלא לשמה בא from the rote-like can -לשמהspring up the spontaneous and heart felt experience of the godly in our lives. Often we first have to merely say the words “thank you” before we can gain a full understanding of the reason for our gratitude. # # # The word for obligation used in the above text is “HOVAH”-חובה- Curiously, the slight change in vocalization takes us to another word-”HIBAH”-חיבה meaning affection, even love. This association can lead us to an understanding of

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שרצית והנחלת לאבותינו לאכל מפריה ולשבע מטובה רחם נא ד' אלקינו על

ישראל עמ ועל ירושלים עיר ועל ציון משכן כבוד ועל מזבח ועל היכל ובנה

ירושלים עיר הקדש במהרה בימינו והעלנו לתוכה ושמחנו בבנינה ונאכל מפריה ונשבע מטובה ונברכ עליה בקדשה ובטהרה

(בשבת: ורצה והחליצנו ביום השבת הזה) ושמחנו ביום חג המצות הזה , כי אתה ד'

טוב ומטיב לכל ונודה ל על הארץ ועל פרי הגפן. ברו אתה ד' על הגפן ועל פרי הגפן.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha-olam, al hagefen v'al p'ri hagefen. V'al t'nuvat hasadeh, v'al eretz chemdah tovah ur'chavah, sheratzita v'hinchalta la-avoteinu, le-echol mipiryah v'lisboa mituvah. Rachem na, Adonai Eloheinu, al yisra-eil amecha, v'al y'rushalayim irecha, v'al tzion mishkan k'vodecha, v'al mizb'checha, v'al heicholecha. Uv'neih y'rushalayim ir hakodesh bimheirah v'yameinu, v'ha-aleinu l'tochah, v'sam'cheinu b'vinyanah, v'nochol mipiryah v'nisba mituvah, un'varechcha aleha bikdushah uv'tahorah. [ B'shabat] ur'tzeih v'hachalitzeinu b'yom hashabat hazeh.] V'sam'cheinu b'yom chag hamatzot hazeh. Ki atah Adonai tov umeitiv lakol, v'nodeh l'cha al ha-aretz v’al p'ri hagafen. Baruch atah Adonai, al ha-aretz v’al p'ri hagafen.

Praised are you, Adonai, King of the universe, for the vine and its fruit, and for the produce of the field, for the beautiful and spacious land which you gave to our ancestors as a heritage to eat of its fruit and to enjoy its goodness. Have mercy, Adonai our God, on Israel your people, on Jerusalem your city. Rebuild Jerusalem, the holy city, speedily in our days. Bring us there and cheer us with its restoration; may we eat

obligation as an expression of affection and love; being obligated, and acting out of obligation, have the potential for enhancing our attitude of grateful affection for the “mitzvah.”

Before the Seder is concluded, our final words are those of gratitude and thankfulness, an expression of the ultimate goodness of God. We thank for the wine we have drunk and expand our awareness to the source of this wine-the vines that grow out of the good earth that the Good God has created. Together with our thanks for what is, we pray for what can be, a future of redemptive goodness.

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there Israel’s produce and enjoy its goodness; we praise you for Jerusalem’s centrality in our lives. [ On the Sabbath add:[ Renew us this Shabbat] and grant us happiness on this Feast of Matzot; For you, Adonai are good and beneficent to all, and we thank you for the land and the fruit of the vine. Praised are you, Adonai, for the land and the fruit of the vine.

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XV. NIRTZAH / Acceptance- נרצה

חסל סדור פסח כהלכתו, ככל משפטו וחקתו.

כאשר זכינו לסדר אותו כן נזכה לעשותו. ז שוכן מעונה, קומם קהל עדת מי מנה.

בקרוב נהל נטעי כנה פדוים לציון ברנה.

Chasal sidur pesach k'hilchato, k'chol mishpato v'chukato. Ka-asher zachinu l'sadeir oto, kein nizkeh la-asoto. Zach shochein m'onah, komeim k'hal adat mi manah. B'karov naheil nitei chanah, p'duyim l'tzion b'rinah.

The Passover Seder is concluded, according to each traditional detail with all its laws and customs. As we have been privileged to celebrate this Seder, so may we one day celebrate it in Jerusalem. Pure One who dwells in the high places, support your People countless in number. May you soon redeem all your People joyfully in Zion.

לשנה הבאה בירושלים הבנויה.

L'Shana HaʼBa'ah B'Y'rushalayim Habenuyah

Next Year in a peaceful Jerusalem!

NIRZAH-GRATEFUL FOR-THE GIFT OF - ENDINGS We have come to the end of our Seder, the end of our journey. There is nothing left to do. We have prayed, praised, sung and talked, eaten and drunk, laughed and cried, questioned and commented, connected with the past and the present, hoped for the future; # # what remains? Is it over? Does the journey ever end? Is not every ending also a beginning?

What remains to be done? Do we start over? Yes, but first we fulfill the stage of Nirzah-נרצה- acceptance. We have concluded the active part of the Seder.

One act remains. Now all we can do is “stand before God with our hands raised." All we can do is to be. We surrender, we let go, of effort, of strain, of activity, of planning and devising, of struggle, and simply experience the fullness of the All, grateful for the overflowing of Godʼs gifts and blessings.

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“We have long anticipated this night, we have extensively prepared for it. We have done our human best.

# Yehi ratzon -יהי רצון: May You, God, accept the longing of our hearts." (Breslov Haggadah)

# "Leshana habah beyerushalayim " habenuya"-

Next year in a Jerusalem that is joyous, that reflects the wisdom of the heart,

## “Habenuya”- הבנויה- built upon the

## "binah"-בינה-of Godʼs wisdom and of the human soul.

# #

Amen vʼAmen .אמן ואמן

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SONG-GRATEFUL FOR –THE GIFT OF-SINGING

Another locus of lively activity and gratitude-giving is the singing of songs composed over the ages to delight Seder guests and preserve our consciousness of the Divine. Had Gadyah,חד גדיה- one little goat, is an example: a playful yet quite instructive ditty about the reality of lifeʼs transience. A series of animals and phenomena are described in a hierarchical way as the more powerless are swallowed up by the more powerful until finally God emerges as the ultimate source of all things.

At our seders, my son is assigned the task of making the sounds of each participant in the series of lifeʼs many vulnerabilities from the meowing of the cat to the barking of the dogand the deep, solemn utterances of the ultimate authority, God Himself. This digression into fun and sheer sillinesss is another ingredient in the preparation of a spiritual banquet that nurtures us with so much gratefulness. The Seder continues informally with songs that buoy up our elevated spirits. Gratitude spawns song, as we simply raise our voices in melodies of Passover that nourish our hearts and souls. Song originates from a place deep within us.Our Sabbath morning prayer of praise,”NISHMAT KOL CHAI”-נשמת כל חי- which was recited only moments ago, reminds us that “every mouth shall extol You, every tongue shall pledge devotion, every knee shall bend to You, every back shall bow to You, every heart shall revere You, every fiber-ʻkerev uʼklayotʼ- קרב ”...the innermost parts of our being, shall SING Your glory-וכליות For the Psalmist, song does not begin in the diaphragm, the vocal cords, mouth or lips; its starting point is the spiritual essence of our innermost selves.

In discussing the Song of Moses,Aviva Zornberg makes the following statement regarding the spiritual power of song: ”And it is from the heart of that silence that Moses conceives of a Song.What is uncontainable and inexpressible, he puts to words that are written in the Torah.What remains unwritten, of course, is the melody that gives voice to the mystery.” (The Particulars of Rapture,P.218)

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Songs

KiLoNa-eh,KiLoYa-eh-כי לו נאה, כי לו יאה.

אדיר במלוכה, בחור כהלכה, גדודיו יאמרו לו:

Adir bimluchah, bachur ka-halachah, g'dudav yomru lo.Powerful in kingship, truly chosen, his troops sing to him:

ל ול , ל כי ל , ל אף ל , ל יי הממלכה, כי לו נאה, כי לו יאה.

Lecha u'lecha,lecha ki lecha,lecha af lecha, lecha Adonai hamamlachaKi lo naeh ki lo yaeh

דגול במלוכה, הדור כהלכה, ותיקיו יאמרו לו:

Dagul bimluchah, hadur ka-halachah, v'tikav yomru lo.Famous in kingship, truly glorious, his faithful sing to Him:

ל ול , ל כי ל , ל אף ל , ל יי הממלכה, כי לו נאה, כי לו יאה.

Lecha u'lecha,lecha ki lecha,lecha af lecha, lecha Adonai hamamlachaKi lo naeh ki lo yaeh

זכאי במלוכה, חסין כהלכה טפסריו יאמרו לו:

Zakay bimluchah, chasin ka-halachah, tafs'rav yomru lo.Guiltless in kingship, truly strong, his angels sing to Him:

ל ול , ל כי ל , ל אף ל , ל יי הממלכה, כי לו נאה, כי לו יאה.

Lecha u'lecha,lecha ki lecha,lecha af lecha, lecha Adonai hamamlachaKi lo naeh ki lo yaeh

יחיד במלוכה,, כביר כהלכה למודיו יאמרו לו:

Yachid bimluchah, kabir ka-halachah, limudav yomru lo.

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Alone in kingship, truly powerful, his scholars sing to Him:

ל ול , ל כי ל , ל אף ל , ל יי הממלכה, כי לו נאה, כי לו יאה.

Lecha u'lecha,lecha ki lecha,lecha af lecha, lecha Adonai hamamlachaKi lo naeh ki lo yaeh

מושל במלוכה,, נורא כהלכה סביביו יאמרו לו:

Mosheil bimluchah, nora ka-halachah, s'vivav yomru lo.Commanding in kingship, truly revered, his near ones sing to Him:

ל ול , ל כי ל , ל אף ל , ל יי הממלכה, כי לו נאה, כי לו יאה.

Lecha u'lecha,lecha ki lecha,lecha af lecha, lecha Adonai hamamlachaKi lo naeh ki lo yaeh

עניו במלוכה, פודה כהלכה, צדיקיו יאמרו לו:

Anav bimluchah, podeh ka-halachah, tzadikav yomru lo.Humble in kingship, truly redeeming, his righteous sing to Him

ל ול , ל כי ל , ל אף ל , ל יי הממלכה, כי לו נאה, כי לו יאה.

Lecha u'lecha,lecha ki lecha,lecha af lecha, lecha Adonai hamamlachaKi lo naeh ki lo yaeh

קדוש במלוכה, רחום כהלכה שנאניו יאמרו לו:

Kadosh bimluchah, rachum ka-halachah, shinanav yomru lo.Holy in kingship, truly merciful, his angels sing to Him:

ל ול , ל כי ל , ל אף ל , ל יי הממלכה, כי לו נאה, כי לו יאה.

Lecha u'lecha,lecha ki lecha,lecha af lecha, lecha Adonai hamamlacha

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Ki lo naeh ki lo yaehתקיף במלוכה,, תומ כהלכה תמימיו יאמרו לו:

Takif bimluchah, tomeich ka-halachah, t'mimav yomru lo.Indomitable in kingship, truly sustaining, his innocent sing to Him:

ל ול , ל כי ל , ל אף ל , ל יי הממלכה, כי לו נאה, כי לו יאה.

Lecha u'lecha,lecha ki lecha,lecha af lecha, lecha Adonai hamamlachaKi lo naeh ki lo yaeh

Adir Hu - אדיר הואאדיר הוא יבנה ביתו בקרוב.

במהרה,במהרה, בימינו בקרוב. אל בנה, אל בנה, בנה בית בקרוב.

Adir hu, yivneh veito b'karov, bimheirah bimheirah, b'yameinu b'karov. Eil b'neih, b'neih veitcha b'karov.He is powerful. May He build his temple very soon. O God, build your temple speedily.

בחור הוא, גדול הוא, דגול הוא יבנה ביתו בקרוב. במהרה,במהרה, בימינו בקרוב.

אל בנה, אל בנה, בנה בית בקרוב.

Bachur hu, gadol hu, dagul hu, yivneh veito b'karov, bimheirah bimheirah, b'yameinu v'karov. Eil b'neih, eil b'neih, b'neih veitcha b'karov.He is chosen, great, and famous. May He build his temple very soon. O God, build your temple speedily.

הדור הוא, ותיק הוא, זכאי הוא יבנה ביתו בקרוב. במהרה,במהרה, בימינו בקרוב.

אל בנה, אל בנה, בנה בית בקרוב.

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Hadur hu, vatik hu, zakay hu, yivneh veito b'karov, bimheirah bimheirah, b'yameinu v'karov. Eil b'neih, eil b'neih, b'neih veitcha b'karov.He is glorious, pure and guiltless; May He build his temple very soon. O God, build your temple speedily.

חסיד הוא, טהור הוא, יחיד הוא יבנה ביתו בקרוב. במהרה,במהרה, בימינו בקרוב.

אל בנה, אל בנה, בנה בית בקרוב.

Chasid hu,Tahor hu, yachid hu, podeh hu, tzadik hu, yivneh veito b'karov, bimheirah bimheirah, b'yameinu v'karov. Eil b'neih, eil b'neih, b'neih veitcha b'karov. He is pious, pure and unique; May He build his temple very soon. O God, build your temple speedily.

כביר הוא, למוד הוא, מל הוא יבנה ביתו בקרוב. במהרה,במהרה, בימינו בקרוב.

אל בנה, אל בנה, בנה בית בקרוב.

Kabir hu, lamud hu, melech hu yivneh veito b'karov, bimheirah bimheirah, b'yameinu v'karov. Eil b'neih, eil b'neih, b'neih veitcha b'karov. May He build his temple very soon. O God, build your temple speedily.

נורא הוא, סגיב הוא, עזוז הוא יבנה ביתו בקרוב. במהרה,במהרה, בימינו בקרוב.

אל בנה, אל בנה, בנה בית בקרוב.

Nora hu, sagiv hu, izuz hu, yivneh veito b'karov, bimheirah bimheirah, b'yameinu v'karov. Eil b'neih, eil b'neih, b'neih veitcha b'karov.

He is revered, eminent and strong May He build his temple very soon. O God, build your temple speedily.

פודה הוא, צדיק הוא, קדוש הוא יבנה ביתו בקרוב. במהרה,במהרה, בימינו בקרוב.

אל בנה, אל בנה, בנה בית בקרוב.

Podeh hu,Tzadik hu, Kadosh hu, yivneh veito b'karov, bimheirah bimheirah, b'yameinu v'karov. Eil b'neih, eil b'neih, b'neih veitcha b'karov.

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He is redeeming, righteous and holy; May He build his temple very soon. O God, build your temple speedily.

רחום הוא, שדי הוא, תקיף הוא יבנה ביתו בקרוב. במהרה,במהרה, בימינו בקרוב.

אל בנה, אל בנה, בנה בית בקרוב.

rachum hu, shadai hu, takif hu,yivneh veito b'karov, bimheirah bimheirah, b'yameinu v'karov. Eil b'neih, eil b'neih, b'neih veitcha b'karov.

He is merciful, ominipotent, and indomitable; May He build his temple very soon. O God, build your temple speedily.

Who knows אחד מי יודע

? אחד מי יודעאחד אני יודע: אחד אלהינו שבשמים ובארץ.

Echad mi yodei-a? Echad ani yodei-a. Echad Eloheinu shebashamayim uva-aretz.Who knows one? I know one! One is our God in heaven and earth.

? שנים מי יודעשנים אני יודע: שני לחות הברית. אחד אלהינו שבשמים ובארץ.

Sh'nayim mi yodei-a? Sh'nayim ani yodei. Sh'nei luchot hab'rit, echad Eloheinu shebashamayim uva-aretz.Who knows two? I know two! Two are the tablets of the covenant; One is our God in heaven and earth.

? שלשה מי יודעשלשה אני יודע: שלשה אבות, שני לחות הברית, אחד אלהינו

שבשמים ובארץ

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Sh'loshah mi yodei-a? Sh'loshah ani yodei-a. Sh'loshah avot, sh'nei luchot hab'rit, echad Eloheinu shebashamayim uva-aretz.Who knows three? I know three! Three are the fathers of Israel; Two are the tablets of the covenant; One is our God in heaven and earth.

? ארבע מי יודעארבע אני יודע: ארבע אמהות, שלשה אבות, שני לחות הברית,

אחד אלהינו שבשמים ובארץ

Arba mi yodei-a? Arba ani yodei-a. Arba imahot, sh'loshah avot, sh'nei luchot hab'rit, echad Eloheinu shebashamayim uva-aretz.Who knows four? I know four! Four are the mothers of Israel; Three are the fathers of Israel; Two are the tablets of the covenant; One is our God in heaven and earth.

? חמשה מי יודעחמשה אני יודע: חמשה חומשי תורה, ארבע אמהות, שלשה אבות,

שני לחות הברית, אחד אלהינו שבשמים ובארץ

Chamishah mi yodei-a? Chamishah ani yodei-a. Chamishah chum'shei torah, arba imahot, sh'loshah avot, sh'nei luchot hab'rit, echad Eloheinu shebashamayim uva-aretz.Who knows five? I know five! Five are the books of the Torah; Four are the mothers of Israel; Three are the fathers of Israel; Two are the tablets of the covenant; One is our God in heaven and earth.

? ששה מי יודעששה אני יודע: ששה סדרי משנה, חמשה חומשי תורה, ארבע

אמהות, שלשה אבות, שני לחות הברית, אחד אלהינו שבשמים ובארץ

Shishah mi yodei-a? Shishah ani yodei-a. Shishah sidrei mishnah, chamishah chum'shei torah, arba imahot, sh'loshah avot, sh'nei luchot hab'rit, echad Eloheinu shebashamayim uva-aretz.Who knows six? I know six! Six are the orders of the Mishnah; Five are the books of the Torah; Four are the mothers of Israel; Three are the fathers of Israel; Two are the tablets of the covenant; One is our God in heaven and earth.

? שבעה מי יודע

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שבעה אני יודע: שבעה ימי שבתא, ששה סדרי משנה, חמשה חומשי תורה, ארבע אמהות, שלשה אבות, שני לחות הברית, אחד אלהינו

שבשמים ובארץ

Shivah mi yodei-a? Shivah ani yodei-a. Shivah y'mei shabata, shishah sidrei mishnah, chamishah chum'shei torah, arba imahot, sh'loshah avot, sh'nei luchot hab'rit, echad Eloheinu shebashamayim uva-aretz.Who knows seven? I know seven! Seven are the days of the week; Six are the orders of the Mishnah; Five are the books of the Torah; Four are the mothers of Israel; Three are the fathers of Israel; Two are the tablets of the covenant; One is our God in heaven and earth.

? שמונה מי יודעשמונה אני יודע: שמונה ימי מילה, שבעה ימי שבתא, ששה סדרי

משנה, חמשה חומשי תורה, ארבע אמהות, שלשה אבות, שני לחות הברית, אחד אלהינו שבשמים ובארץ

Sh'monah mi yodei-a? Sh'monah ani yodei-a. Sh'monah y'mei milah, shivah y'mei shabata, shishah sidrei mishnah, chamishah chum'shei torah, arba imahot, sh'loshah avot, sh'nei luchot hab'rit, echad Eloheinu shebashamayim uva-aretz.Who knows eight? I know eight! Eight are the days to circumcision; Seven are the days of the week; Six are the orders of the Mishnah; Five are the books of the Torah; Four are the mothers of Israel; Three are the fathers of Israel; Two are the tablets of the covenant; One is our God in heaven and earth.

? תשעה מי יודעתשעה אני יודע: תשעה ירחי לדה, שמונה ימי מילה, שבעה ימי

שבתא, ששה סדרי משנה, חמשה חומשי תורה, ארבע אמהות, שלשה אבות, שני לחות הברית, אחד אלהינו שבשמים ובארץ

Tishah mi yodei-a? Tishah ani yodei-a. Tishah yarchei leidah, sh'monah y'mei milah, shivah y'mei shabata, shishah sidrei mishnah, chamishah chum'shei torah, arba imahot, sh'loshah avot, sh'nei luchot hab'rit, echad Eloheinu shebashamayim uva-aretz.Who knows nine? I know nine! Nine are the months to childbirth; Eight are the days to circumcision; Seven are the days of the week; Six are the orders of the Mishnah;

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Five are the books of the Torah; Four are the mothers of Israel; Three are the fathers of Israel; Two are the tablets of the covenant; One is our God in heaven and earth.

? עשרה מי יודעעשרה אני יודע: עשרה דבריא, תשעה ירחי לדה, שמונה ימי מילה,

שבעה ימי שבתא, ששה סדרי משנה, חמשה חומשי תורה, ארבע אמהות, שלשה אבות, שני לחות הברית, אחד אלהינו שבשמים

ובארץ Asarah mi yodei-a? Asarah ani yodei-a. Asarah dib'raya, tishah yarchei leidah, sh'monah y'mei milah, shivah y'mei shabata, shishah sidrei mishnah, chamishah chum'shei torah, arba imahot, sh'loshah avot, sh'nei luchot hab'rit, echad Eloheinu shebashamayim uva-aretz.Who knows ten? I know ten! Ten are the commandments; Nine are the months to childbirth; Eight are the days to circumcision; Seven are the days of the week; Six are the orders of the Mishnah; Five are the books of the Torah; Four are the mothers of Israel; Three are the fathers of Israel; Two are the tablets of the covenant; One is our God in heaven and earth.

? אחד עשר מי יודעאחד עשר אני יודע: אחד עשר כוכביא, עשרה דבריא, תשעה ירחי

לדה, שמונה ימי מילה, שבעה ימי שבתא, ששה סדרי משנה, חמשה חומשי תורה, ארבע אמהות, שלשה אבות, שני לחות הברית, אחד

אלהינו שבשמים ובארץ Achad asar mi yodei-a? Achad asar ani yodei-a. Achad asar koch'vaya, asarah dib'raya, tishah yarchei leidah, sh'monah y'mei milah, shivah y'mei shabata, shishah sidrei mishnah, chamishah chum'shei torah, arba imahot, sh'loshah avot, sh'nei luchot hab'rit, echad Eloheinu shebashamayim uva-aretz.Who knows eleven? I know eleven! Eleven are the stars in Joseph's dream; Ten are the commandments; Nine are the months to childbirth; Eight are the days to circumcision; Seven are the days of the week; Six are the orders of the Mishnah; Five are the books of the Torah; Four are the mothers of Israel; Three are the fathers of Israel; Two are the tablets of the covenant; One is our God in heaven and earth.

שנים עשר מי יודע?

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שנים עשר אני יודע: שנים עשר שבטיא, אחד עשר כוכביא, עשרה דבריא, תשעה ירחי לדה, שמונה ימי מילה, שבעה ימי שבתא, ששה

סדרי משנה, חמשה חומשי תורה, ארבע אמהות, שלשה אבות, שני לחות הברית, אחד אלהינו שבשמים ובארץ

Sh'neim asar mi yodei-a? Sh'neim asar ani yodei-a. Sh'neim asar shivtaya, achad asar koch'vaya, asarah dib'raya, tishah yarchei leidah, sh'monah y'mei milah, shivah y'mei shabata, shishah sidrei mishnah, chamishah chum'shei torah, arba imahot, sh'loshah avot, sh'nei luchot hab'rit, echad Eloheinu shebashamayim uva-aretz.Who knows twelve? I know twelve! Twelve are the tribes of Israel; Eleven are the stars in Joseph's dream; Ten are the commandments; Nine are the months to childbirth; Eight are the days to circumcision; Seven are the days of the week; Six are the orders of the Mishnah; Five are the books of the Torah; Four are the mothers of Israel; Three are the fathers of Israel; Two are the tablets of the covenant; One is our God in heaven and earth.

? שלשה עשר מי יודע שלשה עשר אני יודע: שלשה עשר מדיא. שנים עשר שבטיא, אחד

עשר כוכביא, עשרה דבריא, תשעה ירחי לדה, שמונה ימי מילה, שבעה ימי שבתא, ששה סדרי משנה, חמשה חומשי תורה, ארבע אמהות,

שלשה אבות, שני לחות הברית, אחד אלהינו שבשמים ובארץ Sh'loshah asar mi yodei-a? Sh'loshah asar ani yodei-a. Sh'loshah asar midaya, sh'neim asar shivtaya, achad asar koch'vaya, asarah dib'raya, tishah yarchei leidah, sh'monah y'mei milah, shivah y'mei shabata, shishah sidrei mishnah, chamishah chum'shei torah, arba imahot, sh'loshah avot, sh'nei luchot hab'rit, echad Eloheinu shebashamayim uva-aretz.Who knows thirteen? I know thirteen! Thirteen are the attributes of God; Twelve are the tribes of Israel; Eleven are the stars in Joseph's dream; Ten are the commandments; Nine are the months to childbirth; Eight are the days to circumcision; Seven are the days of the week; Six are the orders of the Mishnah; Five are the books of the Torah; Four are the mothers of Israel; Three are the fathers of Israel; Two are the tablets of the covenant; One is our God in heaven and earth.

חד גדיא,חד גדיא One little Goat Chad Gadyah

חד גדיא,חד גדיא דזבין אבא בתרי זוזי, חד גדיא,חד גדיא.

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Chad gadya, chad gadya d'zabin aba bitrei zuzei, chad gadya, chad gadya.

One kid, one kid that Father bought for two zuzim; One kid, one kid.

ואתא שונרא ואכלה לגדיא, דזבין אבא בתרי זוזי, חד גדיא,חד גדיא.

V'ata shun'ra, v'achlah l'gadya, d'zabin aba bitrei zuzei, chad gadya, chad gadya.

The cat came and ate the kid that father bought for two zuzim; One kid, one kid

ואתא כלבא ונש לשונרא, דאכלה לגדיא, דזבין אבא בתרי זוזי, חד גדיא,חד גדיא.

V'ata chalba, v'nashach l'shunra, d'achlah l'gadya, d'zabin aba bitrei zuzei, chad gadya, chad gadya.

The dog came and bit the cat that ate the kid that father bought for two zuzim; One kid, one kid.ואתא חוטרא והכה לכלבא, דנש לשונרא, דאכלה לגדיא, דזבין אבא

בתרי זוזי, חד גדיא,חד גדיא.

V'ata chutra, v'hikah l'chalba, d'nashach l'shunra, d'achlah l'gadya, d'zabin aba bitrei zuzei, chad gadya, chad gadya.

The stick came and beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid that father bought for two zuzim; One kid, one kid.

ואתא נורא ושרף לחוטרא, דהכה לכלבא, דנש לשונרא, דאכלה לגדיא, דזבין אבא בתרי זוזי, חד גדיא,חד גדיא.

V'ata nura, v'saraf l'chut'ra, d'hikah l'chalba, d'nashach l'shunra, d'achlah l'gadya, d'zabin aba bitrei zuzei, chad gadya, chad gadya.

The fire came and burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid that father bought for two zuzim; One kid, one kid.

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ואתא מיא וכבה לנורא, דשרף לחוטרא, דהכה לכלבא, דנש לשונרא, דאכלה לגדיא, דזבין אבא בתרי זוזי, חד גדיא,חד גדיא.

V'ata maya, v'chavah l'nura, d'saraf l'chutra, d'hikah l'chalba, d'nashach l'shunra, d'achlah l'gadya, d'zabin aba bitrei zuzei, chad gadya, chad gadya.

The water came and quenched the fire that burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid that father bought for two zuzim; One kid, one kid.

ואתא תורא ושתה למיא, דכבה לנורא, דשרף לחוטרא, דהכה לכלבא, דנש לשונרא, דאכלה לגדיא, דזבין אבא בתרי זוזי, חד גדיא,חד גדיא.

V'ata tora, v'shata l'maya, d'chavah l'nura, d'saraf l'chutra, d'hikah l'chalba, d'nashach l'shunra, d'ach'lah l'gadya, d'zabin aba bitrei zuzei, chad gadya, chad gadya.

The ox came and drank the water that quenched the fire that burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid that father bought for two zuzim; One kid, one kid.

ואתא השוחט ושחט לתורא, דשתה למיא, דכבה לנורא, דשרף לחוטרא, דהכה לכלבא, דנש לשונרא, דאכלה לגדיא, דזבין אבא בתרי זוזי, חד

גדיא,חד גדיא.

V'ata hashocheit, v'shachat l'tora, d'shata l'maya, d'chavah l'nura, d'saraf l'chutra,dʼhikah l'chalba, d'nashach l'shunra, d'achlah l'gadya, d'zabin aba bitrei zuzei, chad gadya, chad gadya.

The slaughterer came and killed the ox that drank the water that quenched the fire that burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid that father bought for two zuzim; One kid, one kid.

ואתא מלא המות ושחט לשוחט, דשחט לתורא, דשתה למיא, דכבה לנורא, דשרף לחוטרא, דהכה לכלבא, דנש לשונרא, דאכלה לגדיא,

דזבין אבא בתרי זוזי, חד גדיא,חד גדיא.

THE GRATEFUL R

ABBI

167

V'ata malach hamavet, v'shachat l'shocheit, d'shachat l'tora, d'shata l'maya, d'chavah l'nura, d'saraf l'chutra,dʼhikah l'chalba, d'nashach l'shunra, d'achlah l'gadya, d'zabin aba bitrei zuzei, chad gadya, chad gadya.

The angel of death came and slew the slaughterer that killed the ox that drank the water that quenched the fire that burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid that father bought for two zuzim; One kid, one kid.

ואתא הקדוש ברו הוא ושחט למלא המות, דשחט לשוחט, דשחט לתורא, דשתה למיא, דכבה לנורא, דשרף לחוטרא, דהכה לכלבא, דנש

לשונרא, דאכלה לגדיא, דזבין אבא בתרי זוזי, חד גדיא,חד גדיא.

V'ata hakadosh Baruch hu, v'shachat l'malach hamavet, d'shachat l'tora, d'shata l'maya, d'chavah l'nura, d'saraf l'chutra, d'hikah l'chalba, d'nashach l'shunra, d'achlah l'gadya, d'zabin aba bitrei zuzei, chad gadya, chad gadya.

The holy one, blessed be He, came and slew the angel of death that slew the slaughterer that killed the ox that drank the water that quenched the fire that burned the stick that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the kid that father bought for two zuzim; One kid, one kid.