Passover Seder Plate: 15 Steps to Freedom

8/14/2019 Passover Seder Plate: 15 Steps to Freedom

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The Haggadah Haggadah: An

Introduction

Seder Plate-15 Steps Kiddush-First Cup

Urchatz--Karpas

Breaking the Middle

Matzah

Maggid-Bread of Our

Affliction

All Who Are Hungry

Next Year Free Men

Four Questions--Slaves

Bnei Brak--Wise Men

Baruch Hamakom Rosh Chodesh Nissan

Idolators--400 Years

Vi-He She-Amda

Down to Egypt

Hard Labour

Cried Out to God

God Brought Us Out

Ten Plagues

Dayenu! Many Plagues

Pesach Offering

Matzah Explained

Marror Explained

In Every Generation

Hallel

Eating the Matzah

Bitter Herbs--Korech

Sandwich

Festive Meal-Afikoman-

Grace

Door for Elijah--Hallel

Conclusion

ThemesFamily

Laws

by Rabbi Shraga Simmons

The 15 Seder steps and whatthey symbolize.

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KARPAS

Karpas is a vegetable (other than bitter herbs) such as celery,parsley, or boiled potato. It must be a vegetable on which wemake the blessing, Borei Pri Ha'Adamah. Passover is the Springfestival where we celebrate the birth of our nation -- and thesevegetables are a symbol of rebirth and rejuvenation.

MARROR & CHAZERET

These are the bitter herbs which symbolize the lot of the Hebrewslaves whose lives were embittered by the hard labor. Manypeople use horseradish for Marror and Romaine lettuce forChazeret.

CHAROSET

Charoset reminds us of the hard Jewish labor performed withbricks and mortar. Charoset is a pasty mixture of nuts, dates,

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Cookbook

Multimedia

apples, wine and cinnamon. The Talmud says this serves as an"antiseptic" to dilute the harsh effects of the Marror.

ZERO'AH

During the times of the Temple in Jerusalem, the Korbon Pesach(Pascal Lamb) was brought to the Temple on the eve ofPassover. It was roasted, and was the last thing eaten at the

Seder meal. To commemorate this offering, we place a roastedchicken bone with a little meat remaining.

In Temple times, every Jew was "registered" to eat the KorbonPesach with his particular group. The Talmud says that thebigger the group, the better. This is a source for having largeSeder gatherings!

BEITZAH

A second offering, called the Chagigah, was brought to theTemple and eaten as the main course of the Seder meal. Today,instead of a second piece of meat, we use a roasted egg --which is traditionally a symbol of mourning -- to remind us of thedestruction of the Temple. The Talmud points out that everyyear, the first day of Passover falls out on the same day of theweek as Tisha B'Av, the day of mourning for the destruction of

the Temple.

Finally, notice how each of four mitzvot we perform at the Sederare all done over a full cup of wine:

1. Kiddush2. Maggid (telling the Exodus story)3. Birkat Hamazon (Grace After Meals)4. Conclusion of Hallel

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15 Steps to Freedom

The Sages designed the Passover Seder as 15 steps to makeyou enormously successful. Here's the key to unlocking thecode.

Passover is the time when each Jew embarks on a personal

journey from slavery to freedom. In order to guide us in ourquest, the Sages carefully wrote a book outlining 15 steps tofreedom. It's called the Haggadah. The Sages say that Passoveroccurs on the 15th of Nissan (the Jewish month), to teach usthat just as the moon waxes for 15 days, so too our growth mustbe in 15 gradual steps. Think of these as 15 pieces of thePassover puzzle. Assemble them all and you've got freedom!

1. KADESH

To begin the Seder, we make Kiddush and sanctify the day. Theword "kiddush" means special and unique. The first step topersonal freedom is to recognize that you are special. You havea distinct combination of talents, skills and experiences thatqualifies you to make a unique contribution to the world.

In Egypt, the Jews were forced to build the store-cities of Pitomand Ramses. Why was this tortuous labor? Because these cities

rested on swamp-land, and every time the Jews built one level, itsunk into the ground. Slavery is a life with no accomplishment,no achievement, and no meaning.

On Passover, we begin our journey toward personal freedom byasking: What is humanity's biggest need? What can I contributemost profoundly to nurture and protect the world? And... whatam I going to do about it?

2. URCHATZ

"Why do we wash our hands at this point in this Seder?" the


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Talmud asks. "Because it is an unusual activity which promptsthe children to ask questions." The very name Haggadah means"telling," for the goal of the Seder is to arouse curious questions,and satisfying answers.

We've all felt the sense of awe upon meeting a fascinatingperson, or reading an enlightening new book. But as adults wemay become enslaved by the idea that it's more sophisticated to

"know it all." Passover teaches that to be truly free we mustapproach life with child-like wonderment. "Who is the wiseperson?" asks the Talmud. "The one who learns from everyone."

Passover is the holiday of springtime, joy and renewal. Nissan isthe first month. And the very word for "month," chodesh, has thesame letters as the word for "new," chadash. The Seder is filledwith unusual activities. Be curious. Be a student of life. Be free.

3. KARPAS

We take a green vegetable and bless God for creating fruits fromthe ground. Gratitude is liberating. "Who is the rich person?"asks the Talmud. "The one who's satisfied with what he's got."

This appreciation comes through focusing on details. Forexample, to get this green vegetable to our table, it had to be

planted, harvested, packed, shipped, unloaded, unpacked,displayed, and rung up by a cashier -- before we even bring ithome! If we truly appreciate all we have, we'll be constantlyproclaiming: "Life is a wonderful gift!"

On a deeper level, we dip the vegetable in salt water to let usknow that even those things which appear bitter -- a lost job or abroken relationship -- are ultimately for the best.

Gratitude is an attitude. It requires constant effort and attention.A Jew strives to say 100 blessings every day. The reward isemancipation.


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4. YACHATZ

We break the middle matzah, and put it aside to serve later asthe Afikomen. Why do we break the matzah now if we don't needit until later? Because a key to freedom is to anticipate the futureand make it real.

The definition of maturity is the ability to trade a lower pleasurenow for a higher pleasure later. Children lack this perspectiveand demand instant gratification. (Why not eat 10 candies now?Because you'll get a stomach-ache later!) The challenge ofadulthood is training ourselves to look at the long-termconsequences. (Why not intermarry now that I'm in love?Because the future portends family tension, confusion forchildren, and estrangement from one's roots.)

"Who is the wise man?" asks the Talmud. "The one who seesthe future." We break the middle Matzah, not for now, but forlater. Because true freedom is a long-term proposition.

5. MAGGID

The Sages tell us that the unique ability given to humanity is thepower of speech. Speech is the tool of building and construction.God used it to create the world ("And God said: Let there belight."), and the Kabbalists used it to create the golem.

On Seder night, we use our gift of speech for the central part ofthe Haggadah: telling the Passover story. The very word"Pesach" is a contraction of the words Peh Sach, meaning "themouth speaks." The Hebrew name for Pharaoh, on the otherhand, is a combination of Peh Rah, meaning "the bad mouth."For just as speech has the power to build, it also has the power

to destroy. Gossip and slander drive apart families andcommunities.


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On Passover, we use speech to "build" humanity -- bycommunicating, connecting, and encouraging each other. Westay up long into the night, relating the story of our exodus,tasting and sharing the joy of freedom.

6. RACHTZAH

One aspect of freedom is the ability to elevate ourselves above

the lowest common denominator on the street. We've all felt thesensory assault of billboards, gratuitous talk-radio, immodestfashions, and violence on TV.

At the Seder we wash our hands as a preparatory step beforethe Matzah, in order to carefully consider what it is we're aboutto eat. One who is concerned with spiritual and physical health isdiscriminating about all forms of consumption: which movies towatch, which friends to spend time with, and what standards ofbusiness ethics to uphold. The streets are filled with a multitudeof options. But we must not consume indiscriminately.

We "wash our hands" to cleanse and distance ourselves fromunhealthy influences. Freedom is the ability to say: "I choose notto partake."

7. MOTZI

We make the "hamotzi" blessing to thank God for "bringing forthbread from the ground." Which is odd because God brings wheatfrom the ground -- and man turns it into bread! In truth, Godgives us two gifts: 1) the raw materials, and 2) the tools fortransforming it into life.

Today, technology has pulled us away from seeing the beauty ofGod's creation. We fine-tune our environment with air-

conditioning, synthetic foods, cosmetic surgery, and geneticengineering. Mankind is perilously close to "playing God." But intruth, man cannot create anything perfect; man can only tune


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into God's ultimate perfection. Which is more awesome tobehold -- the world's biggest super-computer, or the humanbrain? Between your two ears are 10 billion nerve cells -- acommunication system 100 times larger than the entirecommunications system on Earth.

When we make "hamotzi," we hold the Matzah with all 10 fingers- reminding us that while human hands produced this food, it is

yet another gift from the Creator and Sustainer of all life.

8. MATZAH

Both bread and Matzah are flour mixed with water, then kneadedinto a dough and baked. What is the difference between them?The difference is that bread dough has sat unattended for 18minutes and becomes leavened (bread). The Matzah which weeat on Passover has been baked quickly.

The spelling of "Matzah" is similar to "mitzvah:" Just as weshouldn't delay in the making of Matzah, so too we shouldn'tprocrastinate in performing a mitzvah. The lesson of Matzah is toseize the moment. Delaying even one second can mean thedifference between an opportunity gained or lost.

Why 18 minutes? Because the number 18 is the numerical value

of "Chai," meaning "life." They say that "baseball is a game ofinches." Actually, life itself is a game of seconds. The Talmudtells of people who had sunk to the depths of humanity, and thenin one moment of insight reversed their lives for all eternity. Morethan just the difference between Matzah and bread, the Sederteaches us the difference between life and death.

9. MARROR

At the Seder we say: "In every generation they rise against us toannihilate us." The Egyptians broke our backs and our spirits.The Romans destroyed the Second Temple and rivers of Jewish


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blood flowed. And so it was in every generation: Crusades,Inquisitions, Pogroms, Holocaust, Arab terrorism. Intense andirrational violence has stalked our people to every corner of theglobe. Why the hatred?

The Talmud says the Hebrew word for "hatred" (sinah) is relatedto the word "Sinai." At Mount Sinai, the Jewish people acquiredthe legacy of morality and justice -- a message that evil cannot

tolerate. We taught the world "to beat their swords intoplowshares." We taught the world "to love your neighbor asyourself." We taught the world equality before justice, and thatadmiration belongs not to the rich and powerful -- but to thegood, the wise, and the kind. Hitler said: "The Jews haveinflicted two wounds on mankind -- circumcision on the body,and conscience on the soul." How right he was and how muchmore work we have to do.

Throughout the generations, the forces of darkness have soughtto extinguish our flame. But the Jews have somehow prevailed.We have God's promise that we will be the eternal nation. Forwithout our message, the world would revert to utter chaos.

At the Seder, we eat the bitter herbs -- in combination withMatzah -- to underscore that God is present not only during ourperiods of freedom (symbolized by the Matzah), but during our

bitter periods of exile as well. He will never forsake us.

10. KORECH

The Hillel Sandwich is "bricks-and-mortar:" broken Matzah heldtogether by bitter herbs and charoset. The Matzah was oncewhole. So too, the Jewish people can become crushed anddivisive. But we are held together by our common links to Torahand our shared historical experiences.

The Talmud says that as Jews in Egypt, we were redeemed onlybecause of our unity. We were unified in our commitment to


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each other and to the future of our people. Weeks later at MountSinai, we stood together and accepted the Torah with one heartand one mind.

Today, we are fighting amongst ourselves under the watchfuleye of the world media. It is both embarrassing anddiscouraging. The biggest threat to Jewish survival may be fromwithin. Our only response is to stand loudly and proclaim: Every

Jew is a Jew. Period. The inclusion of the "Wicked Son" in theSeder expresses our conviction that no Jew is ever irretrievablylost. We are all one family, responsible to love and care for oneanother.

The Matzah may be broken, but it can be restored. It is this HillelSandwichwhich has traditionally symbolized our commitment toglue the Jewish nation back together. On the merit of unity wewere redeemed from Egypt, and it is on that merit that we shall

be redeemed once again.

11. SHULCHAN ORECH

When we think of attaining levels of holiness, it seems strangethat one of the mitzvots of Seder night should be eating a festivemeal. That is because the Jewish attitude toward our physicaldrives and material needs is quite different from that of other

religions. Our religious leaders are neither celibate nor do theymeditate all day on a mountaintop. Rather than negating ordenying the physical, Judaism stresses the importance offeasting and marital relations.

God wants it that way. The proof is that instead of creating allfoods bland (or in the form of "protein-pills"), God concocted avariety of flavors and textures -- orange, strawberry, chocolate,banana and mango. Why? Because God wants His people to

have pleasure! Adam and Eve were put into the Garden of Eden -- the Garden of Pleasure.


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The Talmud says that one of the first questions a person isasked when they get up to Heaven is: "Did you enjoy all thefruits of the world?" On Seder night, we eat the festive meal toteach us that true freedom is the ability to sanctify life, not fleefrom it.

12. TZAFUN

The last thing we eat all night is the Afikoman. (Matzah fordessert?! And I thought we were having macaroons!) We eat thisfinal piece of Matzah -- not because we are hungry -- butbecause we are commanded. Physical pleasure, though anintegral part of our lives, sometimes gives way to a higher value.

To illustrate this concept, the Talmud compares a person to a"horse and rider." The purpose of a horse is to take you whereyou want to go; but left to its own devices, the horse will get lazyand may even throw off the rider. That's why the rider has to bein control of making all the decisions. So too, our bodies are thevehicles for moving us through life; they require care andattention -- but not to the extent of assuming a pre-eminentposition. There is a difference between eating healthy, and flyingto Europe in order to dine on authentic Italian food. A persondominated by material strivings is anything but free. Judaismsays: control the physical so it does not control you. Become a

master of yourself.

It is this ability to rise above our physical selves that demarcatesthe difference between humans and animals. The story is told ofthe Baal Shem Tov looking at his neighbor eating dinner -- andinstead of a person, seeing the form of an ox. The man wassolely in pursuit of physical pleasure, no different than an animal.Freedom is the ability to put our soul in control. "Who is thestrong person?" asks the Talmud. "The one who can subdue his

personal inclination."

At the Seder, we hide the Afikomen, search, find -- and win a


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prize! The same is true with our spiritual yearning to do the rightthing. Although it might be buried inside, we can search for it,find it -- and the prize is pure freedom.

13. BARECH

Social pressure is one thing that holds us back from takingcharge and doing the right thing. Barech, the "Grace After

Meals" was instituted by Abraham 4000 years ago. Abrahamwould invite idolatrous wayfarers into his tent for a hearty meal,and then tell them the price of admission is to bless God. Theythought he was crazy! Nobody believed in God! Abraham wascalled Ha'Ivri("the Hebrew"), meaning "the one who stands onthe other side." He was a social outcast and a lone voice in thewilderness.

Would we have been able to stand up to that kind of socialpressure? Do we speak out today against the proliferation ofmedia, sex and violence? Against drugs and crime in ourstreets? Slavery is a pre-occupation with self-image and socialstatus. ("What will they think of me if I voice my objection? Howwill I bear the pain of isolation and rejection?")

The Hebrew word for Egypt is Mitzrayim-- from the root meitzar,which means narrow and constricted. When we left Egypt, we

became free of the societal forces which restrict us to a narrowpath of fashion, image and ideas. Freedom means doing theright thing even when it may not be socially popular. I have tolive with my own conscience. The reality is liberating.

14. HALLEL

As the feeling of freedom inebriates our souls (helped along bythe four cups of wine!), we sing aloud in joy. When the Jews

came out of Egypt and crossed the Red Sea they broke out insong (Exodus chapter 15). When we see the upending of evil,the Egyptians drowning at the sea, we are instinctively grateful to


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the One who orchestrated the turnaround! God delivers us fromslavery unto freedom -- and we are amazed at the beauty andswiftness of it all.

The Jews in Egypt had sunk to the 49th level of spiritual impurity,and only when they hit rock-bottom did they turn to God and cryout. It was at that moment that they were redeemed.Redemption can be as quick as the blink of an eye. Our Egyptian

experience began with Joseph sitting in the dungeon prison --and rising to the position of Prime Minister in the span of oneday!

The Seder is the only one of the 613 mitzvot that is performedspecifically at night, for on Passover, we turn the darkness intolight. With "Hallel," we abandon all intellectual posits, andexperience the emotional joy of freedom. Song is the expressionof an excited soul. It is the way to break out of oneself and reach

for freedom.

15. NIRTZAH

We conclude our Seder with the prayer, "Next Year inJerusalem." Every synagogue in the world faces Jerusalem. It isthe focus of our hopes and aspirations -- not merely in ageographic sense, but in a conceptual sense as well. The

Talmud says creation began in Jerusalem, and the worldradiated outward from this spot. Medieval maps show Jerusalemat the epicenter of Asia, Europe, and Africa. The world flows intothis place, and all of life's forces resonate there. FromJerusalem, the whole world is cast into perspective.

The name Jerusalem means "city of peace." Peace, shalom, ismore than the absence of conflict; it is the seamless harmony ofhumanity genuinely embracing a common vision. Jerusalem is a

vision of God in our lives, a metaphor of a perfected world.Jerusalem gives us hope to achieve what we as a people mustdo, to sanctify this world.


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In Egypt, we hadn't yet absorbed this lesson: we were too burntout from hard work (Exodus 6:9) and had become immersed inthe spiritual abyss of Egyptian society. When we finally wereredeemed, it happened so quickly and hastily that even then wewere unable to grasp its full significance. What this means is thatyear after year, each successful Seder adds meaning to theoriginal events, and brings us closer to the final redemption.

As the Seder draws to a close, we sense the process ofredemption is under way. We shout aloud: "Next Year inJerusalem!" We're on our way back home.

Why is it Called a Seder?

Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf

The Hebrew word seder means order, or arrangement. ThePassover Seder is comprised of 15 sequential steps, and thus itis quite fitting that the word seder is used to portray the gist ofthe evening's proceedings.

Shortcuts are convenient. They save time, effort, and sometimeseven money. They can also be quite illusory. Sure, you can

figure out an ingenious back-alley route to sneak by rush-hourtraffic, or curl up with a single volume containing three-pagesummaries of everything from Shakespeare to Fulghum. Butdon't try it in life. Not with your children, not with your spouse,and certainly not with yourself.

If you want self-awareness, personal growth, deeperrelationships, and a life of integrity -- sorry, no shortcuts allowed.Only seder, only order will do. Deeper living just doesn't flourishin the land of quick fixes. No child ever reaches adulthoodwithout paying a visit to adolescence and no adult achieves innermaturation without first embarking on an orderly, if daring,


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course of human development.

(from the "Passover Survival Kit Haggadah" --www.leviathanpress.com)

Published: Thursday, April 03, 2003

#2 of 33 in the Aish.com Passover Haggadah Insights Series

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VISITORS COMMENTS: 9

(1)David 3/28/2007 5:50:00 AMamazing site

this website has made me become religous and keep Pesach and thank you verymuch

(2)rret 3/15/2007 10:49:00 AM

superb

(3)mel 3/13/2006Aamazing site

worthed to publish and read.

Chag Sameach everyone!

your email address
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Rabbi Shraga SimmonsRabbi Shraga Simmons spent his childhood trekking through snow in Buffalo, NewYork. He has worked in the fields of journalism and public relations, and is now the Co-editor of Aish.com in Jerusalem.

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Passover Seder Plate: 15 Steps to Freedom