Edited and Presented by Dr. Neil Chadwick
PASSOVER SEDER
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THE BEGINNING OF THE HALLEL Psalms 113 through 118 are known as "The Egyptian Hallel" and are traditionally recited or sung in every Seder. Psalm 113 - Paraphrased "The distressed and downtrodden find hope in the Lord who lifts them up." L: Hallelujah! Praise the name of the Lord. P: Blessed is his name for ever and ever. L: From the rising of the sun until its setting. P: Praise the name of the Lord. L: The Lord reigns supreme above the nations; P: His glory extends far beyond the heavens. L: Who can be compared to the Lord? P: Who is like our God who is enthroned on high? L: Far below the Lord are the heavens and the earth; P: From far above them the Lord looks down. L: He raises the poor out of the dirt. P: He raises the hungry from the garbage heap. L: He sets the lowly among princes; P: Even among the princes of his people. L: He gives his blessing to the childless wife; P: So that she becomes a joyful mother. All: Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! "All nature joyously joins the escaping Israelites in winning their freedom." L: When Israel escaped from Egypt, P: The House of Jacob from a land with a strange language; L: The land of Judah became the sanctuary of the Lord, P: And the land of Israel his sacred home. L: The mighty sea saw and fled from before them; P: And the Jordan hastened to open a path through which they could pass. L: The mountains shook like terrified rams, P: The hills like fearful little lambs. L: Why is it, O sea, that you fled? P: And Jordan, why did you hasten to let them pass? L: Why, O mountains, did you shake like frightened rams? P: And, you hills, like terrified little lambs? L: Yes, you have cause to tremble, O earth, P: To shake in the presence of the God of Jacob! L: For he turned rock into pools of water, P: Even the lifeless stone into a flowing fountain! All: Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! THE CUP OF MEMORY women for women and the cups are lifted.) The Lord said, "I will deliver you from their bondage." All together - Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who has redeemed us and redeemed our ancestors from Egypt. You have enabled us to reach this night that we may eat matzah and maror, that we might enjoy the festivals and holidays in peace. For this reason we raise our cup to drink the wine of memory, of our redemption. All together - Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. All together - Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who has sanctified us with your commands and has commanded us concerning the eating of unleavened bread. The bottom matzah is broken so each participant can receive a piece (together with other matzah if needed) so that each participant can place his/her maror and charoses arrangement between two pieces of matzah. This arrangement reminds us of an earlier day before the Temple was built, when as Semitic nomad shepherds, the Israelites ate giblets and later, as a "kosher people of the Lord", olive-sized pieces of lamb wrapped in lettuce as one of the hors d'oeuvres of Passover. KORBAN - "It is a gift" (Beytza - Egg - The First Entree of Dinner) An entree consisting of an arrangement of sliced egg on matzah on lettuce is given to each participant. Both the bread and lettuce were used like a potato chip in a dip. The lettuce rests on two fingers, the mixture being held together with the thumb and dipped quickly. Our Temple has been destroyed; let us remember the Temple. May it speedily be rebuilt that we may worship with the Messiah in Jerusalem. All together - I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah; and though he may tarry, none the less do I believe! The wine glasses are filled each for another (without reference to gender, representing a free communion or fellowship) for the third cup and we are ready for grace after meals. Psalm 126 The Four Prayers of Bircas Ha Mazon ("Grace After Meals") My friends, let us say the blessing. All together - May the name of the Lord be blessed from now on and throughout eternity. With your permission, let us bless our God, of whose bounty we have eaten. Participant - 1.) "Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who nourished the entire world in your goodness, with grace and lovingkindness, and with your mercy. You give nourishment to all flesh, for your lovingkindness is eternal. Through your great goodness nourishment in never lacking to us forever. For the sake of your Great Name, because you are the God who nourishes and sustains all, and benefits all, and you prepare food for all your creatures which you have created. Blessed are you, O Lord, who nourishes all." Participant - 2.) "We thank you, O Lord our God, because you have given to our forefathers as a heritage a desirable, good and spacious land; because you removed us, O Lord our God, from the land of Egypt and you redeemed us from the house of bondage; for your covenant which you sealed through the shedding of blood; for your Law which you taught us and your statutes which you made known to us; for life, grace and lovingkindness which you granted to us; and for the provision of food with which you nourish and sustain us constantly, in every day, in every season, and in every hour. For all, O Lord our God, we thank you and bless you. May your name be blessed continuously forever by the mouth of all the living. As it is written, 'And you shall eat and be satisfied and bless the Lord your God for the good land which he gave you'. Blessed are you, O Lord, for the land and for the food." Participant - 3.) "Have mercy, we beg you, O Lord our God, on your people Israel, on your city Jerusalem, on Zion the resting place of Your Glory, on the monarchy of the house of David, your anointed and on the great and holy House upon which Your Name is called. Our God, our Father, tend us, nourish us, sustain us, support us, relieve us; O Lord our God, grant us speedy relief from all our troubles be with us in our times of trial. Please, O Lord our God, make us not needful of the gifts of human hands nor of their loans, but only of your Hand that is full, open, holy, and generous, that we need not feel inner shame or be humiliated for ever and ever." Participant - 4.) "Our God and God of our fathers, may there rise, come, reach, be noted, be favored, be heard, be considered, and be remembered before you, the remembrance and consolation of ourselves, the remembrance of our fathers; the remembrance of Messiah, the son of David, your servant; the remembrance of Jerusalem, your holy city; and the remembrance of your entire people, the whole House of Israel; for deliverance, for well being, for grace, for lovingkindness, and for mercy, for life and peace on this day of the remembrance of Passover and Festival of Matzos. Remember us on it, O Lord our God, for goodness, consider us on it for blessing, and help us on it for good life. Concerning salvation and mercy, have pity, show grace and be merciful upon us and help us. For our eyes are turned to you, for you are the Almighty, gracious and generous. Yes, may you, O Lord our God, bless us, ours and all that is ours, just as our forefathers (17)Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were blessed in everything, from everything, with everything. So may you bless us all together with a perfect blessing. Our Lord and Savior, may you cause us to inherit the day which will be the perfect Sabbath, the rest day for eternal life. Rebuild Jerusalem, the Holy City, soon in our days. Blessed are you, O Lord, who rebuilds Jerusalem (in His mercy). Amen."
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