PASSOVER SEDER
1. Introduction to the Seder
2. Light the Festival Lights
May the festival lights we now kindle
Inspire us to use our powers
(All say together) To heal and not to harm,
To help and not to hinder,
To bless and not to curse,
To serve You, O God of freedom
3. Baruch ata Adonai-Yah Elohenu melech haolam asher Kidshanu b’mitzvotav
v’tzivanu al I’hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.
Baruch ata Adonai-Yah Elohenu melech haolam shehecheyanu v’kimanu
v’higlanalazman hazeh.
(All) Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God
Master of the universe who has sanctified us by your wise
Teachings and instructed us to light the Sabbath and Festival
Lights of peace:
4. Thank you, God, for the festival lights, and for bringing our family and friends together to
celebrate Pesach.
5. Baruch ata Adonai-Yah Elohenu melech haolam borey pri hagafen.
(All) Blessed art Thou O Lord our God, Master of the Universe who has created the
fruit of the vine
(Drink from the first cup)
6. (Wash one another’s hands)
7. Baruch ata Adonai-Yah Elohenu melech haolam borey pri haadamah.
(All) Blessed art Thou O Lord our God, Master of the Universe who brings food up
out of the earth
8. (Dip the greens in salt water and taste them)
9. (Responsively) THIS IS THE BREAD OF AFFLICTION
(All) Which our ancestors ate in bondage in the land of Egypt
Let all who are hungry please come and eat with us
Let all who are in need come and celebrate the Passover
We begin with our hearts as they are here and now
And may we soon celebrate in a state of liberations
We may think of ourselves as enslaved
But in truth we are already free.
10. (Refill the cups)
11. THE FOUR QUESTIONS
(Congregation chants the Hebrew.)
(Children ask the questions in English.)
1st Why is this night distinguished from all other nights of the year?
Ma nishtanan halailah hazeh mikol halaylot?
Shebechol halaylot anu ochlin chametz u’matzah. Halailah hazeh kulo matzah.
On all other nights we eat all kinds of bread – both unleavened bread and bread that
has risen. Why do we eat only unleavened bread, matzah, on Passover?
2nd Shebechol halaylot anu ochlin she’or yerakot. Halailah hazeh maror.
On all other nights we eat many kinds of vegetables and herbs. Why tonight do we
eat bitter herbs, maror, at our Seder?
3rd Shebechol halaylot ayn anu matbilin afilu pa’am echat. Halailah hazeh sh’tay
f’amim.
On all other nights we don’t usually dip one food into another. But tonight we dip the
greens in salt water and the bitter herbs in haroses. Why do we dip foods twice
tonight?
4th Shebechol halaylot anu ochlin bayn yoshvin u’vayn m’subin. Halailah hazeh kulanu
m’subin.
On all other nights we eat sitting up straight. Why do we recline tonight?
12. THE FOUR ANSWERS
1st Why do we eat matzah on Pesach?
(All) Matzah reminds us that when the children of Israel left Egypt, we had no time
to bake bread for their journey. We put raw dough on our backs, and the sun
baked it into hard crackers called matzah.
2nd Why do we eat bitter herbs, maror, at the Seder?
(All) Maror reminds us of the bitter and cruel way Pharaoh treated us when we
were slaves in Egypt.
3rd Why do we dip foods twice at the Seder?
(All) We dip bitter herbs into haroses to remind us how hard we worked in Egypt.
The chopped apples and nuts look like clay, which we used to make bricks for
building Pharaoh’s cities and palaces.
We dip greens into salt water. The greens remind us that spring is here and
new life will grow. The salt water reminds us of the tears of slaves (and we
are salt water babies).
4th Why do we lean at the Seder?
(All) We lean to be comfortable and to remind us that once we were slaves but now
we are free.
13. A Song: We Were Slaves
14. Let us tell and explain the story of the Passover
How We Became Enslaved
The Meaning of Bondage
Four Levels of Understanding
Evolution of Israel from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob
15. And God promised Abraham, our Father:
(All) “Know without doubt that though your children may be strangers in a strange
land where they will serve and be afflicted, they will in time go forth from
there with great abundance.”
16. (Lift our cups)
(All) It is that promise which has been the support of our ancestors and ourselves.
In every generation, some have risen against us eve to annihilate us, but our
blessed Lord has always delivered us.
17. Lower the cups and sing: Go Down Moses….
Let us further tell and explain the Passover…
The Suffering in Egypt – Oppressive Bondage
We Cried to God Who Delivered Us
The Ten Plagues
The Passover Sacrifice
Flight to the Sea
Parting of the Sea
We are Already Liberated!
18. Dayanu – It would have been enough (responsively)
How thankful we are to God who is everywhere for all the good God did for us –
DAH-YAY-NU (It would have been enough)
Had God brought us out of Egypt and not brought judgment against our oppressors –
DAH-YAY-NU
Had God done justice to their idols and not slain their first born – DAH-YAY-NU
Had God slain their first born and not given us their property – DAH-YAY-NU
Had God given us their property and not divided the sea for us – DAH-YAY-NU
Had God brought us through safely and not drowned our oppressors –
DAH-YAY-NU
Had God drowned our oppressors and not helped us 40 years in the wilderness –
DAH-YAY-NU
Had God helped us 40 years in the wilderness and not fed us manna –
DAH-YAY-NU
Had God fed us manna and not given us the Sabbath – DAH-YAY-NU
Had God given us the Sabbath and not bought us to Mt. Sinai – DAH-YAY-NU
Had God brought us to Mt. Sinai and not given us the Torah – DAH-YAY-NU
Had God given us the Torah and not brought us to the land of Israel –
DAH-YAY-NU
Had God brought us to the land of Israel and not built for us the holy temple –
DAH-YAY-NU
19. Remembering the Ten Plagues with compassion for the oppressor, we spill the fruit of
the vine.
(fill cups)
The Ten Plagues:
BLOOD (DAM), FROGS (ZIFARDEYAH), LICE AND GNATS (KINIM),
FLIES (AROV), BLIGHT (DEVER), BOILS (SH’HIN), HAIL (BARAD),
LOCUSTS (ARBEH), DARKNESS/IGNORANCE (HOSHEH),
SLAYING OF THE FIRST BORN (MAKAT B’HOROT)
20. (Responsively) Each generation is enjoined to remember and pass on the events of the
Passover to the next generation
(All) and each of us should feel that we, ourselves, have personally come
forth from Egypt, from distress.
For it is what God did for us each.
(All) For it is what God did for us each.
When God redeemed us and brought us out of slavery
(All) and into the promised land of freedom and peace.
21. (Responsively, chanting the English)
God – who is like You!
Who saves the oppressed from the oppressor,
The poor and the needy from cruelty
What can be compared to You – O great God, Most High
Terribly strong, awesome
Supreme One – who creates all things
We praise, thank, glorify and bless You.
Praise the Lord – all nations, all peoples
For God’s loving kindness is mighty all about
You are ever-present, even now
It is God –
This very presence –
That goes on forever
Hallelu – Yah
22. We lift our cups…
Baruch ata Adonai-Yah Elohenu melech haolam borey pri hagafen.
(All) Blessed art Thou O Lord our God, Master of the Universe who has created the
fruit of the vine
23. (Drink of the second cup)
24. Baruch ata Adonai-Yah Elohenu melech haolam lechem min haaretz.
(All) Blessed art Thou O Lord our God, Master of the Universe who brings bread
up out of the earth
25. Baruch ata Adonai-Yah Elohenu melech haolam asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav
v’tzivanu l’achilat matzah.
(All) Blessed art Thou O Lord our God, Master of the Universe, who has sanctified
us by your sacred teachings and instructed us to eat unleavened bread.
Let all taste the matzah just as it is
26. Baruch ata Adonai-Yah Elohenu melech haolam asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav
v’tzivanu l’achilat maror.
(All) Blessed art Thou O Lord our God, Master of the Universe, who has sanctified
us by your sacred teachings and instructed us to eat bitter herbs.
All taste the bitter herbs – maror.
27. Hillel, a gentle teacher, who lived in the time when the holy temple stood in Jerusalem,
would mix the bitter herb with the haroses and matzah to fulfill the Torah instruction:
“With unleavened bread and bitter herb, they shall eat it.” And so shall we.
28. Serve the Festival Meal as a Passover Offering…
During the serving of the meal, let us sing two songs of the Sabbath:
Alvinu, Malkenu: Our Father, Our King and
Adon Olam
29. Search for Afikomen at the end of the meal.
30. All partake of the last taste of the Passover meal (Afikomen).
31. (Fill the cups)
32. Brothers and sisters, let us say Grace
We give thanks to God whose gifts we have partaken
And through whose goodness we exist
For Your compassion goes on forever
You have always fed us and sustained us
You provide for all Your creation
Thank you God for bringing us to this good land
For bringing us out of bondage and redeeming us
For striking an agreement with us, a covenant
And for giving us your sacred teachings
O Rokaman, Compassionate Lord, please extend your blessings
of peace on your children everywhere
Let there be peace in the Middle East between brothers
fighting brothers
And in Ireland, and in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Sri Lanka and India
Let there be peace.
And in Tibet and Afghanistan and South America
Let there be fairness, equality and peace.
And all around the world, let them find peace.
For you are the Father and Mother of all, the Paster, sustainer and Deliverer.
O Rokaman, O compassionate Lord, let us not stand in need of gifts
or loans from mankind
But let us depend solely on your ample, open and sacred hand
O God, may we experience the Messiah, awareness children of David
And walk free in your holy city full of grace and peace
O Rokaman, kindly remember our families and friends in this holy Passover season
And may the entire creation feel your peace and joy, love and light
And let us say Amen
Amen
33. (Lift the cup.)
Baruch ata Adonai-Yah Elohenu melech haolam borey pri hagafen.
(All) Blessed art Thou O Lord our God, Master of the Universe who has created
the fruit of the vine.
(Drink of the cup.)
34. Let us relate the victory of the Passover Story
Journey of the children of Israel
From the Red Sea to Sinai to the Promised Land
35. (Fill the cups)
36. KEY L’OLAM HASDO
(Your Compassion Continues Forever)
Give thanks to the Eternal One who is Good
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
Give thanks to the God of gods
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
Give thanks to the Lord of lords
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
The One who alone performs great miracles
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
The One who makes the heavens with wisdom
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
The One who spreads the earth above the waters
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
The One who makes the great lights
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
The sun to rule by day
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
The moon and stars to rule by night
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
The One who smote Egypt and strikes down our bondage and brings up Israel, all
disciples of holiness
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
The One who divides the Red Sea
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
And brings Israel through drowning Pharaoh the selfish ego
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
The One who leads us through the wilderness
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
The One who destroys mighty kings who would stop us
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
And gives their land as a heritage
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
A heritage to Israel, all seekers of light, we your servants
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
Who remembers us in our humility
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
And redeems us from all oppression
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
Who gives food to all
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
Give thanks to to God of the heavens
KEY L’OLAM HASDO
FOR GOD’S COMPASSION GOES ON FOREVER
37. A) Our Passover Offerings
B) Silent prayers of Thanksgiving
38. The meaning of Freedom
39. (Lift the cup.)
Baruch ata Adonai-Yah Elohenu melech haolam borey pri hagafen.
(All) Blessed art Thou O Lord our God, Master of the Universe who has created
the fruit of the vine.
(Drink of the cup.)
40. Let us recall the great prophet Elijah
We sing: Eliyhu Haavi
41. May all how have in any way partaken of, prepared for or been touched by this humble
Passover service, be blessed with inspiration to live a divine life as an instrument of
God, each serving one another according to his or her calling. Thus we stand upright,
shine light in the world, and delight our Father in Heaven…