Valley Beth Shalom Welcomes You!

HAPPY PASSOVER!

For generations, Jewish families have shared the ancient story of the Exodus at the Seder table. They found in this story a unique vision of human history and experience. They found a unique set of ethics. They found the strength to hope, despite the darkest of circumstances. This remarkable story forms the core of our identity as a people, and our philosophy of life. For the story of enslavement and liberation is not a one-time event, but an eternal process. We hope that your Seder is inspiriting, stimulating, warm and fun.

"Seder" means order. The Seder is a service made up of ordered parts. The Seder is structured around the sharing of four cups of wine. Each cup conveys a theme of the Seder: Sanctification, History, Thanksgiving, and Hope. At the center of the Seder service -- its very purpose -- is the story of the Exodus. "Hagaddah" means a "story-telling." At the Seder table, we will tell the story in all its excitement, using symbolic props, dialogue, songs, and poetry.

To best ensure a wonderful Seder, there are two kinds of preparations needed: Preparing the setting and preparing the service.

YOU CAN SET A SEDER TABLE

The Seder table reflects the festivity of this holiday. The more special you make it, the more special it feels! Each participant will need a cup for wine/grape juice. We will share four cups of wine...good wine is highly recommended! At the center of the table is the "Seder Plate" (see the illustration on the back cover). This plate contains the symbolic foods we will use for "props" as we tell the Seder story. These include:

.. Bitter Herbs. Most families use horseradish. You will need enough so that everyone at the table can have about a teaspoonful.

.. A green vegetable. Parsley is commonly used, although any green vegetable is acceptable -- lettuce, celery, green peppers, etc.

.. Salt water. We will be dipping the greens in salt water.

.. Charoset. This is a sweet "relish" made up of chopped apples, nuts, and sweet wine. Everyone will need about a tablespoonful. (But you'll probably want lots more!)

.. A roasted shankbone. Or any bone, to represent the Passover offering that was made at the ancient Temple of Jerusalem.

.. A roasted egg. This represents the holiday offering in the ancient Temple. On another plate, place three matzahs covered with a napkin or matzah-cover. Many families have special Seder plates, cups and other Passover implements. These enrich the Seder experience. But a simple Seder plate containing the symbolic foods is all you really need.

YOU CAN LEAD A SEDER

Many of us have memories of an aged grandfather or uncle leading a Seder in languages we never understood. The fact is you don't need a beard or a knowledge of ancient languages to lead a wonderful Seder. Remember that the most important part of the Seder is telling the story. Any way that you can make this story vivid and exciting is encouraged. Here are a few suggestions:

.. Read through the Hagaddah before the Seder. Plan a little strategy. This Hagaddah is designed to give you many opportunities for digression, discussion and debate. Look for the boxes marked "How?" "Why?" and "In Depth." Encourage questions and discussion. Remember that the object is not to "get through" the Hagaddah text, but to share the sacred story. Don't worry if you don't finish the whole text...you always have next year!

.. The Seder story isn't confined to history alone. We all have stories of enslavement, liberation, and the struggle for freedom. Tell your stories. Encourage people at the table to tell theirs. Encourage participation. As you go through the Seder, let everyone at the table read a paragraph of the text. Sing the songs, or bring new songs to the Seder.

.. Involve the children at the table. Ask them questions. Play games. Make them part of the Seder.

.. Try to finish. The first half of the Seder deals with history. The second half -- after the meal --reflects on our dreams and our hopes.

This symbol indicates a reading part. Go around the table and let everyone take a part.

WELCOME TO OUR SEDER!

In every generation, we must see ourselves as if we personally were liberated from Egypt.

We gather tonight to tell the ancient story of a people's liberation from Egyptian slavery. This is the story of our origins as a people. It is from these events that we gain our ethics, our vision of history, our dreams for the future. We gather tonight, as have two hundred generations of Jewish families before us, to retell the timeless tale.

Our tradition requires that on Seder night, we do more than just tell the story. We must live the story. Tonight, we will re-experience the liberation from Egypt. We will remember how our family suffered as slaves; we will feel the exhileration of redemption. We must re-taste the bitterness and must rejoice over our newfound freedom. We annually return to Egypt in order to be freed. We remember slavery in order to deepen our commitment to end all suffering; we recreate our liberation in order to reinforce our commitment to universal freedom.

For our children, and for the children within us, we need to make our stories vivid. And so, tonight, our table is a stage. The Seder is like a play. This Hagaddah will be our script. Here are the props to bring life to the story: The Seder Plate contains foods symbolic of the story. The Matzah -- so flat and tasteless -- is the bread our ancestors ate in their rush to reach freedom. The Wine is a symbol of our celebration -- that we are here, together, as family and friends, partaking in the feast of freedom's sweetness.
We begin our Seder with the lighting of Holiday Candles.

HOW? As on Sabbath, two candles are lit for Passover. Light candles, then recite...

LIGHTING THE CANDLES

The first word in the creation of the universe out of the unformed void and dark earth was God's "Let there be light." Therein lies the hope and faith of Judaism and the obligation of our people -- to make the light of justice, compassion and knowledge penetrate the darkness of our time till the prophecy be fulfilled, "that wickedness vanish like smoke and the earth shall be filled with knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:9). We,co-creators

with God, pray -- "Let there be light."

Baruch Attah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel yom tov.

Praised are You, Lord, our God, whose Presence fills the universe, who has sanctified our lives through Your commandments and commanded us to kindle the lights of the festival.

Baruch atta Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, sheh'hech'iyanu v'kiy'manu, v'hig'iyanu la-z'man ha-zeh.

Praised are You, Lord, our God, whose Presence fills the universe, who has given us life and strength and enabled us to reach this moment of joy.

KIDDUSH--THE CUP OF SANCTIFICATION

The Hebrew word "Kiddush" means sanctification. But it is not the wine we sanctify. Instead, the wine is a symbol of the sanctity, the preciousness, and the sweetness of this moment. Held together by sacred bonds of family, friendship, peoplehood, we share this table tonight with one another and with all the generations who have come before us. We belong. We belong to one another. And we belong to the generations who have come before and who will come after us, sharing this sacred story and celebration. Let us rise, and sanctify this singular moment.

Baruch atta Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p'ri ha-gafen.
Baruch attah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher bachar banu mikol am, v'rom'manu mikol lashon, v'kid'shanu b'mitzvotav. Va'titen lanu Adonai Eloheinu b'ahava, mo'adim l'simcha, chagim u-z'manim l'sason. Et yom chag ha-matzot ha-zeh, z'man cheiruteinu, mikra kodesh, zecher litziyat Mitzrayim. Ki vanu vacharta, v'otanu kidashta mikol ha-amim. U'mo'adei kodsheh'cha b'simcha u-v'sason hin'chaltanu. Baruch attah Adonai m'kadesh Yisrael v'ha-z'manim.

HOW? We will drink four cups of wine at the Seder in celebration of our freedom. (For those who cannot partake, grape juice is acceptable.) Any sort of cup may be used, although many families have a special "Kiddush" goblet for special occasions. We stand, recite the blessing, and enjoy the first cup. L'chaim!
IN DEPTH The blessing praises God for creating the "fruit of the vine." We recite the blessing, not over the whole grape, but over wine --squeezed, fermented through human skill. So too the motzi blessing is recited, not over sheaves of wheat or barley but over bread, leavened or unleavened, ground and kneaded and prepared by human hands. The blessing is over the product cultivated through human and divine cooperation: The givenness of sun, seed and soil transformed by wisdom and purpose to sustain the body and rejoice the soul.

Praised are You, Lord, our God, whose Presence fills the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. Praised are You, Lord, our God, whose Presence fills the universe, who has called us for service from among the peoples of the world, sanctifying our lives with Your commandments. In love, you have given us festivals for rejoicing and seasons of celebration, this Festival of Matzot, the time of our freedom, a commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt. Praised are You, Lord, who gave us this joyful heritage and who sanctifies Israel and the festivals.

Baruch atta Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, sheh'hech'iyanu v'kiy'manu, v'hig'iyanu la-z'man ha-zeh.

Praised are You, Lord, our God, whose Presence fills the universe, who has given us the gifts of life and strength and enabled us to reach this moment of joy.

URHATZ -- WASHING

Slaves eat quickly, stopping neither to wash nor to reflect. Tonight, we are free. We wash and we express our reverance for the blessings that are ours.

HOW? Pass a bowl of warm water, a small cup and a towel around the table. Everyone pours three cupfuls over their fingers. There is no blessing over this washing.

KARPAS -- REBIRTH AND RENEWAL

We have become slaves to the cities we build and to the cars we drive. Trees make way for future slums and blue skies for burning fuel. Have we forgotten that it is the soil from which humanity came, the earth which each year displays the miracle of creation? Of what good is the newest packaging, the latest chemical substitutes if after all we are drowned in mounds of undisposable waste?

HOW? Green vegetables represent the coming of Spring and the renewal of life. Many families use parsley for its rich green color. We dip vegetables in salt water and recite the blessing, then eat.

As Spring re-awakens all that is green, let us re-awaken our ties to the natural world and our bonds to the earth. We dip greens into salt water and acknowledge through our blessing that there is a Creator and a purpose to the universe; that we are partners in the work of Creation.

Baruch atta Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p'ri ha-adamah.
Praised are You, Lord, our God, whose Presence fills the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.

HOW? At the center of the table, there is a plate with three matzahs. Take the middle matzah and break it in two. The larger piece is wrapped in a napkin, and hidden. The smaller piece is replaced between the other two on the Matzah plate. The hidden matzah is called the "afikoman" or dessert. It is a tradition that children search for this hidden matzah, and finding it, ransom it back at Seder's end. The Seder cannot end without this Afikoman, and so kids have been known to demand anything from a few candies to a new bike or a college education.

YAHATZ -- BREAKING THE MATZAH

We are free, but we remember when we were slaves. We are whole, but we bring to mind those who are broken. The middle matzah is broken, but it is the larger part which is hidden. Because the future will be greater than the past, and tomorrow's Passover nobler than yesterday's exodus. The prospects for the dreamed future are overwhelming to the point of making us mute. So it is in silence, without blessing, that we break and hide the matzah and long for its recovery and our redemption.

IN DEPTH The central imperative of the Seder is to tell the story. The Bible instructs: "You shall tell your child on that day saying: 'This is because of what Adonai did for me when I came out of Egypt.'" (Exodus 13:8) We related the story of our ancestors to regain the memories as our own.
Elie Weisel writes: God created man because He loved stories.
We each have a story to tell -- a story of enslavement, struggle, liberation. Be sure to tell your story at the Seder table, for the Passover is offered not as a one-time event, but as a model for human experience in all generations.

MAGGID -- TELLING THE STORY

Ha lachma anya d'achalu avatana b'ara d'mitzraim
This is the bread of affliction, which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt.
Let all who are hungry come and eat.
Let all who are in need, come and celebrate Passover.
Today, we are here. Next year, in the land of Israel.
Today, we are slaves. Next year, we will be free.

IN DEPTH Written in Aramaic, this statement begins the narration of the Seder by inviting the hungry to our table. Aramaic, Jewish legend has it, is the one language which the angels do not understand. Why then is Ha Lachma in Aramaic? To teach us that where there is poverty, no one should rely upon angels, no one should pray to the heavens for help. We know the language of the poor, for we were poor in the land of Egypt. We know that we are called to feed the poor and to call them to join our celebration of freedom.

THE FOUR QUESTIONS
Free people ask questions. We begin our Seder with questions. Although the custom is that the youngest at the table asks, tradition instructs that all must ask:

Ma Nishtana ha-laila ha-zeh mikol ha-leylot?

Why is this night of Passover different from all other nights of the year? On all other nights, we eat either leavened or unleavened bread, why on this night do we eat only matzah? On all other nights, we eat vegetables of all kinds, why on this night must we eat bitter herbs? On all other nights, we do not dip vegetables even once, why on this night do we dip greens into salt water and bitter herbs into sweet charoset? On all other nights, everyone sits up straight at the table, why on this night do we recline and eat at leisure?

HOW? Asking questions is an important part of the Seder. Encourage everyone at the table to ask, not just the questions listed in the book, but whatever question comes to mind during the Seder. The Seder is designed for distraction, digression, and discussion. So, if you don't finish the whole thing tonight...there's always tomorrow, or next year! What would be your four questions?

A DIGRESSION -- THE FOUR SONS
In four different passages the Bible commands that we instruct our children about the Exodus. Why this reiteration? asked the teachers of the Tradition. Because there are different kinds of children -- different kind of people, with different attitudes and aptitudes.

K'neged arba banim di'bra Torah: Echad Hacham, Echad Rasha, Echad Tahm, V'echad Sheh'eino Yodeah Leeshol.
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.

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.

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.

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." (Exodus 13:14)

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)

FOR DISCUSSION Look again at the Four Sons, for the simplicity of the account is deceptive.
.. What makes the Wise One wise? If he's wise, why must he ask a question?
.. Who is this Wicked One? Why is he at the table, instead of staying home on Seder night? Why is the Wicked One listed second and not last? Are all second children destined to ask challenging questions? What is his wickedness? Why does the text say the "were he in Egypt, he would not have been freed?" Is cynicism a form of slavery? What is the motivation for his cynicism? How do you suppose he became wicked? What turns children against the values of their parents?
.. Is the Simple One's simplicity a reflection of innocence and wonder, or indifference and apathy? Is there really ever such thing as an "innocent bystander" in life? Can one claim to be an "innocent bystander" to poverty, war, slavery, genocide?
.. Have you ever been "The One Who Does Not Know How To Ask"? Have you ever been so thoroughly confused, baffled, or overwhelmed by life that you couldn't even form the question?

Which one of these is you, now, in your life? Are you the Wise, the Wicked, the Simple or the Silent?

ANOTHER DIGRESSION: THE POLITICS OF STORYTELLING

I N DEPTH Five rabbis, living under the Roman oppression in the second century gather for a Seder and lose track of the time, until reminded by their students that dawn has arrived. Some scholars suggest that they used this Seder, with its themes of liberation from oppression, to plan a revolution. With their students posted as look-outs to warn of the approach of Roman authorities, the debate raged all night long: Passificism against militant revolt; Is there a right time to take up arms against an enemy? Do the ends of revolution justify the means of violence? Is war ever justified? Does Judaism require political freedom, political power to survive? May we step away from the world of politics and practice our spirituality, oblivious to the material conditions of human existence? Or is our spirituality tied initmately to the real lives of our people? Perhaps it was the passion of their teachers in debate, and not the approach of the Roman police that moved the students to exclaim: Dawn has arrived!

A story is told of Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Joshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, Rabbi Akiba, and Rabbi Tarfon, who were sitting at a Seder in Bnai Brack. All night long, they told the story of the Exodus from Egypt until their students came and said to them: "Our teachers, dawn has broken, it is time to say the morning prayer!"

I N DEPTH Pharonic oppression, deliverance, Sinai, and Canaan are still with us, powerful memories shaping our perceptions of the political world. The "door of hope" is still open; things are not what they might be -- even when what they might be isn't totally different from what they are. This is a central theme in Western thought, always present though elaborated in many different ways. We still believe, or many of us do, what the Exodus first taught, or what it has commonly been taken to teach about the meaning and possibility of politics and about its proper form:
.. first, that wherever you live, it is probably Egypt;
.. second, that there is a better place, a world more attractive, a promised land;
.. third, that "the way to the land is through the wilderness." There is no way to get there from here to there except by joining together and marching. Michael Walzer

Baruch Ha-Makom, Baruch hu. Baruch Sheh-Natan Torah L'Amo Yisrael. Baruch Hu.

A Praised is God. Praised is the One who gave Torah to the People Israel. Praised is God.

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