Kadesh:

The first blessing said while lighting the candles. When we light candles we create the sacred space for the Festival of Freedom; we sanctify the coming together of our community. barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melek ha-olam, asher kideshanu bemitzvotav ve-tsivanu lehadlik ner shel yom tov. Blessed art thou, Lord our God, Master of the universe, who sanctifies us with Your commandments, and command us to kindle the light of the holiday barukh attah adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam, she-hecheyanu vki-yamanu vhigianu lazeman hazeh. Blessed art thou, Lord our God, Master of the universe, who has kept us alive and sustained us and has brought us to this special time.

First Cup of Wine:

Tonight we drink four cups of wine. Why four? The four represents the four promises of liberation God makes in the Torah: I will bring you out, I will deliver you, I will redeem you, I will take you to be my people. The four promises, in turn, have been interpreted as four stages on the path of liberation: becoming aware of oppression, opposing oppression, imagining alternatives, and accepting responsibility to act. This first cup of wine reminds us of Gods first declaration- I will bring you out from oppression Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech haolam, borei pri hagafen. Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

Kiddush:
To be read aloud together: We praise You, Sovereign of Existence! You have called us for service from among the peoples, and have hallowed our lives with commandments. In love You have given us festivals for rejoicing, seasons of celebration, including this Festival of Matzot, the time of our freedom, a commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt. Praised are You, our Eternal God, Who gave us this joyful heritage and Who sanctifies Israel and the Festivals.

Urchatz: Washing The Hands

The symbolic washing of the hands that we now perform recalls the story of Miriams Well. Legend tells us that this well followed Miriam, sister of Moses, through the desert, sustaining the Jews in their wanderings. Filled with mayimei chayyim, waters of life, the well was a source of strength and renewal to all who drew from it. One drink from its waters was said to alert the heart, mind and soul, and make the meaning of Torah become more clear. In Hebrew, urchatz means washing or cleansing. In Aramaic, sister language to Hebrew, urchatz means trusting. As we wash each others hands, let us rejoice in this act of trust, and reflect on the sources of hope and trust we want to bring into the world for ourselves and each other. When we wash hands again later, just before eating the festive meal, we will say blessings to sanctify that act. Because the feast is still a few pages away, this hand-washing is purely symbolic, and therefore the blessing is unspoken. Pass the bowl and pitcher around the table, each pouring a few drops of water onto their neighbors hands.

Karpas: Eating a Green Vegetable

At this point in the seder, it is traditional to eat a green vegetable dipped in salt water. The green vegetable represents rebirth, renewal and growth; the salt water represents the tears of enslavement. Baruch atah, Adonai, Eloheinu ruach haolan, borei pri haadamah. Blessed are you, Adonai, Breath of Life, creator of the fruit of the earth.

Yarchatz: Break The Middle Matzah

Open the door as a sign of hospitality; lift up matzah for all to see. 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 needy come and celebrate the Passover with us. Now we are here; next year may we be in the Land of Israel. Now we are slaves; next year may we be free. Close the door. Break the middle mtzah and wrap the larger half in cloth. This piece of matzah is now called the Afikoman, and must be eaten before the seder concludes.

The Questions
This is actually one question with four answers. We know the question, and we know the answers, but we ask anyway because there is always something to learn. Now matter how wise we become, we must remember to question. Why is tonight different from all other nights? 1) On all other nights we may eat either leavened bread or matzah; tonight, only matzah, that we may recall the unleavened bread our ancestors baked in haste when they left slavery. 2) On all other nights we need not taste bitterness; tonight, we eat bitter herbs, that we may recall the suffering of slavery. 3) On all other nights we neednt dip our food in condiments even once; tonight we dip twice, in saltwater to remember our tears when we were enslaved, and in haroset to remember the mortar and the bricks which we made. 4) On all other nights we eat sitting up; tonight, we recline, to remind ourselves to savor our liberation.

Second Cup of Wine

The second cup of wine represents Gods second declaration of redemption: I will free you from slavery Tonight we may bless wine using several variations on the traditions Hebrew, reflecting different ways of conceptualizing the divine. Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu melech haolam, borei pri hagafen. Blessed are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, creator of the fruit of the vine.

Signs and Symbols

It is written: she who has not explained the following symbols has not fulfilled her duty. The Maror, bitter herb or horseradish, represents the bitterness of slavery. The Haroset, a mixture of apples and nuts and wine, represents the bricks and mortar we made in ancient times, and the new structure we are beginning to build in our lives today. The Lamb Shank represents the sacrifices we have made to survive. Before the tenth plague, our people slaughtered lambs and marked our doors with blood: because of this marking, the Angel of Death passed over our homes and our first-born were spared. The Egg symbolizes creative power, our rebirth. The Parsley represents the new growth of spring, for we are earthy, rooted

beings, connected to the Earth and nourished by our connection. Salt water of our tears, both then and now. Matzot of our unleavened hearts; may this Seder enable out spirits to rise.

Rachatz: Wash the Hands

Before eating, we wash our hands, thanking God for the commandment which impels us to mindfulness. What does washing our hands tell us? That we can become clean; that our bodies are sacred and deserving of care. It is our hands which plant and write, which caress and creates- and also it is our hands which strike and poison and smash. We wash our hands not to absolve ourselves of responsibility, but to affirm the need to make our hands holy. At this season of freedom and rebirth, we consecrate our hands to the task of building freedom for all who suffer. Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu ruach haolam, asher kidshanu bmitzvotav vtzivanu al netilat yadayim. Blessed are you, Adonai, Breath of Life, who sanctifies us with the commandment to wash out hands.

Matzah: Bless and Eat

Why do we eat matzah? Because during the exodus, our ancestors had no time to wait for dough to rise. So they improvised flat cakes without yeast, which could be baked and consumed in haste. The matzah reminds us that when the chance for liberation comes, we must seize it even if we do not feel ready-indeed, if we wait until we feel fully ready, we may never act at all. Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu ruach haolam, hamotzi lechem min haaretz. Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu ruach haolam, asher kidshanu bmitzvotav, vtzivanu al achilat Blessed are you, Adonai, Breath of life, who brings forth bread form the earth. Blessed are you, Adonai, Breath of Life, who sanctifies us wth the commandment to eat matzah.

Maror: Bitter Herbs

Why do we eat maror? Marror represents the bitterness of bondage. Why do we eat haroset? IT symbolizes the mortatr for the bricks our ancestors laid in Egypt. Though it represents slave labor, haroset is sweet; reminding us that sometimes constrictions or enslavement can be masked in familiar sweetness. Eating the two together, we remind ourselves to be mindful of life with all its sweetness and bitterness, and to seek balance between the two. Baruch atah, Adonai, eloheinu ruach haolam, asher kidshanu bmitzvotav vtzivanu al achilat maror. Blessed are you, Adonai, Breath of Life, who sanctifies us with the commandment to eat the bitter herb. Everyone eats some maror and haroset.

Korech
The sage Hillel originated the tradition of eating matzah and marror together, combining the bread of liberation with a remembrance of the bitterness of slavery. In following his example, we create a physical representation of the holidays central dialectical tension. Everyone eats a Hillel Sandwich: marror between two pieces of matzah.

Shulchan Orech: The Festive Meal!!!!

Barech: Bless the Meal

May all be fed, may all be nourished, and may all be loved. (Traditional post-meal blessing at Elat Chayyim)

Third Cup of Wine

The third cup of wine represents Gods third declaration of redemption: VgoaltiI will liberate you with an outstretched arm.. Nvarekh et ayn ha-chayyim, matzmichat pri hagafen. Let us bless the source of life that ripens fruit on the vine.

Fourth Cup of Wine

The fourth cup of wine represents Gods fourth declaration of redemption: Vlakachti-I will claim you for me as a people, and I will be your God. Bhit-a-seif la-hi-dor ha-yom, mti-kut pri hagafen mvo-reakhet. Our coming together blesses the sweetness of the fruit of the vine.

Prayer Closing the Hallel

All Your works shall praise You, our creator; the righteous will praise You in joyous song. We will thank, exalt, revere and sanctify You. It is good to give thanks to You, and fitting to sing praises to Your name, for You are Eternal from everlasting to everlasting.

Nirtzah: Conclusion
Tonight we have acknowledged our ancestors. We vow that we will not allow their stories, their experiences, their wisdom to fade. These are our legacy, which we will study and teach to ourfriends and children. The task of liberation is lond, and it is work we ourselves must do. Baruch atah, Yahh eloheinu ruach haolam shehecheyanu vkiymanu vhigiymanu lasman hazeh. Blessed are you, Yahh, Breath of life, Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this moment.