(c) 2003, Robert M. SUTHERLAND

A SEDER SUPPER

PART I: SANCTIFICATION

Preparation for Passover 04

1. Introductory Comments 04

2. The Search for Leaven. 04

3. The Blessing of the Festival Candles 05

Passover Proper 05

1. First Cup of Wine- Cup of Sanctification 05

2. The Sanctification of the Hands 06

3. The Sanctification of the Green Herbs 07

4. The Breaking the Middle Matzah 07

5. An Open Invitation 08

6. First Cup of Wine- Cup of Sanctification 08

PART II: INSTRUCTION

1. Second Cup of Wine- Cup of Instruction 10

2. Instruction through Questions: The Four Questions 10

3. Instruction through Scripture: The Story of Passover 11

4. Instruction through Gratitude: We Should Have Been Content 15

5. Instruction through the Symbolic Foods 17

A. Passover Lamb 18

B. Unleavened Bread 18

C. Bitter Herbs 19

6. Second Cup of Wine- Cup of Instruction 19

PART III: REDEMPTION

1. Third Cup of Wine- Cup of Redemption 20

2. Preparation for the Meal 20

A. Washing the Hands 20

B. Blessing the Bread 21

C. Eating the Bitter Herbs 22

D. Eating the Bitter Herbs with Charoseth 22

3. The Passover Meal 23

4. The Dessert of the Broken Afikomen 23

5. Blessings after the Meal 24

6. Third Cup of Wine- Cup of Redemption 24

PART IV: PRAISE

1. Fourth Cup of Wine- Cup of Praise 26

2. Psalms of Praise 26

3. Songs of Praise 32

4. Dances of Praise 32

5. Counting the Omer 32

6. Fourth Cup of Wine- Cup of Praise 33

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PARTICIPANTS

1. Seder Leader

2. All

3. Woman of the House

4. Four Children:

(a) First Child

(b) Second Child

(c) Third Child

(d) Fourth Child

5. Six Readers:

(a) Genesis 15:13-14

(b) Exodus 3:6-10

(c) Exodus 6:1-8

(d) Exodus 12:1-13, 28-31

(e) Deuteronomy 4:32-40

(f) Deuteronomy 26:5-9

6. Litany Leader

7. Psalm Leaders:

(a) Psalm 113

(b) Psalm 114

(c) Psalm 115

(d) Psalm 116

(e) Psalm 117

(f) Psalm 118

8. Song and Dance Leader

9. Pianist

PART I: SANCTIFICATION

Preparation for Passover:

1. Introductory Comments

SEDER LEADER:

What is Passover? Passover is a historical event and a liturgical re-telling of that event. Historically, Passover celebrates the Exodus, when God through Moses rescued his people from their slavery in Egypt and brought them into a land of freedom. Liturgically, Passover is the annual re-telling of that story by means of a family supper. It is a supper that centres around four cups of wine:

(1) The Cup of Sanctification, whereby the evening and we ourselves are taken aside or sanctified by God for a special purpose,

(2) The Cup of Instruction, whereby we learn of the saving acts of Almighty God,

(3) The Cup of Redemption, whereby we receive God’s work of redemption into our lives, and

(4) The Cup of Praise, whereby we offer up our thanks for a love and a salvation that is freely given.

In the opinion of many scholars, Jesus= Last Supper was a Passover supper. The Passover supper is an object lesson in the meaning of freedom.

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2. The Search for Leaven

SEDER LEADER:

In preparing ourselves for the Passover meal, we are to search our houses for leaven and cast out. (Exodus 12:19-20) Leaven is yeast. Yeast symbolizes pride. We prepare ourselves for God=s saving work by giving up our pride. Pride is a sin. Pride blinds us to our need for God. In the gospels (Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-46), Jesus’s cleansing of the Temple is part of this ritual cleansing. It is an attack on human pride. The pride in question is the worship that puts the Almighty Dollar ahead of the Almighty God.

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3. The Blessing of the Festival Candles (Brechat Haner)

WOMAN OF THE HOUSE:

Passover begins with a night of slavery. We have all known this darkness in one form or another. In kindling the lights of Passover, we remember that God has come into our world as light. Everyone who believes in him should not remain in darkness. (John 12:46)

We have become a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people so that we may proclaim the mighty works of him who called us out of darkness into his marvellous light. (1 Peter 2:9) As we light the lights of Passover, let us recite the blessing:

[The woman of the house lights the festival candles.]

ALL:

Blessed are you O Lord our God,

King of the Universe,

who has sanctified our lives

through his word and instructed us

to kindle the lights of this festival.

Ba-ruch attah Ah-don-nay

Elo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olam

asher kid-shanu

b’mitz-vo-tav v’t-zi-vanu

leh-hadd-leck ner shel yom tov.

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Passover Proper

1. First Cup of Wine – Cup of Sanctification (Kadesh)

SEDER LEADER:

The first cup of wine is called the “Kadesh”. It is the cup of sanctification. It should initiate that part of the Passover service in which we “sanctify” or set aside a number of things for special use. Through this cup of wine, we sanctify this day as a time to remember the promise of the Lord to free us from our burdens. (Exodus 6:6-7)

[The first cup of wine is poured.]

As we pour the wine, we say a blessing over the wine and over the day, but hold off drinking the wine until this section of the service is over.

ALL:

Blessed are thou, O Lord our God,

King of the Universe,

Creator of the fruit of the vine.

(Mishnah, Berakoth 6.1)

Blessed are thou, O Lord our God,

King of the Universe,

who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us

to this season.

Ba-ruch Attah Ah-don-nay,

Elo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olam,

Boh-ray pree ha-gaw-fen.

Ba-ruch Attah Ah-don-nay,

Elo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olam,

v’kee-manu v’higgee-anu lazi’man haz-zeh.

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2. The Sanctification of the Hands (Urhatz)

SEDER LEADER:

[A pitcher of water, basin and towel is passed around.

Each person must wash the hands of the person next to them.]

Our hands symbolize our actions. Our actions represent our lives. Through this washing of our hands, we set aside our lives to the service of other and to the service of God.

Jesus deepened this ritual by washing of the feet of his disciples, an act normally done by slaves. (John 13:3-17) Through Jesus= example we learn that to serve means to give up our sense of self-importance.

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3. The Sanctification of the Green Herbs (Karpas)

SEDER LEADER:

[Each person takes a green herb, usually a bitter herb, parsley, from off the seder plate and dips it in salt water and eats it.]

Green herbs are now dipped in salt water. The green herbs symbolize the hyssop that the Israelites in Egypt used to dip into the basin of the blood of the Passover lamb and to touch the lintel and the two doorposts. (Exodus 12:22)

ALL:

Blessed are thou, O Lord our God,

King of the Universe,

Creator of the fruits of the Earth.

Ba-ruch attah Ah-don-nay,

Elo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olam,

Boh-ray pree ha-adamah.

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4. The Breaking of the Middle Matzah (Yahatz)

SEDER LEADER:

Three slices of unleavened bread are brought out in a special cloth divider called “Unity”. This three in one symbol represent the trinity in unity that makes salvation possible. In one sense, it represents the unity of God’s people: three classes, one society. It was the desire of all God’s people to be free that makes the Exodus possible. In a deeper sense, it represents the unity of God: three persons, one God. It was the desire of all the persons of the Godhead to save mankind that makes the Exodus possible.

The middle matzah is taken out of the “Unity” package and broken. One piece is set aside to be eaten later in the service. Another piece is wrapped in linen and buried under a pillow. This second piece is called the “Afikoman”. The return of the broken, buried “Afikoman” is the high point of Passover. This middle matzah represents the Passover Lamb and the Messiah. The broken matzah is the lamb that was slain. The buried matzah is the Messiah who died and returned from the dead. His resurrection is the high point of Passover.

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5. An Open Invitation (Ha Lahma Anya)

SEDER LEADER:

We have come to this service in humility. We are not the persons we could be; we are not the persons we should be. We are all in need of God’s love and forgiveness. The only admission requirement to the Passover is that we admit our need for God.

[The seder leader lifts the matzah plate.]

ALL:

This is the bread of affliction

which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt.

All who are hungry,

let them enter and eat.

All who are in need,

let them come celebrate Passover.

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4. First Cup of Wine- Cup of Sanctification (Kadesh)

SEDER LEADER:

Through six things:

(1) through the preparation for Passover,

(2) through the lighting of the festival candles,

(3) through the washing of hands,

(4) through the dipping of bitter herbs,

(5) through the breaking of the middle matzah and

(6) through the open invitation,

we set aside this time, this service and our lives. With this knowledge, let us now drink The Cup of Sanctification.

[The first cup of wine is drunk.]

PART II: INSTRUCTION

1. Second Cup of Wine- Cup of Instruction

(Kos Sheini)

SEDER LEADER:

The second cup of wine is called the “Kos Sheini”. It is the cup of instruction. Through this cup, we learn the Exodus story. It is the story of how God takes the initiative to set us all free.

[The second cup of wine is poured.]

As we pour the wine, we say a blessing over the wine, but hold off drinking the wine until this section of the service is over.

ALL:

Blessed are thou, O Lord our God,

King of the Universe,

Creator of the fruit of the vine.

(Mishnah, Berakoth 6.1)

Ba-ruch attah Ah-don-nay,

Elo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olam,

Boh-ray pree ha-gaw-fen.

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2. Instructions through Questioning

Four Questions (Ma-Nishtanah)

FIRST CHILD- FIRST QUESTION:

Why is this night different? On all other nights we may eat any kind of bread, why on this night must we eat only unleavened bread?

ALL:

The unleavened bread or matzah reminds us that when we left our bondage in Egypt, we left in a hurry before the bread had time to rise. When God opens a door for us, we are not to delay, we are to go forth.

SECOND CHILD- SECOND QUESTION:

Why is this night different? On all other nights we may eat any kind of vegetables or herbs, why on this night must we eat only bitter herbs?

ALL:

The bitter herbs remind us of the bitterness of slavery. We must never allow ourselves to be enslaved again. We must never inflict slavery on others. We must never allow others to suffer slavery.

THIRD CHILD- THIRD QUESTION:

Why is this night different? On all other nights we never think of dipping herbs in water or in anything else, why on this night do we dip the parsley in salt water and the bitter herbs in charoseth?

ALL:

The salt water reminds us of the tears we shed in the time of our bondage. The charoseth reminds us that our bitter slavery was sweetened by the hope of a freedom that only the Lord could give.

FOURTH CHILD- FOURTH QUESTION:

Why is this night different? On all other nights we may eat either sitting down or reclining, why on this night do we eat reclining?

ALL:

In ancient times, slaves had to stand at a meal; only free men could recline. We recline tonight because, as a result of the grace of God, we have passed from slavery into freedom.

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3. Instruction through Scripture

The Story of Passover (Maggid)

SEDER LEADER:

This night is indeed different. But even if all of us were scholars, even if all of us were sages, even if all of us were elders, even if all of us were learned in the torah, it would still be our duty to tell the story of the going out from Egypt.

FIRST READER:

A reading from the Book of Genesis:

“Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know this for certain, that your offspring shall be aliens in a land that is not theirs, and shall be slaves there, and they shall be oppressed for four hundred years; but I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.” (Genesis 15:13-14)

This is the word of the Lord.

ALL:

Thanks be to God.

SECOND READER:

A reading from the Book of Exodus:

“He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the LORD said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:6-10)

This is the word of the Lord.

ALL:

Thanks be to God.

THIRD READER:

A reading from Book of Exodus:

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh: Indeed, by a mighty hand he will let them go; by a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land. God also spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name ‘The LORD’ I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they resided as aliens. I have also heard the groaning of the Israelites whom the Egyptians are holding as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the Israelites, ‘I am the LORD, and I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians and deliver you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. You shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has freed you from the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; I will give it to you for a possession. I am the LORD.'” (Exodus 6:1-8)

This is the word of the Lord.

ALL:

Thanks be to God.

FOURTH READER:

A reading from the Book of Exodus:

“Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the LORD. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt…The Israelites went and did just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron. At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his officials and all the Egyptians; and there was a loud cry in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead. Then he summoned Moses and Aaron in the night, and said, “Rise up, go away from my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD, as you said.” (Exodus 12:3-13,28-31)

This is the word of the Lord.

ALL:

Thanks be to God.

SEDER LEADER:

This reading is important. It is not the blood of the Passover lamb that saves. It is the personal application of that blood that saves.

The blood of a Passover lamb is placed in a basin at the bottom of the doorway to each house. Each person dips his brush down into the blood. Each person draws the brush up to anoint the lintel of the doorway. Each person then draws the brush from side to side to anoint the doorposts of the house. Each person has, in effect, made the sign of the cross on his house. When the angel of the Lord passed over the land of Egypt executing judgement, only those who believed in the power of the lamb that was slain and had made the sign of the cross in their lives were spared.

FIFTH READER:

A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy:

“For ask now about former ages, long before your own, ever since the day that God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of heaven to the other: has anything so great as this ever happened or has its like ever been heard of? Has any people ever heard the voice of a god speaking out of a fire, as you have heard, and lived? Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by terrifying displays of power, as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? To you it was shown so that you would acknowledge that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him. From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, while you heard his words coming out of the fire. And because he loved your ancestors, he chose their descendants after them. He brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power, driving out before you nations greater and mightier than yourselves, to bring you in, giving you their land for a possession, as it is still today. So acknowledge today and take to heart that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Keep his statutes and his commandments, which I am commanding you today for your own well-being and that of your descendants after you, so that you may long remain in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for all time.” (Deuteronomy 4:32-40)

This is the word of the Lord.

ALL:

Thanks be to God.

SIXTH READER:

A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy:

“You shall make this response before the LORD your God: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the LORD, the God of our ancestors; the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey”. (Deuteronomy 26:5-9)

This is the word of the Lord.

ALL:

Thanks be to God.

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4. Instruction through a Litany of Gratitude

We Should Have Been Content (Dayenu)

LITANY LEADER:

How many are the claims of the Lord upon our thankfulness! If the Lord had merely rescued us from Egypt, but had not punished the Egyptians,

ALL: we should have been content.

LITANY LEADER:

How many are the claims of the Lord upon our thankfulness! If the Lord had destroyed the gods of Egypt, but had not destroyed the firstborn,

ALL: we should have been content.

LITANY LEADER:

How many are the claims of the Lord upon our thankfulness! If the Lord had merely slain the firstborn, but had not given us their property,

ALL: we should have been content.

LITANY LEADER:

How many are the claims of the Lord upon our thankfulness! If the Lord had merely given us their property, but had not parted the sea for us,

ALL: we should have been content.

LITANY LEADER:

How many are the claims of the Lord upon our thankfulness! If the Lord had merely parted the sea for us, but had not brought us through on dry ground,

ALL: we should have been content.

LITANY LEADER:

How many are the claims of the Lord upon our thankfulness! If the Lord had merely brought us through on dry ground, but had not destroyed our oppressors,

ALL: we should have been content.

LITANY LEADER:

How many are the claims of the Lord upon our thankfulness! If the Lord had merely drowned our oppressors, but had not supplied us in the desert for forty years,

ALL: we should have been content.

LITANY LEADER:

How many are the claims of the Lord upon our thankfulness! If the Lord had merely supplied us in the desert for forty years, but had not fed us with manna,

ALL: we should have been content.

LITANY LEADER:

How many are the claims of the Lord upon our thankfulness! If the Lord had merely fed us with manna, but had not given us the sabbath,

ALL: we should have been content.

LITANY LEADER:

How many are the claims of the Lord upon our thankfulness! If the Lord had merely given us the sabbath, but had not given us the torah,

ALL: we should have been content.

LITANY LEADER:

How many are the claims of the Lord upon our thankfulness! If the Lord had merely given us the torah, but had not brought us into the land of Israel,

ALL: we should have been content.

LITANY LEADER:

How many are the claims of the Lord upon our thankfulness! If the Lord had merely brought us into the land of Israel, but had not given us the temple,

ALL: we should have been content.

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5. Instruction through the Symbolic Foods

SEDER LEADER:

One of Jesus’ contemporaries Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 5:34) used to say that whoever has not reviewed the symbolic foods of Passover- the Passover lamb, the unleavened bread and the bitter herbs- has not fulfilled his religious obligation. (Mishnah, Pesahim 10.5) Let us take time to review the symbolic foods of Passover.

A. Passover Lamb (Pesach)

SEDER LEADER:

[The seder leader holds up the symbol used to remember the passover lamb.]

I am holding up the Passover lamb. Why do we eat it?

ALL:

“It is the passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Isrealites in Egypt, when struck down the Egyptians but spared our homes.” (Exodus 12:27)

B. Unleavened Bread (Matzah)

SEDER LEADER:

[The seder leader holds up the unleavened bread.]

I am holding up the unleavened bread. Why do we eat it?

ALL:

“It was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.” (Exodus 12:39)

The matzoth represents two things: (1) the Passover lamb that was slain and (2) the Messiah.

The matzoth is physically striped and pierced. Jesus was striped with a Roman whip. Jesus was pierced on the cross. His hands and feet were pierced with nails. (John 19:18) His side was pierced with a Roman javelin. (John 19:33-34) “He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises, we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

The second or middle matzah of the three-in-one Unity package is comes out of the package, is broken, is buried and returns. Jesus came from heaven. Jesus was broken and died on a cross. Jesus was buried and resurrected.

C. Bitter Herbs (Maror)

SEDER LEADER:

[The seder leader holds up the bitter herbs.]

I am holding up the bitter herbs. Why do we eat it?

ALL:

“The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Isrealites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.” (Exodus 1:13-14)

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6. Second Cup of Wine – Cup of Instruction

(Kos Sheini)

SEDER LEADER:

“In every generation a man must so regard himself as if he comes forth himself out of Egypt, for it is written, ‘And thou shalt tell thy son in that day saying, It is because of that which the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.'(Exodus 13:8)” (Mishnah, Pesahim 10.5)

Through four things:

(1) through questioning,

(2) through Scripture,

(3) through a litany of gratitude and

(4) through the symbolic foods of Passover,

we have made the story of Exodus our story. We have all known bondage in one form or another and now we have a measure of freedom. With this instruction, let us drink The Cup of Instruction.

[The second cup of wine is drunk.]

PART III: REDEMPTION

1. Third Cup of Wine – Cup of Redemption

(Kos Sh’Lishi)

SEDER LEADER:

The third cup of wine is called the “Kos Sh’Lishi”. It is the cup of redemption or the cup of blessing. It is called the cup of redemption because the wine symbolizes the blood of the Passover lamb. Redemption means bought at a price. The price is the death of the Passover lamb and the application of its blood to each house. Freedom is bought through a payment in blood.

[The third cup of wine is poured.]

As we pour the wine, we say a blessing over the wine, but hold off drinking the wine until this section of the service is over.

ALL:

Blessed are thou, O Lord our God,

King of the Universe,

Creator of the fruit of the vine.

(Mishnah, Berakoth 6.1)

Ba-ruch attah Ah-don-nay,

Elo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olam,

Boh-ray pree ha-gaw-fen.

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2. Preparation for the Meal

A. Washing the Hands (Rachatz)

SEDER LEADER:

[A pitcher of water, basin and towel is passed around. Each person must wash the hands of the person next to them.]

The washing of the hands and the blessing of the bread are part of what we would call the “grace”. Our hands symbolize our actions and our lives. In washing our hands, we prepare to receive the Passover lamb into our lives. Let us recite the traditional blessing over the washing of the hands:

ALL:

Blessed are you, O Lord our God,

King of the Universe,

who has sanctified our lives

through his word and instructed us

to perform the ritual washing of our hands.

Ba-ruch attah Ah-don-nay,

Elo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olam,

asher kid-shanu

b’mitz-vo-tav v’t-zi-vanu

al ne-ti-lat ya-da-yim.

B. Blessing the Bread (Motzi/Matzah)

SEDER LEADER:

[Each person takes two slices of unleavened bread from the stacks of unleavened bread before them. The smaller cream coloured slices are perhaps preferable to the larger white coloured slices for this purpose.]

A Passover sandwich of unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and charoseth is eaten as an appetizer before the meal itself. Each of the items in the sandwich recall parts of the exodus experience. As we prepare the Passover sandwich, let us recite the traditional two-fold blessing: the blessing for our daily bread (motzi) and the blessing for the unleavened bread (matzah).

ALL:

Blessed are you, O Lord our God,

King of the Universe,

who brings forth bread from the earth.

(Mishnah, Berakoth 6.1)

Blessed are you, O Lord our God,

King of the Universe,

who has sanctified our lives

with his word and instructed us

to partake of matzah.

Ba-ruch attah Ah-don-nay,

Elo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olam,

ha mot-zi le-hem min ha-aretz.

Ba-ruch attah Ah-don-nay,

Elo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olam,

asher kid-shanu

b’mitz-vo-tav v’t-zi-vanu

ak-hi-lat matzah.

C. Eating the Bitter Herbs (Maror)

SEDER LEADER:

[Each person adds various bitter herbs, including parsley and horseradish, to the slices of unleavened bread.]

As we prepare the Passover sandwich, let us recite the traditional blessing over the bitter herbs.

ALL:

Blessed are you, O Lord our God,

King of the Universe,

who sanctified our lives

with his word and instructed us

to eat the bitter herbs.

Ba-ruch attah Ah-don-nay,

Elo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olam,

asher kid-shanu

b’mitz-vo-tav v’t-zi-vanu

al ak-hilat mar-or.

D. Eating the Bitter Herbs with Charoseth

(Korech)

SEDER LEADER:

Finally, we take the Passover sandwich of unleavened bread and bitter herbs and we add charoseth.

[Each person adds some charoseth to the sandwich.]

As a last gesture of friendship, Jesus prepared Judas’ Passover sandwich for him. But shortly after he received it from Jesus, Judas left the seder. (John 13:26-27, Mark 14:20, Matthew 26:23)

Literally and symbolically, Judas went out into the night and excluded himself (1) from the Passover meal, (2) from the eating of the Afikoman and (3) from the cup of redemption. Put simply, he excommunicated himself.

Let us eat the Passover sandwich of unleavened bread, bitter herbs and charoseth.

[Each person eats the Passover sandwich.]

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3. The Passover Meal (Sulchan Orech)

SEDER LEADER:

The Passover seder breaks at this point for supper, which in Jesus’ time would have been a meal of roast lamb. As we eat this Passover meal, let us remember our ongoing need for the grace of God that is in the Passover lamb.

[The formal part of the seder stops and a pot luck dinner begins.]

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4. The Dessert of the Broken Afikomen (Tzaphun)

SEDER LEADER:

[The formal part of the seder resumes.]

Earlier in the service, the middle or second matzah was taken out of the “Unity” package. It symbolized the Passover lamb. It was broken and the largest part of it, the Afikoman, was hidden or buried.

[Children are sent out to find the Afikoman and bring it to the seder leader. The Afikoman is brought to the seder leader. The seder leader breaks it and passes it around so that each person partakes of the Afikoman. It is the culminating point of the meal and nothing must be eaten after it.]

At this point in the Last Supper, Jesus took the Afikoman

“Take, eat. This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19)

The symbolism here is two-fold: (1) As the Afikoman had been broken and buried, so also would Jesus be broken on a cross and buried in a tomb. (2) But as the Afikoman has returned, so also would Jesus rise from the dead. As the Afikoman is passed around, let us break off a small piece and eat it in remembrance of the Passover lamb that was slain for us.

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5. Blessings after the Meal (Barekh)

ALL:

Blessed art thou O Lord our God who provides food for all.

Blessed art thou O Lord our God for the land and for the sustenance.

Blessed art thou O Lord our God who in compassion rebuilds Jerusalem.

Blessed art thou O Lord who is good and does good for all.

May the name of the Lord be blessed from now unto eternity.

Blessed be our God of whose food we have eaten and through whose goodness we live. Blessed art thou O Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who feeds the entire world with his goodness, grace, lovingkindness and compassion. He gives bread to all flesh, for his mercy is forever.

For he feeds and sustains all, and does good unto all, and prepares food for all his creatures which he created. Our God, our Father, shepherd us, feed us, maintain us, sustain us and ease us from all our troubles.

And let us not be needing gifts at the hands of flesh and blood, but only at thy hand, which is full and open, holy and broad.

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6. Third Cup of Wine – Cup of Redemption

(Kos Sh’Lishi)

SEDER LEADER:

The Cup of Redemption represents the blood of the Passover lamb that was slain. At this point in the service, Jesus took the third cup of wine, the cup of redemption, and said:

“This is my blood of the (new) covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28)

Through two things,

(1) through the Passover supper and

(2) through the Afikoman,

we have communally partaken of the Passover lamb. With that communion, we drink The Cup of Redemption.

[The third cup of wine is drunk.]

PART IV: PRAISE

1. Fourth Cup of Wine – Cup of Praise

(Kos R’vi’i)

SEDER LEADER:

The fourth cup of wine is called the “Kos R’vi’i”. It is the cup of praise and thanksgiving. We thank God for two gifts: the gift of life, the gift of eternal life. All are made possible through the death of the Passover lamb.

[The fourth cup of wine is poured.]

As we pour the wine, we say a blessing over the wine, but hold off drinking the wine until this section of the service is over.

ALL:

Blessed are thou, O Lord our God,

King of the Universe,

Creator of the fruit of the vine.

(Mishnah, Berakoth 6.1)

Ba-ruch attah Ah-don-nay

Elo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olam

Boh-ray pree ha-gaw-fen.

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2. Psalms of Praise (Hallel)

SEDER LEADER:

“Therefore are we bound to give thanks, to praise, to glorify, to honour, to exalt, to extol, and to bless him who wrought all these wonders for our fathers and for us. He brought us out of bondage to freedom, from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning to a festival-day, and from darkness to great light, and from servitude to redemption; so let us say before him the ‘Hallel’.” (Mishnah, Pesahim 10.5)

At this point in the service, Jesus and his disciples sang the hymns of the Hallel, Psalms 113 through 118. (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26) We will recite them.

Psalm 113

PSALM LEADER: Praise the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD; praise the name of the LORD.

ALL: Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time on and forevermore.

PSALM LEADER: From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the LORD is to be praised.

ALL: The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.

PSALM LEADER: Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high,

ALL: who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?

PSALM LEADER: He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap,

ALL: to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.

PSALM LEADER: He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD!

Psalm 114

PSALM LEADER: Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,

ALL: Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.

PSALM LEADER: The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back.

ALL: The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.

PSALM LEADER: Why is it, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?

ALL: O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs?

PSALM LEADER: Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the God of Jacob,

ALL: who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water.

Psalm 115

PSALM LEADER: Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.

ALL: Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”

PSALM LEADER: Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases.

ALL: Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.

PSALM LEADER: They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.

ALL: They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.

PSALM LEADER: They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; they make no sound in their throats.

ALL: Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.

PSALM LEADER: O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

ALL: O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

PSALM LEADER: You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

ALL: The LORD has been mindful of us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron;

PSALM LEADER: he will bless those who fear the LORD, both small and great.

ALL: May the LORD give you increase, both you and your children.

PSALM LEADER: May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

ALL: The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but the earth he has given to human beings.

PSALM LEADER: The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any that go down into silence.

ALL: But we will bless the LORD from this time on and forevermore. Praise the LORD!

Psalm 116

PSALM LEADER: I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.

ALL: Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

PSALM LEADER: The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.

ALL: Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, save my life!”

PSALM LEADER: Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful.

ALL: The LORD protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.

PSALM LEADER: Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

ALL: For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.

PSALM LEADER: I walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

ALL: I kept my faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”;

PSALM LEADER: I said in my consternation, “Everyone is a liar.”

ALL: What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me?

PSALM LEADER: I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,

ALL: I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.

PSALM LEADER: Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.

ALL: O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds.

PSALM LEADER: I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD.

ALL: I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,

PSALM LEADER: in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!

Psalm 117

PSALM LEADER: Praise the LORD, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples!

ALL: For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!

Psalm 118

PSALM LEADER: O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!

ALL: Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”

PSALM LEADER: Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”

ALL: Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”

PSALM LEADER: Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.

ALL: With the LORD on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?

PSALM LEADER: The LORD is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

ALL: It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in mortals.

PSALM LEADER: It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

ALL: All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!

PSALM LEADER: They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!

ALL: They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like a fire of thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!

PSALM LEADER: I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me.

ALL: The LORD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.

PSALM LEADER: There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly;

ALL: the right hand of the LORD is exalted; the right hand of the LORD does valiantly.”

PSALM LEADER: I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.

ALL: The LORD has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death.

PSALM LEADER: Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.

ALL: This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.

PSALM LEADER: I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.

ALL: The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

PSALM LEADER: This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

ALL: This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

PSALM LEADER: Save us, we beseech you, O LORD! O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!

ALL: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD.

PSALM LEADER: The LORD is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.

ALL: You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you.

PSALM LEADER: O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

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3. Songs of Praise

4. Dances of Praise

SEDER LEADER:

Let us take this time to learn from our pianist and our dance leader some Jewish songs and dances that celebrate the gift of life and freedom that is the gift of God.

[A number of songs are to be found at the back of this service book.]

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5. Counting the Omer

SEDER LEADER:

Liturgically, Passover is followed by Shavout. Easter is followed by Pentecost. Shavout is Pentecost. It is 50 days following Passover.

On the second day of Passover, we begin the countdown to Shavout and Pentecost. The counting is done through the offering of an omer of grain, about two quarts dry measure, each day in the temple. The omer is a reminder of the sustaining power of God for when the people left Egypt, he sustained them in wilderness through a omer of manna each day. (Exodus 16:16)

Passover is the first step in a journey to the promised land of freedom. Shavout is the second step in that journey. Shavout is the giving of the law on Mount Sinai, 50 days after Passover. Pentecost is the giving of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem 50 days after Passover. Through the moral law, we learn what is right and wrong. Through the Spirit of God, we are empowered to do right as opposed to wrong. Both are necessary to secure the blessings of freedom.

In counting the omer, we look back and forward in this journey into freedom and we say a blessing.

ALL:

Blessed are you O Lord our God,

King of the Universe,

who sanctifies our lives

through his word and instructed us

to count the omer.

Ba-ruch attah Ah-don-nay,

Elo-hei-nu Me-lech Ha-olam,

asher kid-shanu

b’mitz-vo-tav v’t-zi-vanu

al se-fir-at ha-omer.

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6. Fourth Cup of Wine – Cup of Praise

(Kos R’vi’i)

SEDER LEADER:

Through four things

(1) through psalms of praise,

(2) through songs of praise,

(3) through dance, and

(4) through the counting of the omer,

we thank God for his love. Love frees us from bondage and empowers us to be all that we can be. With these thanks, we drink The Cup of Praise.

[The fourth cup of wine is drunk.]

The Old Testament prophets speak of a time when all the peoples of the world will come to Jerusalem to learn of the love of God. The Passover service ends with the hope and the prayer that that time may come soon. Let us end this Passover seder with the prayer that all the peoples of the world will come to Jerusalem, to the cross on Calvary, to learn of the love of God. With enthusiasm, let us say:

ALL:

Next year in Jerusalem!