The Seder: Part I

The highlight of Passover is the Seder, and for many, the Seder evokes powerful childhood memories. But what exactly is a Seder?

The Seder is the festive meal of the first night (first 2 nights outside of Israel) of Passover. More than just a meal, the Seder is the ritual recounting of the Exodus from Egypt.

Because Passover is a celebration of freedom from slavery, it is customary to vary our normal habits in order to represent our freedom:

At specified occasions during the Seder, participants recline towards their left to eat and drink as an ancient symbol of freedom. Many people have a pillow on which to lean.

Four cups of red wine or grape juice are drunk at the Seder as a sign of liberation. It is customary that we treat ourselves like royalty and have someone else fill our glasses. Each person, therefore, pours for their neighbor.

In order to express our elevation from slaves to free-people, the wine used for the Seder should be red.

o Red wine is generally considered to be a higher quality wine.
o The red color reminds us of the blood the was spilled in Egypt and the blood of circumcision, the identifying mark of the Jewish nation.
o If one strongly prefers white wine or if the white wine is a much better quality, then one may use white wine.
o One should use wine rather than grape juice. If, however, one cannot drink 4 cups of wine for medical reasons or because one has a low tolerance for alcohol, grape juice is permitted. However, some wine should be added to the grape juice if possible.

The Haggadah is the guide book for the Seder. Haggadah actually means a story that is told, and it is through the Haggadah that Jews fulfill the mitzvah of remembering the Exodus from Egypt.

The word Seder is Hebrew for "order." Indeed, the importance of the Haggadah is that it guides participants in following the correct order of the Seder. The Haggadah should be read aloud in a language that is understood by the Seder participants. The following is the order of the Seder:

Kadesh (Kiddush)
Blessing over the first cup of wine sanctifying the holy day.

Please note that when Passover begins Saturday night, Havdalah is added to the Festival Kiddush. The necessary addition can be found in the Haggadah.

Ur'chatz
A ritual washing of the hands without a blessing, in preparation for Karpas.

There are two customs followed for Ur'chatz. In some households, only the Seder leader performs the hand washing, and in some households, all Seder participants wash their hands.
Either way, no blessing is recited.

When the Holy Temple stood in Jerusalem, everyone was required to do a ritual washing of the hands before eating wet foods. Since the next step in the Seder is to dip the vegetable into salt water, we wash our hands in commemoration of the purity laws of the Temple times, but without a blessing.

By washing hands without a blessing and without the matzah which would normally follow, children are inspired to ask why this is done. The Passover Seder is meant to involve the children in all aspects.

Karpas
A piece of vegetable is dipped in salt water and eaten after reciting the appropriate blessing.

The vegetable appetizer: Karpas represents a sign of our freedom. Many of the Seder activities are meant to symbolize freedom and comfort. In slavery, meals are simple and sparse. In freedom, meals can be more elaborate.

* Eating vegetables as an appetizer inspires children to ask questions.
* Eating vegetables highlights the fact that Passover is a Festival of Spring.

Dipping food into in salt water is a dual representation. On the one hand, it is a symbol of freedom, for in ancient times only the wealthy had condiments in which to dip any of their food. On the other hand, the salt water reminds us of the tears of the Jewish slaves.

Yachatz
The middle matzah is broken in half. The larger half, the afikoman, is wrapped in a napkin or placed in special afikoman bag and placed under the leader's cushion or pillow. At some point later in the meal, it is customary for the children to "steal" and hide the afikoman, only to return it (for a handsome ransom, of course) at the end of the meal during Tzafon.

The middle matzah is broken so that the story of the exodus, which is about to be recited, is told with lechem oni, bread of affliction (i.e. not even a whole matzah), on the table.

The custom of placing the afikoman under the leader's cushion is derived from the obligation "to guard the matzot" (Exodus 12:17).

Placing the afikoman under the cushion does not mean that the leader should actually sit on the matzah.

Maggid
Mah Nishtana, the Four Questions, are recited or sung at the beginning of the Maggid section. More Details about Maggid will follow soon.

Copyright © 2010 National Jewish Outreach Program. All rights reserved.