Spiritual

The Telling - Magid

The central part of the is called Magid, the telling. Beginning with Avadim Hayyinu - We were Slaves, it extends to the meal. The purpose of this  section is to recount the story of the Exodus and encourage a discussion of its meaning for our lives. The Haggadah tells the story exodus by presenting a series of Midrashim or Rabbinic interpretations of Deuteronomy 26:5 - 8. This section can be confusing. It can also inspire some interesting table discussions. In a rush to get to the meal, any families skip the section of the Haggadah beginning with, “My father was a wandering Aramean” until the plagues. In the interest of encouraging people not to leave Magid out I have rewritten it in simple language to be used either along with, or in place of, this section of the Haggadah.

Come and hear the story of our people,

The story we relive on Seder night:

How our ancestors went forth

From the straights of Mitzraim

To the open places of rejoicing and faith.

This story belongs to you and me.

An age-old story, it becomes our own

when we tell it on Seder night.

" A wandering Aramean was my father.

he went down to Mitzraim few in number.

There he became a great nation,

mighty and numerous.”  (Deut. 26:5)  

In Egypt we discovered our distinctiveness.

Few in number, we learned

that greatness is more than numbers.

"The Egyptians treated us harshly and oppressed us,

they imposed hard labor on us.”   (Deut. 26:6)  

Their harshness wounded us with false accusations.

with venom and hate and distrust.

" W e cried out to Adonai,

the God of our ancestors,

He heard our voice

and saw our affliction,

our toil, and our oppression. ”  (Deut. 26:7)

What did Adonai see in Mitzraim?

He saw families torn asunder,

and children made to suffer. 

God saw the cruelty of Egypt

and the helplessness of Israel.

"So Adonai brought us out of Egypt

with a mighty hand, with an out-stretched arm

with awe and signs and wonders.”  (Deut. 26:8) 

Egypt and Israel felt God’s presence

In every corner of the land.

His signs filled the earth and the sky

His wonders could be seen in every Israelite’s eye.

With a mighty hand He demanded

Justice for the oppressed.

With plagues and wonders the Egyptians learned

The lesson of God's power.

So may God’s signs be present today

To teach us of Your justice

and Your mighty acts.

We continue with the Ten Plagues:

Haggadah means "the telling" of the story. the order in which the story of Passover has been told thru centuries has changed so little. There are elements we can identify in the Gospel accounts of "The Last Supper", the account of Yeshua Hamashiach with his 12 disciples in the upper room. Essentially 14 steps read as follows: 

Bechat Haner = Lighting of the Candles

Kiddush = First Cup of Blessing

Karpas = Dipping of Parsley in Salt Water

Yachutz = Breaking of Middle Matzah

Maggid = Story of Passover

Ma-Nishtanah = Four Questions

Makkot = Second Cup of Santification "Plagues"

Maror = Eating BItter Herbs

Korech = Eating Charoseth (eaten as "Hillel sandwich")

Shulchan Orech = Set Table and Eat Meal

Tzaphun = Eating Afikomen

Ha-Geulah = Third Cup of Redemption

Hallel = Fourth Cup of Praise

L'Shanah habah b'yerushalim = Next Year in Jerusalem!

CANDLE LIGHTING:

Please now light the candle and say the traditional candle blessings...

Mother: "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and has commanded us to kindle the light of the festival." 

All: "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this season,"

The seder officially begins with a physical act: lighting the candles.  In Jewish tradition, lighting candles and saying a blessing over them marks a time of transition, from the day that is ending to the one that is beginning, from ordinary time to sacred time.  Lighting the candles is an important part of our Passover celebration because their flickering light reminds us of the importance of keeping the fragile flame of freedom alive in the world.

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with laws and commanded us to light the festival lights.

As we light the festival candles, we acknowledge that as they brighten our Passover table, good thoughts, good words, and good deeds brighten our days.

The Seder Plate

We place a Seder Plate at our table as a reminder to discuss certain aspects of the Passover story. Each item has its own significance.

Maror – The bitter herb. This symbolizes the harshness of lives of the Jews in Egypt.

Charoset – A delicious mix of sweet wine, apples, cinnamon and nuts that resembles the mortar used as bricks of the many buildings the Jewish slaves built in Egypt

Karpas – A green vegetable, usually parsley, is a reminder of the green sprouting up all around us during spring and is used to dip into the saltwater

Zeroah – A roasted lamb or shank bone symbolizing the sacrifice made at the great temple on Passover (The Paschal Lamb)

Beitzah – The egg symbolizes a different holiday offering that was brought to the temple. Since eggs are the first item offered to a mourner after a funeral, some say it also evokes a sense of mourning for the destruction of the temple.

Orange - The orange on the seder plate has come to symbolize full inclusion in modern day Judaism: not only for women, but also for people with disabilities, intermarried couples, and the LGBT Community.

Matzah

Matzah is the unleavened bread we eat to remember that when the jews fled Egypt, they didn’t even have time to let the dough rise on their bread. We commemorate this by removing all bread and bread products from our home during Passover.

Elijah’s Cup

The fifth ceremonial cup of wine poured during the Seder. It is left untouched in honor of Elijah, who, according to tradition, will arrive one day as an unknown guest to herald the advent of the Messiah. During the Seder dinner, biblical verses are read while the door is briefly opened to welcome Elijah. In this way the Seder dinner not only commemorates the historical redemption from Egyptian bondage of the Jewish people but also calls to mind their future redemption when Elijah and the Messiah shall appear.

Miriam’s Cup

Another relatively new Passover tradition is that of Miriam’s cup. The cup is filled with water and placed next to Elijah’s cup. Miriam was the sister of Moses and a prophetess in her own right. After the exodus when the Israelites are wandering through the desert, just as Hashem gave them Manna to eat, legend says that a well of water followed Miriam and it was called ‘Miriam’s Well’. The tradition of Miriam’s cup is meant to honor Miriam’s role in the story of the Jewish people and the spirit of all women, who nurture their families just as Miriam helped sustain the Israelites.

God, have You forgotten me?
I have forgotten how to breathe.
The air here is tight around me
Each day presses in and tomorrow feels impossibly far away

I long to feel Your wide, wide love
To feel hard earth beneath my cracked feet, shade on my bent back, cool mist on my sun-scorched skin
I long to hear sweet words
For respite from the sting that forces me into this pit and keeps me here

Day after day God, though my voice is barely a broken whisper,
I am calling out In remembering You
Please remember me
Remember my family
And our ancestors
Bring us home to You
Turn us back toward Your embrace
And fold us in

We have been lost so long
And now, we are ready
Find us Remember us
At night we sing a secret song of breath and cooling shadows
By day we squint our eyes and hope that when we open them
You will be here, a hand on our brow
A breath of wind at our backs
We sing to You
Please Hear our song
Please Come and bring us home.