Congregation Ner Shalom's Rosh HaShanah Seder
Preview
IT HAPPENED THAT THE PEOPLE SAID TO HONI, THE CIRCLE DRAWER
CAST: NARRATOR, PLONI, HONI, FRIEND, TREE PLANTER, TREE PICKER
Narrator: Nearly the whole month of Adar had passed and it hadn’t rained once. The people were worried about the dry spell stretching into a catastrophic drought. Luckily, they knew just who to ask in this time of need.
Ploni: Dear Honi the Circle Drawer, it has been weeks without rain and things are getting desperate. All my plants are dying. Also, I haven’t taken a bath in forever and my wife is complaining about the smell. Please pray for rain to fall!
Narrator: When Honi received the message he was moved by the concerns of the people.
Honi: This person’s poor crops and their wife are suffering! My people are in trouble. I must go and pray for rain to fall.
Narrator: Honi the Circle Drawer prayed, but no rain fell. While he waited, Honi worked on a Plan B.
Honi: That’s why the people asked me to help them and not anyone else! They want me to pray inside a circle, like the prophet Habakuk did!
Narrator: So Honi found a stick and drew a circle in the dirt. He prayed again, but this time he stood inside the circle.
Honi: Excuse me! God! Your people are asking me to get you to make it rain. You didn’t listen last time, so this time I’ll let you know I mean it! I won’t move from this circle until it rains!
Narrator: As Honi finished his prayers, it started to rain. He turned to walk home, but before he could get there one of his friends stopped him.
Friend: Honi, Honi! Don’t stop yet!
Honi: What? But it started raining! Why wouldn’t I stop!
Friend: This isn’t enough rain to save us from a drought! Besides, God probably only made it rain so you wouldn’t be stuck in that little circle. We need enough rain to fill the ditches and flood caves!
Honi: You have a point… this isn’t enough rain to keep us going until the next one. I’ll go back.
Narrator: Honi went back to his circle and spoke to God again.
Honi: Hey God! Sorry to bother you again! This… really isn’t very much rain. Could we get some more? We’re like, really thirsty down here! Sorry that I wasn’t specific enough before, I just—
Narrator: Before Honi could finish, he was drenched! The rain came down in bigger drops than he had ever seen! Each one was like a full cup of water.
Honi: There we go! That is DEFINITELY enough rain!
Narrator: Satisfied, Honi stepped out of his circle so that he could go home and be out of all of this heavy rain! But, before he could get there his friend stopped him once again.
Friend: Honi! Honi! This is WAY too much rain!
Honi: You asked for a lot of rain, Friend! This will definitely fill all the ditches and flood all the caves, just like you asked!
Friend: Sure, but it might also flood my house! Look at this! My socks are all wet!
Honi: Well, that’s what you get for wearing socks with sandals. But, I GUESS I can go pray again.
Friend: Thank you, thank you!
Narrator: Once again, Honi went back to his circle.
Honi: Hey God! Thanks for the rain! Just so you know, We’d rather you not destroy the world!
Narrator: Finally, Honi went home. It kept raining, a normal amount of rain this time, but it rained for so long that the people were forced to find shelter on top of the mountain.
Person 1: Honi! When I sent you a message asking you to pray for rain, this is not what I meant! Please, I’ll ask you now; pray for the rain to stop!
Narrator: Honi thought about the plea of the people and he looked at the rain flooding their town below.
Honi: Normally, I would not pray about being given too much of a good thing. This rain was definitely a gift from God. What I will do, though, is make an offering of thanks-giving. Bring me a sacrifice!
Narrator: The people went out to find a sacrifice for Honi to use, and when they brought it back he laid his hands on it.
Honi: Hello God! Thank you for the rain! This is what we asked for and you gave us so much of it! But, just like we couldn’t handle having no rain, we also can’t handle too much rain!
Narrator: Just like that, the sun found its way through the clouds and started to dry the ground. People were able to go back to their homes and had enough water to live. As Honi walked to his own home, he saw a man planting a fruit tree.
Honi: You! Tree planter! How long will it take for this tree to bear fruit?
Tree Planter: Well… I would say about 70 years.
Honi: Yikes! That’s a long time! You don’t even look like you’ll live 70 more years! Why waste your time to plant that tree at all?
Tree Planter: I plant it because when my grandchildren need fruit, they will have it. The fruit trees you see today were planted by my ancestors so that I could have fruit when I need it.
Narrator: Honi shook his head. This was all too much for him right now. He needed to rest before he continued.
Honi: Yawwwwwwn! Praying so many times and seeking shelter from the rain is so tiring. If I’m going to make it home I’ll need a LOT of sleep!
Narrator: And Honi did get a lot of sleep! He slept for 70 years, and trees and rocks shifted to conceal him. When he finally woke up and shifted away the shelter, he was confronted with a man picking fruit from the tree.
Honi: You! Tree picker! Are you the man who planted this tree?
Tree Picker: No! I’m his grandson. That man passed away many years ago.
Honi: How often do you eat from the tree he planted?
Tree Picker: Every day! This tree is my favorite tree! I gather the fruit whenever I can and when I eat it I think of my grandfather’s hard work!
Narrator: As Honi stood from his resting spot to admire the tree, he realized that the man with the tree and the downpouring of rain both had the same thing in common: as we live we need to think about not just how to do what we need to do, but how to do what is best for us and all those who come after. It’s probably a good idea to be specific with how much rain you really want, even when you’re terrified of a drought, and it’s not a waste of time to plant a tree that won’t be ready until your grandchildren are old enough to harvest its fruit.
The World of Asiyah - Fruits and nuts with a hard outside and an edible inside
[Pour a glass of white wine, say the blessing, and drink half or more.]
Although seemingly inedible from the outside, each of the foods eaten at the level of Asiyah, when peeled or shelled, hold gifts that transcend their outward appearance. Like winter, where everything lays dormant and hidden, these fruits and nuts contain inside them the potential to reveal what is hidden within. Because of their hard exterior, these goods can represent the human tendency to judge others by their outer appearance. They can also represent the ways we separate ourselves from other people. Eating these fruits reminds us that whoever we are, we all carry a divine spark within.
Discuss: When have you "judged a book by its cover" only to realize that you were mistaken?
Eat: Walnuts | Almonds | Pomegranates | Coconuts | Pistachios
We begin our meal with Motzi--as we acknowledge the Source of our abundance. It is customary to use a round challah. The round challah symbolizes the cyclical nature of our world and of our lives. Some people have the custom of adding raisins to the challah to give it a little more sweetness.
How are we bringing sweetness into our new year even as our world and our lives have been so drastically changed?
What can we each do to bring sweetness to the world?
IT HAPPENED THAT THE PEOPLE SAID TO HONI, THE CIRCLE DRAWER
CAST: NARRATOR, PLONI, HONI, FRIEND, TREE PLANTER, TREE PICKER
Narrator: Nearly the whole month of Adar had passed and it hadn’t rained once. The people were worried about the dry spell stretching into a catastrophic drought. Luckily, they knew just who to ask in this time of need.
Ploni: Dear Honi the Circle Drawer, it has been weeks without rain and things are getting desperate. All my plants are dying. Also, I haven’t taken a bath in forever and my wife is complaining about the smell. Please pray for rain to fall!
Narrator: When Honi received the message he was moved by the concerns of the people.
Honi: This person’s poor crops and their wife are suffering! My people are in trouble. I must go and pray for rain to fall.
Narrator: Honi the Circle Drawer prayed, but no rain fell. While he waited, Honi worked on a Plan B.
Honi: That’s why the people asked me to help them and not anyone else! They want me to pray inside a circle, like the prophet Habakuk did!
Narrator: So Honi found a stick and drew a circle in the dirt. He prayed again, but this time he stood inside the circle.
Honi: Excuse me! God! Your people are asking me to get you to make it rain. You didn’t listen last time, so this time I’ll let you know I mean it! I won’t move from this circle until it rains!
Narrator: As Honi finished his prayers, it started to rain. He turned to walk home, but before he could get there one of his friends stopped him.
Friend: Honi, Honi! Don’t stop yet!
Honi: What? But it started raining! Why wouldn’t I stop!
Friend: This isn’t enough rain to save us from a drought! Besides, God probably only made it rain so you wouldn’t be stuck in that little circle. We need enough rain to fill the ditches and flood caves!
Honi: You have a point… this isn’t enough rain to keep us going until the next one. I’ll go back.
Narrator: Honi went back to his circle and spoke to God again.
Honi: Hey God! Sorry to bother you again! This… really isn’t very much rain. Could we get some more? We’re like, really thirsty down here! Sorry that I wasn’t specific enough before, I just—
Narrator: Before Honi could finish, he was drenched! The rain came down in bigger drops than he had ever seen! Each one was like a full cup of water.
Honi: There we go! That is DEFINITELY enough rain!
Narrator: Satisfied, Honi stepped out of his circle so that he could go home and be out of all of this heavy rain! But, before he could get there his friend stopped him once again.
Friend: Honi! Honi! This is WAY too much rain!
Honi: You asked for a lot of rain, Friend! This will definitely fill all the ditches and flood all the caves, just like you asked!
Friend: Sure, but it might also flood my house! Look at this! My socks are all wet!
Honi: Well, that’s what you get for wearing socks with sandals. But, I GUESS I can go pray again.
Friend: Thank you, thank you!
Narrator: Once again, Honi went back to his circle.
Honi: Hey God! Thanks for the rain! Just so you know, We’d rather you not destroy the world!
Narrator: Finally, Honi went home. It kept raining, a normal amount of rain this time, but it rained for so long that the people were forced to find shelter on top of the mountain.
Person 1: Honi! When I sent you a message asking you to pray for rain, this is not what I meant! Please, I’ll ask you now; pray for the rain to stop!
Narrator: Honi thought about the plea of the people and he looked at the rain flooding their town below.
Honi: Normally, I would not pray about being given too much of a good thing. This rain was definitely a gift from God. What I will do, though, is make an offering of thanks-giving. Bring me a sacrifice!
Narrator: The people went out to find a sacrifice for Honi to use, and when they brought it back he laid his hands on it.
Honi: Hello God! Thank you for the rain! This is what we asked for and you gave us so much of it! But, just like we couldn’t handle having no rain, we also can’t handle too much rain!
Narrator: Just like that, the sun found its way through the clouds and started to dry the ground. People were able to go back to their homes and had enough water to live. As Honi walked to his own home, he saw a man planting a fruit tree.
Honi: You! Tree planter! How long will it take for this tree to bear fruit?
Tree Planter: Well… I would say about 70 years.
Honi: Yikes! That’s a long time! You don’t even look like you’ll live 70 more years! Why waste your time to plant that tree at all?
Tree Planter: I plant it because when my grandchildren need fruit, they will have it. The fruit trees you see today were planted by my ancestors so that I could have fruit when I need it.
Narrator: Honi shook his head. This was all too much for him right now. He needed to rest before he continued.
Honi: Yawwwwwwn! Praying so many times and seeking shelter from the rain is so tiring. If I’m going to make it home I’ll need a LOT of sleep!
Narrator: And Honi did get a lot of sleep! He slept for 70 years, and trees and rocks shifted to conceal him. When he finally woke up and shifted away the shelter, he was confronted with a man picking fruit from the tree.
Honi: You! Tree picker! Are you the man who planted this tree?
Tree Picker: No! I’m his grandson. That man passed away many years ago.
Honi: How often do you eat from the tree he planted?
Tree Picker: Every day! This tree is my favorite tree! I gather the fruit whenever I can and when I eat it I think of my grandfather’s hard work!
Narrator: As Honi stood from his resting spot to admire the tree, he realized that the man with the tree and the downpouring of rain both had the same thing in common: as we live we need to think about not just how to do what we need to do, but how to do what is best for us and all those who come after. It’s probably a good idea to be specific with how much rain you really want, even when you’re terrified of a drought, and it’s not a waste of time to plant a tree that won’t be ready until your grandchildren are old enough to harvest its fruit.
The World of Asiyah - Fruits and nuts with a hard outside and an edible inside
[Pour a glass of white wine, say the blessing, and drink half or more.]
Although seemingly inedible from the outside, each of the foods eaten at the level of Asiyah, when peeled or shelled, hold gifts that transcend their outward appearance. Like winter, where everything lays dormant and hidden, these fruits and nuts contain inside them the potential to reveal what is hidden within. Because of their hard exterior, these goods can represent the human tendency to judge others by their outer appearance. They can also represent the ways we separate ourselves from other people. Eating these fruits reminds us that whoever we are, we all carry a divine spark within.
Discuss: When have you "judged a book by its cover" only to realize that you were mistaken?
Eat: Walnuts | Almonds | Pomegranates | Coconuts | Pistachios
We begin our meal with Motzi--as we acknowledge the Source of our abundance. It is customary to use a round challah. The round challah symbolizes the cyclical nature of our world and of our lives. Some people have the custom of adding raisins to the challah to give it a little more sweetness.
How are we bringing sweetness into our new year even as our world and our lives have been so drastically changed?
What can we each do to bring sweetness to the world?
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