Passover Seder

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"Seder" redirects here. For other uses, see Seder (disambiguation).

Table set for the Passover Seder

The Passover Seder (English pronunciation: ˈseɪ dəɹ; in Hebrew: ‫ˈ[ ֵסֶד ר‬sedeʁ], meaning
"order, arrangement"; and in Yiddish: "seyder") is a Jewish ritual feast that marks the
beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted on the evening of the 15th
day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar throughout the world. This corresponds to late
March or April in the Gregorian calendar. Passover lasts for 7 days in Israel and 8 days
outside of Israel (other than for adherents of Reform Judaism for whom Passover is 7
days regardless of location), with Jews outside of Israel other than Reform Jews holding
two Seders (on the evening of the 15th and 16th of Nisan) and Jews in Israel and Reform
Jews worldwide holding one Seder (on the 15th of Nisan).

The Seder is a ritual performed by a community or by multiple generations of a family,

involving a retelling of the story of The liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient
Egypt. This story is in The Book of Exodus (Shemot) in The Hebrew Bible. The Seder
itself is based on the Biblical verse commanding Jews to retell the story of The Exodus
from Egypt: "You shall tell your child on that day, saying, 'It is because of what the
LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.'" (Exodus 13:8) Traditionally, families and
friends gather in the evening to read the text of the Haggadah, an ancient work derived
from the Mishnah (Pesahim 10).[1][2] The Haggadah contains the narrative of the Israelite
exodus from Egypt, special blessings and rituals, commentaries from the Talmud, and
special Passover songs.

Seder customs include telling the story, discussing the story, drinking four cups of wine,
eating matza, partaking of symbolic foods placed on the Passover Seder Plate, and
reclining in celebration of freedom.[3] The Seder is performed in much the same way by
Jews all over the world.

Contents
 1 Overview
 2 Themes of the Seder
o 2.1 Slavery and freedom
o 2.2 The Four Cups
o 2.3 Seder plate
o 2.4 Focus on the children
 3 Order of the Seder
o 3.1 Kadeish (blessings and the first cup of wine)
o 3.2 Ur'chatz (wash hands)
o 3.3 Karpas (appetizer)
 o 3.4 Yachatz (breaking of the middle matzah)
o 3.5 Magid (relating the Exodus)
 3.5.1 Ha Lachma Anya (invitation to the Seder)
 3.5.2 Mah Nishtanah (The Four Questions)
 3.5.3 The Four Sons
 3.5.4 "Go and learn"
o 3.6 Rohtzah (ritual washing of hands)
o 3.7 Motzi (blessings over the Matzah)
o 3.8 Matzah
o 3.9 Maror (bitter herbs)
o 3.10 Korech (sandwich)
o 3.11 Shulchan Orech (the meal)
o 3.12 Tzafun (eating of the afikoman)
o 3.13 Bareich (Grace after Meals)
 3.13.1 Kos Shlishi (the Third Cup of Wine)
 3.13.2 Kos shel Eliyahu ha-Navi (cup of Elijah the Prophet);
Miriam's cup
o 3.14 Hallel (songs of praise)
o 3.15 Nirtzah
 4 Non-traditional Seders
o 4.1 Feminist Seders
o 4.2 Public Seders
o 4.3 Messianic Seders
o 4.4 Christian Seders
o 4.5 Interfaith Seders
 5 See also
 6 References
 7 External links

Overview
1. Kadeish ‫ – קדש‬recital of Kiddush blessing and drinking of the first cup of wine
2. Urchatz ‫ – ורחץ‬the washing of the hands
3. Karpas ‫ – כרפס‬dipping of the karpas in salt water
4. Yachatz ‫ – יחץ‬breaking the middle matzo; the larger piece becomes the afikoman
5. Maggid ‫ – מגיד‬retelling the Passover story, including the recital of "the four
questions" and drinking of the second cup of wine
6. Rachtzah ‫ – רחצה‬second washing of the hands
7. Motzi ‫מוציא‬, Matzo ‫ – מצה‬blessing before eating matzo
8. Maror ‫ – מרור‬eating of the maror
9. Koreich ‫ – כורך‬eating of a sandwich made of matzo and maror
10. Shulchan oreich ‫ – שלחן עורך‬lit. "set table"—the serving of the holiday meal
11. Tzafun ‫ – צפון‬eating of the afikoman
12. Bareich ‫ – ברך‬blessing after the meal and drinking of the third cup of wine
 13. Hallel ‫ – הלל‬recital of the Hallel, traditionally recited on festivals; drinking of the
fourth cup of wine
14. Nirtzah ‫ – נירצה‬say "Next Year in Jerusalem!"

While many Jewish holidays revolve around the synagogue, the Seder is conducted in the
family home, although communal Seders are also organized by synagogues, schools and
community centers, some open to the general public. It is customary to invite guests,
especially strangers and the needy. The Seder is integral to Jewish faith and identity: as
explained in the Haggadah, if not for divine intervention and the Exodus, the Jewish
people would still be slaves in Egypt. Therefore, the Seder is an occasion for praise and
thanksgiving and for re-dedication to the idea of liberation. Furthermore, the words and
rituals of the Seder are a primary vehicle for the transmission of the Jewish faith from
grandparent to child, and from one generation to the next. Attending a Seder and eating
matza on Passover is a widespread custom in the Jewish community, even among those
who are not religiously observant.

A Ukrainian 19th-century lubok representing the Seder table.

The Seder table is traditionally set with the finest place settings and silverware, and
family members come to the table dressed in their holiday clothes. There is a tradition for
the person leading the Seder to wear a white robe called a kittel.[4][5] For the first half of
the Seder, each participant will only need a plate and a wine glass. At the head of the
table is a Seder plate containing various symbolic foods that will be eaten or pointed out
during the course of the Seder. Placed nearby is a plate with three matzot and dishes of
salt water for dipping.

Each participant receives a copy of the Haggadah, which is often a traditional version: an
ancient text that contains the complete Seder service. Men and women are equally
obliged and eligible to participate in the Seder.[6] In many homes, each participant at the
Seder table will recite at least critical parts of the Haggadah in the original Hebrew and
Aramaic. Halakhah requires that certain parts be said in language the participants can
understand, and critical parts are often said in both Hebrew and the native language. The
leader will often interrupt the reading to discuss different points with his or her children,
or to offer a Torah insight into the meaning or interpretation of the words.

In some homes, participants take turns reciting the text of the Haggadah, in the original
Hebrew or in translation. It is traditional for the head of the household and other
participants to have pillows placed behind them for added comfort. At several points
during the Seder, participants lean to the left - when drinking the four cups of wine,
eating the Afikoman, and eating the korech sandwich.[5]

Jews generally observe one or two seders: in Israel, one seder is observed on the first
night of Passover; many Diaspora communities, sometimes excluding Reform and
Reconstructionist Jews, hold a seder also on the second night. Seders have been observed
around the world, including in remote places such as high in the Himalaya mountains in
Kathmandu, Nepal.[7][8]

Themes of the Seder

Slavery and freedom

Machine-made matzo

The rituals and symbolic foods evoke the twin themes of the evening: slavery and
freedom. The rendering of time for the Hebrews was that a day began at sunset and ended
at sunset. Historically, at the beginning of the 15th of Nisan in Ancient Egypt, the Jewish
people were enslaved to Pharaoh. After the tenth plague struck Egypt at midnight, killing
all the first-born sons from the first-born of Pharaoh to the first-born of the lowest
Egyptian to all the first-born of the livestock in the land (Exodus 12:29), Pharaoh let the
Hebrew nation go, effectively making them free people for the second half of the night.

Thus, Seder participants recall the slavery that reigned during the first half of the night by
eating matzo (the "poor person's bread"), maror (bitter herbs which symbolize the
bitterness of slavery), and charoset (a sweet paste representing the mortar which the
Jewish slaves used to cement bricks). Recalling the freedom of the second half of the
night, they eat the matzo (the "bread of freedom" and also the "bread of affliction") and
'afikoman', and drink the four cups of wine, in a reclining position, and dip vegetables
into salt water (the dipping being a sign of royalty and freedom, while the salt water
recalls the tears the Jews shed during their servitude).

The Four Cups

There is an obligation to drink four cups of wine during the Seder. The Mishnah says
(Pes. 10:1) that even the poor are obliged to drink the four cups. Each cup is imbibed at a
specific point in the Seder. The first is for Kiddush (‫)קידוש‬, the second is for 'Maggid' (
‫)מגיד‬, the third is for Birkat Hamazon (‫ )ברכת המזון‬and the fourth is for Hallel (‫)הלל‬.[9][10]

Passover Seder table

Traditional arrangement of symbolic foods on a Passover Seder plate

The Four Cups represent the four expressions of deliverance promised by God Exodus
6:6-7: "I will bring out," "I will deliver," "I will redeem," and "I will take."[9]

The Vilna Gaon relates the Four Cups to four worlds: this world, the Messianic age, the
world at the revival of the dead, and the world to come. The MaHaRaL connects them to
the four Matriarchs: Sarah, Rebeccah, Rachel, and Leah. (The three matzot, in turn, are
connected to the three Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.) Abarbanel relates the cups
to the four historical redemptions of the Jewish people: the choosing of Abraham, the
Exodus from Egypt, the survival of the Jewish people throughout the exile, and the fourth
which will happen at the end of days.

The four cups might also reflect the Roman custom of drinking as many cups as there are
letters in the name of the chief guest at a meal, which in the case of the Seder is God
Himself whose Hebrew name has four letters.[11]

Seder plate

Main article: Passover Seder

The Passover Seder plate (ke'ara) is a special plate containing 21 symbolic foods used
during the Passover Seder. Each of the six items arranged on the plate has special
significance to the retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The seventh symbolic
item used during the meal—a stack of three matzot—is placed on its own plate on the
Seder table.

The six items on the Seder plate are:

 Maror and Chazeret: Two types of bitter herbs, symbolizing the bitterness and
harshness of the slavery which the Jews endured in Ancient Egypt. For maror,
many people use freshly grated horseradish or whole horseradish root. Chazeret is
typically romaine lettuce, whose roots are bitter-tasting. Either the horseradish or
romaine lettuce may be eaten in fulfillment of the mitzvah of eating bitter herbs
during the Seder.
 Charoset: A sweet, brown, pebbly paste of fruits and nuts, representing the mortar
used by the Jewish slaves to build the storehouses of Egypt.
 Karpas: A vegetable other than bitter herbs, usually parsley but sometimes
something such as celery or cooked potato, which is dipped into salt water
(Ashkenazi custom), vinegar (Sephardi custom), or charoset (older custom, still
common amongst Yemenite Jews) at the beginning of the Seder.
 Zeroa: A roasted lamb or goat bone, symbolizing the korban Pesach (Pesach
sacrifice), which was a lamb offered in the Temple in Jerusalem and was then
roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night.
 Beitzah: A hard-boiled egg, symbolizing the korban chagigah (festival sacrifice)
that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem and was then eaten as part of the meal
on Seder night.

Focus on the children

Since the retelling of the Exodus to one's child is the object of the Seder experience,
much effort is made to arouse the interest and curiosity of the children and keep them
awake during the meal. To that end, questions and answers are a central device in the
Seder ritual. By encouraging children to ask questions, they will be more open to hearing
the answers.
The most famous question which the youngest child asks at the Seder is the Mah
Nishtanah - "Why is this night different from all other nights?" After the asking of these
questions, the main portion of the Seder, Magid, gives over the answers in the form of a
historical review. Also, at different points in the Seder, the leader of the Seder will cover
the matzot and lift their cup of wine; then put down the cup of wine and uncover the
matzot—all to elicit questions from the children.

In Sephardic tradition, the questions are asked by the assembled company in chorus
rather than by a child, and are put to the leader of the seder, who either answers the
question or may direct the attention of the assembled company to someone who is acting
out that particular part of the Exodus. Physical re-enactment of the Exodus during the
Passover seder is common in many families and communities, especially amongst
Sephardim.[12]

Families will follow the Haggadah's lead by asking their own questions at various points
in the Haggadah and offering prizes such as nuts and candies for correct answers. The
afikoman, which is hidden away for the "dessert" after the meal, is another device used to
encourage children's participation. In some families, the leader of the Seder hides the
afikoman and the children must find it, whereupon they receive a prize or reward. In
other homes, the children hide the afikoman and a parent must look for it; when the
parents give up, the children demand a prize (often money) for revealing its location.

Order of the Seder

The order and procedures of the Seder are stated and printed in the text of the Passover
Haggadah, a copy of which is in front of all participants. The following words, denoting
the order of the Seder are traditionally recited before anything else is said (phonetically,
explained in more detail below). Jewish children are often taught this with a rhyme and
tune at their Jewish schools:

Kaddesh. Urechatz. Karpas. Yachatz. Maggid. Rachtzah. Motzi. Matzah. Maror. Korech.
Shulchan Orech. Tzafun. Barech. Hallel. Nirtzah.[13]

In Hebrew:

‫ נרצה‬.‫ הלל‬.‫ ברך‬.‫ צפון‬.‫ שלחן עורך‬.‫ כורך‬.‫ מרור‬.‫ מוציא מצה‬.‫ רחצה‬.‫ מגיד‬.‫ יחץ‬.‫ כרפס‬.‫ ורחץ‬.‫קדש‬

Kadeish (blessings and the first cup of wine)

Kadeish ‫ קדש‬is Hebrew Imperative for Kiddush. It should be recited as soon as the
synagogue services are over but not before nightfall.[13] This Kiddush is similar to that
which is recited on all of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals, but also refers to matzot and the
exodus from Egypt. Acting in a way that shows freedom and majesty, many Jews have
the custom of filling each other's cups at the Seder table. The Kiddush is traditionally said
by the father of the house, but all Seder participants may participate by reciting the
Kiddush and drinking at least a majority of the first cup of wine.
Ur'chatz (wash hands)

Technically, according to Jewish law, whenever one partakes of fruits or vegetables

dipped in liquid while remaining wet, one must wash one's hands, if the fruit or vegetable
remains wet. However, other times of the year either one has already washed their hands
before eating bread, or dry the fruit or vegetable, in which case, one need not wash their
hands before eating the fruit or vegetable.

According to most traditions, no blessing is recited at this point in the Seder, unlike the
blessing recited over the washing of the hands before eating bread. However, followers of
Rambam or the Gaon of Vilna do recite a blessing.

Karpas (appetizer)

Each participant dips a vegetable into either salt water (Ashkenazi custom; said to serve
as a reminder of the tears shed by their enslaved ancestors), vinegar (Sephardi custom) or
charoset (older Sephardi custom; still common among Yemenite Jews). Another custom
mentioned in some Ashkenazi sources and probably originating with Meir of Rothenburg,
[citation needed]
was to dip the karpas in wine.

Yachatz (breaking of the middle matzah)

Three matzot are stacked on the seder table; at this stage, the middle matzah of the three
is broken in half. The larger piece is hidden, to be used later as the afikoman, the
"dessert" after the meal. The smaller piece is returned to its place between the other two
matzot.

Magid (relating the Exodus)

The story of Passover, and the change from slavery to freedom is told. At this point in the
Seder, Moroccan Jews have a custom of raising the Seder plate over the heads of all those
present while chanting "Bivhilu yatzanu mimitzrayim, halahma anya b'nei horin" (In
haste we went out of Egypt [with our] bread of affliction, [now we are] free people).

Ha Lachma Anya (invitation to the Seder)

A bronze matzo plate designed by Maurice Ascalon, inscribed with the opening words of
Ha Lachma Anya

The matzot are uncovered, and referred to as the "bread of affliction". Participants declare
(in Aramaic) an invitation to all who are hungry or needy to join in the Seder. Halakha
requires that this invitation be repeated in the native language of the country.

Mah Nishtanah (The Four Questions)

Main article: the four questions

The Mishna details questions one is obligated to ask on the night of the seder. It is
customary for the youngest child present to recite the four questions.[14] Some customs
hold that the other participants recite them quietly to themselves as well. In some
families, this means that the requirement remains on an adult "child" until a grandchild of
the family receives sufficient Jewish education to take on the responsibility. If a person
has no children capable of asking, the responsibility falls to their spouse, or another
participant.[15] The need to ask is so great that even if a person is alone at the seder they
are obligated to ask themselves and to answer their own questions.[15]

Ma nishtana ha lyla ha zeh mikkol hallaylot?

Why is this night different from all other nights?

1. Shebb'khol hallelot anu okh’lin ḥamets umatsa, vehallayla hazze kullo matsa.
Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat either leavened bread or
matza, but on this night we eat only matza?
2. Shebb'khol hallelot anu okh’lin sh’ar y'rakot, vehallayla hazze maror.
Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables, but on this night
we eat bitter herbs?
3. Shebb'khol hallelot en anu matbillin afillu pa‘am eḥat, vehallayla hazze sh'tei
fe‘amim.
Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip [our food] even once, but on this
night we dip them twice?
 4. Shebb'khol hallelot anu okh’lin ben yosh’vin uven m'subbin, vehallayla hazze
kullanu m'subbin.
Why is it that on all other nights we dine either sitting upright or reclining, but on
this night we all recline?

The second question substitutes for a different question, present in the mishnah but
removed by later authorities due to its inapplicability after the destruction of the temple:

5. Shebb'khol hallelot anu okh’lin basar tsali shaluk umvushal, vehallayla hazze
kullo tsali.
Why is it that on all other nights we eat meat either roasted, marinated, or cooked,
but on this night it is entirely roasted?

Roasted sacrifices were no longer possible after the destruction, and roasted meat was
therefore disallowed on seder night, to avoid ambiguity.

The questions are answered with the following:

1. We eat only matzah because our ancestors could not wait for their breads to rise
when they were fleeing slavery in Egypt, and so they were flat when they came
out of the oven.
2. We eat only Maror, a bitter herb, to remind us of the bitterness of slavery that our
ancestors endured while in Egypt.
3. The first dip, green vegetables in salt water, symbolizes the replacing of our tears
with gratitude, and the second dip, Maror in Charoses, symbolizes the sweetening
of our burden of bitterness and suffering.
4. We recline at the Seder table because in ancient times, a person who reclined at a
meal was a free person, while slaves and servants stood.
5. We eat only roasted meat because that is how the Pesach/Passover lamb is
prepared during sacrifice in the Temple at Jerusalem.

The four questions have been translated into over 300 languages.[16]

The Four Sons

The traditional Haggadah speaks of "four sons"—one who is wise, one who is wicked,
one who is simple, and one who does not know to ask. This is based upon the rabbis of
the Jerusalem Talmud finding four references in the Torah to responding to your son who
asks a question.[17] Each of these sons phrases his question about the seder in a different
way. The Haggadah recommends answering each son according to his question, using
one of the three verses in the Torah that refer to this exchange.

The wise son asks "What are the statutes, the testimonies, and the laws that God has
commanded you to do?" One explanation for why this very detailed-oriented question is
categorized as wise, is that the wise son is trying to learn how to carry out the seder,
rather than asking for someone else's understanding of its meaning. He is answered fully:
"You should reply to him with [all] the laws of pesach: one may not eat any dessert after
the paschal sacrifice."

The wicked son, who asks, "What is this service to you?", is characterized by the
Haggadah as isolating himself from the Jewish people, standing by objectively and
watching their behavior rather than participating. Therefore, he is rebuked by the
explanation that "It is because God acted for my sake when I left Egypt." (This implies
that the Seder is not for the wicked son because the wicked son would not have deserved
to be freed from Egyptian slavery.) Where the four sons are illustrated in the Haggadah,
this son has frequently been depicted as carrying weapons or wearing stylish
contemporary fashions.

The simple son, who asks, "What is this?" is answered with "With a strong hand the
Almighty led us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage."

And the one who does not know to ask is told, "It is because of what the Almighty did for
me when I left Egypt."

Some modern Haggadahs mention "children" instead of "sons", and some have added a
fifth child. The fifth child can represent the children of the Shoah who did not survive to
ask a question[18] or represent Jews who have drifted so far from Jewish life that they do
not participate in a Seder.[19]

For the former, tradition is to say that for that child we ask "Why?" and, like the simple
child, we have no answer.

"Go and learn"

Four verses in Deuteronomy (26:5-8) are then expounded, with an elaborate, traditional
commentary. ("5. And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God: 'A wandering
Aramean was my parent, and they went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in
number; and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6. And the Egyptians
dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. 7. And we cried unto the
Lord, the God of our parents, and the Lord heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and
our toil, and our oppression. 8 And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a strong
hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with
wonders.")

The Haggadah explores the meaning of those verses, and embellishes the story. This
telling describes the slavery of the Jewish people and their miraculous salvation by God.
This culminates in an enumeration of the Ten Plagues:

1. Dam (blood)—All the water was changed to blood

2. Tzefardeyah (frogs)—An infestation of frogs sprang up in Egypt
3. Kinim (lice)—The Egyptians were afflicted by lice
 4. Arov (wild animals)—An infestation of wild animals (some say flies) sprang up in
Egypt
5. Dever (pestilence)—A plague killed off the Egyptian livestock
6. Sh'chin (boils)—An epidemic of boils afflicted the Egyptians
7. Barad (hail)—Hail rained from the sky
8. Arbeh (locusts)—Locusts swarmed over Egypt
9. Choshech (darkness)—Egypt was covered in darkness
10. Makkat Bechorot (killing of the first-born)—All the first-born sons of the
Egyptians were slain by God

With the recital of the Ten Plagues, each participant removes a drop of wine from his or
her cup using a fingertip. Although this night is one of salvation, Don Isaac Abravanel
explains that one cannot be completely joyous when some of God's creatures had to
suffer.[20] A mnemonic acronym for the plagues is also introduced: "D'tzach Adash
B'achav", while similarly spilling a drop of wine for each word.

At this part in the Seder, songs of praise are sung, including the song Dayenu, which
proclaims that had God performed any single one of the many deeds performed for the
Jewish people, it would have been enough to obligate us to give thanks. Some sing
instead The Women's Dayenu, a feminist variant of Dayenu, by Michele Landsberg.[21][22]

After Dayenu is a declaration (mandated by Rabban Gamliel) of the reasons of the

commandments of the Paschal lamb, Matzah, and Maror, with scriptural sources. Then
follows a short prayer, and the recital of the first two psalms of Hallel (which will be
concluded after the meal). A long blessing is recited, and the second cup of wine is
drunk.

Rohtzah (ritual washing of hands)

The ritual hand-washing is repeated, this time with all customs including a blessing.

Motzi (blessings over the Matzah)

Two blessings are recited.

First one recites the standard blessing before eating bread, which includes the words
"who brings forth" (motzi in Hebrew).[23]

Matzah

Then one recites the blessing regarding the commandment to eat Matzah.

An olive-size piece (some say two) is then eaten while reclining to the left.

Maror (bitter herbs)

The blessing for the eating of the maror (bitter herbs) is recited and then it is dipped into
the charoset and eaten.[23]

Korech (sandwich)

The maror (bitter herb) is placed between two small pieces of matzo, similarly to how the
contents of a sandwich are placed between two slices of bread, and eaten. This follows
the tradition of Hillel, who did the same at his Seder table 2000 years ago (except that in
Hillel's day the Paschal sacrifice, matzo, and maror were eaten together.)

Shulchan Orech (the meal)

A Seder table setting

The festive meal is eaten. Traditionally it begins with the charred egg on the Seder plate.
[24]
In Yiddish, there is a cute saying: ‫ מיר צוגרייטן די טיש און עסן די פיש‬Which translated
means "We set the table and eat the fish".

Tzafun (eating of the afikoman)

Main article: Afikoman

The afikoman, which was hidden earlier in the Seder, is traditionally the last morsel of
food eaten by participants in the Seder.

Each participant receives an olive-sized portion of matzo to be eaten as afikoman. After

the consumption of the afikoman, traditionally, no other food may be eaten for the rest of
the night. Additionally, no intoxicating beverages may be consumed, with the exception
of the remaining two cups of wine.

Bareich (Grace after Meals)

The recital of Birkat Hamazon.

Kos Shlishi (the Third Cup of Wine)

The drinking of the Third Cup of Wine.

Note: The Third Cup is customarily poured before the Grace after Meals is recited
because the Third Cup also serves as a Cup of Blessing associated with the Grace after
Meals on special occasions.

Kos shel Eliyahu ha-Navi (cup of Elijah the Prophet); Miriam's cup
In many traditions, the front door of the house is opened at this point. Psalms 79:6-7 is
recited in both Ashkenazi and Sephardi traditions, plus Lamentations 3:66 among
Ashkenazim.

Most Ashkenazim have the custom to fill a fifth cup at this point. This relates to a
Talmudic discussion that concerns the number of cups that are supposed to be drunk.
Given that the four cups are in reference to the four expressions of redemption in Exodus
6:6-7, some rabbis felt that it was important to include a fifth cup for the fifth expression
of redemption in Exodus 6:8. All agreed that five cups should be poured but the question
as to whether or not the fifth should be drunk, given that the fifth expression of
redemption concerned being brought into the Land of Israel, which - by this stage - was
no longer possessed of an autonomous Jewish community, remained insoluble. The
rabbis determined that the matter should be left until Elijah (in reference to the notion
that Elijah's arrival would precipitate the coming of the Messiah, at which time all
halakhic questions will be resolved) and the fifth cup came to be known as the Kos shel
Eliyahu ("Cup of Elijah"). Over time, people came to relate this cup to the notion that
Elijah will visit each home on Seder night as a foreshadowing of his future arrival at the
end of the days, when he will come to announce the coming of the Jewish Messiah. Some
seders (including the original Women's Seder, but not limited to women-only seders) now
set out a cup for the prophet Miriam as well as the traditional cup for the prophet Elijah,
sometimes accompanied by a ritual to honor Miriam.[25] Miriam's cup originated in the
1980s in a Boston Rosh Chodesh group; it was invented by Stephanie Loo, who filled it
with mayim hayim (living waters) and used it in a feminist ceremony of guided
meditation.[26] Miriam's cup is linked to the midrash of Miriam's well, which "is a
rabbinic legend that tells of a miraculous well that accompanied the Israelites during their
40 years in the desert at the Exodus from Egypt".[27][28]

Hallel (songs of praise)

The entire order of Hallel which is usually recited in the synagogue on Jewish holidays is
also recited at the Seder table, albeit sitting down. The first two psalms, 113 and 114,
were recited before the meal. The remaining psalms 115-118, are recited at this point.
Psalm 136 (the Great Hallel) is then recited, followed by Nishmat, a portion of the
morning service for Shabbat and festivals.

There are a number of opinions concerning the paragraph Yehalelukha which normally
follows Hallel, and Yishtabakh, which normally follows Nishmat. Most Ashkenazim
recite Yehalelukha immediately following the Hallel proper, i.e. at the end of Psalm 118,
except for the concluding words. After Nishmat, they recite Yishtabakh in its entirety.
Sephardim recite '"Yehalelukha alone after Nishmat.

Afterwards the Fourth Cup of Wine is drunk and a brief Grace for the "fruit of the vine"
is said.

Nirtzah
Main article: Passover songs

The Seder concludes with a prayer that the night's service be accepted. A hope for the
Messiah is expressed: "L'shanah haba'ah b'Yerushalayim! - Next year in Jerusalem!"
Jews in Israel, and especially those in Jerusalem, recite instead "L'shanah haba'ah
b'Yerushalayim hab'nuyah! - Next year in the rebuilt Jerusalem!" Jerusalem is the holiest
city in the Bible; it has become symbolic of the idea of spiritual perfection. The tradition
of saying “Next year in Jerusalem” is similar to the tradition of opening the door for
Elijah: it recognizes that “this year” we live in an imperfect world outside of “Jerusalem,”
but we patiently await a time, hopefully “next year,” in which we live in spiritual
perfection.[29]

Although the 15 orders of the Seder have been complete, the Haggadah concludes with
additional songs which further recount the miracles that occurred on this night in Ancient
Egypt as well as throughout history. Some songs express a prayer that the Beit
Hamikdash will soon be rebuilt. The last song to be sung is Chad Gadya ("One Kid
Goat"). This seemingly childish song about different animals and people who attempted
to punish others for their crimes and were in turn punished themselves, was interpreted
by the Vilna Gaon as an allegory to the retribution God will levy over the enemies of the
Jewish people at the end of days.

Following the Seder, those who are still awake may recite the Song of Songs, engage in
Torah learning, or continue talking about the events of the Exodus until sleep overtakes
them.

Non-traditional Seders
Feminist Seders

In 1976, the first women-only Passover seder was held in Esther M. Broner's New York
City apartment and led by her, with 13 women attending, including Gloria Steinem, Letty
Cottin Pogrebin, and Phyllis Chesler.[30] Esther Broner and Naomi Nimrod created a
women's haggadah for use at this seder.[31] In the spring of 1976 Esther Broner published
this “Women’s Haggadah” in Ms. magazine, later publishing it as a book in 1994; this
haggadah is meant to include women where only men had been mentioned in traditional
haggadahs, and it features the Wise Women, the Four Daughters, the Women’s
Questions, the Women’s Plagues, and a women-centric “Dayenu”.[32][33] The original
Women's Seder has been held with the Women's Haggadah every year since 1976, and
women-only seders are now held by some congregations as well.[34][35][36] Some seders
(including the original Women's Seder, but not limited to women-only seders) now set
out a cup for the prophet Miriam as well as the traditional cup for the prophet Elijah,
sometimes accompanied by a ritual to honor Miriam.[25] Miriam's cup originated in the
1980s in a Boston Rosh Chodesh group; it was invented by Stephanie Loo, who filled it
with mayim hayim (living waters) and used it in a feminist ceremony of guided
meditation.[26] Miriam's cup is linked to the midrash of Miriam's well, which "is a
rabbinic legend that tells of a miraculous well that accompanied the Israelites during their
40 years in the desert at the Exodus from Egypt".[27][28] Furthermore, some Jews include
an orange on the seder plate. The orange represents the fruitfulness for all Jews when all
marginalized peoples are included, particularly women and gay people.[37] An incorrect
but common rumor says that this tradition began when a man told Susannah Heschel that
a woman belongs on the bimah as an orange on the seder plate; however, it actually
began when in the early 1980s, while when speaking at Oberlin College Hillel, Susannah
Heschel was introduced to an early feminist Haggadah that suggested adding a crust of
bread on the seder plate, as a sign of solidarity with Jewish lesbians (as some would say
there's as much room for a lesbian in Judaism as there is for a crust of bread on the seder
plate).[38] Heschel felt that to put bread on the seder plate would be to accept that Jewish
lesbians and gay men violate Judaism like chametz violates Passover.[38] So, at her next
seder, she chose an orange as a symbol of inclusion of gays and lesbians and others who
are marginalized within the Jewish community.[38] In addition, each orange segment had a
few seeds that had to be spit out – a gesture of spitting out and repudiating the
homophobia of traditional Judaism.[38]

Furthermore, many Haggadah (even the most widely used, the famous Maxwell House
Haggadah) now use gender-neutral English translations.[39]

Public Seders

The group of people who hold a Passover Seder together is referred to in the Talmud
(tractate Pesachim) as a chavurah (group). In the Far East, for example, Chabad-
Lubavitch emissaries regularly conduct Seders for hundreds of visiting students,
businesspeople and Jewish travelers. The Chabad Seder in Kathmandu regularly attracts
more than 1,200 participants.[40] In 2006, the Federation of Jewish Communities of the
CIS and Baltic Countries organized over 500 public Seders throughout the Former Soviet
Union, led by local rabbis and Chabad rabbinical students, drawing more than 150,000
attendees in total.[41]

In Israel, where permanent residents observe only one Seder, overseas students learning
in yeshivas and women's seminaries are often invited in groups up to 100 for "second-day
Seders" hosted by outreach organizations and private individuals.

Messianic Seders

Messianic Jews celebrate a form of Passover by observing some or all of the traditional
observances, but adding additional readings or sacraments found in Christianity and
Messianic Judaism. Additional readings may be from the New Testament, messianic
prophecies such as those found in Isaiah, or prayers containing Messianic elements.[42]
Additionally, the Tzafun and the third cup of wine are sometimes done in conjunction
with communion, citing that Jesus instituted communion right after dinner, which is
where the eating of the afikoman and drinking of the third cup takes place in a traditional
Seder.[43] There are various Messianic Haggadahs used to perform a Seder in the
traditional family setting, at a Messianic Congregation, at a church for explaining
Passover to gentiles, or in a public setting for all to attend.
Christian Seders

See also: Passover in the Christian tradition

Some Christians, especially but not only Evangelical Protestants, have recently taken
great interest in performing seders according to the ancient rubric. Many churches host
Seders, usually adding a Christian (Messianic Passover) message, and many times
inviting Messianic Jews to lead and teach on it. Many Christians cite the meal as a way to
connect with the heritage of their own religion and to see how the practices of the ancient
world are still relevant to Christianity today.[44]

Interfaith Seders

A number of churches hold interfaith Seders where Jews and non-Jews alike are invited
to share in the story and discuss common themes of peace, freedom, and religious
tolerance. It should be noted these themes are only peripherally referenced in a traditional
Jewish Seder.[citation needed] During the American civil rights movement of the 1960s,
interfaith Seders energized and inspired leaders from various communities who came
together to march for equal protection for all. The first of these, the Freedom Seder, was
written by Arthur Waskow, published in Ramparts magazine and in a small booklet by
the Micah Press and in a later edition (1970) by Holt-Rinehart-Winston, and was actually
performed on April 4, 1969, the first anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr.and the third night of Passover, at Lincoln Memorial Temple in Washington, DC. It
celebrated the liberation struggle of Black America alongside that of ancient Israel from
Pharaoh, and was the first Haggadah to go beyond the original Biblical story. It sparked a
large number of Haggadahs celebrating various other forms of liberation—feminism,
vegetarianism, the liberation movements in Latin America in the 1970s, ecological
healing, etc.. Today, many Unitarian Universalist congregations (a liberal religion that
encompasses many faith traditions) hold annual interfaith community Seders.[45] A
number of Interfaith Passover Seder Haggadahs have been written especially for this
purpose.[citation needed]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Passover Seder.

 Jewish cuisine
 Last Supper

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