Baruch atah adonai, eloheynu melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav, vitsivanu lehadlik nehr shel yom tov.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who sanctifies us by Thy commandments and commands us to kindle the festival lights.

Baruch atah adonai, eloheynu melech ha-olam, shechecheyanu, v'kimanu, v'higiyanu lazman hazeh.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive, and sustained us, and enabled us to reach this festive season.

Baruch atah adonai, eloheynu melech ha-olam, borai p'ri hagafen.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, for having chosen us from all peoples, for having exalted us above all nations, and for having sanctified us with Thy commandments. In love, hast Thou, O lord our God, given us solemn days of joy and festive seasons of gladness, even this Feast of Unleavened Bread, the season of our liberation, a holy convocation in love to commemorate the departure from Egypt.  Thou hast chosen us and sanctified us above all peoples, and Thou hast made us share in the blessing of the holy festivals, to be observed with love and favor in happiness and gladness.  Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who hast sanctified Israel and the festive seasons. 

Concerning the first cup, it is written:
And when the hour had come He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.  And He said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat the Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, "Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes" (Luke 22:14-18).

Concerning the washing, it is written:
Now before the Feast of the Passover, Y'shua knowing that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.  And during supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, Y'shua, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God, and was going back to God, rose from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself about.  Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.  And so He came to Simon Peter.  He said to Him, "Lord, do You wash my feet?"  Y'shua answered and said to him, "What I do you do not realize now, but you shall understand hereafter."  Peter said to Him, "Never shall You wash my feet!"  Y'shua answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."  Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head."  Y'shua said to him, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."  For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean" (John 13:1-11).

Baruch atah adonai, eloheynu melech ha-olam, boray, p'ri ha-adamah.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.

Why do we dip parsley into salt water?
The parsley is green and reminds us that spring is here and new life will grow.  The salt water reminds us of tears.  We remember that the Jewish people suffered before they became free.

Concerning the ceremony of Karpas, it is written:
Now when evening had come, He was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.  And as they were eating, He said, "Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me."  And being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, "Surely not I, Lord?"  And He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me.  The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!  It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."  And Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?"  He said to him, "You have said it yourself" (Matthew 26:20-25).

Concerning the breaking of the middle matzah, it is written
And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19).
 
 

 Lo! this is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt.  Let all who are hungry come and eat.  Let all who are in want come and celebrate the Passover with us.  This year we are here, next year we shall be in the land of Israel.

The matzah is unleavened, it is striped, and it is pierced. Even so the Messiah was unleavened, that is, sinless.  Even so the Messiah was striped, that is, by way of the Roman whip.  Even so the Messiah was pierced, that is, by the nails in his hands and His feet and by the spear in his side.

Concerning the leaven, it is written:
Your boasting is not good.  Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?  Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened.  For Messiah our Passover also has been sacrificed.  Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1Corinthians 5:6-8).
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2Corinthians 5:21).

Concerning the stripes, it is written:
Then Pilate therefore took Y'shua, and scourged Him (John 19:1).
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

Concerning the piercing, it is written:
They took Y'shua therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.  There they crucified Him (John 19:17-18).
But coming to Y'shua, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs; but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water...For these things came to pass, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of Him shall be broken."  And again another Scripture says, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced" (John 19:33-34, 36-37).
And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10).

Why is this night different from all other nights?

On all other nights, we may eat either leavened or unleavened bread; on this night, we eat only unleavened bread.
On all other nights, we eat all kinds of herbs; on this night, we eat only bitter herbs.
On all other nights, we do not dip even once; on this night, we dip twice.
On all other nights, we eat either in a sitting or in a reclining position; on this night, we all recline.

Blessed be the Eternal; blessed be He!  Blessed be He who has given the Torah to His people Israel; blessed be He!

The Torah, in explaining the meaning of the Passover, speaks of four types of sons: the wise, the wicked, the simple, and the one who is unable to inquire.
      What does the wise son ask?  "What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances which the Lord our God has commanded you?"  To him you must explain all the laws concerning the Passover, even the law that no dessert may be eaten after the eating of the paschal lamb.
      What does the wicked son ask?  "What mean you by this service?"  By saying you, he excludes himself from the community, thereby denying a fundamental principle in Judaism. Therefore you shall reply:  "It is because of that which the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt"; for me but not for him, for had he been there, he would not have been redeemed.
     What does the simple son ask?  "What is this?"  To him you shall say:  "By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage."
     As for the son who is unable to inquire, you must broach the subject to him, as it is said:  "You shall tell your son on that day, saying:  'It is because of that which the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt'."

In ancient days, our fathers were idol worshippers, but now the Eternal has brought us near to worship Him; as it is said:  "And Joshua dwelt in olden times beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor; and they served other gods.  And I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.  And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau; and I gave to Esau Mount Seir to occupy; and Jacob and his children went down into Egypt'."

Blessed be He who kept His promise to Israel!  Blessed be He!  For the Holy One, blessed be He, determined when the Egyptian servitude would end, that He might perform that which He had told our father Abraham when He made His Covenant with him.  As it is said:  "And He said to Abraham: 'Know for a fact that your children shall be strangers in a foreign land, and shall serve and shall be afflicted for four hundred years; and that nation whom they shall serve, I will judge; and afterwards they shall escape with great wealth.'"

And this promise has been our fathers' support and ours; for not one tyrant only has risen up against us to destroy us, but in every generation tyrants have sought to destroy us, and the Holy One, blessed be He, has delivered us from their hands.

Look what Laban, the Syrian, intended to do to our father Jacob.  Pharaoh decreed the destruction of the males only, while Laban sought to wipe out the whole family of Jacob; as it is said:  "The Syrian would have caused my father Jacob to perish.  But he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there few in number, and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous.  And the Egyptians mistreated us, and afflicted us, and forced upon us hard labor.  And we cried to the Lord, God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.  And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, with great terror, with signs, and with wonders."

And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt; not by an angel, nor by a seraph, nor by a messenger, but the Holy One, blessed be He, in His own glory and He alone; as it is said: "And I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and I will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beasts; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment; I am the Lord."
    And I will pass through the land of Egypt; I myself, and not an angel.  And I will smite all the first-born; I, myself, and no seraph.  And against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment; I, myself, and not a messenger.  I am the Lord; It is I; and none other.
      With a mighty hand; this refers to the pestilence; as it is said:  "Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon your cattle which are in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the herd and upon the flocks; a very grievous pestilence."
    With an outstretched arm; this refers to the sword; as it is said:  "Having a drawn sword in His hand, stretched out over Jerusalem."
    With great terror; this means the Divine Being revealed Himself; as it is said:  "Has any God ever gone and removed a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm, and by great terror, as the Lord did for you in Egypt before your eyes."
    With signs; this refers to the miracles performed with the rod; as it is said:  "And you shall take this rod in your hand; with it you shall do the signs."
    And with wonders; this refers to the plague of blood; as it is said:  "And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood, fire, and pillars of smoke."

The above verse may also be explained as follows:
With a mighty hand denotes two plagues; with an outstretched arm, two plagues; with great terror, two plagues; with signs, two plagues; and with wonders, two plagues.

These are the ten plagues which the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt:

Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, "This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.  Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, "On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers' households, a lamb for each household.  Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb.  Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.  And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight.  Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.  And they shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.  Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails.  And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire.  Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste--it is the Lord's Passover.  For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments--I am the Lord.  And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.  Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord, throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance (Exodus 12:1-14).

Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said to them, "Go and take for yourselves lambs according to your families, and slay the Passover lamb.  And you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning.  For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you.  And you shall observe this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever.  And it will come about when you enter the land which the Lord will give you, as He has promised, that you shall observe this rite.  And it will come about when your children will say to you, 'What does this rite mean to you?' that you shall say, 'It is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.'"  And the people bowed low and worshiped.  Then the sons of Israel went and did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

Now it came about at midnight that the Lord struck all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the first-born of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the first-born of cattle.  And Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead.  Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, "Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the Lord as you have said.  Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go and bless me also."  And the Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, "We shall all be dead."  So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders.  Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request.  Thus they plundered the Egyptians (Exodus 12:21-36).

 Then all the sons of Israel did so; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.  And it came about on that same day that the Lord brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts (Exodus 12:50-51).

How many are the good deeds the Eternal has done us!
Had He brought us out of Egypt, and had not executed judgment upon the Egyptians,  dayenu.
Had He executed judgment upon the Egyptians, and not upon their gods,  dayenu.
Had he executed judgment upon their gods, and had not slain their first-born,  dayenu.
Had He slain their first-born, and had not given us their wealth,  dayenu.
Had He given us their wealth, and had not divided the sea for us,  dayenu.
Had He divided the sea for us, and had not permitted us to cross on dry land,  dayenu.
Had He permitted us to cross on dry land, and had not drowned our oppressors,  dayenu.
Had He drowned our oppressors, and had not provided for us in the wilderness forty years,  dayenu.
Had He provided for us in the wilderness forty years, and had not fed us with manna,  dayenu.
Had He fed us with manna, and had not ordained the Sabbath,  dayenu.
Had He ordained the Sabbath, and had not brought us to Mount Sinai,  dayenu.
Had He brought us to Mount Sinai, and had not given us the Torah,  dayenu.
Had He given us the Torah, and had not led us into the land of Israel,  dayenu.
Had He brought us into the land of Israel, and had not built for us the Temple,  dayenu.
Had He built for us the Temple, and had not provided salvation through the Messiah,   dayenu.   .
Had He provided salvation through the Messiah and had not promised abundant life through the Messiah, dayenu.
Had He promised abundant life through the Messiah, and had not promised to return,  dayenu.
Had He promised to return, and had not promised to establish the Messianic Kingdom,  dayenu.

How much more then are we to be grateful for the manifold favors the Eternal has bestowed upon us!  He brought us out of Egypt, He executed judgment upon the Egyptians and upon their gods, He slew their first-born, He gave us their wealth, He divided for us the sea, He permitted us to cross on dry land, He drowned our oppressors, He provided for us in the wilderness forty years, He fed us with manna, He ordained the Sabbath, He brought us to Mount Sinai, He gave us the Torah, He led us into the land of Israel, He built for us the Temple to make atonement for all our sins, He provided salvation through the Messiah, He promised abundant life through the Messiah, He promised to return, and He promised to establish the Messianic Kingdom.

Rabban Gamaliel said:  "Whoever does not mention the meaning of these three symbols, the paschal lamb, the unleavened bread, and the bitter herbs, has not fulfilled his obligation."

Why did our fathers eat the paschal lamb while the Temple was still in existence? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, passed over our fathers' houses in Egypt; as it is said:  "And you shall say:  'It is the Lord's Passover, because He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the first-born of the Egyptians, and He spared our houses.'  And the people bowed their heads and worshipped."

Concerning the Messiah, it is written:
The next day he saw Y'shua coming to him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).
Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked upon Y'shua as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" (John 1:35).
He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth (Isaiah 53:7).
Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Messiah (1Peter 1:18-19).
Saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing (Revelation 5:12).

Why do we eat this unleavened bread?  Because there was not enough time for the dough of our fathers to rise before the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared to them and redeemed them; as it is said:  "And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt for it had not risen; because they were driven out of Egypt and could not tarry; neither had they prepared for themselves any food."

Why do we eat these bitter herbs?  Because the Egyptians embittered the lives of our fathers in Egypt; as it is said: "And they embittered their lives with hard labor in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of work in the field; all their labor was imposed upon them with rigor."

Why do we have an egg on the Seder plate?  The egg reminds us of spring, the time of the holiday of Passover, and of new life that grows in the spring.  Moreover, while the roasted shank bone represents the yearly Passover sacrifice of the paschal lamb, so the roasted egg represents the daily Temple sacrifice which was faithfully presented until the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D.  Just as a chicken lays an egg daily, so the Jews were commanded to bring an animal sacrifice to the Temple daily, to atone for their sins.  We no longer have a Temple to which to bring our sacrifices, but we remember them through the symbol of the egg; we dip the egg in salt water, which represents tears, to symbolize our mourning over the destruction of the Temple.

In every generation, every Jew must regard himself as though he, personally, were brought out of Egypt; as it is said: "And you shall tell your son on that day, saying:  'It is because of what the Lord did for me when I left Egypt'."  It was not our ancestors alone that the Holy One, blessed be He, redeemed from Egypt, but He redeemed us with them; as it is said:  "And He brought us out of there, that He might bring us into the land which He had promised to our fathers."

Therefore it is our duty to thank, praise, laud, glorify, extol, honor, bless, exalt and adore Him, who performed all these miracles for our ancestors and for us.  He brought us from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from mourning to festive gladness, from darkness to daylight, and from servitude to redemption.  Therefore let us chant to him a new song:  Hallelujah.

   Hallelujah!
   Praise, O servants of the Lord.
   Praise the name of the Lord.
   Blessed be the name of the Lord
   From this time forth and forever.
   From the rising of the sun to its setting
   The name of the Lord is to be praised.
   The Lord is high above all nations;
   His glory is above the heavens.

   Who is like the Lord our God,
   Who is enthroned on high,
   Who humbles Himself to behold
   The things that are in heaven and in the earth?
   He raises the poor from the dust,
   And lifts the needy from the ash heap,
   To make them sit with princes,
   With the princes of His people.
   He makes the barren woman abide in the house
   As a joyful mother of children.
   Hallelujah!

   When Israel went forth from Egypt,
   The house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
   Judah became His sanctuary,
   Israel, His dominion.

   The sea saw and fled;
   The Jordan turned back.
   The mountains skipped like rams,
   The hills, like lambs.
   What ails you, O sea, that you flee?
   O Jordan, that you turn back?
   O mountains, that you skip like rams?
   O hills, like lambs?

   Tremble, O earth, before the Lord,
   Before the God of Jacob,
   Who turned the rock into a pool of water,
   The flint into a fountain of water.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who redeemed our ancestors and us from Egypt, and has enabled us to observe this night, to eat unleavened bread and bitter herbs. May the Lord our God, and the God of our fathers grant us to live to celebrate other festivals and holy seasons.  May we rejoice in the building of Thy city, and be gladdened there in Thy service; then we will chant to Thee a new song for our redemption and for the redemption of our souls.  Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, who redeemed Israel.

Baruch atah adonai, eloheynu melech ha-olam, boray p'ri hagafen.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Baruch atah adonai, eloheynu melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav, vitzivahnu ahl-n'tilaht yahdayim. 

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Thy commandments, and has commanded us to observe washing the hands.

Baruch atah adonai, eloheynu melech ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha-oretz.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

Baruch atah adonai, eloheynu melech ha-olam, ahsher kidshahnu b'mitzvotav, vitzivahnu ahl achilaht matzah.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us with Thy commandments, and hast commanded us to eat unleavened bread.

Baruch atah adonai, eloheynu melech ha-olam, ahsher kidshahnu b'mitzvotav, vitzivahnu ahl achilaht maror.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us with Thy commandments, and hast commanded us to observe eating bitter herbs.

Why do we dip maror into the charoseth?  We dip maror into the charoseth to remind us how hard the Jewish slaves worked in Egypt.  Charoseth looks like the clay which the Jews used to make bricks for building pharaoh's cities and palaces.

Concerning the maror, it is written:
When Y'shua had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me."  The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking.  There was reclining on Y'shua' breast one of His disciples, whom Y'shua loved.  Simon Peter therefore gestured to him, and said to him, "Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking."  He, leaning back thus on Y'shua' breast, said to Him, "Lord, who is it?"  Y'shua therefore answered, "That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him."  So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot (John 13:21-26).

Thus was Hillel accustomed to do at the time the Temple still stood:  He combined unleavened bread and bitter herbs and ate them together, in order to comply with the instruction: "With unleavened bread and bitter herbs, they shall eat the Passover sacrifice."

Concerning the Afikomen, it is written:
And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19).

Concerning the Messiah, it is written:
Y'shua therefore said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.  For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world."  They said therefore to Him, "Lord, evermore give us this bread."  Y'shua said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst" (John 6:32-35).
"I am the bread of life.  Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.  This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh" (John 6:48-51).
"As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me.  This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate, and died; he who eats this bread shall live forever."  These things He said in the synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum (John 6:57-59).

When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with joyful shouting;
Then they said among the nations,
"The Lord has done great things for them."
The Lord has done great things for us;
Therefore we are glad.

Restore our captivity, O Lord,
As the streams in the South.
Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.
He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed,
Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

Blessed be the Lord our God, King of the universe, who sustains the whole world with goodness, with grace, with kindness, and with mercy; He gives food to every creature, for His mercy endures for ever.  Through His great goodness, food has never failed us; may it never fail us at any time, for the sake of His great name.  He is the God that nourishes, sustains, and deals graciously with every one, and He provides food for all the creatures that He has created. Blessed be the Lord, who gives food to everyone.

We thank Thee, O Lord our God, for having caused our fathers to possess that desirable, good and spacious land; for having brought us forth from the land of Egypt; for having redeemed us from the house of bondage and sin; for Thy covenant sealed in our flesh and in our hearts, for the law which Thou has taught us; for the statutes which Thou hast made known to us; for the life, kindness, and mercy which Thou hast graciously bestowed upon us; for the salvation and abundant life Thou hast provided through the Messiah; and for the food with which Thou dost nourish and sustain us, every day, every time, and every hour.

For all these things, O Lord our God, we thank Thee and praise Thee; blessed be Thy name forever, by every living creature, forever and ever; as it is written:  "When you have eaten and are satisfied, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you."  Blessed art Thou, O Lord, for the Holy Land and for the food.

O, rebuild Jerusalem, the Holy City, speedily in our days.  Blessed be the Lord our God, who in His mercy will rebuild Jerusalem; Amen.

Blessed be the Lord our God, King of the universe.  God is our Father, our mighty Sovereign, our Creator, our Redeemer, our Maker, our Holy One, the Holy One of Jacob, our Shepherd, the Shepherd of Israel; the King who is kind and who deals kindly with everyone; day by day He has dealt kindly with us; He has bestowed, He does bestow, and He will ever bestow upon us grace, favor, loving kindness, mercy, deliverance, prosperity, blessing, salvation, consolation, sustenance, support, life, peace, and all good; may His bounty never fail us.

May they in heaven intercede on their behalf and ours, to advocate for enduring peace; and may we receive a blessing from the Lord, and kindness from the God of our salvation.  May we find grace and good favor in the sight of God and man.

Baruch atah adonai, eloheynu melech ha-olam, boray p'ri hagafen.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Concerning this cup, it is written:
And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood" (Luke 22:20).

What is the Cup of Elijah?
There is an extra cup of wine on the table.  This is the Cup of Elijah.  There is a story that the prophet Elijah, a great teacher who lived many years ago, visits every Seder to wish us a year of peace and freedom.

Elijah will herald Messiah's return, and so the cup is placed on the Seder table in the hopes that this year will see both Elijah's and Messiah's appearance.  The door is opened to permit Elijah's entrance.

Behold, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5).

Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
But to Thy name give glory
Because of Thy loving kindness, because of Thy truth.
Why should the nations say,
"Where, now, is their God?"
But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of man's hands.
They have mouths, but they cannot speak;
They have eyes, but they cannot see;
They have ears, but they cannot hear;
They have noses, but they cannot smell;
They have hands, but they cannot feel;
They have feet, but they cannot walk;
They cannot make a sound with their throat.
Those who make them will become like them,
Everyone who trusts in them.

O Israel, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
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.
He will bless those who fear the Lord,
The small together with the great.
May the Lord give you increase,
You and your children.
May you be blessed of the Lord,
Maker of heaven and earth.

The heavens are the heavens of the Lord;
But the earth He has given to the sons of men.
The dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor do any who go down into silence;
But as for us, we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forever.
Hallelujah!

I love the Lord, because He hears 
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.
The cords of death encompassed me,
And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;
I found distress and sorrow.
Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
"O Lord, I beseech Thee, save my life!"

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is compassionate.
The Lord preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
For Thou hast rescued my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
My feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the Lord
In the land of the living.
I believed when I said,
"I am greatly afflicted."
I said in my alarm,
"All men are liars."

What shall I render to the Lord
For all His benefits toward me?
I shall lift up the cup of salvation,
And call upon the name of the Lord.
I shall pay my vows to the Lord,
In the presence of all His people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His godly ones.
O Lord, surely I am Thy servant,
I am Thy servant, the son of Thy handmaid,
Thou hast loosed my bonds.
To Thee I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And call upon the name of the Lord.
I shall pay my vows to the Lord,
In the presence of all His people,
In the courts of the Lord's house,
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!

Praise the Lord, all nations;
Laud Him, all peoples!
For His loving kindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the Lord is everlasting.
Hallelujah!

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His loving kindness is everlasting.
Oh let Israel say,
"His loving kindness is everlasting."
Oh let the house of Aaron say,
"His loving kindness is everlasting."
Oh let those who fear the Lord say,
"His loving kindness is everlasting."

From my distress I called upon the Lord;
The Lord answered me and set me in a large place.
The Lord is for me; I will not fear;
What can man do to me?
The Lord is for me among those who help me;
Therefore I shall look with satisfaction on those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
Than to trust in princes.

All nations surrounded me;
In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.
They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me;
In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.
They surrounded me like bees;
They were extinguished as a fire of thorns;
In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.
You pushed me violently so that I was falling,
But the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.

The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
The right hand of the Lord is exalted;
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
I shall not die, but live,
And tell of the works of the Lord.
The Lord has disciplined me severely,
But He has not given me over to death.

Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord;
The righteous will enter through it.
I shall give thanks to Thee, for Thou hast answered me;
And Thou hast become my salvation.

The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief corner stone.
This is the Lord's doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day which the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad it it.
O Lord, do save, we beseech Thee;
O Lord, we beseech Thee, do send prosperity!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord;
We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God, and He has given us light;
Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
Thou art my God, and I give thanks to Thee;
Thou art my God, I extol Thee.
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
For His loving kindness is everlasting.

He who inhabits eternity, exalted and holy is His name, and it is written:  "Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, praise is comely for the upright."  By the mouth of the upright Thou shalt be praised, by the words of the righteous Thou shalt be blessed, by the tongue of the loving ones Thou shalt be extolled, and in the midst of the holy Thou shalt be hallowed.  Praised be Thy name forever, O our God, the great and holy God and King, in heaven and on earth; for Thou, O Lord our God and God of our fathers, are worthy of song and praise, hymn and psalm, strength and dominion, victory, greatness, and might, renown and glory, holiness and kingship, blessings and thanksgivings from henceforth even forever.  For it is proper to give thanks to Thee, and becoming to sing praises to Thy name, because from the remotest past to eternity Thou art our God.  Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King extolled with praises.

Baruch atah adonai, eloheynu melech ha-olam, boray p'ri hagafen.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Thou didst perform many miracles at night:
In the beginning of the first watch of this night,
The righteous Abraham triumphed when he divided his forces at night.
And it came to pass at midnight.
Thou didst warn the king of Gerar in a dream at night.
Frightened the Aramean, Laban, in the dark of night.
And Israel wrestled with an angel and overcame him at night.
And it came to pass at midnight.
The first-born of the Egyptians were slain at midnight;
Their strength left them when they awoke at night;
The army of the prince of Haroseth, Sisera, thou didst overthrow with the stars of the night.
And it came to pass at midnight.
The blasphemer Sennacherib planned to lift up his hand against the beloved Zion.
But Thou covered him with disgrace by slaying many of his men at night.
The idol Bel, god of the Babylonians, and its pedestal fell in the dark of night.
To the greatly beloved man, Daniel, was revealed the vision at night.
And it came to pass at midnight.
He who became intoxicated by drinking from the holy vessels was killed on that night.
He who was rescued from the den of lions, interpreted the dreadful dreams of the night.
The Agagite, Haman, wrote hate letters at night.
And it came to pass at midnight.
Thou didst bring victory over him by disturbing the sleep of the king at night.
Thou shall bring destruction for the sake of those who say to the Watchman:  "O what of the night exile?"
He cried like a watchman and said: "The morning, freedom, is come as well as the night."
And it came to pass at midnight.
O draw nigh the day, that is neither day nor night, the day of redemption.
O Most High, make it known that Thine is the day as well as the night.
Appoint watchmen for your city all day and all night.
O make bright, like the very day, the darkness of the night.
And it came to pass at midnight.

The might of Thy power was wonderfully shown on the Passover.
At the head of all solemn festivals didst Thou raise the Passover.
Thou didst reveal our destiny to Abraham at midnight of Passover.
And you shall say: "This is the Passover sacrifice."
Thou didst knock at his door at the noon of Passover.
He provided the angels with unleavened cake on Passover.
"And he ran to the herd," predicting the offering of the Passover.
And you shall say: "This is the Passover sacrifice."
The Sodomites drew upon themselves the anger of God, and were consumed by fire on the Passover.
Lot was rescued from the wicked, and he baked unleavened bread for the Passover.
Thou didst sweep away the land of Moph and Noph, Egypt, when Thou didst pass through on the Passover.
And you shall say: "This is the Passover sacrifice."
O Lord! the head of every first-born Thou didst crush on this watchful night of Passover.
O Almighty! yet Thou didst pass over Thy first-born son, Israel, because of the blood-mark of the Passover;
Thou didst not permit the destroyer to enter my doors on Passover.
And you shall say: "This is the Passover sacrifice."
The strongly fortified city, Jericho, fell in the season of Passover.
Midian was destroyed by the dream of the barley-cake, the Omer offering brought on the Passover.
The mighty warriors of Pul and Lud, Assyria, were consumed with burning heat on the Passover.
And you shall say: "This is the Passover sacrifice."
Said Sennacherib:  "This day we shall halt yet at Nob," before the advent of the Passover.
Thy hand wrote on the wall the doom of Babylon on the Passover.
When the lamps were lit, and the tables were set on Passover.
And you shall say: "This is the Passover sacrifice."
Esther assembled the congregation for a three days' fast on the Passover.
The chief of the wicked tribe, Haman, was executed on a gallows of fifty cubits, on the Passover.
A double punishment Thou shalt bring in a moment on Utz on the Passover.
And you shall say: "This is the Passover sacrifice."
 

Who know one?  I know one:  One is our God in heaven and on earth.

Who knows two?  I know two:  Two tablets of the covenant; one is our God in heaven and on earth.

Who knows three?  I know three:  Three patriarchs; two tablets of the covenant, one is our God in heaven and on earth.

Who knows four?  I know four:  Four mothers of Israel; three patriarchs; two tablets of the covenant; one is our God in heaven and on earth.

Who knows five?  I know five:  Five books of Moses; four mothers in Israel; three patriarchs; two tablets of the covenant; one is our God in heaven and on earth.

Who knows six?  I know six:  Six orders of the Mishnah; five books of Moses; four mothers in Israel; three patriarchs; two tablets of the covenant; one is our God in heaven and on earth.

Who knows seven? I know seven:  Seven days in the week; six orders of the Mishnah; five books of Moses; four mothers of Israel; three patriarchs; two tablets of the covenant; one is our God in heaven and on earth.

Who knows eight?  I know eight:  Eight days of initiation; seven days in the week; six orders of the Mishnah; five books of Moses; four mothers of Israel; three patriarchs; two tablets of the covenant; one is our God in heaven and on earth.

Who knows nine?  I know nine:  Nine months of childbearing; eight days of initiation; seven days in the week; six orders of the Mishnah; five books of Moses; four mothers of Israel; three patriarchs; two tablets of the covenant; one is our God in heaven and on earth.

Who knows ten?  I know ten:  Ten Commandments; nine months of childbearing; eight days of initiation; seven days in the week; six orders of the Mishnah; five books of Moses; four mothers of Israel; three patriarchs; two tablets of the covenant; one is our God in heaven and on earth.

Who knows eleven?  I know eleven:  Eleven stars (in Joseph's dream); ten Commandments; nine months of childbearing; eight days of initiation; seven days in the week; six orders of the Mishnah; five books of Moses; four mothers of Israel; three patriarchs; two tablets of the covenant; one is our God in heaven and on earth.

Who knows twelve?  I know twelve:  Twelve tribes; eleven stars (in Joseph's dream); ten Commandments; nine months of childbearing; eight days of initiation; seven days in the week; six orders of the Mishnah; five books of Moses; four mothers of Israel; three patriarchs; two tablets of the covenant; one is our God in heaven and on earth.

Who knows thirteen?  I know thirteen:  Thirteen attributes of God; twelve tribes; eleven stars (in Joseph's dream); ten Commandments; nine months of childbearing; eight days of initiation; seven days in the week; six orders of the Mishnah; five books of Moses; four mothers of Israel; three patriarchs; two tablets of the covenant; one is our God in heaven and on earth.

An only kid!  An only kid, which my father bought for two zuzim (coins).  An only kid! 

Then came the cat and ate the kid, which my father bought for two zuzim.  An only kid!  An only kid!

Then came the dog and bit the cat, that ate the kid, which my father bought for two zuzim.  An only kid!  An only kid!

Then came the stick and beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the kid, which my father bought for two zuzim.  An only kid!  An only kid!

Then came the fire and burned the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the kid, which my father bought for two zuzim.  An only kid!  An only kid!

Then came the water and quenched the fire, that burned the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the kid, which my father bought for two zuzim.  An only kid!  An only kid!

Then came the ox and drank the water that quenched the fire, that burned the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the kid, which my father bought for two zuzim.  An only kid!  An only kid!

Then came the slaughterer and killed the ox that drank the water, that quenched the fire, that burned the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the kid, which my father bought for two zuzim.  An only kid!  An only kid!

Then came the Angel of Death and slew the slaughterer that killed the ox, that drank the water, that quenched the fire, that burned the stick, that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the kid, which my father bought for two zuzim.  An only kid!  An only kid!

"Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the Lord.  "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.  And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the Lord, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more" (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

"Therefore behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "when it will no longer be said, 'As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' but, 'As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.'  For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers" (Jeremiah 16:14-15).  
 

The Seder of the Passover is now complete, according to the laws, rules, and customs.  As we have been privileged to celebrate it this year, may we be worthy to actually offer it in the Holy Land.  O Pure One, who abides in the Temple, raise up Thy numberless people.  O speedily lead the branches Thou hast planted, as free men to Zion, with songs of rejoicing.