a short Haggadah
B”H
Welcome to All!
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We begin the SEDER reading together the Order (on the cover, Seder in Hebrew means order)
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We FILL the 1st CUP of WINE holding it we say together: ‘Blessed is the maker of the fruit of the vine! (Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech haolam, borei pri hagafen.)
And the Shehehiyanu, the prayer said for arriving safely to this place and moment in time. (Baruch Ata Adonay Elohenu Melech Ha-olam, She-hechiyanu, V’kimanu, V’heegianu, La’zman hazeh.)
Now we DRINK from the 1st CUP of WINE (the meaning of this cup, from Exodus 6:6-8, is the promise “I will take you out”)
Next someone uncover the MATZAH and say: ‘This is the poor man’s bread that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. This year we are slaves, next year may we be free!’ We ask ourselves what are we slave to?
Re-cover the Matzah.
We FILL the 2nd CUP of WINE …but do not drink yet.
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THE FOUR QUESTIONS said or sung together
Why is this night different from all other nights? (Ma nishtanah halailah hazeh mikol haleilot?)
1) On all other nights we eat either leavened or unleaven bread, on this night why only unleavened? (Sheb’khol haleilot anu okhlin hametz umatzah; halailah hazeh [x2], kuloh matzah. [x2])
2) On all other nights we eat herbs of any kind, on this night why only bitter herbs? (Sheb’khol haleilot anu okhlin sh’ar y’rakot; halailah hazeh [x2], kulo maror. [x2])
3) On all other nights we do not dip our herbs even once, why on this night do we dip them twice? (Sheb’khol haleilot ein anu matbilin afilu pa’am ehat; halailah hazeh [x2], shtei famim. [x2])
4) On all other nights we eat our meals in any manner we like, why on this night do we sit around the table reclining?(Sheb’khol haleilot anu okhlin bein yoshvin uvein m’subin; halailah hazeh [x2], kulanu m’subin. [x2])
The MATZAH is uncovered again and we reply:
We were slaves in Egypt. Gd took us out with awesome miracles. Had Gd not taken us out of Egypt, then what? We, and our children, and grandchildren would still be slaves in Egypt! Even if we were all Torah scholars, it would still be incumbent upon us to recall and speak of the Exodus from Egypt.
The Torah reflects upon four types of children at the Seder:
One Wise, One Evil, One Simple, and One Who does not know how to ask
EDUCATE the wise one about all the rules, laws and customs of Passover
REMIND the Evil One: ‘we need you’, as they have excluded themself from the community
EXPLAIN to the Simple One ‘with a strong hand Gd brought us out of Egypt.’
ENGAGE the one who does not know how to ask by having them imagine what it might have felt like to have been slaves brought out to freedom
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TOGETHER we name the 10 Plagues Gd brought upon the Egyptians taking a drop of juice/wine from your cup and touching it to your plate as each plague is named.
Blood – Frogs – Lice – Wild Beasts – Pestilence – Boils – Hail – Locusts – Darkness – Slaying of the First Born.
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RAISE the 2nd CUP of WINE …still do not drink and say:
If Gd had taken us out of Egypt and not punished our enemies, it would’ve been enough. If Gd punished our enemies and not parted the Red Sea, it would’ve been enough. If Gd brought us the Torah, but not brought us to Israel, it would have been enough! If Gd brought us to Israel, but didn’t build a Temple, it would have been enough. DAYENU!
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Someone reads: ‘Rabbi Gamliel said we must discuss three things on Passover: Pesach, Matzah and Maror.’
(Point to the Shankbone and say) PESACH is the sacrifice offered at the time of the Temples. A reminder to us that Gd passed over the houses of our ancestors in Egypt.
(Point to the Matzah and say) This is MATZAH. Our ancestors did not have time to let the dough rise before they fled Egypt.
[Point to the Maror and say) This is MAROR. We eat it because the Egyptians oppressed our ancestors in Egypt, making their lives bitter with hard labor.
In every generation we need to feel as if we ourselves left Egypt.
With gratitude and praise for the miracles of the Exodus we all say: Halleluyah!
Together we say: ‘Blessed is the maker of the fruit of the vine!’ Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech haolam, borei pri hagafen. NOW! DRINK the 2nd CUP of WINE! (the promise of this cup is “I will rescue you”.)
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(Whoever wishes to washes their hands.) We make the Blessing over the Matzah: Blessed are you who brings forth bread from the Earth. Blessed are you who commanded us to eat Matzah! (Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech ha olam, ha motzi lechem min haaretz, Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech haolam asher kidshanu b mitzvotav v tzivanu al achilat matzah. Everyone eat at least a bite of matzah.
We make the Blessing over the Maror: Blessed are you who commanded us to eat Maror! (Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech haolam asher kidshanu b mitzvotav v tzivanu al achilat maror.) Everyone eats some the Maror (horseradish or raddish)
Someone reads: Rabbi Hillel combined the Passover offering, the Matzah and Maror together in a sandwich to fulfill the words of the Torah “They shall eat it with Matzah and bitter herbs.” Make and eat a ‘Hillel’ sandwich from matzah and the charoset.
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EAT the FESTIVE MEAL!
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After the meal ransom the Afikomen (the dessert)! Share with everyone.
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Say a Blessing after the Festive Meal.
(Shortest Aramaic version is): Breekh Rachmana Malka de Alma, mareh d’hai pita.
Blessed are you Queen of the Soul, master of this bread.
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FILL the 3rd CUP of WINE. Say together: ‘Blessed is the maker of the fruit of the vine!’ (Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech haolam, borei pri hagafen.) DRINK the 3rd CUP of WINE (the promise of this cup is “I will redeem you”.)
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FILL the 4th Cup of WINE (do not drink yet)
(Rise) Someone please OPEN THE DOOR FOR ELIJAH! Elijah is friend and companion to all who need comfort. He is the mysterious stranger who arrives at precisely the right moment, bringing hope! Elijah is also the peacemaker. One day he will arrive accompanying the Messiah. Resolving all tensions. Erasing all doubt.
Closing the door. We continue with:
HALLEL – Psalms of Praise (Psalms 113-118)
We say together the last line of Psalm 118: Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His kindness endures forever. Hodu le Adonai ki tov, ki le olam hasdoh.
הוֹד֣וּ לַיהֹוָ֣ה כִּ֖י ט֑וֹב כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ
Adding:
God bring peace to the People of Israel and to the World!
(Oseh Shalom bimromav, who ya’aseh shalom aleinu, v al kol yisrael, v’imru, amen! Yaaseh shalom, yaaseh shalom, shalom aleinu, v al kol yisrael.)
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Lift the 4th CUP of WINE and say together: ‘Blessed is the maker of the fruit of the vine!’(Baruch ata adonai eloheinu melech haolam, borei pri hagafen.) DRINK the 4th and final CUP of WINE (the promise of this cup is “I will bring you”.)
In conclusion we say together:
NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!
Shana Haba’a b’Yerushalayim
שנה הבאה בירושלים
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Sources
an expansion/adaptation of Rabbi Yonah Bookstein’s ‘The Ten Minute Seder’
Cover art by Mark Podwal from ‘A Passover Haggadah’ commented upon by Elie Wiesel
‘Passover Haggadah’ by Rabbi Nathan Goldberg
Baltimore 2026 – Chana Elsa