1 Kadesh: Introduction: Throughout the Seder night we do various things which reflect on our status as free men and members of the chosen nation of Hashem. The following halachot stem from this concept. The Holiday Table: One should set up the table with beautiful and gorgeous plates as best as one can afford, and act in a royal manner throughout the evening. The seats should be set up in a fashion which allows for leaning. Four Cups: Everybody has an obligation to drink the four cups, men and women. It's a mitzvah to give wine to children who have reached the age of hinnuch (those who are old enough to understand the story of yesiat misrayim); though they aren t required to drink a rebi it (3.3 ounces) and they can add water to it (they can also be given grape juice instead of wine if preferred). As well, it's a mitzvah to give the children candy before we start the seder, so that they won't fall asleep, and will be alert to the changes at the table and ask. Leaning: The four cups, the matzot, the sandwich, and the afikoman all require leaning. During the meal it is praiseworthy to lean. Leaning while reading the hagadah and the halell is a debate amongst the poskim, but if one wishes to lean they may do so. One may not lean during Birkat Hamazon. A person that didn t lean while drinking, must drink the wine again. It is recommended that one of the family members remind the others to lean at the proper times, as we re not accustomed to leaning all year. The Wine: 1) The Kiddush should be recited on red wine. It is the Sephardic custom to recite it on red wine even if there is a better white wine available. However, if one does not have red wine, one may fulfill their obligation using white wine. 2) It is a widespread custom throughout the year to us yayin mebushal-boiled wine or pasteurized wine (wine heated above eighty degrees, which retained its smell and taste) for Kiddush. Hence, it can be used for the four cups as well even lechatehila. 3) A person who has difficulty drinking wine can use grape juice for the four cups, even though it doesn't make him drunk. Women can certainly drink grape juice, as it s generally difficult for them to drink wine.
2 4) The cup must hold a rebi it- a minimum of 27 darham, which is equal to 81 grams after you add water (approximately 3.3 ounces). Ideally one should drink the entire cup, but if one drinks the majority of the cup, they have fulfilled their obligation. If the cup is large, it is best to drink the majority, but if one only drinks a rebi it (and not a majority of the cup), one has fulfilled their obligation. Hence, it is better to use smaller glasses for the four cups. Urhas: 1) We wash our hands the same way we usually wash for bread, but we don't say the beracha. Reasoning: Any food which is dipped in one of the seven liquids requires netila beforehand. The seven liquids are water, wine, honey, oil, milk, dew, and blood (from fish). When food comes into contact with water it becomes susceptible to tuma a (impurity). Hence, before we dip the food in water, our hands must be purified. This law applies all year long, not only on pesah! 2) It is preferable to refrain from talking in between Urhas and Karpas, as we want the blessing on the Karpas to come immediately after the netila. Karpas: 1) Our custom is to use celery for Karpas. In order to avoid any issues of insects, one should only use the stalks of the celery after washing them well. 2) One takes less than an ounce of Karpas, and dips it in salt water. Reasoning: If one eats an ounce or more, there are some opinions that require "boreh nefashot rabot" to be recited, while others disagree. To avoid any doubt we simply eat less than an ounce. If one ended up eating an ounce or more, they still do not say boreh nefashot based on the rule safek berachot lehakel. 3) The blessing Boreh Peri HaAdamah is said, having in mind that the blessing includes the Maror eaten later in the Seder (whose blessing is also Boreh Peri HaAdamah ). Reasoning: There is a doubt whether or not the beracha of HaAdamah should be said on the Maror. Generally if one eats raw vegetables cut into large pieces (like cucumber wedges, tomato slices ) during the meal as a snack, they would bless beforehand. However, since Maror is a requirement of the night of Pesah, it may be considered part of the meal, and therefore not require a blessing beforehand. To avoid any doubt, we have in mind that the blessing on the Karpas covers the Maror.
3 4) If each member of the family wishes to say their own beracha they may. Yet it s preferable that head of the household says it for everyone, based on the Talmudic dictum berob am hadrat melech Yahatz: 1) Before we start reading the Haggada, the head of the household takes the middle matza from the three in front of him, and breaks it into two pieces. The smaller piece (in the shape of a Daled) is returned in between the matzot, while the bigger piece (in the shape of a Vav) is placed in a napkin for the Afikoman. Reasoning: Hazal tell us Darko shel ani bifrusa - a poor man usually only has pieces of bread (as they can t afford complete bread). Therefore, since the matza is referred to as Lehem Oni, we break in into two pieces. Yet, later in the seder we state that the matza represents our quick salvation through the hands of God (since the dough didn t have time to rise ). It seems that the matza has a dual nature; it represents oni- suffering and yeshuasalvation, at the same time. Rab Sherira Gaon writes that the very breaking of the matza represents this duality as well. Besides the allusion to Lehem Oni, it also reminds us of the splitting of Yam Suf through the hands of God. {RJS} 2) Our custom is to take the napkin containing the Afikoman, place it over our shoulders and say Mish aarotam Reasoning: This beautiful practice enables us to reenact the exodus ourselves. As we state later in the Haggada, A person must present himself as if he, himself, has now left the slavery of Egypt. Magid: 1) It is a positive commandment from the Torah to relate the story of the Exodus from Egypt on the first two nights of Pesah. The Haggada should be read with the utmost focus and concentration in order to fulfill this misva properly. 2) One must recite (verbalize) the Haggada; it is not sufficient to read it with one s eyes. If there are many people at the seder, and each person takes a turn reading a section, those listening have fulfilled their obligation. This is based on the principle Shome aa Ke one. 3) Women are also obligated in this misva. If they can t read it themselves, they must listen carefully to the person reading. If a person doesn t understand Hebrew then they can have someone translate the Haggada for them into English or use a Hebrew-English Haggada.
4 4) It is a misvah to add enlightening commentaries on the Haggadah: Reasoning: A. To awaken the interest of those around the table through stimulating questions and discussions B. To highlight the key points of the Haggada & the story of Yesiat Misrayim, C. To engrain in our children the proper understanding of what it means to go from abdut to herut One should bear in mind that certain parts of the Seder are to be completed before Hassot. Hence, it s preferable to keep the Dibre Torah somewhat brief during Magid & perhaps extend the discussion during Shulhan Orech if time allows. Rahsa: Each person should wash his hands properly and say the beracha of Al Netilat Yadayim. He must try not to lose his train of thought from the moment he washes until he eats. Hence, it s important not to speak unnecessarily between the blessing of Al Netilat Yadayim and the eating of the matza. Motzi Matza: Introduction: It is important to note that the obligation to eat Matza is from the Torah, whereas the obligation to eat Maror and the other foods of the Seder, is either rabbinical or customary. The Matza represents the major themes of the Seder Night (Abdut & Herut, Oni & Geula). Hence, the utmost care should be taken to fulfill this mitzvah properly. 1) The head of the household should take the matzot in the order in which they were placed. The broken one should be in between the two complete ones. He should hold all three in his hands and make the beracha of Hamotzi. It is customary to release the third matza from one s hands after Birkat Hamotzi. Hence, the head of the household remains holding the top complete matza and the middle broken one. He then recites the beracha Al Achilat Matza. 2) A piece is then taken from the top matza, and another piece is taken from the middle matza. Both are dipped in salt and eaten together while reclining. The head of the household then gives each person the same: two pieces of matza, one from the top matza and one from the middle matza. To ensure that all members of the family have the required amount (discussed below), one may supplement, using additional Massot. In such a situation,
5 Hacham Obadia ZS L writes that you aren t required to give each person 2 kazaytot from the extra matzot- one is enough. 3) One is required to eat two kazaytot (27 grams x 2), 54 grams of matza for Motzi Matza. However, if one is weak, or unable to eat that amount of matza, one may rely on more lenient opinions, and eat at least 36 grams of matza. This usually equals a little more than half of the hand-made large cracker-like Shemurah Matza (which are typically about 60 grams each). 4) One should not speak until they ve eaten a whole kazayit of matza. If one did speak, they don't have to repeat the beracha since they already started the mitzva. Even if one spoke while chewing the first bite of matzah, they don't have to repeat the beracha, as chewing is also considered part of the mitzvah. 5) We hold that Mitzvot require. focus -כונה Before one eats, they should bear in mind that they are eating the matza in order to fulfill the obligation/ miztvah of eating Matzah. One is not required to verbalize it (I'm doing this for a miztvah), rather it s sufficient to have the proper intention in one s mind. The beracha itself generally serves as an alert to awaken one s intention for the mitzvah. If a person has no kavanah at all, they still have fulfill their obligation bediabad. 6) If a person didn't lean while eating the matzah, they have not fulfilled their obligation. They must eat it all again while leaning (what fun ). The custom of Sephardic women is to lean. However, unlike the men, if a woman doesn't lean, she doesn't have to eat again. 7) The most preferred way of performing the mitzvah is to use handmade Shemura Matza. The matza must be eaten by itself; one may not eat anything else along with the matzah, as the mitzva is to taste the actual matzah. Maror: 1) One must be extremely careful while checking the Maror for insects. Eating Maror which hasn t been checked properly can lead to severe violations of the Torah. In such a case it s better to not eat the Maror altogether- which is only a misva miderebanan- rather than violate a number of Torah prohibitions. Hence, it s best to use the stalks of the romaine lettuce for Maror, as they aren t as infested and can be cleaned easily. 2) One should take a kazayit of Maror and dip part of it in the Haroset. One shouldn't leave it in the Haroset for long, as one is supposed to taste the bitterness of the Maror. The beracha is made and the Maror is eaten without leaning.
6 3) Before one eats the Maror, they should have in mind that they re fulfilling their (rabbinical) obligation. If they didn t do so, they still fulfilled their obligation. Korech: זכר One should take a kazayit of matza and a kazayit of Maror, dip it in the Haroset, say leaning. and eat while למקדש כהלל Reasoning: To recall the practice of Hillel who live during the Second Temple, and would eat the meat of the Korban Pesah in a sandwich with Matza and Maror. Unfortunately, we no longer have the Mikdash nor the Korban Pesah, but we keep them alive in our minds and our actions, and hope to see the Third Temple in our days bh. Shulchan Orech: One should set the table with food and drink as best as they can afford, and eat with a heart filled with happiness. If one leans it is praiseworthy, but it is not obligatory. One shouldn t eat too much in order to have an appetite for the Afikoman. Safun: 1) After the meal is finished we eat the Afikoman from the matza shemurah which was placed in a napkin earlier. Each person is required to eat a kazayit of matza in remembrance זכר לקרבן פסח recite of the Korban Pesah which was eaten after the meal. Our custom is to Afikoman. before eating the הנאכל על השבע 2) It is prohibited to eat anything after the Afikoman. However, one is allowed to drink tea or coffee (even with sugar) between the third and the fourth cup of wine, and certainly after the meal as well. Barech: After eating the Afiqomin, Mayim Aharonim is done, followed Birkat HaMazon which is recited while holding the third cup of wine. Both the head of the household and family members must recite Birkat HaMazon while holding the third cup of wine.
7 Hallel: 1) We recite the complete Hallel with great joy and happiness. We begin to say the prayer of on the fourth cup which is parallel to the four cups of destruction Hashem שפוך חמתך will give our enemies to drink from in the future, when mashiah comes and the entire world recognizes the greatness of God. Besides Yesiat Misrayim, one should have in mind that we are praising God for all of the great salvations he performed for us throughout history during. 2) One must hold the cup in their hands throughout the entire Hallel. If one has difficulty doing so, it is sufficient to leave the cup in front of them, but it should be held for the blessing at the end of Hallel. Nirsa: It is praiseworthy to conclude the Haggada with hymns and praises to the Almighty. As well, one should engage in the telling over the story and learning about Yesiat Misrayim even after the Seder until sleep overtakes him. לשנה הבאה בירושלים הבנוייה