Preparing for g q R In the weeks leading up to g q R we must thoroughly clean our homes and all of our property. When we buy food to be eaten during the festival we must make sure it contains no u n g or that it has a proper x W k d for Pesach on the label. Ovens and cooking utensils which have been used during the year must be kashered if you now want to use them during g q R. In order to make sure we have removed all u n g from our property we perform u n g z wi c A on the evening beginning g q R a x r, the 14th of Nissan (that is, at the end of the 13th of Nissan). The dẅi c A should be carried out as soon as possible after it is dark. A candle with a single wick is used for the sear ch. We say the correct d k x A then go from room to room checking every place where u n g may have been brought. Many people wrap up a number of pieces of u n g (often ten) and place them around the house to be discovered during the search. However, it is not enough to simply collect these pieces then end the dẅi c A. Such a dẅi c A would not be acceptable. The search must be carried out thoroughly and carefully because even the tiniest amount of u n g should not remain in our possession over g q R. Page 1
u n g z wi c A with Sherlock Gefilte Fish and Kiddush Cat Page 2
Some More You Need to Know: The wine used for the dë v n of the zfqfm 'c should be the best that one can afford. but not one which causes drunkenness or sleep. It is better to use red wine, unless the white wine that one has is of a higher quality. The Rabbis teach us that for wine to be red is in itself a good quality. Also, red wine reminds us of the shedding of innocent blood which flowed when Pharaoh slaughtered the Jews. The zfv n should be 'shemura matzot' which means they have been watched, or guarded, from the moment the wheat was harvested. Such matzot should be used at least for the seder nights. The Seder Dish ( ) should be large enough to contain the six items necessary for the x c q arranged in the correct places. The bone ( ), which represents the, with some meat on it, should be roasted while it is still day. This is most important, for on this night we may not eat roasted meat, since it might look as if we are eating from the Pesach sacrifice ( ). This bone is placed on the upper right side of the dish. The egg ( ), which represents the d bi b g oä xẅ, is either boiled or roasted, or roasted after being boiled. It is placed at the upper left side of the dish, opposite the bone. The Korban Pesach and the Korban Chagigah were among the most important mitzvot of this night. The bitter herbs ( ) consists of the leaves and stalks of lettuce (Cos, or Romaine lettuce is best). Horseradish or any other bitter vegetable may also be used. These vegetables must be carefully examined to ensure they are free from insects, rinsed well and placed on the dẍ r w between the bone and the egg, but slightly lower. Charoset ( ) is a paste made of ground apples, almonds and other nuts, blended together with cinamon and ginger and mixed with wine. Some people also use dates and date honey. z qfx g is similar in appearance to clay which is made of straw stubble and water. It reminds us of the clay, or mortar, which the Jewish people used for making bricks during the slavery in Egypt. It should be prepared during the day, but, if one forgot, it may be made after nightfall. The charoset is usually made as a Page 3
thick mixture and after nightfall more wine is added to thin it down so that the bitter herbs can easily be dipped into it. It is placed further to the right side of the dẍ r w than the bone, but below the bitter herbs. Karpas ( ) means parsley, but one may use potato, cooked carrot, raw raddish or any other vegetable which is not bitter. It is placed further to the left side of the dish than the egg, on the same level as the z qfx g. Chazeret ( ) consists of lettuce leaves, horseradish or any other vegetable which is suitable for use as bitter herbs. It can be the same type that has been used for the bitter herbs or a different one and is placed at the bottom of the Seder Dish, between the charoset and the karpas. We now have six items arranged on the Seder Dish ( ) in the form of two triangles which are pointing down. The upper triangle contains the bone ( ), egg ( ) and bitter herbs ( ), which are essential mitzvot of this night. The lower triangle contains the charoset ( ), karpas ( ) and chazeret ( ), which are used only together with the top items. d vi A q R x M xfx n z x f g rfx f z qfx g When the Seder Dish is properly arranged it is placed above the three matzot, which are covered with a special cloth. The salt water, into which the karpas is dipped, is prepared while it is still day. The goblets are all rinsed before nightfall and placed on the table. Page 4
Preparing the dẍ r w With Kiddush Cat Page 5
Kiddush Cat Gives Us Some Advice 1. A qfm, (wine goblet) for each person from which to drink the zfqfm r A x `, the four cups. It is good to use silver cups if possible. 2. Three zfxen W zfv n in front of the person conducting the x c q. 3. The dẍ r w seder plate. 4. Salt water, which should preferably be prepared from before afh mfi. 5. A pillow for each male to be used for leaning. 6. A cloth or sack in which to put the o nfwi t ` until it is eaten during oet v. 7. A pair of eyes which will not fall asleep during the seder. (In other words, children should try to nap during the day before the seder to make sure they will remain awake during it.) 8. A good and clear voice to sing some parts of the d c b d and... 9. finally, don't forget to have the Haggadahs ready! Page 6
W C w Draw your own W C w picture in this box WEci w should be made as soon as possible on g q R night, once it is. Each person should pour someone else's to make it look as if everyone has a. When wine is drunk for WEci w that is also the first of the we must drink during the x c q. Each should lean to the left when drinking each of the four cups. Most or all of the cup should be drunk. is said at the end of WEci w. four cups cup dark Ep i g d W servant person Page 7
u g ßxE Draw your own u g xe picture in this box Hands are washed here without a. In some families everyone washes his hands but in other families only the does, or whoever is the x c q. At the time when we still had the it was the d k l d that people should wash their hands before eating food which had been washed or in a liquid. Now we only do this on the x c q night before dipping the q tßx M in salt water. W cßw O d zi A daddy vegetable d k xßa leading dipped Page 8
q Rßx M Draw your own q R x M picture in this box Now comes the green vegetable which could be, for example,, celery, potato or radish. This is dipped into water or vinegar and everyone eats a small after saying the d k xßa: ' d n c ` d i xßr ` xfa...' When we say this d k xßa we should have that it is also for the later on. We have the q Rßx M to make the children and ask questions about the x c q. in mind salt parsley piece xfx n interested Page 9
u g i Draw your own u g i picture in this box The z i A d l r A (head of the household, who is the x c q) the middle d v n in two. He puts the smaller part back between the two zfv n and wraps up the larger part which is now the and is hidden until. Afikoman whole breaks oet v leading When we were slaves for the Egyptians we were not fed well in the way that a good master will feed his servant. A slave would never eat a d v n; he would always keep part of it for, when he might have no food at all. Therefore, we also keep back the part of the Yachatz d v n, to be eaten later as the Afikoman. In many Sephardi communities the Afikoman in the cloth is placed over the and the person carrying it is asked: "From where have you come?" He replies: "From." Then he is asked: "Where are you going?" He replies: "To m i l WExßi." Then he is asked: "What supplies do you have?" He answers: "I have d v n and." The Afikoman is then. mi xßv n hidden shoulder xfx n later larger complete Page 10
ci B n Draw your own ci B n picture in this box through the story of our being in mi xßv n and then of mi xßv n is the main d eßv n of the x c q night. It is even more important than eating d v n, which is also a d xfy d o n d eßv n a mitzva straight from the Torah. The d eßv n of reading and learning about m i xßv n z `i vßi must be done by adults and together, whereas the d eßv n of d v n is mainly for adults. (Children are certainly required to eat matza too once they are old enough to the d eßv n.) children z `i vßi understand mi c a r Reading eating Page 11
d vßg x Draw your own d v g x picture in this box Everyone present his hands and says 'm i c i z li hßp l r...' before making the dkxa ' `i vfo d...' and the special dkxa ' d S n z li k ` l r...' before eating. When we say: m i c i z li hßp l r we must up our hands towards m i n W as if to say: 'I have bread because Hashem has it to me and not only through the work of my own.' Once, we would only wash our hands before eating sacrifices and other. Later, the Rabbis said that we should also wash whenever we eat bread, to show how important it is in our. holy foods given d v n daily life washes lift hands Page 12
`i vfn Draw your own `i vfn picture in this box The d k xßa is said for eating d v n as food. This is the same d k xßa we say on the rest of the year. On g q R our bread is d v n so it has the same d k xßaas bread. Sephardim only say `i vfn d on d v n during g q R. They say that d v n is only bread during g q R because we are to eat it as bread at this time. However, the rest of the year, when we may eat normal bread, Sephardim say i pi n ` xfa on matzah, treating it like a kind of or cracker. bread commanded biscuit `i vfn d zfpffßn normal Page 13
d S n Draw your own d S n picture in this box The d k xßa is now said over d v n as the special of the x c q. We have just said a d k xßa because we are about to the d v n and now we must say a d k xßa because by eating the d v n we are also doing a d eßv n. u x ` d-o n `i vfo d...is a d k xßa for eating the d v n; d S n z li k ` l r Ep E vße... is for doing the d eßv n of eating the d v n at the. One should to the left when eating the d v n. different x c q eat m g l d eßv n lean Page 14
xfx n Draw your own xfx n picture in this box Eating the xfx n, bitter, is one of the most important zfeßv n of the x c q and comes straight after the eating of the. The best vegetable for using as xfx n is the. Why is this? Our life in Egypt began quite but over time became difficult and bitter. When first in the mouth romaine lettuce is sweet and but if you chew for a while it becomes bitter and sharp. The d k xßa on the d eßv n of eating xfx n ends: xfx n z li k ` l r Ep E vße... 'Who has commanded us to eat bitter herbs.' We do not say the d k xßa on eating vegetables now because we had the xfx n in mind when we said d n c ` d i xßr ` xfa on the q tßx M earlier. We also do not when eating the maror because reclining is for free men but the maror reminds us of when we were in slavery. d v n herbs tasty comfortably gradually romaine lettuce lean Page 15
K xfm Draw your own K xfm picture in this box o w G d l N d, one of our teachers, taught that the xfx n and the d v n should be eaten. Therefore, although both the xfx n and the d v n have already been eaten by, they are now eaten together as a sandwich. When we eat this we say a small Hebrew passage which begins: '... l N dßm W Cßw nßl ' "To remember the Temple we do as Hillel did. This is what Hillel did at the time of the W Cßw O d zi A: He would put Pesach, matzah and maror in a sandwich and eat them together to what is written in the : 'They shall eat it with matzot and bitter herbs.' " (Bamidbar 9, 11) One should to the left when eating the K xfm sandwich. lean x k f together d xfy greatest fulfil themselves Page 16
K xfr o gßl W Draw your own K xfr o g lªw picture in this box The (Yom Tov meal) is now eaten. It is many people's to begin the meal with an egg in salt water. Eggs are a sign of zel a `, mourning; they us of the destruction of the W Cßw O d zi A. It is important to eat the meal with great d gßn U. during the meal should be about the story and the mi pi c of g q R. There can also be sung. At the end of the meal the Afikoman must be eaten while we still have an for it. Therefore, we must not make ourselves too full beforehand. One should try to lean to the left throughout the whole seder meal. custom Conversation afh mfi z cerßq apetite remind zfxi nßf Page 17
oet v Draw your own oet v picture in this box At the end of the and before the middle of the a piece of the o nfwi t ` is given to each person present. It should be eaten quite quickly and whilst to the left. After eating the one should not eat anything else at all, so that the of the o nfwi t ` remains in the. Only the last two cups of wine may be drunk, although some Rabbis the drinking of water or soft drinks if necessary. taste night mouth meal permit leaning o nfwi t ` Page 18
K x A Draw your own K xä picture in this box off n d z MßxA is now. In the cenßl Y we are taught: 'Rav said: dyn wrote the d k xßa for after when the came down for them.' Ep A x d W n himself wrote the first of off O d z Mßx A after l ` xßu i i pßa had left Egypt and the m i seq. Therefore, even bentching reminds us of when Hashem from Egypt. took us out paragraph food read o n crossed Page 19
l N d Draw your own l N d picture in this box l l d was started the meal and it is continued now, bentching. Normally we may not the reading of l l d and especially not for a. Tonight, however, we eat a whole meal right in the of l l d! How can this be? This feast, full of, is itself a to 'd so it in fact becomes like a part of l l d and not a break at all. praise interrupt before zeevn meal after middle all right Page 20
d vßx p Draw your own d v x p picture in this box Now that our x c q service is finished we ask 'd to redeem us soon from our present z E l b, exile. We look forward to when all the Jewish People will return to l ` xßui u x ` and we say...! m i l WExi A d ` A d d p Wßl Page 21