The Passover Seder (; he, סדר פסח , 'Passover order/arrangement'; yi, סדר ) is a ritual feast at the beginning of the
Jewish holiday
Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' ( he, ימים טובים, , Good Days, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed in Judaism and by JewsThis article focuses on practices of mainstre ...
of Passover. It is conducted throughout the world on the eve of the 15th day of [
isan
Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provin ...
in the
Hebrew calendar
The Hebrew calendar ( he, הַלּוּחַ הָעִבְרִי, translit=HaLuah HaIvri), also called the Jewish calendar, is a lunisolar calendar used today for Jewish religious observance, and as an official calendar of the state of Israel. I ...
(i.e., at the start of the 15th; a Hebrew day begins at sunset). The day falls in late March or in April of the
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...
; Passover lasts for seven days in Israel and eight days outside Israel. Jews traditionally observe one seder if in Israel and two (one on each of the first two nights) if in the
Jewish diaspora
The Jewish diaspora ( he, תְּפוּצָה, təfūṣā) or exile (Hebrew: ; Yiddish: ) is the dispersion of Israelites or Jews out of their ancient ancestral homeland (the Land of Israel) and their subsequent settlement in other parts of t ...
. The Seder is a ritual involving a retelling of the story of the liberation of the
Israelites
The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan.
The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stele o ...
from
slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
in
ancient Egypt, taken from the
Book of Exodus
The Book of Exodus (from grc, Ἔξοδος, translit=Éxodos; he, שְׁמוֹת ''Šəmōṯ'', "Names") is the second book of the Bible. It narrates the story of the Exodus, in which the Israelites leave slavery in Biblical Egypt through t ...
(''Shemot'') in the
Jewish Torah. The Seder itself is based on the
Biblical
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
verse
commanding Jews to retell the story of the
Exodus
Exodus or the Exodus may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible
* The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan
Historical events
* Ex ...
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) At the seder, Jews read the text of the
Haggadah
The Haggadah ( he, הַגָּדָה, "telling"; plural: Haggadot) is a Jewish text that sets forth the order of the Passover Seder. According to Jewish practice, reading the Haggadah at the Seder table is a fulfillment of the mitzvah to each J ...
, an ancient
Tannaitic
''Tannaim'' ( Amoraic Hebrew: תנאים , singular , ''Tanna'' "repeaters", "teachers") were the rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishnah, from approximately 10–220 CE. The period of the ''Tannaim'', also referred to as the Mis ...
work. The Haggadah contains the narrative of the Israelite exodus from Egypt, special blessings and rituals,
Talmud
The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...
ic commentaries, and
Passover songs
Passover songs are songs from the seder, the festive meal associated with the Jewish festival of Passover.
Songs before the meal
Songs before the meal include:
* The Seder (Kadesh Urchatz): a table of contents of the seder ceremony, naming the 15 ...
.
Seder customs include telling the story, discussing the story, drinking four cups of wine, eating
matza
Matzah or matzo ( he, מַצָּה, translit=maṣṣā'','' pl. matzot or Ashk. matzos) is an unleavened flatbread that is part of Jewish cuisine and forms an integral element of the Passover festival, during which ''chametz'' (leaven and f ...
, partaking of symbolic foods, and reclining in celebration of freedom. The Seder is among the most commonly celebrated Jewish rituals, performed by Jews all over the world.
Overview
# Kadeish קדש ''Bless!'' – recital of
Kiddush
Kiddush (; he, קידוש ), literally, "sanctification", is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Additionally, the word refers to a small repast held on Shabbat or festival mornings after t ...
blessing and drinking of the first cup of wine
# Urchatz ורחץ ''and Wash!'' – the washing of the hands
# Karpas כרפס ''Vegetable'' – dipping of the ''
karpas
Karpas ( he, כַּרְפַּס) is one of the traditional rituals in the Passover Seder. It refers to the vegetable, usually parsley or celery, that is dipped in liquid (usually salt water) and eaten. Other customs are to use raw onion, or boil ...
'' in salt water
# Yachatz יחץ ''Halving'' – breaking the middle matzah; the larger piece becomes the ''
afikoman
Afikoman (Mishnaic Hebrew: אֲפִיקִימוֹן ''ʾăpîqîmôn'';So spelled and vocalized in de Rossi 138 (Parma A) and Kaufmann A50; also spelled in the Cambridge manuscript and by the "Rabbi Jehoseph" cited by Adeni. Modern pronunciation ...
''
# Maggid מגיד ''Telling'' – retelling the Passover story, including the recital of "
the four questions
Ma Nishtana ( he, מה נשתנה) are the first two words in a phrase meaning "Why is tonight different from all other nights?" The phrase appears at the beginning of each line of The Four Questions, traditionally asked via song by the youngest ...
" and drinking of the second cup of wine
# Rach'tzah רחצה ''Washing'' – second washing of the hands
# Motzi מוציא ''"Who brings out . . ."'' – blessing over the bread
# Matzah מצה "''. . . matzah''" – blessing before eating
matzah
Matzah or matzo ( he, מַצָּה, translit=maṣṣā'','' pl. matzot or Ashk. matzos) is an unleavened flatbread that is part of Jewish cuisine and forms an integral element of the Passover festival, during which ''chametz'' (leaven and f ...
# Maror מרור ''Bitter'' – eating of the
maror
''Maror'' ( he, מָרוֹר ''mārôr'') refers to the bitter herbs eaten at the Passover Seder in keeping with the biblical commandment "with bitter herbs they shall eat it." (Exodus 12:8).
Biblical source
In some listings of the 613 comman ...
# Koreich כורך ''Wraps'' – eating of a sandwich made of matzo and maror
# Shulchan oreich שלחן עורך ''Set table'' – the serving of the holiday meal
# Tzafun צפון ''Hidden'' – eating of the ''
afikoman
Afikoman (Mishnaic Hebrew: אֲפִיקִימוֹן ''ʾăpîqîmôn'';So spelled and vocalized in de Rossi 138 (Parma A) and Kaufmann A50; also spelled in the Cambridge manuscript and by the "Rabbi Jehoseph" cited by Adeni. Modern pronunciation ...
''
# Bareich ברך ''Bless!'' – blessing after the meal and drinking of the third cup of wine
#
Hallel
Hallel ( he, הַלֵּל, "Praise") is a Jewish prayer, a verbatim recitation from Psalms which is recited by observant Jews on Jewish holidays as an act of praise and thanksgiving.
Holy days
Hallel consists of six Psalms (113–118), which ...
הלל ''Exalt!'' – recital of the Hallel, traditionally recited on festivals; drinking of the fourth cup of wine
# Nirtzah נרצה ''Desired'' – say "
Next Year in Jerusalem
''L'Shana Haba'ah B'Yerushalayim'' ( he, לשנה הבאה בירושלים), lit. "Next year in Jerusalem", is a phrase that is often sung at the end of the Passover Seder_and_at_the_end_of_the_'' isan_in_the__Hebrew_..._and_at_the_end_of_the_' ...
!"
The Seder is most often 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
Divine intervention is an event that occurs when a deity (i.e. God or a god) becomes actively involved in changing some situation in human affairs. In contrast to other kinds of divine action, the expression "divine ''intervention''" implies that ...
and the Exodus, the Jewish people would still be
slaves
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
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
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the M ...
from grandparent to child, and from one generation to the next. Attending a Seder and eating matzah on Passover is a widespread custom even among those who are not religiously observant.
![1850ukr pesah](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/1850ukr_pesah.jpg)
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
220px, A kittel
A ''kittel'' ( yi, קיטל) is a white linen or cotton robe worn by religious Ashkenazi Jews on holidays, in the synagogue or at home when leading the Passover seder. Kittels are sometimes worn by grooms. It is also customary for ...
.
[Mishnah Berurah, 472:13] 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
matzo
Matzah or matzo ( he, מַצָּה, translit=maṣṣā'','' pl. matzot or Ashk. matzos) is an unleavened flatbread that is part of Jewish cuisine and forms an integral element of the Passover festival, during which '' chametz'' (leaven and ...
t and dishes of salt water for dipping.
Each participant receives a copy of the Haggadah: an ancient text that contains the complete Seder service. Men and women are equally obliged and eligible to participate in the Seder.
[sefer hachinuch, mi tzvah 21] Traditionally, each participant at the Seder table recites the Haggadah in the original Hebrew and Aramaic.
Halakha
''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...
(the collective body of Jewish religious laws) 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 an 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.
Jews generally observe one or two seders: in Israel, one seder is observed on the first night of Passover; traditional
Diaspora
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...
communities (to the general exception of
Reform
Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill#The Yorkshire Associati ...
and
Reconstructionist Jews)also hold a seder 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
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.
Themes of the Seder
Slavery and freedom
![Matzah](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Matzah.jpg)
The rituals and symbolic foods evoke the twin themes of the evening: slavery and freedom. It is stated in the Haggadah that "In every generation everyone is obligated to see themselves as if they themselves came out of Egypt" – i.e., out of slavery.
The rendering of time for Jews is that a day began at sunset and ended at sunset. According to the Exodus narrative, at the beginning of the 15th of
isan_
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