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Following the recitation of the plagues, there is an acknowledgement of G-d's many acts of kindness in connection with the Exodus, any one of which would have been by itself extraordinary and sufficient. We then have a short section which many...
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Rochtzah, Motzi, Matzah: We wash our hands as we normally do for a meal with bread. Before us, are, depending on custom, either two whole matzot plus a broken one (half of which we put away for Afikomen), or one whole matzah plus the broken one....
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After the eating of the Matzah, we now turn to the MARROR; the bitter herb. As I have indicated previously, this must be either lettuce, or a related green leafy herb such as endive. In my opinion, there is no basis for the use of horseradish,...
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The table is set, and we are ready to eat. The sources simply say "one eats whatever one wishes, and drinks whatever one wishes". There are no halachic requirements for the meal, nor even universally accepted customs. The only one that comes close...
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The meal has ended. It is time for TZAFUN, "the hidden". Near the beginning of the seder, we broke a matzah into two, and hid a piece away for the Afikoman. Afikoman is a Greek word, meaning "we go out"; that is essentially "dessert". But it is no...
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The meal has ended, with the Afikoman as its climax. The third cup of wine is poured. In most communities, each participant then washes his or her fingers (the Vilna Gaon requires washing of the whole hands), in preparation for BARECH, the...
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Our fourth cup is now filled. We are to recite over it the HALLEL. There are actually two Hallels. There is the familiar "Hallel Mitzrayim" (Hallel of Egypt; Psalms 113-118) so called because a large portion of it gives thanks for the Exodus. This...
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One of the mitzvot associated with Passover is the Omer. We read in Leviticua 23:15, that the day after "the Sabbath" we are to bring a "wave offering" to the Temple, and (in Deuteronomy 16:9) we are commanded to count fifty days until the holiday...
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It is vital to remember that Jewish history has been filled with numerous tragedies. This is especially true of Ashkenazic Jewish history. Nearly every country in Europe expelled the Jews from time to time. In pre-Modern times, the greatest...
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As I have noted n the past, the imagery of Kaballah is often of a sexual nature. G-d is the male figure, the bestower, while Man, the Jewish People, the Holy Shechinah (Divine Presence; Indwelling) are the female bestowee. In the menstrual law...
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