Passover – the Holiday of the Exodus from Egypt
Passover is the holiday of the Exodus from Egypt and is the first among the “Three Pilgrimage Festivals” – Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. Passover falls between the 15th and 21st of the month of Nisan and lasts for seven days (in the Diaspora, the holiday lasts an additional day – until the 22nd of Nisan). The first day is a holiday, the five middle days are called “Chol HaMoed”, and the last day is also a holiday, called the “Seventh Day of Passover” (in the Diaspora – the first two days are holidays, four days are Chol HaMoed, the Seventh Day of Passover, and following it is the “Last Day of Passover”).
Thousands of years ago, on the 15th of Nisan, our ancestors left Egypt from slavery to freedom. This is a historical, foundational, and important event in the life of the people of Israel and their faith, given that after the Exodus from Egypt – which took place amidst miracles and wonders – God chose us as a special people and gave us the Torah.
Background
Jacob our forefather and his sons travel from the land of Israel to Egypt. Joseph (Jacob’s son) was at that time second to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and with his wisdom, he saved the Egyptian people from starvation. Jacob and his family settle in the land of Goshen – which was part of the Egyptian kingdom – where they grew and multiplied.
As long as Jacob and Joseph were alive, the Israelites enjoyed honor and esteem, but after their passing, a new king who did not know Joseph and did not favor the children of Israel came to power in Egypt.
Hard Labor
As the Israelites increased and multiplied rapidly, the Egyptians decided that the best solution to the ‘Jewish growth’ would be hard labor. In such a state, the Jews would not be able to reproduce, and they would even decrease (from hunger, torment, diseases, etc.). The Jews were forced to do hard labor and build cities for Pharaoh and his people, but despite all this, they continued to multiply in an unnatural way.
Pharaoh ordered the midwives of the Jewish people to kill every male infant born, and through this cruel action, he intended to put an end to the expansion of the Jewish race and to harm Israel’s savior – Moses. When he realized that the Jewish midwives were not cooperating and ignoring his order, he ‘changed tactics’ and ordered every newborn boy to be thrown into the Nile.
Moses is Born
Yocheved, the wife of Amram from the tribe of Levi, gives birth to a son. Because of Pharaoh’s decree to throw every baby into the Nile, she hides him in her house for three months. Afterwards, she builds a small water-resistant box, and places the baby in the box on the banks of the Nile.
Pharaoh’s daughter comes to bathe in the river and sees the box. Upon opening it, she finds a crying baby and understands that this is a Jewish baby. Feelings of compassion are stirred within her, and she decides to ‘adopt’ the small child. She names him “Moses,” for she ‘drew’ him from the water. Moses grows up and matures in Pharaoh’s palace, where Pharaoh’s daughter cares for him as if he were her own son.
Moses Becomes a Leader
Moses leaves the palace as a young man and discovers that his people are suffering. He kills an Egyptian who he sees abusing a Jew before his eyes, and as a result, he is forced to flee Egypt.
Moses arrives in the land of Midian, marries Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, and becomes a shepherd for his father-in-law’s flock. One time, while Moses is tending Jethro’s flock, he encounters a burning bush (the “sneh”) that is not consumed. God reveals himself in that moment and instructs him to go to Pharaoh and ask him to release the Israelites from their enslavement.
The situation of the Israelites in Egypt is not good. Pharaoh refuses to release them and even increases their suffering. Moses returns to Egypt, and together with his brother Aaron, they gather the elders of the people to tell them that the time of redemption has arrived. Moses’ ‘message of redemption’ quickly spreads among all the Jews and instills a spirit of hope in the people.
God reveals himself again to Moses, promising to redeem the Israelites from their servitude in Egypt and to make them a ‘chosen people’ by granting them Torah and commandments on Mount Sinai. Later, he will bring them to the ‘Promised Land’ – the Land of Israel, which he promised to the nation’s forefathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The Ten Plagues
Moses and Aaron come to Pharaoh’s palace and demand in the name of God: “Let my people go!“ Pharaoh refuses, and Moses warns him that God will destroy Egypt. Pharaoh continues to ‘harden his stance’, and God begins to inflict a series of ‘plagues’ on the Egyptians.
Each time he is distressed and suffers from each plague, Pharaoh promises to release the Israelites, but as soon as the plague ends, he denies his promise and returns to his stubbornness.
The 10 plagues, in order:
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- Blood: The waters of the Nile turn to blood, the fish die, and a foul smell arises.
- Frogs: Massive waves of frogs flood the land of Egypt and invade the homes.
- Lice: The dust of Egypt turns into lice that quickly spread among people and livestock.
- Wild Beasts: An attack of masses of wild animals in confusion.
- Pestilence: A deadly epidemic kills all Egyptian livestock.
- Boils: A severe boil disease falls upon the Egyptians and their livestock.
- Hail: Heavy hail mixed with fire is poured onto Egypt, damaging crops and killing anyone who remains outside their house.
- Locusts: A vast swarm of locusts destroys everything that remains of the crops and vegetation.
- Darkness: Total darkness and obscurity cover all of Egypt for six days.
- Death of the Firstborn: At midnight, on the 15th of Nisan, all the firstborn in Egypt die.
The Exodus from Egypt
After the ten plagues, Pharaoh finally breaks down, and not only does he agree to release the Israelites from his land, but he even expels them from Egypt.
In the year 2448 since the creation of the world, the Israelites leave Egypt after hundreds of years of slavery and hard labor. As Pharaoh actually ‘expels’ them, they leave quickly. The dough they prepared for the journey has no time to rise, so they settle for eating matzah.
Our ancestors are commanded to observe many commandments related to the Passover festival, with special emphasis on passing them down to future generations. These commandments root in us the belief in God who redeemed us from Egypt with overt miracles and chose us to be His people.
General Concepts
“Passover Haggadah”
“Whoever elaborates on the story of the Exodus from Egypt is praiseworthy!” On this night, we continue the tradition and tell our family members about the miracles and wonders that happened to our forefathers at the time of the Exodus from Egypt. The story of these events is called the “Haggadah,” and it is a commandment from the Torah.
Already in the early years after the Exodus from Egypt, our forefathers used to tell their children the story of their redemption each year. This custom has been well preserved over the years and over time a uniform text of verses, interpretations, blessings, and poems related to the story of the Exodus from Egypt, as well as customs related to the “Seder night,” has been formed. This collection is called the “Passover Haggadah.”
“Reclining”
One of the prominent customs on the Seder night is the “reclining.” The “reclining” is a way of sitting, in a relaxed posture leaning to the left, during eating and drinking.
In the past, this way of sitting was mainly accepted at important meals and among wealthy people, so we continue to recline today, to illustrate our transition to freedom from the slavery of Egypt, according to the principle that “every person is obligated to see himself as if he left Egypt.”
The Children’s Night
The purpose of the Seder night is to tell and pass on – especially to the children – the events of the Exodus from Egypt: the hard labor our forefathers worked, the great suffering they went through, and the miraculous way they were redeemed from their slavery. We explain to them that this is not just a ‘history lesson,’ but the very heart of the Jewish heritage and the basis of its existence.
We place a great emphasis on explaining things, thereby instilling in them the values of faith and Judaism. We heard things from our parents, they from their parents, and our children will continue the tradition further.
Since the children are at the center of this night, we do different and ‘strange’ things to keep them awake and make them ask us to explain our actions. At the center of the “Seder,” the children will ask “Why is this night different” and we will continue to pique their curiosity by eating matzah, reclining in the “reclining” position, dipping onion in salt water, eating “bitter herbs,” and more.
Hospitality
We are accustomed to inviting family members, near and far, the poor, and even strangers to the Seder night, so as not to leave any person outside the community alone, and so that everyone can eat the holiday meal in a respectable and dignified manner.
Passover Abroad
Jews outside of Israel celebrate the Seder night a second time on the second night of Passover – as is their custom to celebrate every holiday for two days – and perform all the customs of the first night, with all the details, except for finishing the eating of the afikoman before midnight, and reciting the bedtime Shema that is said every Sabbath eve.
The night of the holiday
The evening prayer of the holiday:
We start by reciting the psalm “Song of Ascents” and continue with the evening prayer as on every holiday. In the “Amidah” prayer, we recite the “Three Pilgrimage Festivals” prayer – a special prayer for Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot – and after it, “the Full Hallel” with a blessing. After the Hallel, we say “Aleynu Le’Shabeach” and finish the prayer.
“The Seder Night”
Surely you’ve often wondered what the meaning is of this night’s special name – “the Seder Night.” In fact, the reason is quite simple: given that on this evening we fulfill several important mitzvot, composed of many details, our sages established a precise order (“seder” in Hebrew) for this night. That is also why the “Order of the Seder” (“Kadesh U’Rchatz”) appears at the beginning of the Haggadah. The “symbols” serve as chapter headings for the different stages of the “Seder,” helping us perform everything elegantly. The Seder Night symbolizes the fact that we still remember the Exodus from Egypt and that we are not ungrateful for it. We thank God for His kindness and acknowledge our rights and duties as Jews. Since the receiving of the Torah was a direct continuation of the Exodus from Egypt, the Seder Night serves as a basis and excellent reminder for observing the mitzvot and studying the Torah.
Women also fulfill the mitzvot of the Seder Night, except for the custom of “reclining.”
Setting the Plate
After returning from the synagogue, even before Kiddush, we approach to arrange the “Seder Plate.”
You can use a regular bowl, tray, or plate, and neatly arrange various foods – or in halachic language, “symbols” – which are eaten during the Seder.
When it is placed on the table, we put 3 separate matzot covered with a napkin between each one. The three matzot represent the three classes of the Jewish people – “Kohen” (the top matzah), “Levi” (the middle one), and “Israel” (the bottom one).
Above the top napkin, which completely covers the three matzot, we arrange the “Seder symbols” in the form of 2 ‘clusters,’ one above the other, as follows:
- In the top ‘cluster’:
On the right, “Zroa” – a roasted chicken neck.
On the left, “Beitzah” – a hard-boiled egg.
Below them in the middle, “Maror” – a leaf of lettuce and a sharp horseradish root.
- In the lower ‘cluster’:
On the right, “Charoset” – a mixture of apples, pears, and nuts softened in red wine.
On the left, “Karpas” – a raw onion slice or a cooked potato.
Below them in the middle, again “Maror” – a leaf of lettuce and horseradish.
Before placing the “symbols” on the plate, their names should be said aloud. For example, before placing the Zroa, say “Zroa,” and so forth.
After arranging the plate, recite in sequence all the “Seder symbols”:
“Kadesh, Urchatz, Karpas, Yachatz, Magid, Rachtzah, Motzi, Matzah, Maror, Korech, Shulchan Orech, Tzafun, Barech, Hallel, Nirtzah.”
All the “symbols” that are eaten on the Seder Night are taken from the plate itself, so it’s important to ensure that we place a sufficient amount for each “symbol.”
Four Cups
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- During the recitation of the Haggadah on the Seder night, we drink four cups of wine (or grape juice), corresponding to four expressions of redemption written in the Torah in the section about the Exodus from Egypt: “I will bring out”, “I will deliver”, “I will redeem”, and “I will take”.
- There is a commandment to specifically drink red wine that night, because it reminds us of the blood that Pharaoh shed when he slaughtered the children of Israel. As previously mentioned, if we have a more superior white wine, it is preferable to drink that.
- Each cup should contain at least a “revi’it” of wine. (“Revi’it” is the name of an ancient measurement, and in our days it is equivalent to 86 milliliters.)
- One should strive to drink the entire cup for each of the four cups, but if this is too difficult, one should drink at least the majority of the cup.
- Men and women, boys and girls, everyone is obligated to drink the four cups. Therefore, to help the children endure, prepare small cups for them that exactly contain a “revi’it”, so that they can drink four full cups of grape juice, or at least the majority of it.
Brief outline of the Seder:
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- Kadesh: Everyone recites the “Kiddush” over the wine, and drinks the first cup.
- Urchatz: Wash (“netilat”) the hands, without the blessing of “al netilat yadayim”.
- Karpas: Eat a piece of raw onion or cooked potato, dipped in salt water.
- Yachatz: Divide the middle matzah of the Seder plate into two parts. The larger part is saved for the “Afikoman”.
- Magid: Read the Haggadah. The children ask the “Four Questions”, we recount the story of the Exodus from Egypt, the ten plagues, etc. At the end of the reading, drink the second cup.
- Rachtzah: Wash (“netilat”) the hands again, this time with the blessing.
- Motzi: Recite the blessing of “HaMotzi”.
- Matzah: Recite the blessing “al achilat matzah” and eat the matzah.
- Maror: Recite the blessing “al achilat maror” and eat the bitter herbs, either lettuce leaves or horseradish root, dipped in charoset.
- Korech: Eat an unusual ‘sandwich’: matzah and maror wrapped together.
- Shulchan Orech: With a joyful heart, set the table and eat a festive meal.
- Tzafun: Bring out the “Afikoman” that was ‘hidden’ earlier and eat it.
- Barech: Recite the “Birkat HaMazon” after the meal, and drink the third cup.
- Hallel: Praise and thank God by reciting the “Hallel”, and drink the fourth cup.
- Nirtzah: We are confident that the Seder we conducted is desired and dear to God!
Now let’s elaborate on each “siman” (step).
Sanctification (Kadesh)
At the beginning of the Passover Seder night, red wine (or grape juice) should be poured for each one of the participants, and stand to perform the Kiddush.
Take the cup with your right hand and transfer it to the left. With your left hand, place the base of the cup in the middle of your right palm, with the four higher fingers ‘holding’ the side of the cup, and the thumb supports from the side.
Before starting the Kiddush, look at the holiday candles lit on the table, and during the blessing of “Creator of the fruit of the vine”, look at the wine in the cup. The Kiddush text appears in the “Haggadah”, and after the “Shehecheyanu” blessing, drink the cup while reclining to the left side, symbolizing freedom.
When the “Passover Seder night” falls on a Friday night or at the end of Shabbat, the order of Kiddush and the text we say varies slightly – and should be performed as it appears in the ‘Passover Haggadah’.
The Kiddush cup is the first of the four cups of the Passover Seder night. Since we bless the “Shehecheyanu” blessing during Kiddush on something that is first or new, we must intend during the blessing now also for the rest of the commandments that we will fulfill during this night and thus we are exempt from blessing again when we do them. Women do not bless “Shehecheyanu” as they already did so when lighting the candles at the start of the holiday.
Washing (Urchatz)
After the Kiddush, we approach to wash our hands in preparation for eating the “Karpas”. Since we are about to eat a piece of vegetable dipped in saltwater, we need to “wash hands”. This is the law for any fruit or vegetable that comes into contact with water and is eaten with hands while still wet. In halakhic language, this washing is called “Netilat Yadayim”, but it differs from that done before eating bread in that we do not bless after it the blessing of “Al Netilat Yadayim”.
Since the children are used to the fact that after “Netilat Yadayim” we bless and do not speak until eating the bread, this behavior is another way to spark the children’s curiosity and cause them to ‘raise an eyebrow’.
The “Netilah” order:
Take the cup with your right hand and fill it with water. Transfer it to the left hand, and with it, pour 3 pours on the right hand, and then 3 more pours on the left hand. Upon completion of the washing, dry your hands thoroughly – and don’t forget: don’t bless!
Appetizer (Karpas)
For the “Karpas”, use a piece of cooked potato or raw onion. Take less than a “kezayit” (27 grams) so that we do not have to also bless a “Birkat Hamazon” after eating.
Dip the piece in saltwater and bless: “Baruch Ata Adonai Eloheinu Melech HaOlam Borei Pri HaAdamah”, and eat without reclining. During the blessing, you also need to think about the “Maror” that will be eaten later.
Split (Yachatz)
After eating the “Karpas”, take the middle matzah of the Seder plate (which corresponds to “Levi”), and break it into 2 pieces. The smaller piece we leave in the bowl while the larger one we break into 5 pieces. These five matzah pieces are called “Afikoman“ and we hide them.
Story (Magid)
Now we have reached the climax of the Seder night: saying the “Haggadah”. We mentioned earlier the saying of our sages: “Whoever expands on the story of the Exodus from Egypt is praiseworthy”! By narrating the events every year, the tradition managed to pass from generation to generation. Our ancestors told us, their ancestors told them, and so on… In this way, we have managed to preserve the story of the Exodus from Egypt, exactly as it happened over 3,000 years ago.
The “Haggadah” should be recited aloud, with joy and while considering each word. All those seated at the Seder should say the “Haggadah” together with the head of the household, who is the Seder leader.
All the customs should be followed: when to remove the cover from the matzot, when to cover them again, when to pour wine into the cup, and so forth. All these things are clearly written in the “Haggadah”.
“Ma Nishtana”
The “Haggadah” begins with a general question: “Why is this night different from all other nights?” followed by a series of four questions dealing with things that seem strange to the children, like: why do we dip the “karpas” in saltwater, why do we eat matzah and not bread, and so on.
The four questions are first asked by the children – sons and daughters – in order from youngest to oldest. Before asking, the child precedes and says: “Dad, I want to ask you four questions”.
If the head of the household has no sons – the daughter asks him. If he has no children at all – his wife asks him, and if he has no wife – he ‘asks’ himself. After the children finish asking aloud, the adults also recite the entire “Ma Nishtana” section.
After we finish hearing the questions, we move on to the answers, and the father – or the Seder leader – opens and tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt: “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord our God brought us out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm”. The story of the Exodus from Egypt should be explained to children in a clear and simple language, beyond the reading of the “Haggadah” text.
During the “Haggadah”, we get to know the characters of the four sons: the Wise, the Wicked, the Simple and the one who does not know how to ask. These four sons represent four aspects of the Jewish people, but unlike the first three who ask – each in his own way – to explain the customs of Passover, the fourth represents that part of the Jewish people who did not have the privilege to be educated in the tradition, knows nothing about his Jewish past, and is even incapable of asking.
Later, we read about how our ancestors were enslaved in Egypt and we tell the story of the Ten Plagues.
Ten Plagues
When reciting “blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke” we pour from the wine in the cup 3 times into a broken vessel. The same is done during the mention of the Ten Plagues, as each time we mention a plague – “blood”, “frogs”, “lice” – we pour once into the vessel. This is also done when reciting the acronyms: “DeTzaKh, ADaSh, BeAChav” and we pour 3 additional times. In total: 16 pourings.
Afterwards, the wine that was poured out should be replenished – refill the cup and continue reciting the “Haggadah”.
At the end of the “Magid”, the second cup of wine is drunk while reclining.
Rachzah, Motzi, Matzah
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- Even though we already washed our hands (“Netilat Yadayim”) before eating the “karpas”, we need to “wash our hands” again, this time – for the meal.
- The order of the “Netilah”: Take the cup in the right hand and fill it with water. Transfer it to the left hand, and with it pour 3 times over the right hand, and then 3 more times over the left hand. Afterwards, bless: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the washing of hands”, and wipe the hands well. One should not speak after the blessing.
- Hold the three mitzvot (commandments) in the bowl, including the broken part of the middle matzah, and recite the blessing “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.“ After this blessing, leave the bottom matzah (but continue to hold the top two), and say an additional blessing – “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us regarding the eating of matzah.“
- Take an amount equivalent to an “olive’s size” (27 grams) from the top matzah, another “olive’s size” from the middle matzah and eat them together. It is required to eat at least an “olive’s size” of matzah within 4 minutes.
- On the Seder night, we are careful to eat specially prepared matzahs, which have been supervised from the time of the wheat harvest until the baking. Therefore, we should strive to eat round, handmade matzahs, referred to as “Shmurah Matzah.”
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- On the Seder night, we do not dip the matzah in salt, to show that we cherish it, and we do not mix it with any other taste.
- Even those who do not have a bowl should recite the two blessings and eat two ‘olive-sized’ pieces of matzah, each within up to 4 minutes.
- We should try not to speak from the blessing “On the eating of Matzah” until after eating the “Hillel sandwich” (explained later), because the blessings over the matzah and the bitter herb are also intended for the “Hillel sandwich.”
To avoid unnecessary complications, it is preferable to weigh the matzahs before the holiday and prepare “olive’s size” bags in advance. In this way, those who do not feel well can eat the exact amount required for the fulfillment of the commandment of eating matzah without overburdening themselves.
Maror (Bitter Herbs)
To remind ourselves of the harsh labor that the Egyptians embittered the lives of the children of Israel with in Egypt, we eat a bitter food along with the ‘Charoset’ which reminds us of the mortar with which our ancestors worked.
Take the lettuce and horseradish leaves from the middle of the bowl, dip them lightly in ‘Charoset’ and shake it off – so that the sweetness of the Charoset does not cancel out the bitter taste of the bitter herb – and recite the blessing: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us regarding the eating of Maror.” The bitter herb is eaten without leaning and within 4 minutes at most.
Korech (Hillel’s Sandwich)
Hillel the Elder, a great righteous man and head of the Sanhedrin who lived during the time of the Second Temple, used to prepare a ‘sandwich’ made up of matzah, meat from the “Paschal sacrifice” and bitter herbs. Today, when we do not sacrifice the “Paschal sacrifice”, we make the ‘sandwich’ from matzah and bitter herbs alone.
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- Take an “olive’s size” from the bottom matzah and likewise an “olive’s size” from the remaining bitter herb in the lower ‘compartment’ of the bowl and put a little dry Charoset on them (that has not been softened with wine).
- Say the text that appears in the Haggadah: “So Hillel did,” and eat them together, in memory of Hillel’s actions.
- The “Korech” should be eaten while leaning.
Shulchan Orech (Setting the Table)
Set the table for the holiday meal, and start serving the food. The meal should be rich and varied with meat, fish, and various flavors.
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- At the beginning of the meal, you should dip the hard-boiled egg – which is on the bowl – in salt water and eat it.
- During the meal, you should be very careful about “soaked matzah“: that the matzahs do not come into contact with water, juice or any other liquid, as we fear that there may be crumbs of flour that have not properly baked and in contact with liquid, they could leaven. Therefore, cover the matzahs during the meal, and when you eat them, the matzahs need to be in a bag so that the crumbs do not fall on the table.
- The holiday meal is eaten without leaning.
North
We take out the “Afikoman” that we hid earlier.
In Aramaic, the word “Afikoman” consists of two words – Apiku and Man, meaning: “Bring it before us”. In the past, it was customary to clear the tables of food at the end of the meal, and instead to bring in trays of dessert.
When the Temple was standing, they would eat the “Passover Sacrifice” as dessert on this night. Today, all we have left is the commandment of eating matzah, and therefore we eat another matzah towards the end of the meal in memory of the Passover sacrifice and so that the taste of the matzah remains in our mouth.
We should try not to be too full from the “Shulchan Orech” meal, so we can eat the “Afikoman” properly.
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- We should eat 2 “olive’s size” (two amounts of an “olive’s size”) from the pieces of matzah that we hid for the “Afikoman”.
- The “Afikoman” should be eaten in a reclining position.
- Usually, there is not enough “Afikoman” left to divide among all the participants in the Seder, so you can also eat from other matzahs, and the main thing is that everyone eats at least an “olive’s size” of matzah at the end of the meal.
- We should finish eating the “Afikoman” before midnight. Midnight is the middle of the time between sunset and sunrise, and in Israel it is around 23:40 (00:40 in daylight saving time). The exact time should be checked as it appears on the calendar.
- After eating the “Afikoman”, nothing else should be eaten (except for the last two cups of wine, to which we will get later).
Bless
According to tradition, Elijah the Prophet comes to visit every Jewish home on Seder night. The custom is to pour wine for him into a large and decorated cup called the “Cup of Elijah”. By doing so, we show that we believe he will come and announce the coming redemption. This cup remains on the table until the end of the Seder night when saying “Next year in Jerusalem”, and it is not drunk.
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- Before the “Birkat Hamazon” (Grace after meals), we also pour (except for Elijah’s cup) the third cup for everyone.
- During a regular meal throughout the year, before the start of “Birkat Hamazon”, it is customary to pour a little water from a vessel on the fingertips and pass them over the lips. This custom is called “Mayim Achronim”. Tonight – and on other days of Passover – we wet only the fingertips without passing them over the lips, because we fear that pieces of matzah might have remained there and they could become leavened when they come into contact with water.
- If there are at least three men over the age of “Bar Mitzvah” present at the meal, they recite the “Zimun” which appears before the “Birkat Hamazon”, which is essentially the opening of the blessing.
- We thank God for the delicious food we ate. The text of “Birkat Hamazon” appears in the “Haggadah”.
- We bless “Blessed are you, Lord our God, king of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine”, drink the third cup in a reclining position, and after that, pour…
“Pour out Your wrath”
We open the door for comfort and say the phrase “pour out Your wrath”. The meaning of this custom is: We remember that tonight is a special night in which God watches over us and we are not afraid of anything, and thanks to our great faith, the Messiah will come, and God will punish those nations that did not believe in Him and whom we suffered from throughout the exile period. Cup number 4.
- We send 2 ‘representatives’ to open the main door, facing the yard
