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Passover Seder: Step-by-Step
Art by Sefira Lightstone
What Is a Seder?
The Passover Seder is a feast that includes reading, drinking wine, telling stories, eating special foods, singing, and other Passover traditions.
As per Biblical command, the Seder is held after nightfall on the first night of Passover (and the second night if you live outside of Israel), the anniversary of our nation’s miraculous exodus from Egyptian slavery more than 3,000 years ago.
What’s on the Menu?
During the course of the evening you will have:
- four cups of wine.
- veggies dipped in saltwater.
- flat, dry cracker-like bread called matzah
- bitter herbs, often horseradish (without additives) and romaine lettuce, dipped into charoset (a paste of nuts, apples, pears and wine).
- a festive meal that may contain time-honored favorites, like chicken soup and gefilte fish.
Each item has its place in a 15-step choreographed combination of tastes, sounds, sensations and smells that have been with the Jewish people for millennia. We call it the Seder or "Order."
Another key element is a tray called the Seder plate, which holds the symbolic foods used during the Seder.
The fifteen Steps
1. Kadesh - Sanctify Recite Kiddush over a cup of wine or grape juice, which you will drink while reclining to the left.
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2. Urchatz - Wash Your Hands Wash your hands by pouring water three times on the right hand and three times on the left, without saying a blessing.
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3. Karpas - Appetizer Eat a small piece of vegetable dipped in salt water, recalling the tears the Jews shed during their slavery in Egypt, after you say the appropriate blessing.
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4. Yachatz - Break the Middle Matzah Break the middle matzah from the Seder plate in two. The larger piece, the afikoman, is removed and hidden.
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5. Maggid - Tell the Story of the Exodus Ask the Four Questions and retell the story of Passover. After completing the story, drink the second cup of wine while reclining.
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6. Rachtzah - Wash Your Hands Again Wash your hands again as before, this time reciting the blessing for washing hands.
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7. Motzi - Blessing Over Bread Recite the blessing for bread.
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8. Matzah Recite the special blessing for matzah, then eat matzah while reclining to the left.
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9. Maror - Bitter Herbs Eat horseradish and/or romaine lettuce (dipped into charoset) recalling the bitterness of slavery in Egypt,.
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10. Korech - The Hillel Sandwich Make a sandwich with matzah and maror, and eat it while reclining to the left.
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11. Shulchan Orech - The Festive Meal Enjoy the festive Seder meal, leaving room for the afikoman.
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12. Tzafun - Eat the Afikomen Eat the afikoman, the piece of matzah that was set aside earlier in the Seder.
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13. Beirach - Grace After Meals Recite Grace After Meals and drink the third cup of wine while reclining.
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14. Hallel - Psalms of Praise Fill Elijah’s cup and the fourth cup of wine, open the door for Elijah the Prophet, sing songs of praise for the miracles performed for the Jewish people, and drink your final cup.
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15. Nirtzah - Accepted Conclude the Seder with the prayer, “Next Year in Jerusalem.”
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