THE PASSOVER SEDER
The 14 Steps
The Passover meal is called a Seder, which means order
in Hebrew, because we go through 14 specific steps as we retell the story of
our ancestors’ liberation from slavery in
1.
Kiddush (the blessing over wine) – KADEISH
Kadesh (sanctification) is the first step of the Passover
Seder, marking the holiday's start by reciting a blessing over the first of the
four cups of wine. The four cups correspond to the four phrases used during the
story of the Exodus:
Cup 1 (Sanctification / Kiddush):
Represents "I will bring you out from under the burdens of the
Egyptians".
Cup 2 (Judgment / Naggid):
Represents "I will deliver you from their bondage".
Cup 3 (Redemption / Birkat
Hamazon): Represents "I will redeem you with an
outstretched arm".
Cup 4 (Praise / Hallel):
Represents "I will take you to be my people".
2.
Ritual hand-washing in preparation for the Seder – URCHATZ
Urchatz is the second step of the Passover Seder, where
participants perform a ritual hand-washing without reciting a blessing.
Preparation: It prepares everyone to handle moist
foods—specifically the karpas (vegetable) that gets
dipped in salt water.
No Blessing: Unlike the later
hand-washing (rachtzah) before eating matzah, no blessing is said here because this
washing is a custom rather than a strict obligation for eating bread.
Sparking Curiosity: Doing things differently—like
washing without a blessing—encourages children and guests to ask questions
about the Seder process.
3.
Dipping a green vegetable in salt water – KARPAS
Karpas is the third step of the Passover Seder where a green
vegetable is dipped in salt water and eaten.
The Vegetable (Karpas):
Usually parsley, celery, or boiled potato, it symbolizes spring, new life, and
the hope of renewal.
The Salt Water: It represents the tears and sweat shed
by the Israelites during their slavery in
Spurring Questions: Eaten before the main meal, this
unusual practice is designed to spark curiosity and questions from children at
the Passover Seder.
4.
Breaking the middle matzah – MATZAH
YACHATZ
Three pieces of matzah bread
[unleavened bread] are stacked and wrapped in a linen napkin. Often a prepared
pouch that has three separate pockets is used, one piece of matzah
bread in each pocket.
We break the middle matzah
while it is still covered by its napkin. The larger portion is wrapped in linen
and set aside, to be used as the afikoman [If children are present it may be hidden in another
room for the children to find later].
The smaller portion is left between the two remaining
matzos, over which the blessing HaMotzi will be
recited.
Among Messianic Jews breaking the middle matzah represents the suffering or sacrifice of the middle
person of the Trinity. Hiding and wrapping the bread represents burial in a
linen shroud. Bringing the bread back out represents
resurrection or return.
5.
Telling the story of Passover – MAGGID
What Happens During Maggid:
The Invitation: It opens with Ha Lachma
Anya, holding up the broken matzah
and inviting the hungry and needy to join the meal.
The Four Questions (Ma Nishtanah):
Traditionally asked by the youngest child, these questions highlight why
Passover night is different from all other nights of the year.
The Four Sons: The Haggadah
outlines four types of children (wise, wicked, simple, and the one who doesn't
know how to ask) to show how to teach the story to different generations.
The Ten Plagues: Participants recite or drop drops of
wine for each of the ten plagues sent upon the Egyptians.
Dayenu: A traditional song of gratitude thanking God for all
the steps of liberation and kindness shown to the Jewish people.
The Second Cup: The section concludes by drinking the
second cup of wine.
6.
Ritual hand-washing in preparation for the meal – RACHTZA
What We Do:
Fill a cup:
Fill
a washing cup or pitcher with clean water.
Pour over hands:
Pour
water over your right hand, repeat two more times (or twice depending on
custom), and then do the same for your left hand.
Recite the blessing: Lift your hands and say the
Blessing for Hand-Washing on Chabad.org (Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam asher kid'shanu
b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al n'tilat yadayim).
Dry and be quiet:
Thoroughly
dry your hands with a towel. Traditionally, do not speak from the time you
finish the blessing until you recite the blessing over the matzah
(Motzi Matzah).
7.
The blessing over the meal and matzah – MOTZI MATZAH
Motzi Matzah is the seventh step
of the Passover Seder, where participants make the standard blessing over bread
followed by a unique blessing for eating matzah.
How to Perform Motzi Matzah
Lift and Bless: Hold all three matzot
and recite the Hamotzi blessing (Baruch atah... hamotzi lechem min haaretz).
Second Blessing: Release the bottom matzah, hold the remaining top and broken middle pieces,
and recite the blessing for eating matzah (asher kid'shanu
b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu al achilat matzah). For the full
traditional Hebrew texts and translations, please consult the referenced
sources.
Eat the Matzah: Distribute portions
from the top and middle matzot (supplementing with
extra to reach the required kezayit size), and
consume it while reclining to the left.
8.
Dipping the bitter herb in sweet – CHAROSET MAROR
Maror: Bitter herbs, usually freshly grated horseradish or
romaine lettuce, that represent the harshness and pain
of the enslavement in
Charoset: A sweet mixture of chopped fruits (like apples and
figs), nuts, wine, and spices that visually and texturally represents the
mortar used by the Israelite slaves to build bricks.
The Action: Participants dip the maror
into the charoset, shake off any excess so the herb
remains primarily bitter, recite a specific blessing, and eat it as part of the
ceremonial order of the Seder
9.
Eating a sandwich of matzah and bitter herb – KOREICH
Koreich is the step in the Passover Seder where participants
eat a sandwich made of matzah and bitter herbs.
The Tradition: It honors the practice of the ancient
sage Hillel, who wrapped the Passover lamb, matzah, and bitter herbs together during the time of the
Modern Practice: Because sacrifices are no longer
offered, today's sandwich uses pieces of matzah with
bitter herbs (like horseradish or romaine lettuce) and often a sweet
fruit-and-nut paste called charoset.
The Meaning: Combining the bitter herbs with the sweet
charoset and plain matzah
symbolizes how bitter hardships can be balanced by freedom and better days.
10.
Eating the meal – SCHULAN OREICH
Key Aspects of Shulchan Orech The Meal:
There
are no specific biblical commandments regarding what to eat during this step,
but it is customary to serve traditional festive foods (such as matzo ball
soup, brisket, or roasted chicken).
The Matzah: The meal is
eaten with the matzah that was blessed and broken
during the earlier steps of the Seder (Motzi and Matzah).
The Atmosphere: This step represents joyful
celebration and freedom, transitioning the Seder from the historical
storytelling of the Exodus into a relaxed, communal feast.
Shulchan Orech concludes when the
meal is finished, leading directly into the 12th step, Tzafun,
where the Afikomen (the hidden piece of matzah) is found and eaten
11.
Finding and eating the Afikomen – TZAFOON
Early in the Seder (during Yachatz),
the middle of three stacked matzahs was broken in
half. The Hiding: The larger piece was wrapped and hidden away to serve as the afikomen. At this point it is retrieved. If children are
present they will be asked to find it, and a small gift given to the one who
does.
The afikomen is eaten as the
final food of the meal, acting as a symbolic replacement for the Korban Pesach (the Passover lamb sacrifice) which was
historically eaten last. How it is Eaten: A small
piece is distributed to everyone at the table.
Symbol of the Lamb:
Historically,
the Afikomen takes the place of the original Passover
lamb sacrifice (Pesach), which cannot be eaten today without the
Messianic Jews see a deep spiritual picture in the Afikomen ceremony. Breaking the middle matzah
represents the suffering or sacrifice of the middle person of the Trinity. Hiding
and wrapping the bread represents burial in a linen shroud. Bringing
the bread back out represents resurrection or return.
When Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with His
disciples, He broke unleavened bread, gave thanks, and told them it was His
body broken or given for them. The Afikomen is seen
as the bread He broke at that time.
12.
Saying grace after the meal and inviting Elijah the Prophet – BAREICH
What Happens During Bareich
Third Cup of Wine: Before reciting the grace, everyone
refills their wine glass, which is then drunk after the blessing.
Grace After Meals: The
traditional Birkat Hamazon
thanks God for the food, the
Calling on Elijah: During the final part of the grace,
a specific prayer asks God to send Elijah the prophet as the herald of the
ultimate redemption and the messianic age.
The third cup of the Passover Seder is
the Cup of Redemption (also called the Cup of Blessing), and it is the first cup
drunk after the main meal is finished. It is poured after everyone finishes
eating the festive meal.
It is blessed and consumed right after reciting Birkat Hamazon, the traditional
grace after meals.
What It Represents
It connects to the third promise of freedom in Exodus
6:6: "I will redeem you with an outstretched arm". It recalls the
blood of the Passover lamb that saved the Israelites during the final plague in
Many Christian traditions believe Jesus held up this
third cup during the Last Supper. He referred to it as the new covenant in his
blood because it was taken after the meal.
13.
Singing songs that praise God – HALLEL
Key Facts About the Hallel:
It contains six consecutive psalms (Psalm 113, 114,
115, 116, 117, and 118)
The word Hallel shares the
same root as Hallelujah, which means "praise Yah" or "praise
God".
The final hymn that Jesus and his disciples sang
together before going to the
The fourth cup of Passover is the Cup
of Praise (or Hallel), which represents God's fourth
promise in Exodus 6:6-7: "I will take you to be My
people".
Meaning and Tradition Timing:
It
is filled and consumed near the end of the Passover Seder, right after
finishing the second half of the Hallel (the psalms
of praise and gratitude).
The Four Promises: It completes the sequence of the
four traditional cups, which map to the four expressions of redemption in the
Torah (Sanctification, Deliverance, Redemption, and Praise).
The
Fifth Cup: A fifth cup, known as the Cup of Elijah, is often poured on the
table but left undrunk, symbolizing future ultimate
redemption.
14.
Ending the Seder and thinking about the future – NIRTZAH
Nirtzah is the final step of the Passover Seder, meaning
"acceptance" or "desire", where participants look toward
the future and express hope for redemption.
What Happens in Nirtzah
Conclusion
of Formal Rituals: After reciting the final praises of Hallel,
the structured reading of the Haggadah comes to an
end.
Songs of Joy: People sing lighthearted, joyful
traditional folk songs like Chad Gadya ("One
Only Kid") and Echad Mi Yodea
("Who Knows One").
Divine Acceptance: Tradition views this moment as God
accepting the prayers and service of the night with favor.
The preceding information was gleaned from the
internet.