Raise the tray with the matzot and say:
This is the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt. Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat; whoever is in need, let him come and conduct the Seder of Passover. This year [we are] here; next year in the land of Israel. This year [we are] slaves; next year [we will be] free people.
The tray with the matzot is moved aside, and the second cup is POURED.(Do not drink it yet).

Now the child asks "Mah Nishtana?"
What makes this night different from all [other] nights?

On all nights we need not dip even once, on this night we do so twice!

On all nights we eat chametz or matzah, and on this night only matzah.

On all nights we eat any kind of vegetables, and on this night maror!

On all nights we eat sitting upright or reclining, and on this night we all recline!

The tray is restored to its place with the matzah partly uncovered. Now we say "We were slaves. . ."
We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the L-rd, our G-d, took us out from there with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm. If the Holy One, blessed be He, had not taken our fathers out of Egypt, then we, our children and our children's children would have remained enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt. Even if all of us were wise, all of us understanding, all of us knowing the Torah, we would still be obligated to discuss the exodus from Egypt; and everyone who discusses the exodus from Egypt at length is praiseworthy.
It happened that Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarphon were reclining [at a seder] in B'nei Berak. They were discussing the exodus from Egypt all that night, until their students came and told them: "Our Masters! The time has come for reciting the morning Shema!"

Rabbi Eleazar ben Azaryah said: "I am like a man of seventy years old, yet I did not succeed in proving that the exodus from Egypt must be mentioned at night-until Ben Zoma explained it: "It is said, `That you may remember the day you left Egypt all the days of your life;' now `the days of your life' refers to the days, [and the additional word] `all' indicates the inclusion of the nights!"

The sages, however, said: "`The days of your life' refers to the present-day world; and `all' indicates the inclusion of the days of Mashiach."

Blessed is the Omnipresent One, blessed be He! Blessed is He who gave the Torah to His people Israel, blessed be He! The Torah speaks of four children: One is wise, one is wicked, one is simple and one does not know how to ask.

The wise one, what does he say? "What are the testimonies, the statutes and the laws which the L-rd, our G-d, has commanded you?" You, in turn, shall instruct him in the laws of Passover, [up to] `one is not to eat any dessert after the Passover-lamb.'

The wicked one, what does he say? "What is this service to you?!" He says `to you,' but not to him! By thus excluding himself from the community he has denied that which is fundamental. You, therefore, blunt his teeth and say to him: "It is because of this that the L-rd did for me when I left Egypt"; `for me' - but not for him! If he had been there, he would not have been redeemed!"

The simpleton, what does he say? "What is this?" Thus you shall say to him: "With a strong hand the L-rd took us out of Egypt, from the house of slaves."

As for the one who does not know how to ask, you must initiate him, as it is said: "You shall tell your child on that day, `It is because of this that the L-rd did for me when I left Egypt.'"

One may think that [the discussion of the exodus] must be from the first of the month. The Torah therefore says, `On that day.'

`On that day,' however, could mean while it is yet daytime; the Torah therefore says, `It is because of this.' The expression `because of this' can only be said when matzah and maror are placed before you.

In the beginning our fathers served idols; but now the Omnipresent One has brought us close to His service, as it is said: "Joshua said to all the people: Thus said the L-rd, the G-d of Israel, `Your fathers used to live on the other side of the river - Terach, the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor, and they served other gods.

"And I took your father Abraham from beyond the river, and I led him throughout the whole land of Canaan. I increased his seed and gave him Isaac, and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it, and Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt."

Blessed is He who keeps His promise to Israel, blessed be He! For the Holy One, blessed be He, calculated the end [of the bondage], in order to do as He had said to our father Abraham at the "Covenant between the Portions," as it is said: "And He said to Abraham, `You shall know that your seed will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave them and make them suffer, for four hundred years. But I shall also judge the nation whom they shall serve, and after that they will come out with great wealth.'"

According to the instructions of Rabbi Isaac Luria, the wine cup is now raised and the Matzot are covered.

This is what has stood by our fathers and us! For not just one alone has risen against us to destroy us, but in every generation they rise against us to destroy us; and the Holy One, blessed be He, saves us from their hand!

Put down the wine cup and uncover the Matzah.

Go forth and learn what Laban the Aramean wanted to do to our father Jacob. Pharaoh had issued a decree against the male children only, but Laban wanted to uproot everyone - as it is said: "The Aramean wished to destroy my father; and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation - great and mighty and numerous."

"And he went down to Egypt" forced by Divine decree. "And he sojourned there" - this teaches that our father Jacob did not go down to Egypt to settle, but only to live there temporarily. Thus it is said, "They said to Pharaoh, We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks because the hunger is severe in the land of Canaan; and now, please, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen."

"Few in number" as it is said: "Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now, the L-rd, your G-d, has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven."

"And he became there a nation" this teaches that Israel was distinctive there.

"Great, mighty," as it is said: "And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, and multiplied and became very, very mighty, and the land became filled with them."

"And numerous," as it is said: "I passed over you and saw you wallowing in your bloods, and I said to you `By your blood you shall live,' and I said to you `By your blood you shall live!' I caused you to thrive like the plants of the field, and you increased and grew and became very beautiful your bosom fashioned and your hair grown long, but you were naked and bare."

"The Egyptians treated us badly and they made us suffer, and they put hard work upon us."

"The Egyptians treated us badly," as it is said: Come, let us act cunningly with [the people] lest they multiply and, if there should be a war against us, they will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the land."

"And they made us suffer," as it is said: "They set taskmasters over [the people of Israel] to make them suffer with their burdens, and they built storage cities for Pharaoh, Pitom and Ramses."

"And they put hard work upon us," as it is said: "The Egyptians made the children of Israel work with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard work, with mortar and with bricks and all manner of service in the field, all their work which they made them work with rigor." And we cried out to the L-rd, the G-d of our fathers, and the L-rd heard our voice and saw our suffering, our labor and our oppression.

"And we cried out to the L-rd, the G-d of our fathers," as it is said: "During that long period, the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel groaned because of the servitude, and they cried out. And their cry for help from their servitude rose up to G-d."

"And the L-rd heard our voice" as it said: "And G-d heard their groaning, and G-d remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

"And he saw our suffering," this refers to the separation of husband and wife, as it is said: "G-d saw the children of Israel and G-d took note."

"Our labor," this refers to the "children," as it is said: "Every boy that is born, you shall throw into the river and every girl you shall keep alive."

"And our oppression," this refers to the pressure, as it is said: "I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them."

"The L-rd took as out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with a great manifestation, and with signs and wonders."

"The L-rd took us out of Egypt," not through an angel, not through a seraph and not through a messenger. The Holy One, blessed be He, did it in His glory by Himself!

Thus it is said: "In that night I will pass through the land of Egypt, and I will smite every first-born in the land of Egypt, from man to beast, and I will carry out judgments against all the gods of Egypt, I the L-rd."

"I will pass through the land of Egypt," I and not an angel;

"And I will smite every first-born in the land of Egypt," I and not a seraph;

"And I will carry out judgments against all the gods of Egypt," I and not a messenger;

"I- the L-rd," it is I, and none other!

"With a strong hand," this refers to the dever (pestilence) as it is said: "Behold, the hand of the L-rd will be upon your livestock in the field, upon the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds and the flocks, a very severe pestilence."

"And with an outstretched arm," this refers to the sword, as it is said: "His sword was drawn, in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem."

"And with a great manifestation," this refers to the revelation of the Shechinah (Divine Presence), as it is said: "Has any G-d ever tried to take for himself a nation from the midst of another nation, with trials, signs and wonders, with war and with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great manifestations, like all that the L-rd your G-d, did for you in Egypt before your eyes!"

"And with signs," this refers to the staff, as it is said: "Take into your hand this staff with which you shall perform the signs."

"And wonders," this refers to the blood, as it is said: "And I shall show wonders in heaven and on earth.

When saying the following words "blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke," spill three times from the wine in the cup. Do not remove wine by dipping a finger, but by spilling from the cup itself, and do so into a broken/chipped dish. (Have in mind that the cup symbolizes the aspect of malchut which contains an aspect of "anger and indignation." By means of our faculty of binah (understanding) we pour out [that aspect of "anger and indignation" - by spilling from the wine in the cup into a broken dish which represents kelipah, i.e., that which is called accursed [the principle of evil]).
Blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke
Another explanation: "Strong hand" indicates two [plagues]; "Outstretched arm," another two; "Great manifestation," another two; "Signs," another two; and "Wonders," another two.

These are the Ten Plagues which the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians, namely as follows:

When saying the ten plagues, spill from the cup itself ten times, as stated above (and when spilling, again have in mind what was said above). The wine remaining in the cup (will have become `wine that causes joy,' thus) is not to be spilled, but other wine is added to it [to refill the cup].
Blood.
Frogs.
Lice.
Wild Beasts.
Pestilence.
Boils.
Hail.
Locust.
Darkness.
Slaying of the First-born.

Rabbi Yehudah referred to them by acronyms
DeTzaCh (blood, frogs, lice);
ADaSh (beasts, pestilence, boils);
BeAChaV (hail, locust, darkness, first-born).

Rabbi Yosi the Gallilean said: How do you know that the Egyptians were stricken by ten plagues in Egypt, and then were struck by fifty plagues at the sea?

In Egypt it says of them, "The magicians said to Pharaoh `This is the finger of G-d.' At the sea it says, "Israel saw the great hand that the L-rd laid against Egypt; and the people feared the L-rd, and they believed in the L-rd and in His servant Moses."

Now, how often were they smitten by `the finger'? Ten plagues!

Thus you must conclude that in Egypt they were smitten by ten plagues, at the sea they were smitten by fifty plagues!

Rabbi Eliezer said: How do we know that each individual plague which the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt consisted of four plagues?

For it is said: "He sent against them His fierce anger, fury, and indignation, and trouble, a discharge of messengers of evil": `Fury,' is one; `Indignation,' makes two; `Trouble,' makes three; `Discharge of messengers of evil,' makes four.

Thus you must now say that in Egypt they were struck by forty plagues, and at the sea they were stricken by two hundred plagues.

Rabbi Akiva said: How do we know that each individual plague which the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt consisted of five plagues?

For it is said: "He sent against them his fierce anger, fury, and indignation, and trouble, a discharge of messengers of evil": "His fierce anger," is one; "fury," makes two; "indignation," makes three; "trouble," makes four; "discharge of messengers of evil," makes five. Thus you must now say that in Egypt they were struck by fifty plagues, and at the sea they were stricken by two hundred and fifty plagues.

How many levels of favors has the Omnipresent One bestowed upon us:

If He had brought us out from Egypt, and had not carried out judgments against them Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had carried out judgments against them, and not against their idols Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had destroyed their idols, and had not smitten their first-born Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had smitten their first-born, and had not given us their wealth Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had given us their wealth, and had not split the sea for us Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had split the sea for us, and had not taken us through it on dry land Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had taken us through the sea on dry land, and had not drowned our oppressors in it Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had drowned our oppressors in it, and had not supplied our needs in the desert for forty years Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, and had not fed us the manna Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had fed us the manna, and had not given us the Shabbat Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had given us the Shabbat, and had not brought us before Mount Sinai Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had brought us before Mount Sinai, and had not given us the Torah Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had given us the Torah, and had not brought us into the land of Israel Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had brought us into the land of Israel, and had not built for us the Beit Habechirah (Chosen House; the Beit Hamikdash) Dayenu, it would have sufficed us!

Thus how much more so should we be grateful to the Omnipresent One for the doubled and redoubled goodness that He has bestowed upon us; for He has brought us out of Egypt, and carried out judgments against them, and against their idols, and smote their first-born, and gave us their wealth, and split the sea for us, and took us through it on dry land, and drowned our oppressors in it, and supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, and fed us the manna, and gave us the Shabbat, and brought us before Mount Sinai, and gave us the Torah, and brought us into the land of Israel and built for us the Beit Habechirah to atone for all our sins.

Rabban Gamliel used to say: Whoever does not discuss the following three things on Passover has not fulfilled his duty, namely:
Passover (the Passover-sacrifice),
Matzah (the unleavened bread)
and
Maror (the bitter herbs).
Passover - the Passover-lamb that our fathers ate during the time of the Beit Hamikdash - for what reason [did they do so]?

Because the Omnipresent passed over our fathers' houses in Egypt, as it is said:

"You shall say, It is a Passover-offering to the L-rd, because He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians with a plague, and He saved our houses. And the people bowed and prostrated themselves."

Take the broken Matzah into your hand and say:
This Matzah that we eat for what reason? Because the dough of our fathers did not have time to become leavened before the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to them and redeemed them.

Thus it is said: "They baked Matzah-cakes from the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, because it was not leavened; for they had been driven out of Egypt and could not delay, and they had also not prepared any [other] provisions."

Take the maror into your hand and say:
This maror that we eat for what reason? Because the Egyptians embittered our fathers' lives in Egypt, as it is said:

"They made their lives bitter with hard service, with mortar and with bricks, and with all manner of service in the field; all their service which they made them serve with rigor."

In every generation a person is obligated to regard himself as if he had come out of Egypt, as it is said: "You shall tell your child on that day, it is because of this that the L-rd did for me when I left Egypt."

The Holy One, blessed be He, redeemed not only our fathers from Egypt, but He redeemed also us with them, as it is said: "It was us that He brought out from there, so that He might bring us to give us the land that He swore to our fathers."

Cover the Matzah and raise the cup. The cup is to be held in the hand until the completion of the blessing, "Who Has Redeemed Us..."

Thus it is our duty to thank, to laud, to praise, to glorify, to exalt, to adore, to bless, to elevate and to honor the One who did all these miracles for our fathers and for us. He took us from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to festivity, and from deep darkness to great light and from bondage to redemption. Let us therefore recite before Him Halleluyah, Praise G-d!

Halleluyah - Praise G-d! Offer praise, you servants of the L-rd; praise the Name of the L-rd. May the L-rd's Name be blessed from now and to all eternity. From the rising of the sun to its setting, the L-rd's Name is praised. The L-rd is high above all nations, His glory is over the heavens. Who is like the L-rd, our G-d, who dwells on high yet looks down so low upon heaven and earth! He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the dunghill, to seat them with nobles, with the nobles of His people. He restores the barren woman to the house, into a joyful mother of children. Halleluyah - praise G-d.

When Israel went out of Egypt, the House of Jacob from a people of a foreign language, Judah became His holy one, Israel His dominion. The sea saw and fled, the Jordan turned backward. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like young sheep. What is with you, O sea, that you flee; Jordan, that you turn backward? Mountains, why do you skip like rams; hills, like a pool of water, the flint-stone into a spring of water.

Blessed are You, G-d, our G-d, King of the universe, who has redeemed us and redeemed our fathers from Egypt, and enabled us to attain this night to eat matzah and maror. So too, G-d, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, enable us to attain other holidays and festivals that will come to us in peace with happiness in the rebuilding of Your city, and with rejoicing in Your service [in the Bet Hamikdash]. Then we shall eat

Note: if the festival is on any day except Saturday night say: of the sacrifices and of the Passover-offerings; if the Seder is on Saturday Night say: of the Passover-offerings and of the sacrifices

whose blood shall be sprinkled on the wall of Your altar for acceptance; and we shall thank You with a new song for our redemption and for the deliverance of our souls. Blessed are You, G-d, who redeemed Israel.

Recite the following blessing, and drink the cup in the reclining position:
Blessed are You, L-rd, our G-d, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

READER:
The Seder is different from the feast of any other holiday. At the Seder, the feast itself is symbolic: the special foods and the special ways of eating them all carry meanings beyond the usual. What are these meanings? Let us begin by asking the proper questions; only then can we give proper answers about the meaning of Pesach, of Passover. KASHAS (Questions)


(The youngest child capable of asking - or else apportion parts among the boys and girls present - should say to the host (who will answer), "We wish to ask you the four questions.")

CHILDREN:
Why is this night different from all other nights?

MA NISH-TA-NA HA-LAI-LOH HA-ZEH, MI-KOL HA-LAY-LOS?

1. On all other nights we eat both leavened and unleavened bread; why on this night do we eat only unleavened bread?

SHEB'CHOL HA-LAY-LOST O-NOO OCH-LEEN CHO-MAYTZ U-MATZOH, HA-LAI-LOH HA-ZEH
KU-LO MATZOH?

2. On all other nights we may eat all kinds of herbs; why on this night dowe eat especially bitter herbs?

SHEB'CHOL HA-LAY-LOST O-NOO OCH-LEEN SH'OR Y'RO-KOS, HA-LAI-LOH HA-ZEH
(KU-L0) MOROR?


3. On all other nights we do not usually dip our food in anything at allwhy on this night do we dip food twice?

SHEB'COL HA-LAY-LOS AYN O-NOO MAT-BEE-LEEN A-FEE-LOO PA-AM E-CHOS,
HA-LAI-LOH HA-ZEH SH'TAY F'O-MEEM?

4. On all other nights we eat either simply or in festivity; why on thisnight do we celebrate with such special festivity?

SHEB'COL HA-LAY-LOS O-NOO OCH-LEEN BAYN YOSH-VEEN U-VAYN M'SU-BEEN,
HA-LAI-LOH HA-ZEH KU-LO-NOO M'SU-BEEN?


ANSWERS

HOST:
Your questions are good questions. In order to answer them properly. In order to answer them properly, we must first tell you the following story (maggid).

Four thousand years ago, our forefather, Jacob, was a wanderer, owning flocks and many tents. In a time of famine, he went down to Egypt and settled there with his family. One of his sons, Joseph, was already the Prime Minister. Pharaoh, King of Egypt, loved Joseph and gave all his family the good land of Goshen to live in. And the children of Jacob (Israel) prospered there for many generations.

But there arose a new king over Egypt who feared the Jews because they were different. And he said to his people, "Look at how rich and how powerful are these children of Israel. If war comes, they may join themselves to our enemies and fight against us." This unfortunate fear has reappeared many times throughout our long history.

Therefore, Pharaoh made slaves of our ancestors and set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. He tried to subdue them by making them gather straw to make bricks, so that they could build cities for him upon the plain. He tried to reduce their numbers by casting their male children into the river. And the lives of our ancestors became bitter with pain.

But one Jewish mother, trying to save her son, placed him in the river in a little boat of reeds, trusting to the current rather than man's cruelty - and so the great story of Moses begins. It goes on to tell of how Pharaoh's daughter found and loved the child, and took for her own, and that, without knowing, hired Moses' own mother to be his nurse.

Moses grew up and became determined to free his people from bondage. Once, while alone in the desert, he had a strange and marvelous experience with a burning bush. This experience taught him that BEING (and BECOMING) is the very purpose of life. Liberation became his mission. The ancient story tells of how Moses went repeatedly to the Pharaoh, asking that the Egyptians let the Jews go -- but Pharaoh would not; his heart hardened more each time that Moses asked.

READER:
But Moses feared not; his compassion and pride made him persistent. And then, the legend says, came the PLAGUES, one by one, descending upon Egypt. Here are the Ten Plagues, as they are listed in the Bible story; for each, we diminish the wine in our cups, to give expression to our sorrow for the pain and loss which each plague exacted of other humans, even our ancient oppressors.


HOST:
(Pouring a drop of wine for each plague):

DOM. TZ'FAR-DAY-A. KI-NEEM. O-ROV. DE-VER. SH'CHEEN. BO'ROD. ARBEH. CHO-SHECH. MA-KAS B'CHO-ROS.

Blood. Frogs. Gnats. Flies. Diseased cattle. Boils. Hail. Locusts. Darkness. Slaying of the First Born.

READER:
Many Egyptians perished, and their suffering was great. Each time a plague appeared, Pharaoh agreed to let the Jews go. But each time the plague vanished, Pharaoh relented. Finally, amidst great sorrowing over the death of his first-born, Pharaoh ordered Moses to take his people out of the land. And Moses did, and the people arose from the midst of their oppressors, and fled from their bondage.

Here we begin retelling the story of the Exodus from Egypt.

Fill the second cup of wine. The Leader uncovers the matzohs and, raising the plate for all to see, recites:


This is the bread of affliction, which our parents ate in Egypt.
Let all who hunger come and eat.
Let all who need come and celebrate the Passover.
Now we are here; next year may we be in Israel.
Now we are slaves; next year may we be free.

Put down the plate, and cover the matzoh.

The youngest person present at table asks the four questions:

What makes this night different from all other nights?
1. On any other night we eat both leavened and unleavened bread;
Why on this night do we eat only unleavened bread?
2. On any other night we eat herbs of all kinds;
Why on this night do we eat only bitter herbs?
3. On any other night we do not dip our herbs even once;
Why on this night do we dip them twice?
4. On any other night we eat our meals either sitting upright, or reclining;
Why on this night do we all recline?

The Leader of the Seder uncovers the matzoh, and begins the reply:

We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord our God brought us out from there
with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.
Now, if God had not brought our forbears out from Egypt, then even we, our children,
and our children's children might still be enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt.
Therefore, even if we were all wise, all old, all steady, all learned in the ways of God,
it would still be our duty to tell the story of the departure from Egypt.
And the more one dwells upon the features of the Exodus, the more one should be praised.

Once Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Joshua, Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah and Rabbi Tarfon met together in Bene Barak and sat up all night talking about the departure from Egypt, until their disciples came and said to them: Masters, it is time to recite the morning Sh'ma.
Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah said: I have lived to be a man of threescore years and ten, yet I did not understand why the story of the Exodus should be told at night until Ben Zoma explained it to me. He said: It is said, "That thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life." (Deuteronomy 16:3) "The days of your life" would have meant the days only, but "all the days of your life" includes the nights also.
The Sages of Israel explain it further: "The days of your life" refers to this world, while "All the days of your life" includes the time of the Messiah.
Blessed is the Holy One, Blessed be He, who gave the Torah to his people Israel.
Bless the Lord.

The Torah speaks of four kinds of children:
The wise child, the wicked, the simple one, the one too young to know to ask.
The wise child asks: "What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which he Lord our God hath commanded you?" (Deuteronomy 6:20) To that one, you explain all the laws of Passover, down to the very last detail about the Afikoman.
The wicked child asks: "What mean you by this service?" (Exodus 12:26) By saying "you," and not "we" or "me," he excludes himself from the group, and denies God. Answer that child plainly: "This is done because of that which the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt." (Exodus 13:8) For me, not for you: had you been there in Egypt, you would not have been redeemed.
The simple child asks: "What is this?" Answer that one: "By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage." (Exodus 13:14)
Of the child too young to ask, it is written: "And thou shalt show thy son in that day, saying,
This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt." (Exodus 13:8)

One might think that the Seder should be performed on the first day of Nisan. But the Torah states: "in that day," on Passover. If the celebration is to be "in that day," one might think that the Seder should be conducted in the daylight. But the text states "because of that," (Exodus 12:8) referring to the time when unleavened bread and bitter herbs are served, on Passover night.
Once people only worshipped idols, but now we have learned of the one, creator of the universe, and worship even as it is told:
"And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac. And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt." (Joshua 24:2-4)
Bless God, who kept the promise to Israel- Blessed be He.
For the Holy One, Blessed be He, saw the end of our bondage, and told it to Abraham at the Covenant of the Sacrifice: "And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance." (Genesis 15:13-14)

Raise the cup of wine and say:
This promise, that God made to Abraham and his children God also made to us, in every generation. More than once, in every generation, they have risen up against us, to destroy us. But the Holy One, blessed be He, delivers us from the destroyers' hands

Hear what Laban the Aramaean tried to do against our father Jacob. While Pharaoh only condemned the male children, Laban sought to destroy our whole people. For it is written: "A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous." (Deuteronomy 26:5)
"And he went down into Egypt," in obedience to God's word, "and sojourned there." This teaches that Jacob did not mean to settle in Egypt. As it is written: "They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen." (Genesis 47:4)
"Few in number," as it is said: "Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude." (Deuteronomy 10:22)
"And there they became a nation," teaching us that they could be told apart from the Egyptians.
"Great and mighty," as it is written: "And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them." (Exodus 1:7) "And populous," as it is said: "I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare." (Ezekiel 16:7)

"And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage." (Deuteronomy 26:6)
"And the Egyptians evil entreated us," as it is told: "Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land." (Exodus 1:10) "And afflicted us," as it is told: "Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses." (Exodus 1:11) "And laid upon us hard bondage," as it is said: "And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour." (Exodus 1:13)

"And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression." (Deuteronomy 26:7)
"And when we cried unto the Lord God of our fathers," as it is recorded: "And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage." (Exodus 2:23)
"The Lord heard our voice," as it is said: "And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob." (Exodus 2:24)
"And looked on our affliction," meaning the husbands and wives slept apart, to prevent the to-be-conceived from knowing Pharaoh's persecution, as it is told: "And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them." (Exodus 2:25)
"And our labour," referring to the drowning of the male children, as it is written: "And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive." (Exodus 1:22)
"And our oppression," as it is recorded: "Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them." (Exodus 3:9)

"And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders." (Deuteronomy 26:8)
"And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt," not by the hand of an angel, not by the hand of a seraph, not by the hand of a messenger, but the Holy One, Blessed be He, of his own self brought us out, as is said: "For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord." (Exodus 12:12)
"For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night:" I, and not an angel. "And will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt:" I, and not a seraph. "And against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment:" I, and not a messenger. "I am the Lord:" I am that I am and no other.
"With a mighty hand," meaning the pestilence, as it is told: "Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain." (Exodus 9:3)
"And with an outstretched arm," the sword, of which it is written: "A drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem." (1Chronicles 21:16)
"And with great terribleness," meaning the Revelation of the Divine Presence, as it is written: "Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?" (Deuteronomy 4:34)
"And with signs," the rod of Moses, as has been told: "And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs." (Exodus 4:17)
"And with wonders," the water made blood, as it is written: "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth,

Spill a drop of wine for each of these three:
"Blood,
and Fire,
and Pillars of Smoke." (Joel 2:30 KJV/ Joel 3:3 JPS)




Others say, "With a mighty hand" stands for two plagues; "and with an outstretched arm" -stands for two; "and with great terribleness" -two; "and with signs" -two; "and with wonders" -two. These make the ten plagues which the Holy One, Blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt:

Spill one drop of wine for each of the ten plagues:
Blood (Dam)
Frogs (Tzfardea)
Lice (Kinim)
Beasts (Arov)
Pestilence (Dever)
Boils (Shchin)
Hail (Barad)
Locusts (Arbe)
Darkness (Choshech)
Slaying of the First-born (Makat Bechoroth)

Rabbi Judah called the plagues by this mnemonic:

Spill three drops of wine, one for each watchword:

DeTZaKh ADaSH BeACHaB.

Rabbi Jose the Galilean said: How do we know that the Egyptians were smitten with ten plagues in Egypt, and with fifty plagues by the Red Sea?
With regards to Egypt, it is written: " Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said." (Exodus 8:19 KJV/ Exodus 8:15 JPS)
With respect to the Red Sea, it is written: "And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses." (Exodus 14:31) One finger for each plague on land: ten plagues. But at the Red Sea, the whole hand of God, five fingers ten times: fifty plagues.

Rabbi Eliezer said: How can we show that each and every plague the Holy One, Blessed be He, visited upon the Egyptians had the force of four plagues?
It is told: "He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them." (Psalm 78:49) "Wrath" makes one; "indignation", two; "trouble" three; "sending evil angels" makes it fourfold. Thus, we can say that the Egyptians were smitten with forty plagues in Egypt, and with two hundred plagues by the Red Sea shore.

Rabbi Akiva said: "Where do we learn that each and every plague the Holy One, Blessed be He, visited upon the Egyptians was equal to five plagues?
It is written: "He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them." "The fierceness of his anger" makes one; "wrath", two; "indignation" three; "trouble" four; "sending evil angels" makes five times. Thus, we have ten times five, fifty plagues in Egypt, and five times fifty, two-hundred fifty plagues at the Red Sea.

How many blessings God has given Israel.

How many blessings God has given Israel.

Had God brought us out from Egypt
And not visited them with judgment
It would have been
Enough
(Dayenu)
Had God visited them with judgment
And not cast down their idols
(Dayenu)
Enough
Had God destroyed their idols
And not slain their firstborn
(Dayenu)
Enough
Had God but slain their firstborn
And not given us their substance
(Dayenu)
Enough
Had God just given us their substance
And not parted the Red Sea for us
(Dayenu)
Enough
Had God parted the Red Sea for us
And not let us walk upon the dry sea bed
(Dayenu)
Enough
Had God led us across the dry sea bed
And not drowned our pursuers in its waters
(Dayenu)
Enough
Had God drowned our pursuers in its waters
And not kept us forty years in the wilderness
(Dayenu)
Enough
Had God but kept us forty years in the wilderness
And not fed us with manna
(Dayenu)
Enough
Had God just fed us with manna
And not given us the Sabbath rest
(Dayenu)
Enough
Had God given us the Sabbath rest
And not led us to the foot of Sinai
(Dayenu)
Enough
Had God brought us to the foot of Sinai
And not taught us the Torah
(Dayenu)
Enough
Had God taught us the Torah
And not brought us into Israel
(Dayenu)
Enough
Had God brought us into Israel
And not built the Temple there
It would have been
Enough
(Dayenu)

God has showered blessings on us,
More than we can count:
God brought us out of Egypt,
And visited judgment upon the Egyptians,
Cast down their idols,
And slew their first born,
Gave us their substance,
And parted the seas for us,
Let us walk the dry sea bed,
And drowned our pursuers,
Kept us live forty years in the wilderness,
And fed us with manna,
Gave us the Sabbath rest,
And led us to the foot of Mount Sinai,
And there taught us Torah,
And brought us into Israel,
And there built the Temple
Where we might atone for our sins.