Page 6 - Passover 2020 Haggadah

KADDESH – THE FIRST CUP OF WINE
In our Passover story we are told four times that God promised freedom to our people. We remember each of those promises with a cup of wine.
I will bring you out...
I will deliver you...
I will redeem you...
I will take you to be my people...
With the first cup of wine we recall the first promise found in the Torah: “I am Adonai, and I will free you from the slavery of Egypt”
ָברוּךְ ַא ָתה ְי ָי, ֱאלֹ ֵּהינוּ ֶמ ֶלךְ ָהעוֹ ָלם, בוֹ ֵּרא ְפ ִּרי ַה ָג ֶפן:
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha’olam, borei p’ri hagafen. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.
UR’CHATZ – THE HANDWASHING
The symbolic washing of the hands that we now perform recalls the story of Miriam's well. Legend tells us that this well followed Miriam, sister of Moses, through the desert, sustaining the Jews in their wanderings. Filled with mayimei chayyim, waters of life, the well was a source of strength and renewal to all who drew from it. One drink from its waters was said to alert the heart, mind and soul, and make the meaning of Torah become more clear.
In Hebrew, ur’chatz means “washing” or “cleansing.” In Aramaic, sister language to Hebrew, ur’chatz means “trusting.” As Zadie washes his hands, rejoice in this act of trust, and reflect on the sources of hope and trust we want to bring into the world for ourselves and each other.
On a more practical note, the ritual handwashing prepares us for eating finger foods, karpas, the hors d’oeuvres of the Passover banquet.
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