Passover

==Passover seder==
[[File:Sedertable.jpg|thumb|250px|Table set for the Passover Seder]]
{{Main|Passover Seder}}
It is traditional for Jewish families to gather on the first night of Passover (first two nights in [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] and [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] communities outside [[Israel]]) for a special dinner called a [[Passover seder|seder]] ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: <big>סדר</big> ''seder'' – derived from the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] word for "order" or "arrangement", referring to the very specific order of the ritual). The table is set with the finest china and silverware to reflect the importance of the meal. During this meal, the story of the Exodus from Egypt is retold using a special text called the [[Haggadah]]. A total of four cups of wine are consumed during the recitation of the Haggadah. The seder is divided by the haggadah into the following 15 parts:

# ''Kadeish/ Qadēsh'' <big>קדש</big> – recital of [[Kiddush]] blessing and drinking of the first cup of wine
# ''Urchatz/ Ūr·ḥats/ Ūr·ḥaṣ'' <big>ורחץ</big> – the [[Handwashing in Judaism|washing of the hands]] – without blessing
# ''Karpas'' <big>כרפס</big> – dipping of the ''[[karpas]]'' in salt water
# ''Yachatz/ Yaḥats/ Yaḥaṣ'' <big>יחץ</big> – breaking the middle matzo; the larger piece becomes the ''[[afikoman]]'' which is eaten later during the ritual of ''Tzafun''
# ''Maggid/ Maggiyd'' <big>מגיד</big> – retelling the Passover story, including the recital of "[[the four questions]]" and drinking of the second cup of wine
# ''Rachtzah/ Raḥ·tsah/ Raḥ·ṣah'' <big>רחצה</big> – second washing of the hands – with blessing
# ''Motzi/ Môtsiy'/ Môṣiy''' <big>מוציא</big> – traditional blessing before eating [[bread]] products
# ''Matzo/ Maṣo'' <big>מצה</big> – blessing before eating [[Matzah|matzo]]
# ''Maror'' <big>מרור</big> – eating of the [[maror]]
# ''Koreich/ Korēkh'' <big>כורך</big> – eating of a sandwich made of matzo and maror
# ''Shulchan oreich/ Shūl·ḥan 'ôrēkh'' <big>שולחן עורך</big> – lit. "set table" – the serving of the holiday meal
# ''Tzafun/ Tsafūn/ Ṣafūn'' <big>צפון</big> – eating of the ''[[afikoman]]''
# ''Bareich/ Barēkh'' <big>ברך</big> – [[Birkat Hamazon|blessing after the meal]] and drinking of the third cup of wine
# ''[[Hallel]]'' <big>הלל</big> – recital of the Hallel, traditionally recited on festivals; drinking of the fourth cup of wine
# ''Nirtzah/ Niyr·tsah/ Niyr·ṣah'' <big>נירצה</big> – conclusion

These 15 parts parallel the 15 steps in the [[Temple in Jerusalem]] on which the [[Levite]]s stood during Temple services, and which were memorialized in the 15 [[Book of Psalms|Psalms]] (#120–134) known as ''Shir HaMa'a lot'' ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: {{lang|he|שיר המעלות}} ''shiyr ha-ma'alôth'', "[[Song of Ascents|Songs of Ascent]]").<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kolhator.org.il/shir_hamaalot.php |title=Shir Ha Ma'a lot |publisher=Kolhator.org.il |access-date=April 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315200601/http://www.kolhator.org.il/shir_hamaalot.php |archive-date=March 15, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The seder is replete with questions, answers, and unusual practices (e.g. the recital of [[Kiddush]] which is not immediately followed by the blessing over bread, which is the traditional procedure for all other holiday meals) to arouse the interest and curiosity of the children at the table. The children are also rewarded with nuts and candies when they ask questions and participate in the discussion of the Exodus and its aftermath. Likewise, they are encouraged to search for the ''[[afikoman]]'', the piece of matzo which is the last thing eaten at the seder. Audience participation and interaction is the rule, and many families' seders last long into the night with animated discussions and singing. The seder concludes with additional songs of praise and faith printed in the Haggadah, including ''[[Chad Gadya]]'' ("One Little Kid" or "One Little Goat").

===Maror===
[[File:3TypesMaror.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Types of maror: grated [[horseradish]], [[romaine lettuce]], whole horseradish root]]
[[Maror]] (bitter herbs) symbolizes the bitterness of slavery in [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]]. The following verse from the [[Torah]] underscores that symbolism: "And they embittered ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: וימררו ''ve-yimareru'') their lives with hard labor, with mortar and with bricks and with all manner of labor in the field; any labor that they made them do was with hard labor" ([[Book of Exodus|Exodus]] 1:14).

[[File:SederPlate.jpg|thumb|250px|Silver seder plate]]

===Four cups of wine===
There is a Rabbinic requirement that four cups of wine are to be drunk during the seder meal. This applies to both men and women. The Mishnah says (Pes. 10:1) that even the poorest man in Israel has an obligation to drink. Each cup is connected to a different part of the seder: the first cup is for Kiddush, the second cup is connected with the recounting of [[the Exodus]], the drinking of the third cup concludes [[Birkat Hamazon]] and the fourth cup is associated with Hallel. A fifth cup of wine is poured near the end of the seder for [[Elijah|Eliyahu HaNavi]], a symbol of the future redemption, which is left un-touched.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Elijah's cup |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Elijahs-cup |access-date=April 11, 2022 |website=Britannica}}</ref>

===The four questions and participation of children===
{{See also|The four questions}}
Children have a very important role in the Passover seder. Traditionally the youngest child is prompted to ask questions about the Passover seder, beginning with the words, ''Mah Nishtana HaLeila HaZeh'' (Why is this night different from all other nights?). The questions encourage the gathering to discuss the significance of the symbols in the meal. The questions asked by the child are:

:Why is this night different from all other nights?
:On all other nights, we eat either unleavened or leavened bread, but tonight we eat only unleavened bread?
:On all other nights, we eat all kinds of vegetables, but tonight, we eat only bitter herbs?
:On all other nights, we do not dip [our food] even once, but tonight we dip twice?
:On all other nights, we eat either sitting or reclining, but tonight we only recline?

Often the leader of the seder and the other adults at the meal will use prompted responses from the Haggadah, which states, "The more one talks about [[The Exodus|the Exodus from Egypt]], the more praiseworthy he is." Many readings, prayers, and stories are used to recount the story of the Exodus. Many households add their own commentary and interpretation and often the story of the Jews is related to the theme of liberation and its implications worldwide.

===Afikoman===
[[File:Haggadah 15th cent.jpg|thumb|200px|14th century Haggadah]]
The ''[[afikoman]]'' – an integral part of the Seder itself – is used to engage the interest and excitement of the children at the table. During the fourth part of the Seder, called ''Yachatz'', the leader breaks the middle piece of matzo into two. He sets aside the larger portion as the ''afikoman''. Many families use the ''afikoman'' as a device for keeping the children awake and alert throughout the Seder proceedings by hiding the ''afikoman'' and offering a prize for its return.<ref name=Pomerantz/> Alternatively, the children are allowed to "steal" the ''afikoman'' and demand a reward for its return. In either case, the ''afikoman'' must be consumed during the twelfth part of the Seder, ''Tzafun''.

===Concluding songs===
After the Hallel, the fourth glass of wine is drunk, and participants recite a prayer that ends in "[[Next year in Jerusalem]]!". This is followed by several lyric prayers that expound upon God's mercy and kindness, and give thanks for the survival of the Jewish people through a history of exile and hardship. "[[Echad Mi Yodea]]" ("Who Knows One?") is a playful song, testing the general knowledge of the children (and the adults). Some of these songs, such as "[[Chad Gadya]]" are allegorical.