1. Kaddesh (Recite a blessing)
Say the blessing over the first cup of grape juice (for kids) in honor of Passover. After the first cup is finished, pour a second cup. Each person at the seder drinks four cups total during the fifteen steps.
Blessing: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
*During the whole Passover meal we are supposed to eat like royalty because God delivered the Hebrews from slavery. So lean back in comfortable chairs. You can even put pillows around you.
2. Urechatz (Wash hands)
Wash your hands by pouring water three times on your right hand and three times on your left hand.
3. Karpas (Eat a vegetable)
Dip a vegetable (usually parsley) in salt water two times and then eat it. The spring vegetable represents new beginnings and the salt water symbolizes the tears shed when the the Hebrews were slaves.
Blessing: Blesssed are you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.
4. Yachatz (Break one matzah)
There are three matzahs on the table. Take the one in the middle and break it in two. Return the smaller half to the pile of matzah, and hide the bigger half. The one hidden is called the Afikomen. See step 12.
5. Maggid (Tell the Passover story)
Tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt and the first Passover. The youngest person at the table asks “The Four Questions:”
On all other nights we eat bread or matzah. On this night why do we eat only matzah?
On all other nights we eat all kinds of vegetables. On this night why do we eat only bitter herbs?
On all other nights we do not dip our vegetables even once. On this night why do we dip them twice?
On all other nights we eat our meals sitting or reclining. On this night why do we eat only reclining?
The leader of the passover answers the questions with the story of Passover, saying “tonight is different than all other nights because tonight we will remember what God has done for his people.”
After the questions, say a second blessing over the second cup of juice.
Blessing: Blesssed are you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.
The second cup is called the “cup of plauges.” Before drinking everyone repeats together the ten plagues and each time you dip your little finger in the juice and let a drop fall in a bowl. Plagues: Blood! Frogs! Gnats! Wild Beasts! Disease to Livestock! Boils! Hail! Locusts! Darkness! Death of the Firstborn!
6. Rachtzah (Wash hands)
Wash your hands again but this time say the hand washing blessing.
Blessing: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us to wash our hands.
7. Motzi (Blessing for grain products)
Hold the matzah in the air and say the ha-motzi blessing, a general blessing for grain products. This is the blessing Jesus pronounced at the Last Supper.
Blessing: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
8. Matzah (Blessing for matzah)
Say a special blessing just for the Matzah. Everyone at the table gets to eat some of the Matzah from the pile (the top and middle ones).
Blessing: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us concerning the eating of the matzah.
9. Maror (Eat bitter herbs)
Say a blessing over a bitter herb (usually horseradish) and eat it. The herb symbolizes the bitterness of slavery. Take the herb and dip it in the Charoset, which represents the mortar used by the Jews during their slavery.
Blessing: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and has commanded us concerning the eating of the Maror.
10. Korekh (Eat an herb and matza sandwich)
Make a sandwich out of the bitter herb and matza and eat those together. You can also dip it again in the Charoset.
The leader leads the group in this:
Leader: How great is God’s goodness to us! For each of His acts of mercy and kindness we declare dayenu – it would have been sufficient.
Leader: If the Lord had merely rescued us, but had not judged the Egyptians.
All: dayyenu!
Leader: If He had only destroyed their gods, but had not parted the Red Sea.
All: dayyenu!
Leader: If He had only drowned our enemies, but had not fed us with manna.
All: dayyenu!
Leader: If He had only led us through the desert, but had not given us the Sabbath.
All: dayyenu!
Leader: If He had only given us the Torah, but not the land of Israel.
All: dayyenu!
11. Shulchan Orekh (Eat dinner)
Eat a holiday meal. The meal can be whatever you like as long as there is no leaven (chametz). That means no regular bread or cakes! Traditionally people eat matzah ball soup to begin the meal and then eat fish, brisket, turkey or chicken for the main course.
12. Tzafun (Find the Afikomen and eat it)
The piece of matzah hidden during step four is called the Afikomen. Parents can hide it and the children look for it at the end of the meal or kids can hide it and make the parents look for it. When the Afikomen is found it is supposed to be the last food eaten during the meal.
The Afikomen is a substitute for the Passover lamb that was origninally supposed to be eaten at the end of the meal. Because there is no more temple and no more sacrifices the Afikomen is eaten instead of the lamb. During the last supper when Jesus said “this is my body given for you, do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19) he was referring to this last piece of matzah. For Christians, we are supposed to remember Jesus when we eat the Afikomen because he is the last sacrifice. He is our Passover Lamb. The Passover can not be completed without the Afikomen, nor can our redemption be complete without Jesus.
Blessing: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
13. Barekh (Say a blessing and fill Elijah’s cup)
Pour the third cup of juice and say a blessing before drinking it. Put out one extra cup for the prophet Elijah. In Jewish tradition Elijah is supposed to come before the Messiah at Passover. When the cup is poured for Elijah someone goes to the door and opens it in case he needs to come in. For Christians, Elijah has already come. Speaking about John the Baptist Jesus said, “And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.” (Matthew 11:14)
Blessing: Blesssed are you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.
14. Hallel (Recite psalms and sing praises)
Recite Psalms 136 and sing songs. Say a blessing over the last cup of juice and drink it. Jesus at the Last Supper said “drink this cup in remembrance of me.”
15. Nirtzah (Closing)
The seder is finished. Everyone should say “next year in Jerusalem.” (La-sha-nah ha-ba-‘ah bi-ru-sha-la-yim!)
