Passover (2nd Edition)

Ron Wolfson

Description

Remember, retell, recreate, and relive the Exodus experience—
with the stories, rituals, foods, and songs of Pesah.

This revised and expanded edition of the classic spiritual sourcebook offers updated information, more ideas, and new resources for every aspect of the Festival of Freedom.

An inspiring and practical how-to guide, Passoverclearly explains all the vital information that you need to fully honor—and to fully enjoy—this sacred celebration, including:

• History and meaning
• How to prepare, from shopping to kashering to selecting a Haggadah
• Rituals, prayers, and blessings (step by step)
• Songs and prayers in English and Hebrew (with clear transliterations)
• Innovative and imaginative new traditions to enliven your celebration
• Firsthand explanations and ideas from a variety of perspectives
• New information and ideas about how to involve everyone—from toddlers to teens to grandparents—in a meaningful Seder experience

Enriched by real-life voices sharing practical, useful suggestions and advice, this creative resource helps us to reacquaint ourselves with time-tested traditions and discover old and new ways to celebrate the birth and continuous renewal of the Jewish people.

Preface Foreword Using This Text PART I: THE PASSOVER SEDER 1. The Art of Passover: On "Making" Pesah 2. Seder Shel Pesah (The Passover Seder) ACT ONE: The Beginning 3. Hadlakat Neirot (Candlelighting) 4. Kadesh, Urhatz (A Mnemonic) 5. Kadesh (The First Cup of Wine) 6. Urhatz (Wash Hands) 7. Karpas (Appetizer) 8. Yahatz (Break the Middle Matzah) 9. Ha Lahma Anya (Invitation) ACT TWO: Maggid—The Tellings Overview 10. The First Telling Mah Nishtanah (The Four Questions) Avadim Hayinu (We Were Slaves) Barukh Hamakom (Praised Be He) 11. The Second Telling Arba'ah Vanim (The Four Children) Mitehilah Ovdei Avodah Zarah (We Were Idol-Worshippers) Barukh Shomer/V’hi She-Amdah (Praised Be the Guardian) iv 12. The Third Telling Tzei u-L’mad (Go and Learn) Arami Oved Avi (MyFather) Eser Makot (Ten Plagues) Dayyenu (Enough!) 13. The Fourth Telling Rabban Gamliel Hayah Omer (Pesah, Matzah, Maror) B’khol Dor va-Dor (In Every Generation) L’fikhakh (Therefore, We Praise) Halleluyah (Halleluyah) Kos Sheini (The Second Cup of Wine) ACT THREE: The Feast 14. Preparing to Eat: Rohtzah, Motzi/Matzah, Maror, Korekh 15. Shulhan Orekh (The Feast) 16. Tzafun (Dessert) 17. Barekh (Blessings after Food) 18. Kos Sh’lishi (The Third Cup of Wine) ACT FOUR: Redemption 19. Shfokh Hamatkha/Eliyahu Ha-Navi (Pour Out Your Anger/Elijah the Prophet) 20. Hallel (Songs of Praise) 21. Zemirot (Songs) 22. Sefirat Ha-Omer (Counting the Omer) 23. Kos R’vi’i/Nirtzah (The Fourth Cup of Wine/Acceptance) PART II: PREPARING FOR PASSOVER 24. Learning to Make Pesah 25. Organizing the Seder Service 26. Kosher for Pesah 27. The Passover Changeover 28. The Kitchen Changeover 29. The Rituals of Pesah Preparation 30. Preparing the Seder Table 31. After Pesah Afterword Selected Bibliography About Jewish Lights

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• List of Jewish prayers and blessings
• Haggadah of Pesach
• Jewish holiday
• Judaism
• Religion
• Haggada

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 03 mars 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781580236171
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Contents
Preface
Foreword
Using This Text

PART I: The Passover Seder
1. The Art of Passover: On Making Pesa h
2. Seder Shel Pesa h (The Passover Seder )
ACT ONE: The Beginning
3. Hadlakat Neirot (Candlelighting )
4. Kadesh, Ur h atz (A Mnemonic)
5. Kadesh (The First Cup of Wine)
6. Ur h atz (Wash Hands)
7. Karpas (Appetizer )
8. Ya h atz (Break the Middle Matzah )
9. Ha La h ma Anya (Invitation )
ACT TWO: Maggid— The Tellings
10. The First Telling Mah Nishtanah (The Four Questions) Avadim Hayinu (We Were Slaves) Barukh Hamakom (Praised Be He)
11. The Second Telling Arba ah Vanim (The Four Children) Mite h ilah Ovdei Avodah Zarah (We Were Idol-Worshippers) Barukh Shomer/V hi She-Amdah (Praised Be the Guardian)
12. The Third Telling Tzei u-L mad (Go and Learn) Arami Oved Avi (My Father) Eser Makot (Ten Plagues) Dayyenu (Enough!)
13. The Fourth Telling Rabban Gamliel Hayah Omer ( Pesa h , Matzah, Maror ) B khol Dor va-Dor (In Every Generation) L fikhakh (Therefore, We Praise) Halleluyah (Halleluyah) Kos Sheini (The Second Cup of Wine)
ACT THREE: The Feast
14. Preparing to Eat: Ro h tzah, Motzi/Matzah, Maror, Korekh
15. Shul h an Orekh (The Feast )
16. Tzafun (Dessert)
17. Barekh (Blessings after Food )
18. Kos Sh lishi (The Third Cup of Wine)
ACT FOUR: Redemption
19. Shfokh H amatkha/Eliyahu Ha-Navi (Pour Out Your Anger/Elijah the Prophet )
20. Hallel (Songs of Praise )
21. Zemirot (Songs )
22. Sefirat Ha-Omer (Counting the Omer )
23. Kos R vi i/Nirtzah (The Fourth Cup of Wine/Acceptance )
PART II: Preparing for Passover
24. Learning to Make Pesa h
25. Organizing the Seder Service
26. Kosher for Pesa h
27. The Passover Changeover
28. The Kitchen Changeover
29. The Rituals of Pesa h Preparation
30. Preparing the Seder Table
31. After Pesa h

Afterword
Selected Bibliography

About the Author
Copyright
Also Available
About Jewish Lights



I am my beloved s and my beloved is mine. (Song of Songs 6:3) For Susie, my beloved.



PREFACE
Few titles do as much justice to their subject as The Art of Jewish Living, of which the present volume is the second in the series. To my mind, the title conveys three essential truths about Judaism: First, that it is an intricate pattern of behavioral prescriptions and not a disembodied theological creed. Second, that the rhythm and ritual must be imbued with a sense of beauty and elevated to the level of an art form. And third, that it is a religious system addressed to the individual Jew, for Judaism is nothing if not participatory.
But the title implies a sociological fact as well. There are countless Jews today for whom Judaism as a way of life is inaccessible. Nurtured on an ethos of individualism and deprived as children of home example and formal education, they are unable to give Jewish expression to their resurgent religious feelings. They are the confused and forlorn members of a generation without memory (Anne Roiphe).
For such Jews, this creative and sensitive book, like its immensely successful predecessor Shabbat: The Family Guide to Preparing for and Celebrating the Sabbath, offers abundant evidence that Judaism is still conquerable. Ron Wolfson has again unpacked the intimidating details of a complex Jewish ritual and assembled a galaxy of diverse and inviting models, with something for every reader. In the process, he has enlivened a fixed and sacred ritual with a spritely blend of individual practices. The guiding philosophy of the books in this series is to appropriate Judaism incrementally, one set of rituals at a time. Or, as put by the Mishnah nearly two millennia ago: Whosoever performs even a single commandment it shall go well with him, and his days shall be prolonged, and he shall inherit the land (trans. Blackman). The meaningfulness derived from one ritual will generate the incentive to internalize others. Indeed, for all serious Jews, the conquest of Judaism is the labor of a lifetime.
For nearly a decade now the Federation of Jewish Men s Clubs has devoted itself with zeal and imagination to assisting those adult Jews ready to embark on that conquest. The educational materials it has produced—for learning Hebrew and celebrating Shabbat and Passover—are among the most appealing and effective access points into the world of Jewish living that I know. The network of Men s Clubs has become, in consequence, an active agent for raising the quality of observance throughout the Conservative movement and lessening the gap between rhetoric and reality. The practice of Judaism, informed by knowledge and graced with beauty, is its best defense. I salute the Federation for its vision and accomplishments.

Ismar Schorsch
Chancellor
The Jewish Theological Seminary of America




FOREWORD
Seder nights are magic. They both transcend and unite history. Torah teaches us that the first Seder took place on the eve of the Exodus. It was a watch night filled with fear and anticipation. While the angel of death stalked the Egyptian firstborn, slave families gathered to eat the paschal lamb. Since then, our families have relived that evening more than three thousand times. For generations we have sat together to remember, retell, re-create, and relive that Exodus experience. Over time, the Seder has become more than historic remembrance; it has evolved its own memories and significance. We cannot return to the lessons of that first Seder night in Egypt without being enriched by the memories of our own Seder celebrations. As I sit to write of Seder traditions and customs I return in my mind to Omaha. Such is the Jewish way. Family history and national history are interwoven. I cannot prepare to experience the spiritual liberation from Egypt without first returning in memory to Nebraska.
I remember vividly the Seders of my childhood. As a Jewish educator I now consistently correct my students when they say Seders. I insist that they use the proper Hebrew plural, sedarim. Yet, in boyhood memory, they will always be Seders.
First Seders were always at Bubbie s and Zadie s (grandmother s and grandfather s). We were a big family: grandparents; four daughters, each of whom was married; four sons-in-law, who all worked in my grandfather s supermarket business; and nine grandchildren. Any pilgrimage to Bubbie s and Zadie s was an important event, but on Pesa h , it was unique.
Seder was a dress-up affair: suits, ties, the works. I used to think that this was odd. It made sense to dress up when you went to synagogue, but not to Bubbie s and Zadie s. Seder was also filled with tremendous anticipation. My Zadie, may he rest in peace, was a legend in his own time, known by virtually everyone in Omaha, and generous to a fault. We knew that come afikomen time, he would come up with something spectacular.
In twenty years of visiting my grandparents, I never once entered through the front door. Everyone came in through the back door, directly into the kitchen. And what a kitchen! It was by no means large, but what came out of that kitchen was absolutely amazing. My Bubbie, may she rest in peace, was a balabuste (homemaker) second to none, famous in her own right around town for her mikhels (specialties). Her mandel breads, fondly and widely known as Bubbie s cookies, were incredible wedges of flour and nuts, smothered in cinnamon sugar. She made them in huge quantities and stored them in an old roaster near the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room. First stop, after kissing Bubbie in the kitchen, was that roaster. Even on Pesa h before the Seder.
But, on Pesa h , there was a virtual avalanche of other goodies being prepared: chopped liver, homemade gefilte fish, roasts, turkeys, carrot tzimmes (stew), vegetables, salads, you name it. Best of all were the gribines. The colander that held these delectable, crunchy tidbits was another favorite destination. As a kid, I had no idea how they were made. What they have done to my cholesterol count, I don t want to know. ( Gribines are the byproduct of rendering chicken fat—deep-fried chicken skins.) A busy kitchen was no place for children; we were banished to the basement to play with our cousins until the Seder was to begin.
With some nineteen family members and assorted guests (up to thirty-five people), it was impossible to seat everyone in that small dining room. So, tables and chairs were rented and set up in the long living room. The time when people arrived was the most chaotic. With all the tables, there was no place to sit and talk. The kitchen was too small for anyone but those actually preparing dinner, so people often ended up in bedrooms or on the sun porch, awaiting the start of the Seder.
Seder was usually called for 6:30, but we never got started until after 7:00; some family members always came late. Usually, one of the dads had to miss the first part of the Seder to watch the store. Finally, one of the parents would call down into the basement for all the kids to come up. By that time, all of our nice clothes were disheveled from furious games of kickball, war, and other assorted opportunities to beat up on one another. We d reluctantly trudge upstairs, only to be greeted by irate mothers, who would quickly try to tuck in shirts, comb hair, and make us presentable at the table.
Seating everyone was not easy. With just inches separating the backs of the chairs from the furniture on the perimeter of the living room, there was a lot of sucking-in of tummies to climb into those