Pesach Preparation Class 7

The Seder

What is the purpose of the Seder?

In the Haggadah the answer to this question is expressed by the obligation to view yourself as if you were leaving Egypt this very night! The Rambam, a 11th Century Sage, changes one word of this obligation. He says the obligation is to show yourself leaving Egypt; not view yourself leaving Egypt.

Why does he change this word? What is the difference between viewing and showing?

The answer also reinforces to us the purpose of the Seder.

When one “views” it is possible to do this internally-within yourself. While “showing” is an external aspect.- it can not be done solely within yourself. Since the purpose of the Seder is to teach the children we can understand why The Rambam made this change.

It is also important that we each think of ourselves as a child so that the interest and excitement that the children feel will be ours. This also helps the process of developing the consciousness of Mind Over Matter. Thus we have the obligation to teach our children at the same moment we are children ourselves. This paradox helps to create the environment for the Mind Over Matter Consciousness.

Here is an interesting tidbit of wisdom that you may have never heard. When Rachel was bethrothed to Jacob, she told him about her father's deviousness. Jacob was concerned that he would trick him in this area of marriage and of course he was correct. In order to avoid this Jacob gave Rachel “signs” to tell him so that he would know that the woman under the veil was Rachel. Rachel told her sister Leah these signs and some say hid under the marriage bed and whispered them so Jacob would hear the voice he expected. What is not well known is the “signs” were the 15 names of the Stages of the Seder. Why is this important?

The Names of the Stages are actually a mnemonic to explain the energy of the action. There are three distinct parts within the Seder itself. These parts are separated by a change in the energy. These three aspects actually represent the potential of the three column of the Tree of Life within the Light of the Night of Pesach. There is never separation within the Light so the columns are at the level of potential just as the 10 Sefirot exist in the Ain Sof World only in potential.

The three parts are referred to in the Kabbalah as 1. Mochin D'Katnut – Youth actually means small brain separated from part 3 which is Mochin D'Gadlut – Adulthood actually Large Brain by the 2 part called Giluy Shecinah – Revelation of the Light or Revelation of Malchut.

Actually, the stages that exist in Mochin D'Katnut are Kadaish, Urchatz, Karpas, and Yachatz. The stages that exist in Giluy Shechinah are Raochtzah, Motzi, Matzah, Marror, Koraich, Shulchan, Oraich. The stages that exist in Mochin D'Gadlut are Bairach, Hallel, Nirtzah. Try to remember this as you pass from one part of the Seder to the others.

Seder means order. Seder is spelled סדר. Its gematria is 264. Another word that explains why the Seder works as a ritual is Dam Car spelled: דם כר . The meaning of Dam Car is “Blood of the Lamb.” By judging (blood) the lamb one is controlling the month of Aries which is Nissan. This in my opinion is why it is called Seder rather than another word like Min or Paked. My dictionary has 7 words that translate as “order.” Also by putting order in our table we put order in our lives.

The Seder Obligations

The 15 steps of the Seder are designed to put order into our year. This is one additional technique of overcoming the Astrological influence of Nissan and Aries (The Taleh). This astrological influence of Aries is about battles, war, fights, and conflicts. This influence impacts all of these things that are scheduled to happen to us (in the present movie that we are participating and presently living) to us this whole year. By participating in the Seder we sweeten all of these aspects mentioned above that happen during the next 12 months. Even if we do not utilize the tool of Binding by Striking during the year participating in the Seder causes us to have less conflicts in our lives, and those conflicts that do happen will be less severe and more in our favor.

Another obligation is to drink 4 glasses of wine during the Seder. Each glass of wine is preceded by a Blessing of the Wine. Usually saying a Blessing multiple times is considered an inappropriate saying of the Blessing, and a misuse of the name of HaShem.

Here is a Jewish Treat that explains from a physical point of view why it is appropriate to say 4 different Blessings at the Seder:

Like almost all festival meals, the Passover Seder begins with Kiddush, the sanctification of the day. On Passover, however, the first cup of wine is followed by three more mandatory cups. The requirement of four cups of wine at the Seder is derived from the four stages through which God promised to redeem the Jews from the Egyptian slavery (Exodus 6:6-7): “Therefore say to the Children of Israel: ‘I am God and 1) I will take you out (v’ho’tzay’tee) from beneath the burdens of Egypt, and 2) I will save you (v’hee’tzal’tee) from their servitude, and 3) I will redeem you (v’ga’ahl’tee) with an outstretched arm and great judgments, and 4) I will take you (v’la’kach’tee) for Me for a people...’”

While the four cups of wine remind us of the four phrases of redemption, each of the four cups has an independent function at the Seder:

The First Cup is designated for Kiddush.

The Second Cup is consumed after the section of the Haggadah known as Maggid, in which we tell the story of the Exodus, as a way of praising God. The blessing on wine is made a second time, because significant time has passed since the first cup was blessed.

The Third Cup is blessed after Birkat Hamazon, the Grace After Meals. It is customary that after reciting Birkat Hamazon as a group, a blessing is recited over a single cup of wine or grape juice, and consumed by the person who leads the prayer. At the Seder, however, all present bless and drink their own cup of wine.

The Fourth Cup is consumed at the conclusion of Hallel, the section of Psalms praising God.

A third obligation is for us to lean to our left when we drink the four cups of wine or eat the Matzah during that phase of the Seder. For your information, This leaning is called HeseiAn. The proper time for leaning begins after the Bracha has been recited on the wine (or the Matzah), but during the recital of the Bracha one should not lean, as it isn't respectful to recite a Bracha while leaning. (See Halichos Shlomo, Pesach, Perek 9:20 and footnote 44).

The purpose behind the leaning to the left is that it elevates our right side (our sharing side) above our left side (our receiving side). This indicates that we have a sharing consciousness rather than a receiving consciousness at the time of the consumption of the Wine or Matzah. The physical reason given to children is that a free man is able to recline any time he wishes while a slave needs his master's permission in order to recline. By leaning we demonstrate that we are a free people.

The Names of the Seder Stages

Kabbalah relates the 15 stages to the lines in the Tree of Life and the Hebrew Letters associated with those lines. Here is your first introduction to this information.

Kadaish - The Letter Tav

Urchatz - The letter Nun

Karpas - The Letter Mem

Yachatz - The Letter Lamed

Maggid - The Letter Reish

Rochtzah - The Letter Sameck

Motzi - The Letters Caf and Pey

Motza - The Letter Alef

Maror - The Letter Yood

Koraich - The Letter Chet

Shulchan Oraich - The Letter Tzadik

Tzafon - The Letter Dalet

Bairach - The Letter Shin

Hallel - The Letters Hey and Vav

Nirtzach - The balance of the Letters - Beth, Gimmel, Zion, Tet, Ayin and Koof

It is important for everyone to say these Names at the beginning of the Seder and also at each stage of the Seder. Since most people do not know about the connection to the Letters they do not say the Names of the Letters with the Names of the Stages. This is a mistake and it is highly recommended to say both the Letter Name and the Stage Name both in the beginning of the Seder and at each stage. This verbalization of the Stages is actually all that is necessary to perform during the Seder. This is due to the Kabbalah teaching that everything is consciousness and everything is included in the Keter – the first thought. When we say these words of the Stages out loud we are setting our consciousness and building our vessel to receive the Light of Pesach and put “order” or Seder in our lives for the year.

Here is a general description of the process of freedom, exodus, and redemption. As is well known HaShem Himself went into Egypt to perform the 10th Plague. Where HaShem goes Light is revealed. This is the Light of Pesach which returns each and every year at the same instant. This Light of Pesach is the same Light that is revealed on Shavuot with one difference. HaShem decreed that this Light of Pesach is a “FREE GIFT.” This means that there is no “Bread of Shame” attached to it. Whether you earn it or not you may receive it and enjoy it. Then this Light conceals itself again only to return on the Night of Shavuot. The Light of the Torah revealed on Shavuot has “Bread of Shame” attached to it. This Light of the Torah must be earned. The process of earning this Light is called “Counting the Omer” which we will discuss later in the Preparations for the Holidays.

Here is one very important hint about the Seder. For years people have gone hungry at the Seder since the meal does not start until after the Telling of the Story. Sometimes people made other people wait to eat until 10 or even 11 o'clock. This is totally unnecessary. You may eat anything your host and hostess serve starting right after the stage called Karpas, EXCEPT MATZAH. That must wait until the stage of Motzi. Believe me this hint is truly quite practical since many people are not aware of this truth.

Kadaish – Sanctification

Kiddush essentially manifests the Chochmah (wisdom energy) that was connected with during the preceding prayers (usually said prior to the Seder by the Orthodox Community). Kabbalistically it is explained that spiritual energy needs to be manifested in something physical. In the case of the Kiddush we manifest the spiritual energy of wisdom that we bring down with us from the prayers into the wine which is physical. We use wine יין , Ayin in Hebrew due to its energy which is revealed through its regular gematria of 70 + 3 for the Colel of each letter or 73. 73 is the gematria of the word Chochmah.

The Kadaish is said by the Leader in most Seders. There are some communities that that have each man or person do their own Kiddush. Kadaish is Aramaic for Kiddush. Either Minhag is acceptable. It is important for each person to drink their own cup of wine as it is the first of the four cups.

This is the first of four cups of wine. The number four refers to the 4 Letters of the Tetragrammaton. It is good that one meditates on the Yood of the Tetragrammaton when performing the Kiddush.

There are 69 words in the Kiddush said on Pesach. Actually this refers to the 69 people that Jacob took with him to Egypt. Of course, the Torah says that there were 70 since the wife of Levi was pregnant with Yocheved the future mother of Moses. This is the first hint to the concept and energy of the redemption which is brought about by the Redeemer.

If Pesach is on Shabbat we add an additional 51 words for a total of 120 words. Kiddush being said on Shabbat, the 120 words indicate the 12 Astrological Signs in their completion of 10 Sefirot. This is a process that helps start the control of the astrological influence during the next 12 months.

(There is a Machlochet (disagreement) surrounding which letter is attached to which line in the Tree of Life. We are using the opinion of the ARI in this discussion of the Seder. To fully understand this Machlochet it is necessary to study the Sefer Yetzirah where we explain the Machlochet and how to reconcile the differing opinions.)

As said above each stage is attached to a letter and a line that flows between the Sefirot of the Tree of Life. Kadaish is the Keter of the Seder but the Malchut of the revelation of the Light. Kadaish is a vessel while the fulfillment is the Light. From the standpoint of the Light Kadiash is Malchut. In the Tree of Life there is only one line flowing into Malchut. That line flows from Yesod. The letter that is attached to that line is Tav.

The letter Tav spelled in full תיו is the last {letter} of the Hebrew Alef Bet. As the last it is the Malchut the manifestation of all of the energy of all of the letters. In order to ascend from Malchut to Yesod one must leave behind the constant need for physical stimulus. I must leave my physicality behind as I ascend into the spiritual.

The letter Tav represents different levels of consciousness, vessel and fulfillment as well as a potential change of frame which is a different consciousness. To manifest the Light I must allow the light to flow through the Tav. In order to do that I must access my spiritual consciousness. That is the purpose of Kadaish.

Urchatz – Washing of the Hands

Normally when we wash our hands we do so with a Bracha and a ritual. Everyone washes their hands while no other culture or religion washes hands as a spiritual action. This particular washing of the hands is unusual in that not all people at the Community Seder participates physically. Only the Head of the Seder does this action and he does it without a Bracha. He has the consciousness of his action is including all of the people at the Seder.

Normally we wash our hands for cleanliness and to prepare our consciousness to eat food. This washing of the hands is different. It is the epitome of washing my hands of it. The it is the physical world. I leave behind all of the negativity of the physical world and rise to meet/greet my lasting fulfillment coming from the Sefirah of Netzach.

The line that connects the Sefirah of Netzach to the Sefirah of Yesod is connected to the Nun spelled with both forms of the letter Nun נון . Please notice both forms of the Nun within the spelling of the Name of the letter. The simple form represents the microcosm level or the looking within of the Humble attribute. The final form represents a stronger more confident level that is prepared to go outward into the macrocosm.

The Sefirah Netzach means eternal victory or endurance. The Nun as a word also has this meaning. To walk the path of the letter Nun I must first become aware of all of the internal aspects as evidence the Matriach Rachel who is aware of all of the details of life and death. While the Final Nun lets me learn about the Matriach Leah who is thinking greater and more expansive thoughts dealing with the grand plan of Creation.

Karpas - Parsley

i am repeating what I spoke about during the last class when we were building the Seder Plate as one item on that plate is the Karpas.

When the word Karpas is broken into its component syllables Kar and Pas it translates as “striped sheep.” This is a hint to DNA manipulation and correction of all genetic diseases. It also hints back to Jacob impacting the physical DNA of Lavan's Sheep and receiving his just reward and Parnasah for his work for Lavan. Thus the Karpas being Hod relates to Sustenance for All. Also Karpas has a gematria of 360 which is the same as the sequence מהשיה . This is the 5th of the 72 Names with the addition of God's Help. The 5th Name relates to Healing. Thus we see that Hod on the Seder Plate represents both Healing and Parnasa. Of course these are two aspects of the same thing. Healing is sometimes necessary to fix the flow of Parnassa.

The action of eating the Karpas is to first dip it in salt water. This wakes everyone up. The question occurs and will be asked Why? Why dip it in salt water? Of course the physical answer is it tastes better. The spiritual answer is this a night built by tears. The tears of the mothers of Egypt who lost their first born. The tears of the slaves of Egypt. The tears associated with losing our previous spiritual level. The salt water reminds us of tears and all of the above.

In addition to what was said about the Karpas above כרפס is a contraction of ' ס פרך which translates as 600,000 Jewish souls who toiled in backbreaking labor, as the Maharil explains in his Commentary on Pesach.

Everyone says the Blessing which is:

Baruch Atah HaShem Elokeinu Melech HaOlam Borai Pri HaAdamah.

Blessed are YOU God , who is our God, King of the Universe who created the fruit of the ground.

No one leans to the Left when saying this blessing.

Our appetizer has been started. People can start to eat the finger food that is left out by the Host and Hostess. Hopefully it is there. Hopefully it is all Pesadik which means NO CHAMMETZ. Don't forget to say other blessings if necessary.

The Karpas flows from Netzach to Hod – From eternity to beauty. The line that connects the two Sefirot also connects to the two Mem's spelled מם . Again one represents the microcosm and one the macrocosm. I will let you choose which is which.

As I flow with the Mem's I deal with the concept of Mother as in a Mother letter. I deal with my longing for joy and happiness and contentment. It is this path of travel that brings me to that joy happiness and contentment. In our bodies the Mem's are felt in the abdomen where we have our longing for thirst, lust, and laughter.

Yachatz – Breaking the Middle Matzah

The next step we break the judgment of the middle matzah and sweeten it to become our desert the Afikomen. There are many different minhags associated with this Stage. Let me present you one which is quite extraordinary. I do recommend it as the children will enjoy it and ask questions also.

This description of the Syrian Minhag for Yachatz is written by my friend Rabbi David Seidenberg. He is very much involved in the Jewish Ecological movement as well as truly enjoys and collect Niggunim (wordless tunes) on his web site at neohasid.org. Please visit him.

Yachats and Afikoman,

How to perform a Syrian Custom or Minhag.

At Yachats we split the middle matzah, set aside the big piece for the afikoman, and recite over the little piece Ha Lachma Anya – "This is the bread of poverty – let any who are hungry come and eat, let any who need come and make Pesach."

In my (Rabbi David's family) we follow the Syrian custom, taking a whole, round hand-made matzah and breaking it very carefully into one big piece like the letter Dalet ד (imagine an open-mouthed Pacman) and a small piece (like the letter Yod י ) that is maybe 1/4 or at most 1/3 of a circle. (This can be hard to do with machine-made {matzah} because of the linear perforations.) The two pieces spell out the word yad יד "hand" – a symbol of the "yad chazakah", the strong hand that liberated us from Egypt.

Chanoch's Comment

The Dalet and the Yood also makes the letter Hey. This can be either the Hey of Binah or of Malchut. This also allows to think of ourselves as leaving Egypt this very night just as our ancestors did. This is one of the requirements of the Seder.

The big piece is then wrapped in a cloth or afikoman cover and we act out an imaginative leaving Egypt, in this way:

Every person, one at a time, takes the afikoman in their right hand and holds it over their left shoulder, and recites these words from the Exodus story:

משארתם צרורות בשמלותם על שכמם ובני ישראל עשו עדבר משה

"Misha'aortam ts'rurot b'simlotan al shechmam uv'nei Yisrael asu kid'var Moshe"

"What they had left was tied up in their clothing on their shoulders, and the Children of Israel did what Moses had told them." (Exodus 12:34-35)

Each person says it according to whatever language they feel comfortable with. (There’s a teaching about this verse at: http://www.neohasid.org/torah/mystery_of_charoset/ .) Then everyone (or the leader) asks them three questions, and they answer like this:

"Where are you coming from?" (in Arabic:) "Minwen jaiyeh?"

"From Egypt!" "Mimitzrayim!"

"Where are you going?" "Lawen Raiyech?"

"To Jerusalem!" "Liy'rushalayim!"

"What are you bringing?""Ishu zawatak?"

"Matzah and maror!" "Matzah umaror!"

The person holding the afikoman waves the bag over their head three times in a circle and then passes it to the next person. I always take the time for every person to do this ritual--it's great fun and can be very dramatic. In our family it would always be passed from the oldest down to the youngest, but now I usually just send it in a circle around the table.

The afikoman is returned to the {Seder Leader,} who puts it down or hides it (the afikoman symbolizes redemption, which is hidden from us). Then the leader takes the small piece of matzah in hand and begins Maggid.

Holding up this very broken-looking piece and reciting the words, "Let everyone who is hungry come and eat" is quite a stark image. According to our words, we aren't inviting all those hungry people to share in the feast that will follow, or even to share the afikoman that makes up the bigger half. The invitation is very literally to eat a fragment of a broken {matzah} that wouldn't even be enough for one person.

What does it really mean to hold up this small piece of matzah and invite anyone who is hungry to come share it? Here are two answers:

1) Some people are most generous when they feel they have more than enough for themselves. This act of giving creates a hierarchy, where one person is a benefactor and a recipient. But even the poorest person is mandated in Jewish law to give tzedakah. Economically, sharing the lechem oni, poor bread, means that we invite other hungry and needy people to truly join us as equals in our poverty. On a spiritual level, we invite others in despite our broken, limited perspective, without pretending to be able to see or understand the whole picture--which is represented by the afikoman.

2) We live in a society in which everyone wants a "whole share" – enough stuff to feel equal to everyone else, with a little more to spare. If this is what it means to have "enough," then all the world can't provide enough cars and TV's and 3 bedroom homes on 1/4 acre to take care of 6 or 7 billion people's needs. If we only give when we feel like we have enough, that is what we model. If we give even when we have less than enough, all of it comes back to us in an abundance of what surrounds us, not of what we own, but what we fit into, a greater whole that is richer than any material riches. That is the afikoman, the bread of redemption.

chanoch's commentary

Yachatz is a special ritual since it is the only ritual in all of the Holidays of Judaism that is not done as a hierarchy. Let me elucidate. In most rituals there is a hierarchy. There is a leader and followers. The women light the candles. Every ritual you can think of there is a hierarchy except Yachatz. Everyone invites the poor to eat. This is a recognition that each one of us – no matter how wealthy physically still has some form of lack which makes us a poor person – an Ani.

We put the large piece the Dalet into a covering which is given to the Seder Leader who sometime during the Seder will hide it. The children will then spend much time and fun finding it. It will then have to be ransomed from the child who found it as the Afikoman is needed to complete the Seder. More of the symbolism will be explained when we reach the Afikomen stage.

This path of the Hand – Yachatz – the Afikomen runs from Yesod to Hod. It connects to the letter Lamed which is described as a tower flying through the air. The word Lamed means “to learn.” In Hebrew learning means both studying and teaching. The path we have followed leaves this pathway as a dead end. We are returning to Yesod which is our creative aspect. It is both our intuition and our imagination. Yet once returned to Yesod how to we rise above the level of Hod and Netzach and the Letter Mem within the Tree. This is the concept of going above the line which only the Lamed is capable .

Maggid – The Story

The Maggid is the purpose of the Seder yet it is only one of the 15 steps. Within the Maggid there are many aspects. Let's look at some of them.

Singing the Song “Ha Lachma Anya” - Poor Bread

The 4 Questions which are not 4 Questions but 5. In the time of the Temple there was a 5th non Question. “Why do all other nights we eat meat broiled or barbeque and this night only barbeque?”

Avadim Chayinu – We were Slaves

A Story of 4 Famous Rabbis - MaAseh

Another story regarding the appearance of Rabbi Eliezer Ben Azaria

Blessed is God – Baruch HaMakom

The 4 Sons

I might have thought - Yochoil

From the Beginning – Mechilo

Blessed is the Keeper of Promises – Boruch Shomer

This is what stood – Vayahee Shomdo

Go out to Learn

Few in Number – and became a Nation

Great and Mighty – Gadol Atzum

Egyptians Plotted Evil

We Cried – Vaynitzak

He saw our Pain – Vayar Et Oniyanu

God Brought Us Out – Vayoitzinau

With a Mighty Hand

The Ten Plagues – Eser Makot

Rabbi Yosi HaGiLiLi

It would have been enough – Dayeinu

After 22 stages of “Shame” the story and energy changes to Praise – I hope you know why there are 22 sections of shame?

Rabban Gamliel

The Meaning of Pesach

The Meaning of Matzah

Here is a Poem that helps us to understand or to feel Matzah, in my opinion

Matzah is the paradox

at the heart of Passover.

At the center of our Passover feast,

this poor bread,lechem oni, scatters crumbs everywhere.

We place it among mounds of food:

poverty in the midst of plenty.

Now who among us has seen that?

Surely God called us out of Egypt

For something better.

By Rabbiadar (link) of Kol Isha Blog

A rhetorical question?

What is better than “plenty”?

The Meaning of Maror – Bitter Herbs

In Every generation – BeChol Dor VaDor

This is Why – LeFiCoch

The Egyptian Hallel – Psalm 113 and 114

The Second Cup of Wine

Before I remind you of the Meditations with the second cup, do you know why there are 22 and 8 sections within the Maggid, for a total of 30?

30 is the gematria of Lamed or Teaching/Studying which is the purpose of a story, unless God Forbid you are doing Loshon Harah. 22 is the power of the Hebrew Letters which is the source of energy in our physical world. 8 connects us to the Sefirah of Binah which is related to teaching through the concept of comprehension logic and understanding. Yet that is not enough. There is also intuition – Yet when we move from bottom to top, we start with comprehension and logic. Remember the Torah tells us The Beginning is Chochmah – The power of Mah or The Power of Questions!

The second cup is filled by someone else. (I forgot to mention this for the first cup; it applies to all 4 cups) All the way to the top. It does not have to be drunk all the way to the bottom. This applies to all 4 cups. A sip is not sufficient. According to the Jewish Mayor of New York it is sufficient to drink three and one half ounces at each glass. Again Lean to the Left. Meditate on the Upper Hei of the Tetragrammaton.

This "long" path from Yesod up to Tiferet is connected to the Letter Reish which has two opposite meanings. One is head and the other is poverty. As i go from Yesod to Tiferet i go from the level of the Head to the level of poverty and at the same time i go from the level of poverty to the level of the Head actually the Heart. This paradox is what makes the telling of the story of the Exodus also the story of the Redemption. When you understand these paradoxes one can begin to understand how the essence of humility is what Creates the appreciation and responsibility of divinity. Ponder these thoughts throughout your Sederim.

On Sunday we will complete the Stages of the Seder and also begin to contemplate the idea of the Omer. If we have time we will delve more deeply into the stages of the Maggid but most non Kabbalistic Seders that you will attend will shorten the Maggid by telling you to read or scan at your own pace most of these sections. Due to time and a lost class due to no students attending we must do this also. Perhaps next year we can delve into more of the Maggid as it is truly wonderful to begin to appreciate the Redemption through this story telling.