Seder map (15 steps)
Kadesh, Urchatz, Karpas, Yachatz, Maggid, Rachtzah, Motzi, Matzah, Maror, Korech,
Shulchan Orech, Tzafun, Barech, Hallel, Nirtzah.
Leader script: Lift first cup, read Kiddush slowly, and invite everyone
to drink while reclining.
Hebrew
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ... אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בָּנוּ... וּמוֹעֲדִים לְשִׂמְחָה,
חַג הַמַּצּוֹת הַזֶּה.
English (plain)
Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit
of the vine. Blessed are You... who chose us and gave us festivals for joy,
including this Festival of Matzot.
Spinoza Lens
The opening cup marks intentional time. Instead of drifting into the evening, we step
into a shared act of memory and responsibility.
Traditional Lens
Kadesh begins the Seder with festival Kiddush and the first cup, setting sacred time
and communal focus.
Reflect
What would make this night feel truly different from an ordinary dinner?
Sources
Traditional: Mishnah Pesachim 10 and later Haggadah liturgy for festival Kiddush and Seder opening.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), Part V on disciplined practices that shape freedom and joy.
Leader script: Dip parsley or another green in salt water, say the blessing, and invite one short thought about tears or hope.
Hebrew
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה.
English (plain)
Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the earth.
Spinoza Lens
Karpas starts with something ordinary and reframes it. A simple vegetable becomes a cue for moral memory and shared conversation.
Traditional Lens
Karpas is an early unusual act in the Seder order, designed to prompt questions and move participants into the story.
Reflect
What small symbol helps your table move from routine into meaning?
Sources
Traditional: Mishnah Pesachim 10:3 on dipping before the meal; berakhah formula from Berakhot tradition.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), Part IV-V on how repeated practices shape attention and ethical life.
Leader script: Break the middle matzah, set aside the larger piece for afikoman, and name one form of “unfinished freedom” your group still seeks.
Hebrew (customary line)
יַחַץ.
English (plain)
Break the middle matzah into two parts. Keep the smaller piece with the Seder plate and hide the larger piece for afikoman.
Spinoza Lens
Yachatz acknowledges that redemption is partial. The broken matzah resists easy triumph and keeps moral work in view.
Traditional Lens
This step prepares both the “bread of affliction” for Maggid and the afikoman for later, linking memory and anticipation.
Reflect
What part of your freedom story still feels unfinished this year?
Sources
Traditional: Seder order in Mishnah Pesachim 10 and medieval Haggadah practice of breaking middle matzah.
Spinoza: Theological-Political Treatise (1670), on truthfulness about social reality as the basis for responsible action.
Leader script: Read this as an open invitation, then ask if anyone
wants to share one “freedom” they are still seeking.
Aramaic/Hebrew
הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִּי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְּמִצְרָיִם.
כָּל דִּכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל, כָּל דִּצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח.
הָשַׁתָּא הָכָא, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
הָשַׁתָּא עַבְדֵי, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין.
English (plain)
This is the bread of affliction our ancestors ate in Egypt. Let all who are hungry
come and eat; let all who are in need come and join this Passover. This year we are
here; next year in the land of Israel. This year we are still not fully free; next
year, may we be free people.
Spinoza Lens
Freedom starts with truthful naming: hunger, vulnerability, and unfinished liberation.
The table becomes ethical when it is open.
Traditional Lens
This invitation opens Maggid by linking memory, hospitality, and hope for redemption.
Reflect
Who is missing from your table, and how can your community include them?
Sources
Traditional: Classic Aramaic opening in the medieval Haggadah tradition.
Spinoza: Theological-Political Treatise (1670), on justice as lived social practice.
Leader script: Invite the youngest to ask first, then let each person
add one more question before moving on.
Hebrew
מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת?
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה; הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כּוּלּוֹ מַצָּה.
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת; הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מָרוֹר.
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִלּוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת; הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים.
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין;
הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כּוּלָּנוּ מְסֻבִּין.
English (plain)
Why is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights we eat leavened
and unleavened bread; tonight only matzah. On all other nights we eat many vegetables;
tonight maror. On all other nights we do not dip even once; tonight we dip twice.
On all other nights we eat sitting normally; tonight we recline.
Spinoza Lens
Question-asking is not a side part of tradition; it is the method. Inquiry is how values
survive across generations.
Traditional Lens
The four questions fulfill the command to tell the story to children through live dialogue.
Reflect
What is one honest question your table should make space for this year?
Sources
Traditional: Mishnah Pesachim 10 and Haggadah versions of Ma Nishtanah.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), Part II on understanding through clear ideas and inquiry.
Leader script: Read together in unison. Pause and ask: “What does freedom
require from us this year?”
Hebrew
עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם,
וַיּוֹצִיאֵנוּ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מִשָּׁם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה.
וְאִלּוּ לֹא הוֹצִיא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם,
הֲרֵי אָנוּ וּבָנֵינוּ וּבְנֵי בָנֵינוּ מְשֻׁעְבָּדִים הָיִינוּ.
English (plain)
We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Eternal our God brought us out with a
strong hand and outstretched arm. If the Holy One had not brought our ancestors out,
we and our children would still be enslaved.
Spinoza Lens
The story is not only past-tense. It asks what kinds of political and emotional slavery
still shape us now.
Traditional Lens
This declaration sets the central obligation of the night: each generation retells and
relives the Exodus.
Reflect
What form of unfreedom are you still trying to leave behind?
Sources
Traditional: Core Maggid passage in standard Haggadah manuscripts and print editions.
Spinoza: Political Treatise (1677), on freedom and collective institutions.
Hebrew (key lines)
כְּנֶגֶד אַרְבָּעָה בָּנִים דִּבְּרָה תּוֹרָה:
אֶחָד חָכָם, וְאֶחָד רָשָׁע, וְאֶחָד תָּם, וְאֶחָד שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לִשְׁאוֹל.
וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לִשְׁאוֹל — אַתְּ פְּתַח לוֹ.
English (plain)
The Torah speaks in relation to four children: one wise, one challenging, one simple,
and one who does not know how to ask. For the one who does not know how to ask, you begin the conversation.
Full response flow
Wise child: Give detailed law and meaning; teach the Seder to the end (“ein maftirin achar haPesach afikoman”).
Challenging child: Answer directly and bring them back into shared identity and obligation.
Simple child: Give a clear short answer: “With a strong hand, God brought us out of Egypt.”
One who cannot ask: Open first; begin the story gently and invite the first question.
Spinoza Lens
This section treats education as relational strategy: truth is taught through fitting language, not one rigid script.
Traditional Lens
The Four Children structure shows that Seder teaching adapts to different personalities and levels of readiness.
Reflect
Who at your table needs invitation, not correction, to enter the story?
Sources
Traditional: Mekhilta/early midrashic roots and standard Haggadah Maggid text.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), on understanding people through causes rather than condemnation.
Leader script: Read this standing if your table prefers, then invite one
sentence on what helps your family stay resilient.
Hebrew
וְהִיא שֶׁעָמְדָה לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְלָנוּ.
שֶׁלֹּא אֶחָד בִּלְבַד עָמַד עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ,
אֶלָּא שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר עוֹמְדִים עָלֵינוּ לְכַלּוֹתֵנוּ,
וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַצִּילֵנוּ מִיָּדָם.
English (plain)
And this promise has stood for our ancestors and for us: not only one enemy rose against us,
but in every generation people rise against us, and the Holy One saves us from their hands.
Spinoza Lens
Historical realism and hope sit together here: danger is named clearly, while endurance is built through collective action and memory.
Traditional Lens
Vehi She'amda affirms covenant continuity across generations despite recurring threats.
Reflect
What practices help your community turn fear into durable solidarity?
Sources
Traditional: Core Maggid line in standard Haggadah text.
Spinoza: Political Treatise (1677), on social resilience through institutions and common purpose.
Leader script: Say each plague out loud and remove one drop from your cup
each time to mark reduced joy.
Hebrew
דָּם, צְפַרְדֵּעַ, כִּנִּים, עָרוֹב, דֶּבֶר, שְׁחִין,
בָּרָד, אַרְבֶּה, חֹשֶׁךְ, מַכַּת בְּכוֹרוֹת.
English (plain)
Blood, frogs, lice, wild beasts, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and death of the firstborn.
Spinoza Lens
Naming suffering should increase moral seriousness, not triumphalism. Many tables reduce wine drops to mark diminished joy.
Traditional Lens
The plague list is often recited while removing drops from the cup, expressing empathy even in liberation.
Reflect
How can liberation language avoid turning another group's pain into celebration?
Sources
Traditional: Exodus plagues in Torah and Haggadah Maggid ritual practice.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), on transforming reactive emotion into active moral clarity.
Leader script: Ask each person to finish this sentence:
“One freedom I want to work toward this year is...”
Hebrew
בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ
כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרָיִם.
English (plain)
In every generation, each person is obligated to see themselves as if they personally came out of Egypt.
Spinoza Lens
This is an ethical exercise in present tense. We move from inherited memory to current responsibility.
"A free man thinks of nothing less than of death, and his wisdom is a meditation on life."
Baruch Spinoza, Ethics, Part IV, Proposition 67.
Traditional Lens
The Seder requires identification, not detached history: the Exodus becomes personally formative.
Reflect
If this story were happening to you now, what action would it ask of you tomorrow?
Sources
Traditional: Mishnah Pesachim 10:5 and classic Haggadah rendering.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), on moving from passive identity to active life guided by reason.
Leader script: Move line by line. After each line, everyone answers
“Dayenu!” and briefly names one modern parallel of “enough for this step.”
Hebrew
אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם וְלֹא עָשָׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים, דַּיֵּנוּ.
אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים וְלֹא עָשָׂה בֵּאלֹהֵיהֶם, דַּיֵּנוּ.
אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בֵּאלֹהֵיהֶם וְלֹא הָרַג אֶת בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם, דַּיֵּנוּ.
אִלּוּ הָרַג אֶת בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם, דַּיֵּנוּ.
אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם וְלֹא קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם, דַּיֵּנוּ.
אִלּוּ קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם וְלֹא הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְתוֹכוֹ בֶּחָרָבָה, דַּיֵּנוּ.
אִלּוּ הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְתוֹכוֹ בֶּחָרָבָה וְלֹא שִׁקַּע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ, דַּיֵּנוּ.
אִלּוּ שִׁקַּע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ וְלֹא סִפֵּק צָרְכֵּנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, דַּיֵּנוּ.
אִלּוּ סִפֵּק צָרְכֵּנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה וְלֹא הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן, דַּיֵּנוּ.
אִלּוּ הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת, דַּיֵּנוּ.
אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת וְלֹא קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי, דַּיֵּנוּ.
אִלּוּ קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, דַּיֵּנוּ.
אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה וְלֹא הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, דַּיֵּנוּ.
אִלּוּ הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא בָנָה לָנוּ אֶת בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה, דַּיֵּנוּ.
English (plain)
If God had taken us out of Egypt and done no further acts, it would have been enough.
If God had judged the Egyptians and not their idols, it would have been enough.
If God had judged their idols and not struck their firstborn, it would have been enough.
If God had struck their firstborn and not given us their wealth, it would have been enough.
If God had given us their wealth and not split the sea, it would have been enough.
If God had split the sea and not led us through on dry land, it would have been enough.
If God had led us through on dry land and not drowned our oppressors, it would have been enough.
If God had drowned our oppressors and not provided for us in the wilderness, it would have been enough.
If God had provided for us in the wilderness and not fed us manna, it would have been enough.
If God had fed us manna and not given us Shabbat, it would have been enough.
If God had given us Shabbat and not brought us to Sinai, it would have been enough.
If God had brought us to Sinai and not given us Torah, it would have been enough.
If God had given us Torah and not brought us into the land, it would have been enough.
If God had brought us into the land and not built the holy house, it would have been enough.
Spinoza Lens
Dayenu trains non-binary gratitude: progress matters even before completion. That mindset builds resilience without denying unfinished work.
Traditional Lens
Dayenu recounts redeeming steps one by one, building emotional memory through repetition and song.
Reflect
Which “partial victory” in your life needs recognition before the next step?
Sources
Traditional: Dayenu poem in standard Haggadah Maggid section.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), Part V on stable joy through disciplined understanding.
Rabban Gamliel's three symbols
Pesach, Matzah, Maror
Leader script: Hold up each symbol one by one and ask someone different
to explain what it represents.
Hebrew
רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל הָיָה אוֹמֵר:
כָּל שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר שְׁלשָׁה דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ בַּפֶּסַח לֹא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ:
פֶּסַח, מַצָּה, וּמָרוֹר.
English (plain)
Rabban Gamliel taught: whoever does not explain these three things on Passover has
not fulfilled the obligation: the Passover offering, matzah, and maror.
Spinoza Lens
Symbols matter when they are interpreted. Meaning is not in objects alone, but in the
understanding we build around them.
Traditional Lens
This teaching anchors the Seder in explanation: we do not only perform rituals, we say
what they mean.
Reflect
At your table, how can each symbol connect to current life, not only history?
Sources
Traditional: Mishnah Pesachim 10:5 and Haggadah Maggid development.
Spinoza: Theological-Political Treatise (1670), on language, symbol, and communal ethics.
Leader script: Wash hands in the usual netilat yadayim pattern, then
recite the blessing together.
Hebrew
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ
עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם.
English (plain)
Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, who sanctified us with
commandments and commanded us concerning washing the hands.
Spinoza Lens
A small physical action resets attention. Ritual is used here as mental training for
deliberate, present action.
Traditional Lens
Rachtzah marks transition from storytelling to eating the mitzvah foods in ordered sequence.
Reflect
What simple action helps you move from distraction into focus?
Sources
Traditional: Handwashing blessings in rabbinic practice (Talmud Berakhot and later halakhic codification in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 158).
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), Part V on practices that strengthen active awareness.
Leader script: Hold the matzah and recite both blessings before eating
while reclining.
Hebrew
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מַצָּה.
English (plain)
Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, who brings forth bread
from the earth. Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, who
sanctified us with commandments and commanded us concerning eating matzah.
Spinoza Lens
Matzah is concrete memory: freedom is not abstract. It is practiced through food, body,
and shared discipline.
Traditional Lens
Two blessings are recited: the universal bread blessing and the specific mitzvah of eating matzah.
Reflect
What habit helps turn your values from ideas into daily practice?
Sources
Traditional: Berakhot formulas and Seder order in Mishnah Pesachim 10, developed in later Haggadah and halakhic tradition.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), Part IV-V on embodied habits and freedom.
Leader script: Recite the maror blessing, dip, and eat. Invite a short
pause before speaking.
Hebrew
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ
עַל אֲכִילַת מָרוֹר.
English (plain)
Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, who sanctified us with
commandments and commanded us concerning eating maror.
Spinoza Lens
Mature freedom does not erase pain. It remembers pain without letting pain define the future.
Traditional Lens
Maror gives sensory force to the memory of slavery through taste, not only words.
Reflect
Which hard memory still has something to teach you responsibly?
Sources
Traditional: Exodus 12:8 and Seder practice codified through Pesachim and later halakhic rulings.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), Part III-IV on transforming painful affects into wiser action.
Leader script: Build the sandwich with matzah, maror, and charoset;
then read the Hillel line before eating.
Hebrew (key line)
זֵכֶר לְמִקְדָּשׁ כְּהִלֵּל.
כֵּן עָשָׂה הִלֵּל בִּזְמַן שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הָיָה קַיָּם.
English (plain)
A remembrance of the Temple according to Hillel. This is what Hillel did when the
Temple stood.
Spinoza Lens
Korech combines sweetness and bitterness, showing that memory can carry complexity without collapse.
Traditional Lens
Korech reenacts Hillel's Temple-era practice of combining Pesach, matzah, and maror.
Reflect
Where in life are you being asked to hold joy and difficulty together?
Sources
Traditional: Pesachim discussions of Hillel's practice and post-Temple memorial custom.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), Part IV on integrating conflicting emotions into stable action.
Leader script: Before eating, invite each person to name one act of care
this week that made freedom more real for someone else.
Hebrew (traditional marker)
שֻׁלְחָן עוֹרֵךְ
English (plain)
The table is set and the festive meal begins. This is not a break from ritual;
it is part of redemption practice in shared life.
Spinoza Lens
Communal eating can strengthen ethical bonds when it includes dignity, generosity,
and attention to who is present and who is missing.
Traditional Lens
Shulchan Orech is the meal stage of the Seder, framed by mitzvah foods and ongoing discussion.
Reflect
How can this meal itself become an act of liberation for others?
Sources
Traditional: Seder order traditions in Haggadah manuscripts and halakhic practice.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), Part IV on interdependence and cooperative life.
Leader script: Bring back the afikoman, divide it fairly, and explain
that this is the final taste carried out of the Seder meal.
Hebrew (traditional marker)
צָפוּן
English (plain)
We eat the afikoman as the final taste of the night, so the story of liberation
remains with us after the table is cleared.
Spinoza Lens
The hidden-returned matzah turns memory into design: what we choose to remember
shapes how we act tomorrow.
Traditional Lens
Tzafun closes the meal with afikoman as the final food, preserving the Seder's memory-taste.
Reflect
What memory from this year should remain the final taste in your home?
Sources
Traditional: Mishnah Pesachim 10 and the afikoman closing practice in rabbinic tradition.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), Part V on durable habits and directed attention.
Barech (Birkat HaMazon and third cup)
Gratitude after the meal
Leader script: Pour the third cup, recite the first section of Birkat
HaMazon, and continue with your table's full text.
Hebrew (opening)
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַזָּן אֶת הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ
בְּטוּבוֹ, בְּחֵן בְּחֶסֶד וּבְרַחֲמִים.
English (plain)
Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Sovereign of the universe, who nourishes the whole
world with goodness, grace, kindness, and mercy.
Spinoza Lens
Gratitude after fullness builds humility: dependence on others and on the wider order of life.
"All things excellent are as difficult as they are rare."
Baruch Spinoza, Ethics, Part V, Proposition 42, Scholium.
Traditional Lens
Barech links Birkat HaMazon with the third cup, grounding blessing in concrete nourishment.
Reflect
How can your gratitude extend beyond words into how you share resources?
Sources
Traditional: Deuteronomy 8:10, Talmud Berakhot 48b, and Seder order traditions for the third cup.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), Part IV on interdependence and wise gratitude.
Leader script: Open the door for Elijah's cup. If your table uses Miriam's
cup, name one water-source of resilience that carried your people forward.
Hebrew (common lines)
שְׁפֹךְ חֲמָתְךָ אֶל הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדָעוּךָ...
אֵלִיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא, אֵלִיָּהוּ הַתִּשְׁבִּי...
English (plain)
We open the door and call for a future of justice and protection. Elijah's cup marks
unfinished redemption; Miriam's cup (in many modern homes) honors sustaining courage and life-giving water.
Spinoza Lens
Hope is strongest when linked to action. Symbolic cups become commitments to build freer institutions.
Traditional Lens
Elijah motifs and open-door customs appear in later Haggadah development; Miriam's cup is a modern custom.
Reflect
What future are you actively preparing your table to welcome?
Sources
Traditional: Later Haggadah customs around Elijah's cup and Shefoch Chamatcha passages.
Modern Jewish practice: Miriam's cup as contemporary ritual in many communities.
Spinoza: Political Treatise (1677), on hope grounded in civic structure and common good.
Leader script: Move from discussion into melody; choose one Hallel tune
everyone can join.
Hebrew
הַלְלוּ יָהּ, הַלְלוּ עַבְדֵי יְיָ, הַלְלוּ אֶת שֵׁם יְיָ.
יְהִי שֵׁם יְיָ מְבֹרָךְ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם.
הוֹדוּ לַייָ כִּי טוֹב, כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ.
אָנָּא יְיָ הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא, אָנָּא יְיָ הַצְלִיחָה נָּא.
English (plain)
Praise the Eternal. You servants of the Eternal, praise the name of the Eternal.
May the name of the Eternal be blessed now and forever.
Give thanks to the Eternal, for God is good; steadfast love endures forever.
Please, Eternal, save us; please, Eternal, help us succeed.
Spinoza Lens
After narrative and argument, Hallel returns the table to gratitude in shared voice.
Traditional Lens
Hallel is the Seder's song-response to redemption, recited around the later cups.
Reflect
What do you genuinely praise this year, and why?
Sources
Traditional: Psalms 113-118 in Hallel sequence for festivals and Seder night.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), Part V on joy that stabilizes ethical life.
Leader script: Assign one short psalm section to each person around the table, then answer with a shared refrain after each section.
Recommended flow
Psalm 113: Praise from lowliness to dignity.
Psalm 114: Exodus memory in poetic imagery.
Psalm 115: Trust over idols and false certainty.
Psalm 116: Personal gratitude after distress.
Psalm 117: Universal call to praise (short communal reading).
Psalm 118: Thanks, endurance, and hope ("Hodu LaShem ki tov...").
Spinoza Lens
A full Hallel arc trains emotional range: memory, trust, gratitude, and courage become shared civic virtues, not private moods.
Traditional Lens
Hallel is a structured psalm sequence, not one song. Moving through all six psalms completes the Seder praise section.
Reflect
Which Hallel theme is hardest for you right now: trust, gratitude, or hope?
Sources
Traditional: Psalms 113-118 in festival Hallel and Seder practice.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), Part V on active emotions and stable joy through understanding.
Leader script: Sing call-and-response style; let kids or first-timers lead the number each round.
Hebrew
אֶחָד מִי יוֹדֵעַ? אֶחָד אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ!
אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ, שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ.
שְׁנַיִם מִי יוֹדֵעַ? שְׁנַיִם אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ!
שְׁנֵי לוּחוֹת הַבְּרִית... וְאֶחָד אֱלֹהֵינוּ.
English (plain)
Who knows one? I know one: One is our God, in heaven and on earth.
Who knows two? I know two: Two are the tablets of the covenant... and one is our God.
Spinoza Lens
Repetition here is educational design. Song turns abstract memory into durable shared knowledge across generations.
Traditional Lens
This cumulative song closes many Seders, reinforcing core symbols through playful review.
Reflect
What core values do you want the next generation to remember by heart?
Sources
Traditional: Late-medieval/early-modern Haggadah song tradition for Nirtzah close.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), Part V on repeated practice and durable formation of mind.
Leader script: Read one verse, then invite quick interpretation: family tale, political allegory, or comic close.
Aramaic
חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא,
דִּזְבַּן אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא.
English (plain)
One little goat, one little goat, that father bought for two coins: one little goat, one little goat.
Spinoza Lens
The chain of actions in Chad Gadya can be read as cause and effect: systems escalate unless we interrupt cycles with wiser institutions.
Traditional Lens
This cumulative ending song has many interpretations, from playful household narrative to symbolic history.
Reflect
What cycle in personal or public life needs interruption before it escalates?
Sources
Traditional: Aramaic closing piyyut in later Haggadah print traditions.
Spinoza: Ethics (1677), Part I and Part IV on causality and freedom through understanding causes.
Leader script: End with three rounds: one gratitude, one freedom-commitment,
and one closing line sung together.
Hebrew
חֲסַל סִדּוּר פֶּסַח כְּהִלְכָתוֹ, כְּכָל מִשְׁפָּטוֹ וְחֻקָּתוֹ.
כַּאֲשֶׁר זָכִינוּ לְסַדֵּר אוֹתוֹ, כֵּן נִזְכֶּה לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ.
אַדִּיר הוּא, יִבְנֶה בֵיתוֹ בְּקָרוֹב, בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ בְּקָרוֹב.
לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בִּירוּשָׁלָיִם.
English (plain)
The Passover order is complete according to its law and custom. As we were able to
arrange it tonight, so may we merit to do it again.
Mighty One, rebuild Your house soon, in our days.
Next year in Jerusalem.
Spinoza Lens
Nirtzah closes with future-directed agency: memory becomes a plan, and hope becomes collective action.
Traditional Lens
Nirtzah closes the Seder with acceptance, gratitude, and hope for future redemption.
Reflect
Name one concrete action your household will take before next Pesach to increase dignity or freedom.
Sources
Traditional: Nirtzah closing formulas in standard Haggadah traditions.
Spinoza: Political Treatise (1677), on institutions and practices that sustain freedom.