Return to flip book view

Passover Haggadah

Page 1

PASSOVER HAGGADAH“This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as afestival to the LORD – a lasting ordinance.”Exodus 12:14

Page 2

2Gather your family and read the Passover story fromExodus 12, and you will discover that the Lord’s word tothe Hebrew children is speaking to us today.Passover Feast PreperationsTABLE SET UP - Jesus & His Jewish disciplescelebrated Passover in the setting of the Roman culture.Thus, we have learned that their eating customs werefar different than the Western culture many arefamiliar with. To create an environment forunderstanding this, you may want to create a lower1.table in your home - this isoptional. The low table is called atriclinium. It’s a U-shaped tableas pictured here. 2. TABLE SETTINGSWhite tablecloths, dinner plateWine glass (grape juice or wine – your choice)Water glass2 candles in the center3. HAND WASHING BOWL -This is a very meaningfulpart of the dinner. Have a bowl and water-filled pitcherwith a towel. Have someone pour the water overeach person’s hands.4. MATZAH - UNLEAVENED BREAD - You can buy thisat some grocery stores, especially if there is a Jewishcommunity in your area. You will need six pieces ofmatzah. Arrange three pieces on a napkin in twodifferent locations on the table.

Page 3

5. SEDER ELEMENTS - These elements all have meaningand will be explained throughout the meal.Hard boiled eggs, one for each personDried shank bone of a lamb Horseradish Parsley - 2-3 sprigs per personSmall bowl of salt water Charoset - apple mixture made with grape juice, honey& cinnamonPASSOVER SEDER PLATE - The Passover Seder is one ofthe most widely observed of all Jewish customs, and at thecenter of every seder is the seder plate. Most seder plateshave six dishes for the six symbols of the Passover Seder. The Seder elements are:• MAROR (horseradish)• KARPAS (parsley)• CHAZARET (romaine lettuce)• CHAROSET (apple mixture)• ZEROAH (shank bone)• BEITZAH (egg)6. THE MEAL - It’s really up to each individual family what you choose to serve as you know the needs of yourindividual members. Here are suggestions:Roasted Lamb or Herb ChickenRoasted PotatoesSeasoned VegetablesSoup - Matzah BallCoffee/TeaFresh Fruit3

Page 4

Passover is a nightof rejoicing, a night of thanksgiving and a night to praise God. During Passover let usthank God for the redemption of the children of Israel out of Egypt. We can praise God becausedeath really did pass over the homes of theIsraelites. But more importantly,we can praise God because those of uswho know Him are redeemed from an even greater bondage. Through our faith in the Messiah Yeshua, we too, can literally pass over from death into life!4

Page 5

CHAG PESACH: THE PASSOVER CELEBRATIONThere is much symbolism in the modern Seder aswe see Christ, our Passover Lamb, who hasredeemed us from the bondage of sin and death. Jesus kept the Passover with His disciples of whomwe are today’s representatives, so let’s rememberand celebrate!5 Therefore purge out the oldleaven, that you may be a newlump, since you truly areunleavened. For indeed Christ,our Passover, was sacrificed for us.1 Corinthians 5:7

Page 6

6LEADER: Ritual washings have been a part of Jewishlife since God commanded Aaron to bathe his handsand feet before approaching the altar of the LORD. Sowe customarily wash our hands at this time as asymbolic act of our desire to live lives of acceptableservice to Almighty God.The Washing of the HandsLEADER: Yet Jesus carried this notion of servanthood one step further on that Passover night in theupper room. "He laid aside His garments, took a towel,and girded Himself and began to wash the disciples'feet." How graciously He has taught us the fullestmeaning of servant hood - humility. “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” John 13:15-16

Page 7

7Blessing Over the CandlesLEADER: Let us remember this evening that Yeshuais a light to the nations and the glory of His peopleIsrael. CONGREGATION: Blessed are you, O Lord our God,King of the Universe, who has sent Your Son, YourOnly Son, Yeshua the Messiah, to be the light of theworld and our Passover Lamb, that through Him wemight live. Amen Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of theworld. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, buthave the light of life.”John 8:12

Page 8

8SEDER INTRODUCTIONLEADER: There are four cups of wine or grape juicethat are drunk during the Passover Seder. This is tocommemorate God's four-fold promise of redemptionto the Children of Israel from Exodus 6:6-7a:"I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”CONGREGATION: Blessed are You, O Lord our God,King of the Universe, who has given us life, and sustainedus, and enabled us to reach this season.“I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgements.““I will deliver you from their bondage.”“I will take you for My people, and I will be your God." The Representation of the Four Cups

Page 9

9Cup #1: The Cup of SanctificationLEADER: Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-Olam, boreh p'ri hagafen.“And when He had taken the cup and given thanks,He said, 'Take this and share it among yourselves, forI say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vinefrom now until the Kingdom of God comes."' Luke 22:17-18Please drink the first cup.CONGREGATION: Blessed are You, O Lord our God,King of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.It is a privilege to be set apart by God and this cup ofsanctification is the outward symbol of an inwardtransformation. As believers, we are disciples of Yeshuaas were those who drank the cup with Him at the first Passover.“You have been set apart as holy to the LORD your God, andHe has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be Hisown special treasure.” Deuteronomy 14:2

Page 10

LEADER: Passover is an object lesson; the foods anditems on the table are objects that help us to tell thestory of redemption. This parsley which we will beeating represents springtime and life; we eat it dippedin salt water which represents the suffering and thetears of the bondage of Egypt, and the pain of a lifewithout redemption. We also know that life lived in sinis bitter indeed.LEADER: Baruch Atah, Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-Olam, boreh p'ri ha-adamah.CONGREGATION: Blessed are You, O Lord our God,King of the Universe, who created the fruit of the earth.LEADER: Please dip and eat the karpas.10Eating a Green Vegetable

Page 11

11Breaking the Middle MatzahLEADER: Here we have a plate with three layers ofunleavened bread or matzah. This represents the bread of affliction which our forefathers ate in the land of Egypt.One half of the broken matzah is called the afikomen, which literally means, "I came."Figuratively, it has come to mean "that which comes after." Let us lookat this afikomen which represents Christ's body.In a Jewish household, the three matzot representthe patriarchs of Israel: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.They can also be seen as the priests, the Levites, andthe Israelites. Christians recognize the three matzotas the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.At this point, the father in a Jewish household removes the middle matzah and breaks it in two.

Page 12

CONGREGATION: "He was smitten by God and afflicted."Isaiah 53:4LEADER: See how it is bruised and striped.CONGREGATION: "But He was wounded for ourtransgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; thechastisement of our peace was upon Him; and by His stripes weare healed." Isaiah 53:5LEADER: See how the matzah is pierced. CONGREGATION: "...and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced." Zechariah 12:10LEADER: The afikomen is wrapped in a white cloth and is hidden to be found by the children.12After the meal, we will take theafikomen because it is the lastfood eaten at the PassoverSeder.

Page 13

LEADER: At this point in the service a younger child ischosen to ask the four questions, all in reference to thequestion, "Why is this night different from all the othernights?" So before we tell the Passover story, let us answerthese questions.CHILD: Why is this night different from all the othernights? On all other nights, we can eat both leavened andunleavened bread; tonight, why only unleavened bread? FATHER: We eat matzah because when the children ofIsrael left the land of Egypt, they left so quickly that theyhad to take their dough with them before it had a chanceto rise. The result was this unleavened bread or matzah. CHILD: On all other nights, we eat all kinds of herbs;tonight, why only bitter herbs?FATHER: We eat bitter herbs to remind us of thebitterness of slavery, because a life without redemption isbitter indeed.13Four Questions

Page 14

CHILD: On all other nights, we dip our foods once;tonight, why do we dip twice?FATHER: We dip twice to remind us that a life ofbondage is bitter indeed, but that even the most bitterlife is sweetened with the promise of redemption.CHILD: On all other nights, we can eat either sitting upstraight or reclining; tonight, why do we all recline? FATHER: On Passover, we recline because in ancienttimes, only the free people, the redeemed, could eatreclining. LEADER: As Christians celebrating the Passover, wehave an additional question.CHILD: Father, why as Christians are we keeping thePassover?FATHER: This is not only a Jewish Feast, but it is, in fact,a Feast of the Lord. We want to see Jesus revealed in thePassover Feast and by understanding the old, we canbetter understand the new. As Ephesians 2 records, ithelps to break down the wall of hostility between Jewsand Gentiles. 14

Page 15

15Retelling the Passover StoryREADER 2: Only seventy people went with Jacob, but there in Egypt, the children of Israel became adistinct nation, and the Bible tells us that the land was filled with them. Then, there came a new Pharoah who knew not Joseph. He treated the Israelites harshly saying, "Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply and in event of a war, they also join themselves to those that hate us and fight against us and depart from the land." Exodus 1:10READER 1: Why is this night different from allother nights? Because, "we were slaves of Pharoah inEgypt, but the Lord our God brought us from thatland with a strong hand and an outstretched arm."Our forefather Jacob went down to Egypt - therewas a great famine in the land of Canaan where helived, but in Egypt, he heard that there was food andwater to spare. He sojourned there, at the invitationof his long-lost son Joseph, who had become greatin Egypt, second only to Pharoah, and Jacob and hishousehold settled in the land of Goshen.The First Aliyah

Page 16

READER 3: The Egyptians oppressed and, "Theyappointed taskmasters over the children of Israel to afflictthem with hard labour, and they built for Pharoah storagecities, Pithom and Raamses." Exodus 1:11And the children of Israel cried to the Lord, and theLord heard their voice and saw their afflictions andtheir toil and oppression. "And the Lord brought us out ofEgypt with a mighty hand, an outstretched arm, and withgreat terror and with signs and wonders." Deuteronomy 26:7"For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, andwill strike down all the first born in the land of Egypt, bothman and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will executejudgements - I am the Lord." Exodus 12:1216READER 4: Blessed be He who keeps His promise toIsrael! For the Holy One, blessed be He, determined theend of our bondage as He promised to Abraham; "Know for certain that your descendants will bestrangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will beenslaved and oppressed 400 years. But I will also judgethe nation whom they will serve; and afterwards theywill come out with many possessions." Genesis 13:14This promise has been the hope of our ancestors and ofus as well. For enemies have risen up to destroy us inevery generation. But the Holy One, blessed be He,delivers us from their hands.

Page 17

17THE TEN PLAGUESLEADER: The Lord brought the Israelites out of Egyptwith great terror, signs and wonders. This refers to theten plagues which the Holy One brought upon theEgyptians. As we recite the plagues, we will spill a dropof our wine or juice so that our cup will be diminished.In Jewish tradition, a full cup represents complete joy.As we recount the plagues, we want to lessen our joyand recount the sufferings of the Egyptians. Thespilled drop also represents the blood of the Lamb(Yeshua) Who overcame all the forces of darkness. BloodFrogsLiceSwarms of InsectsCattle DiseaseBoilsHailLocustsDarknessDeath of the Firstborn

Page 18

18Cup #2: The Cup of DeliveranceLEADER: Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-Olam, boreh p'ri hagafen.LEADER: The traditional Passover Song Dayenu - “it would have been enough,” is a song of thanksgiving to God for His many wonderful deeds of kindnesstowards us. (The Cup of The Plagues)If God had just brought us out of Egypt - Dayenu If God had just given us the Sabbath - DayenuIf God had just given us the Torah - DayenuBut ultimately we thank God for giving us the Messiah -Dayenu, for Messiah is sufficient for us all.CONGREGATION: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.LEADER: Please drink the second cup.

Page 19

19ZEROAH: LAMB SHANKLEADER: The lamb shank represents the lamb thatwas sacrificed for blood to be put on the doorposts.This was a sign for the Angel of Death to pass over thehomes of the Israelites and spare the lives of theirfirstborn. It was God’s mighty and outstretched armthat took the Israelites out of Egypt.“So the Lord brought us out of Egyptwith a mighty hand and with anoutstretched arm, with great terrorand with signs and wonders.” Deuteronomy 26:8CONGREGATION: "And when I see the blood, I will passover you, and no plague will befall you when I strike the land ofEgypt." Exodus 12:13bLEADER: By the blood of the lamb was Israel spared.CONGREGATION: By the blood of the lamb wasJacob redeemed.LEADER: By the blood of the lamb was death made topass over.CONGREGATION: "Behold, the Lamb of God who takesaway the sins of the world!" John 1:29

Page 20

20LEADER: Regarding the matzah, the Scriptures tellus, "With the dough they had brought from Egypt, theybaked cakes of unleavened bread. The dough was withoutyeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and didnot have time to prepare food for themselves."Exodus 12:39Take now a good-sized piece of matzah, and afterthe blessings, we'll eat it together.CONGREGATION: Blessed are You, O Lord ourGod, King of the Universe, who brings forth breadfrom the earth.LEADER: Please eat the matzah.Eating the Unleavened Bread

Page 21

LEADER: Concerning the bitter herbs, the Bible tells us,"They (the Egyptians) made their lives bitter with hard labourin brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields;in all their hard labour the Egyptians used them ruthlessly."Exodus 1:14Take a piece of matzah, dip it in the horseradish, andwe will taste the bitter herbs together. Let the bitterherbs be a reminder of the bitterness the Israelitesexperienced and also a reminder of a life withoutredemption.CONGREGATION: Blessed are You, O Lord our God,King of the Universe, who commanded us concerningthe eating of the bitter herbs.21Eating the Bitter HerbsLEADER: Please eat the matzah dipped in the bitter herbs.

Page 22

22Eating the Bitter Herbswith Matzah & Charoseth LEADER: It is customary to eat the bitter herbs alongwith charoseth, this brown mixture that represents themortar that the children of Israel used to make theirbricks. The charoseth is sweet, and we eat it as areminder that the bitterest labour is sweetened by thepromise of redemption.Let us now enjoy the festive meal . . .It is also customary to eat the matzah and the bitterherbs together as a sandwich; so take another piece ofmatzah, dip it in horseradish, then in charoseth, andeat. And finally, it is customary to begin to the actual mealwith a slice of hardboiled egg dipped in saltwater. Theegg represents the chagigah, the festival sacrifice thatwas offered in the Temple of Jerusalem until itsdestruction in 70 A.D. The egg is a symbol ofmourning for the Temple, and is dipped in saltwateragain which represents the tears of life. The egg alsorepresents hope because contained within the egg ishope and the promise of new life. Let us begin ourfestive meal with a piece of egg, and we will say graceafter the meal, as is the Jewish custom.

Page 23

LEADER: At this time the children will search for thehidden afikomen and bring it back to the father.Traditionally, the father would redeem this afikomenwith money as a reward.LEADER: Let us give thanks to the Lord.23Grace After the MealCONGREGATION: May the name of the Lord beblessed from this time forth and forever.LEADER: We praise You, O God, from whoseabundance we have partaken. CONGREGATION: We praise You, O Lord our God, andSaviour and our King, who gives bread to all flesh, for Yourloving kindness endures forever.(Leader unwraps the afikomen and lifts up the matzah)It was at this time during the Seder that Yeshua said to Hisdisciples, "This is My body which is given for you; this do inremembrance of Me." Let us examine ourselves before takingcommunion and meditate on the broken body of Christ aswe eat.“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread anddrink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthymanner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning theLord's body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you,and many sleep.” 1 Corinthians 11:28-30

Page 24

LEADER: It is now time for the third cup - the cup ofredemption that symbolizes the blood of the PassoverLamb. It was concerning this very cup, the cup ofredemption - the cup taken after dinner - that Jesus said:"This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed foryou." Luke 22:2024Cup #3: The Cup of Redemption“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a newcovenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— notaccording to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the daythat I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt,My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, saysthe Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house ofIsrael after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in theirminds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and theyshall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, andevery man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shallknow Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says theLord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will rememberno more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34LEADER: Please drink the third cup.LEADER: Baruch Atah, Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-Olam, boreh p'ri ha-gafen.CONGREGATION: Blessed are You, O Lord our God,King of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.

Page 25

Cup #4: The Cup of PraiseLEADER: Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-Olam, boreh p'ri hagafen.25LEADER: In Jewish tradition, the Prophet Elijah is seenas a forerunner, one who will come and herald thecoming of the Messiah. Traditionally, a child opens adoor, looking forward to Elijah's coming andannouncing the Messiah.CONGREGATION: "Behold, I am going to send you Elijahthe prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to theirchildren, and the hearts of the children to their fathers..." Malachi 4:5-6aLEADER: Baruch ha-bah!CONGREGATION: Blessed is He who comes!CONGREGATION: Blessed are You, O Lord our God,King of the Universe, who created the fruit of the vine.LEADER: Let us drink.

Page 26

LEADER: Let us read together Psalm 118:22-24.CONGREGATION: "The stone the builders rejected hasbecome the capstone; the LORD has done this, and it ismarvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD hasmade; let us rejoice and be glad in it."26SONG: ForeverGive thanks to the Lord our God and KingHis love endures foreverFor He is good, He is above all thingsHis love endures foreverSing praise, sing praiseWith a mighty hand and outstretched armHis love endures foreverFor the life that's been rebornHis love endures foreverSing praise, sing praise(2)Forever God is faithfulForever God is strongForever God is with usForever (2x)HALLEL: Psalms 113-118

Page 27

From the rising of the setting sunHis love endures foreverAnd by the grace of God we will carry onHis love endures foreverSing praise, sing praiseSing praise, sing praise(Chorus)His love endures forever (8x)Sing praise, sing praiseSing praise, sing praise27

Page 28

28 Concluding the Passover SederLEADER: Now our Seder is concluded, ourredemption is complete. May our hearts be joined together in gratitude for Yeshua’s deathand resurrection and for the promise of Hisreturn.CONGREGATION: Evenso, come, Lord Jesus.LEADER: La'shanah ha-ba-ah b'Y'rushalayim!CONGREGATION: Nextyear in Jerusalem!

Page 29

“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,“that it shall no more be said, ‘The Lord lives who broughtup the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the landswhere He had driven them.’ For I will bring them backinto their land which I gave to their fathers.” Jeremiah 16:14 -15The Feasts of the Lord aresignposts giving us God’s directionto the coming of Messiah. Scripture reveals that the major key to Hissecond coming is Aliyah, the returnof His scattered children from thenations to the land of their inheritance - Israel. When God’s name is sanctified,He releases the knowledge that He is Lord to Jewand Gentile alike. Ezekiel 36:23We are living through the fulfillment of thefollowing Scripture:PASSOVERPASSOVERPASSOVERPENTECOSTPENTECOSTPENTECOSTTABERNACLESTABERNACLESTABERNACLES29

Page 30

Phone: +1 (519) 684-7198info@return.co.ilWebsite: return.co.ilAliyah Return Center in Israelinfo@aliyahreturncenter.comWebsite: aliyahreturncenter.com"I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plantthem in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul."Jeremiah 32:41"Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations,and raise My signal to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in theirarms, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders." Isaiah 49:22Canadian Mailing AddressP.O. Box 419Plattsville, ONCanada N0J 1S0USA Mailing AddressP.O. Box 481591Kansas City, MO64148Phone: +1 (302) 312-0803Returnministriesusa7@gmail.comWebsite: return.co.il