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On the first and second night of Passover in the Diaspora, a Seder is held as a reenactment of the Exodus; it is relived and retold each year so as not to be forgotten. A special book called a Haggadah is used which has the instructions for each step of the Seder as well as the story of the exodus from Egypt. The Haggadah used in the present is not the original one used hundreds of years ago. Over the centuries, additions and subtractions were made until around the time of the printing press. However, today the Haggadah is enjoying revitalization for there are many different editions that differ in what is appropriate for the Seder. There are even Haggadahs written specifically for children. The Haggadah can make the Seder a more personal experience by allowing each person to feel as if he was actually leaving Egypt from bondage, and becoming a free person part of a free nation.

The Seder Plate

The first item on the Seder Plate is Maror, a bitter herb (some use horseradish, others Romaine lettuce) that symbolizes the bitterness of the slavery. The second item on the Seder plate is the Charoset which is a chunky brown mixture of apples, nuts, and wine, that symbolizes the mortar that was used by the Hebrews during their slavery. The third item on the plate is the Karpas, a green vegetable usually celery signifying the onset of spring. The celery is dipped into the saltwater and symbolizes the tears of the Hebrews under the Egyptian rule. The fourth item is the Z'roa, a roasted shank bone is used to symbolize the Passover sacrifice that was made every year at the Temple in Jerusalem. The Fifth item is the Beitzah, a roasted egg that symbolizes the Festival Sacrifice that Jews used to make at the Temple in Jerusalem. The egg has also come to symbolize Spring and rebirth; however that was not the original intent of the egg on the Seder Plate.

Additionally, there are three matzahs on the table to symbolize the three groups of Jews, the priests, the Levites, and the Israelites. The priests are descendants of Aaron, and a subset of the tribe of Levi. The Levites are the rest of the tribe of Levi, and were the priest's helpers, and the Israelites make up the rest of the 11 tribes. Nowadays the groups are more symbolic then anything else; however there are still certain customs and traditions pertaining to each group.

The Seder

The Seder (meaning order) is broken up into 15 steps. The steps not only help structure the night, they help illustrate the story through their various traditions. Everything at the Seder table plays a special role in telling the story of the Exodus from the roasted egg to the 3 matzah's (unleavened bread). Each person at the table drinks four cups of wine to symbolize the four promises that God gave the Hebrews in Exodus "I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians, I will deliver you from their bondage, I will redeem you, I will take you as my people."(Exodus 6: 6-7)

The steps also illustrate the path from slavery to freedom through the rituals performed in each step. For example, in the third step, Karpas, a vegetable (usually celery or potato slices) is dipped into salt water and eaten to symbolize the tears of the Hebrews when they were slaves.

Even though the journey from slave to free is occurring, the fact that the Jews survived and escaped Egypt is a joyous occasion. Throughout the night there is a custom to recline on your chair with a pillow, especially while drinking the four cups of wine to symbolically suggest that each person is supposed to see himself as royalty. Another related custom is to not pour your own glass of wine. Therefore everyone's neighbor actually pours the 4 cups of wine for them so as to feel like royalty.

The retelling of the actual story of the exodus is the longest part of the Seder. In the steps preceding the recounting, the participants are still symbolically slaves, but after the story is recounted, The Hebrews are free at last. After the story is over, the Seder becomes much jollier with the meal being served and prayers of Thanksgiving being sung.

At the beginning of the Seder, the middle of the three matzahs is broken in half and one of the halves is called the Afikoman (which is actually a Greek word meaning dessert). The Afikoman is hidden and after dinner the kids at the table traditionally look for the Afikoman. The Seder cannot continue until the Afikoman is found and each person at the table has eaten a piece.