The Seder Meal

April 4, 2007

On the Wednesday before Easter, St. Mark's members and guests continued the annual tradition of celebrating the Passover Seder.  Although it is a Jewish festival, for Christians, Passover is of special interest since it provides the historical background for the great Christian festival of Easter. The Last Supper is linked with the Passover Seder, and such concepts as the Lamb of God and the wine and bread of Communion originated in the Passover ritual.

The Seder is the Passover Feast which commemorates the Jews flight from Egypt. Every aspect of the Seder has symbolic significance and, down through generations has acquired deep emotional and spiritual overtones.

Traditionally all gather around the table and stand quietly. The hostess lights the candles, and says the following traditional prayer of the mother in the Jewish family as she lights the feast day candles before the meal:

Mother: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by your commandments and commanded us to light the festival lights.

All: Praised are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has brought us life, and sustained us, and enables us to reach this season of joy.

Reciting the Narrative (The Haggadah) Child: 

• Why is this night different from all other nights? On all other nights we eat either leavened or unleavened bread. Why on this night do we eat only unleavened bread?
• On all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs. Why on this night do we eat especially bitter herbs?
• On all other nights we do not dip herbs in any condiment. Why on this night do we dip them in salt water and haroset?
• On all other nights we eat without special festivities. Why on this night do we hold this Passover service?

Leader: You have asked four important questions that involve four unusual practices and ceremonies that take place at the Passover table. To find the answers we must go back to the early history of our people, to the days of Moses and Aaron, when Israel was in slavery in Egypt.

All: We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt and God brought our people from there with a strong hand and a promise of redemption. It is our duty to tell the story of the Exodus and to recall the heroism of these days and God’s actions. In every generation, the Exodus has given us all courage.

The first question asked concerns the use of matzah. We eat these unleavened cakes to remember that our ancestors, in their haste to leave Egypt, could not wait for bread to rise, and so removed them from the ovens while still flat. (Exodus 12:34)  

To the second question we reply: We partake of the maror on this night that we might taste of some bitterness, to remind ourselves how bitter is the lot of one caught in the grip of slavery. (Exodus 12:8)

Thirdly, we dip twice in the course of this service, greens in salt water and maror in haroset; once to replace tears with gratefulness, and once to sweeten bitterness and suffering.  

The fourth question asks why, on this night, we eat with special festivities. On this night of Passover, we demonstrate our sense of complete freedom by celebrating this festival with joy.