We begin our sederLit. Order. The festive meal conducted on Passover night, in a specific order with specific rituals to symbolize aspects of the Exodus from Egypt. It is conducted following the haggadah, a book for this purpose. Additionally, there an ancient tradition to have a seder on Rosh Hashanah, which has been practiced in particular by Sephardi communities. This seder involves the blessing and eating of simanim, or symbolic foods. The mystics of Sefat also created a seder for Tu B'shvat, the new year of the trees. with Kos MiryamMiriam is the sister of Moses and Aaron. As Moses' and Aaron's sister she, according to midrash, prophesies Moses' role and helps secure it by watching over the young baby, seeing to it that Pharaoh's daughter takes him and that the baby is returned to his mother for nursing. During the Israelites' trek through the desert, a magical well given on her behalf travels with the Israelites, providing water, healing, and sustenance., Miriam’s Cup, symbolically filled with mayyim hayyim, living waters from Miriam’s Well. Elijah’s Cup, of which we speak at the end of the seder, represents our future redemption, when peace will fill the world. Miriam’s Cup represents our past redemption, when our people were brought out of Egypt and delivered from slavery.
Miriam’s Well was said to hold Divine power to heal, sustain, and renew. It became a special source of transformation for a people leaving slavery to form a new identity. Throughout our journey as a people, we have sought to rediscover these living waters for ourselves. With this cup of clear spring water, we remember God’s gift of living waters from Miriam’s Well.
Tonight at our seder, we continue this journey. Just as the Holy One delivered Miriam and her people, just as they were sustained in the desert and transformed into a new people, so may we be delivered, sustained and transformed on our own journey to a stronger sense of ourselves as individuals and as one community. May the living waters of Miriam’s Well nourish us and give us inspiration as we embark on our journey through the haggadahLit. "Telling.” The haggadah is the book used at the seder table on Passover to tell the story of the Exodus, the central commandment of the holiday. It is rich in song, prayer, and legend. There are many different version of the Haggadah produced throughout Jewish history..
(lift cup)
Reader:
Zot Kos Miryam, Kos Mayyim Hayyim.
Zakheir l’tzi-at MitzrayimLit. Egypt. Because the Hebrew word for narrow is tzar, Mitzrayim is also understood as "narrowness," as in, the narrow and confining places in life from which one emerges physically and spiritually..
This is the Cup of Miriam, the Cup of Living Waters.
Let us remember the going out from Egypt.
All:
These are the living waters, God’s gift to Miriam, which gave new life
to IsraelLit. ''the one who struggles with God.'' Israel means many things. It is first used with reference to Jacob, whose name is changed to Israel (Genesis 32:29), the one who struggles with God. Jacob's children, the Jewish people, become B'nai Israel, the children of Israel. The name also refers to the land of Israel and the State of Israel. as we struggled with ourselves in the wilderness.
Blessed are You God, Who brings us from the narrows into the wilderness, sustains us with endless possibilities, and enables us to reach a new place.
(blessing for drinking water)
Barukh Atah Adonay, Eloheynu Melekh ha-Olam, she-ha-kol n’hi-ye bi-d’varo
Blessed are You YahA name for God, as in "halleluyah" – praise God. Some people prefer this name for God as a non-gendered option. our God, Majestic Spirit of the Universe, by Whose word everything is created.
(drink)
© 1990 Kol Isha (Matia Rania Angelou, Janet Berkenfield, Stephanie Loo)
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