Passover Prayers And Blessings
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We have collected some of the best Passover Prayers And Blessings for protection and support to use in our request to God. May these prayers for safety bring you comfort and peace of mind. May these prayers for strength encourage your spirit and strengthen your faith.
Passover, also called Pesach (חַג הַפֶּסַח Ḥag hapPesaḥ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or spring. The word Pesach or Passover can also refer to the Korban Pesach, the paschal lamb that was offered when the Temple in Jerusalem stood; to the Passover Seder, the ritual meal on Passover night; or to the Feast of Unleavened Bread. One of the biblically ordained Three Pilgrimage Festivals, Passover is traditionally celebrated in the Land of Israel for seven days and for eight days among many Jews in the Diaspora, based on the concept of yom tov sheni shel galuyot.
Lighting the Yom Tov Candles
Before the official start of the seder, it is customary to light two candles in honor of the holiness of the day.
בָּרוּךְ אַתַּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיתוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר שֶׁל יוֹם טוֹב
Transliteration
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu l’hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.
Translation
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who sanctified us with the commandment of lighting the holiday candles.
Kiddush: Blessing Over the Wine
Weekday Version
Hold up the cup in your right hand and recite the blessing over the wine. But, don’t get ahead of yourself! Before you go ahead and drink this first cup, say the Shehecheyanu prayer.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ,
מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּֽפֶן.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ,
מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ
מִכׇּל עָם וְרוֹמְמָֽנוּ מִכׇּל לָשׁוֹן,
וְקִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֺתָיו.
וַתִּֽתֶּן לָֽנוּ, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, בְּאַהֲבָה
מוֹעֲדִים לְשִׂמְחָה,
חַגִּים וּזְמַנִּים לְשָׂשׂוֹן, אֶת יוֹם
חַג הַמַּצּוֹת הַזֶּה,
זְמַן חֵרוּתֵֽנוּ,
מִקְרָא קֹֽדֶשׁ, זֵֽכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָֽיִם.
כִּי בָֽנוּ בָחַֽרְתָּ וְאוֹתָֽנוּ קִדַּֽשְׁתָּ
מִכׇּל הָעַמִּים
וּמוֹעֲדֵי קׇדְשְׁךָ
בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְשָׂשׂוֹן הִנְחַלְתָּֽנוּ.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ, מְקַדֵּשׁ
יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַזְּמַנִּים.
Transliteration
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, borei p’ri hagafen.
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher bachar banu mikol am, v’rom’manu mikol lashon, v’kid’shanu b’mitzvotav. Vatiten lanu, Adonai Eloheinu, b’ahavah mo-adim l’simchah, chagim uz’manim l’sason, et yom Chag HaMatzot hazeh, z’man cheiruteinu, mikra kodesh, zeicher litziat Mitzrayim. Ki vanu vacharta v’otanu kidashta mikol haamim umo-adei kodsh’cha b’simchah uv’sason hinchaltanu.
Baruch atah, Adonai m’kadeish Yisrael v’hazmanim.
Translation
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the world, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Blessed are You, Our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has chosen us from among the peoples, exalting us by hallowing us with mitzvot. In Your love, Adonai our God, You have given us feasts of gladness, and seasons of joy; this Festival of Pesach, season of our freedom, a sacred occasion, a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us from all peoples and consecrated us to Your service, and given us the Festivals, a time of gladness and joy.
Blessed are You, Adonai, who sanctifies Israel and the Festivals.
Shabbat Version
וַיְהִי עֶֽרֶב וַיְהִי בֹֽקֶר
.יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי
וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַֽיִם וְהָאָֽרֶץ
.וְכׇל צְבָאָם
וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי
.מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה
וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי
.מִכׇּל מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה
וַיְבָֽרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי
וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ, כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכׇּל
.מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת
,בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ
.מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּֽפֶן
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ,
מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר בָּֽחַר בָּֽנוּ
,מִכׇּל עָם וְרוֹמְמָֽנוּ מִכׇּל לָשׁוֹן
.וְקִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֺתָיו
וַתִּֽתֶּן לָֽנוּ, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, בְּאַהֲבָה
שַׁבָּתוֹת לִמְנוּחָה
,וּמוֹעֲדִים לְשִׂמְחָה
חַגִּים וּזְמַנִּים לְשָׂשׂוֹן, אֶת–יוֹם
הַשַּׁבָּת הַזֶּה וְאֶת יוֹם
,חַג הַמַּצּוֹת הַזֶּה
,זְמַן חֵרוּתֵֽנוּ בְּאַהֲבָה
.מִקְרָא קֹֽדֶשׁ, זֵֽכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָֽיִם
כִּי בָֽנוּ בָחַֽרְתָּ וְאוֹתָֽנוּ קִדַּֽשְׁתָּ
מִכׇּל הָעַמִּים וְשַׁבָּת
וּמוֹעֲדֵי קׇדְשֶׁךָ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן
.בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְשָׂשׂוֹן הִנְחַלְתָּֽנוּ
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ, מְקַדֵּשׁ
הַשַּׁבָּת וְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַזְּמַנִּים
Vay’hi erev vay’hi voker yom hashishi.
Vay’chulu hashamayim v’haaretz v’chol tz’vaam. Vay’chal Elohim bayom hash’vi-i m’lachto asher asah. Vayishbot bayom hash’vi-i mikol m’lachto asher asah.
Vay’varech Elohim et yom hash’vi-i vay’kadeish oto, ki vo shavat mikol m’lachto asher bara Elohim laasot.
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, borei p’ri hagafen.
Baruch atah, Adonai, Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher bachar banu mikol am v’rom’manu mikol lashon v’kid’shanu b’mitzvotav.
Vatiten lanu, Adonai Eloheinu, b’ahavah Shabbatot lim’nuchah u mo-adim l’simchah, chagim uz’manim l’sason, et yom HaShabbat hazeh v’et yom Chag HaMatzot hazeh, z’man cheiruteinu, mikra kodesh, zeicher litziat Mitzrayim.
Ki vanu vacharta v’otanu kidashta mikol haamim v’Shabbat umo-adei kodsh’chah b’ahavah uv’ratzon b’simchah uv’sason hinchaltanu.
Baruch atah Adonai, m’kadeish HaShabbat v’Yisrael v’haz’manim.
Translation
And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
The heaven and the earth were finished, and all their array. On the seventh day God finished the work that God had been doing, and God ceased on the seventh day from all the work that God had done. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because on it God ceased from all the work of creation that God had done. (Genesis 1:31-2:3)
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who has chosen us from among the peoples, exalting us by hallowing us with mitzvot. In Your love, Adonai our God, You have given us Shabbatot of rest, feasts of gladness and seasons of joy; this Shabbat day and this festival of Pesach, season of our freedom, a sacred occasion, a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us from all the peoples and consecrated us to Your service, and given us Shabbat, a sign of love and favor, and the Festivals, a time of gladness and joy.
Blessed are You, Adonai, who sanctifies Shabbat, Israel, and the Festivals.
Shehecheyanu Blessing
We also say the Shehecheyanu blessing to give thanks for this happy moment. Once you say the blessing, drink your first cup of wine and refill!
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה
Transliteration
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, shehecheyanu v’kiy’manu v’higiyanu laz’man hazeh
Translation
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.
Dipping Parsley Into Salt Water
You’ll notice that the Hebrew for this Passover blessing is the same as the blessing over the wine, except for the last word. Instead of hagafen (vine), you say ha’adamah (earth).
Take a piece of parsley from the seder table and dip it into the salt water provided. The parsley symbolizes Spring and renewal as Passover always takes place in the Spring and the salt water represents the tears the Israelites shed as slaves. Recite the blessing before eating the vegetable.
בָּרוּךְ אַתַּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיתוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה
Transliteration
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, borei p’ri ha’adamah.
Translation
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.
Second Ritual Seder Hand washing
We wash our hands again, this time with a blessing, in preparation for eating the matzah. Because this can take up a lot of time, Jewish families have different customs. For example, you can send just one person to be the hand washing representative.
The Hebrew is quite similar to the Passover candle lighting prayer. However, we say al netilat yadayim after v’tzivanu instead.
בָּרוּךְ אַתַּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיתוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם
Transliteration
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu al netilat yadayim.
Translation
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His laws and commanded us to wash our hands.
Blessing Before the Seder Meal
Even though we don’t eat bread on Passover and the Hamotzi blessing literally translates to thanking God for bringing forth bread from the earth, we still say the blessing over the bread during our seder. Why? Because it is tradition to say the Hamotzi at the start of every meal. We also recite an additional blessing to fulfill the commandment of eating matzah on Passover. That blessing is below (#9).
Raise the matzah and recite the following two blessings.
בָּרוּךְ אַתַּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיתוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמּוֹצִי לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ
Transliteration
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, hamotzi lechem min haaretz.
Translation
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
Blessing Over the Matzah
After this blessing is recited, the matzah is passed among the Seder participants. You can eat the matzah now or wait for the maror and charoset to be shared after blessing #10.
The Hebrew for blessing #9 and #10 are incredibly similar. Only the last word of each is different as the word represents the item that is being blessed, the matzah and the maror, respectively.
בָּרוּךְ אַתַּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיתוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ עַל אֲכִילָת מַצָּה
Transliteration
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu al achilat matzah.
Translation
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His laws and commanded us to eat matzah.
Blessing Over the Maror (Bitter Herbs)
This is the final prayer before the Passover meal, and the best part of the seder thus far. That’s because after the blessing is recited, the charoset, a mixture of fruits and nuts, is passed around. Make a Hillel sandwich using the matzah, maror, and charoset, a delicious amuse bouche we eat right before the gefilte fish and matzo ball soup is served.
בָּרוּךְ אַתַּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵיתוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ עַל אֲכִילָת מָרוֹר
Transliteration
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tsivanu al achilat maror.
Translation
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His laws and commanded us to eat bitter herbs.
Blessing for Searching and Removing Leaven (Chametz)
Searching and removing leaven
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְו ֹתָיו, וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל בִּעוּר חָמֵץ.
Transliteration
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al biur chametz.
Translation
Blessed are You, our God, Ruler of the world, who sanctifies us with mitzvot and calls upon us to remove chametz.
After the search is concluded
כָּל־חֲמִירָא וַחֲמִיעָא דְּאִכָּא בִרְשׁוּתִי דְּלָא חֲמִתֵּהּ וּדְלָא בַעֲרִתֵּהּ לִבְטִיל וְלֶהֱוֵי כְּעַפְרָא דְאַרְעָא.
Transliteration
Kol chamira vachamia d’ika virshuti d’la chamiteih ud’la vaariteih livtil v’lehevei k’afra d’ara.
Translation
Any leaven that is in my possession,
that I have not seen or not removed,
shall be unclaimed and considered as the dust of the earth.
Before burning the leaven the next morning
כָּל־חֲמִירָא וַחֲמִיעָא דְּאִכָּא בִרְשׁוּתִי
דַּחֲמִתֵּהּ וּדְלָא חֲמִתֵּהּ, דְּבַעֲרִתֵּהּ וּדְלָא בַעֲרִתֵּהּ,
לִבְטִיל וְלֶהֱוֵי כְּעַפְרָא דְאַרְעָא.
Transliteration
Kol chamira vachamia d’ika virshuti,
dachamiteih ud’la chamiteih, d’vaariteih ud’la baariteih,
livtil v’lehevei k’afra d’ara.
Translation
Any leaven that is in my possession,
whether I have seen it or not, whether I have removed it or not,
shall be unclaimed and considered as the dust of the earth.
The Passover Seder prayer
(1) Kadesh
We begin the Seder with Kiddush recited over a full cup of wine, just as we do at the beginning of Shabbos and festivals. We drink wine while reclining, to highlight our status as free people, part of a royal nation.
Throughout the Seder, we drink 4 cups of wine which correspond to the 4 stages of our redemption from Egypt. Our national redemption from Egypt was a gradual process; so too, our personal redemptions from our own struggles and limitations must come in stages. You usually can’t stop a bad habit cold turkey; you need to make a planto change gradually, and in a sustainable and healthy way.
*** Drink the 1st cup of wine for Kiddush. ***
(2) Ur’chatz
Wash your hands without reciting any blessing.
According to Jewish law, we are required to wash our hands (without a blessing) before touching any vegetable that was dipped in water. We therefore wash our hands now before touching the Karpas that will be dipped in salt water.
(3) Karpas
Eat a vegetable (e.g. potato, radish, celery, cucumber) dipped in salt water.
The salt water reminds us of the salty tears the Jews shed in Egypt from their backbreaking labor. The word “Karpas” is also reminiscent of Joseph’s special “Kesones Passim” (tunic made of fine wool) which was dipped in blood, as Karpas is dipped in salt water. Joseph’s brothers’ jealousy of this special tunic was what instigated the Jewish people’s journey down to Egypt in the first place.
Note: Don’t eat more than a k’zayis of karpas. Also, when you say the “ha’adamah” blessing have in mind the Marror (bitter herbs).
We eat less than a k’zayis (olive-sized) piece of the Karpas vegetable, to avoid the need to say an after-blessing (Borei Nefashos). We do not want to say an after-blessing on the Karpas because we want its initial blessing (Ha’adamah) to also cover the Marror (bitter herbs). We don’t want to make a new blessing on the Marror because it is a halachic dispute whether or not Marror requires a blessing; Marror is so bitter that it might not be considered an edible food, and therefore might not require its own blessing.
(4) Yachatz
Break the middle Matzah from the 3 Matzos on the Seder plate. Leave the smaller piece, and hide the larger piece for the Afikoman which will be eaten later.
Breaking the Matzah symbolizes the broken spirit and bodies of the Jews in Egypt. It also symbolizes the fact that we sometimes need to break parts of ourselves (such as bad habits or negative thinking patterns) in order to rebuild ourselves into someone bigger and better.
(5) Maggid
In this lengthly part of the Seder, we tell over the story of our exile and redemption from Egypt. The Sages encourage us to flesh out the story of the Exodus and make it very real and alive for ourselves and for our families. We focus not only on our redemption from Egypt long ago, but also on our future redemption which we hope and pray will come very soon. Throughout all the generations, God has stood by us to protect us from our enemies, and that is how the Jewish nation continues to survive today.
The Haggadah opens with the Four Questions and includes many more curious stories and facts. We encourage all questions at the Seder, because questioning is the best way to learn.
*** Drink the 2nd cup of wine after Maggid. ***
(6) Rachtzah
Wash your hands in preparation for eating the Matzah. Recite the blessing “Al Netilas Yodayim” as you would any time before eating bread or Matzah.
(7) Motzi
Recite the blessing “Hamotzi” over the Matzah. In this blessing we thank God for the food we are about to eat, and recognize that He is the Source of our sustenance.
(8) Matzah
We eat Matzah while leaning to the left, just as we reclined while drinking each of the four cups of wine.
We eat Matzah on Passover instead of regular bread to recall the haste in which our ancestors left Egypt; they left in such a haste that their dough did not have enough time to rise. Just as our ancestors’ redemption from Egypt happened so quickly, our Sages teach that “God’s salvation comes in the blink of an eye.” Even when our personal challenges seem insurmountable, or we are faced with adversity, we should never give up hope that God can change our circumstances and save us in a split second.
(9) Marror
We eat bitter vegetables (customarily horseradish or romaine lettuce) to recall the bitterness of the Egyptian exile.
The Gemara explains that lettuce is particularly appropriate for Marror because the Hebrew word for lettuce (“chasah”) is similar to the Hebrew word for pity (”chas”). God took pity on our ancestors in Egypt by saving them from their Egyptian oppressors.
(10) Koreich
In the times of the Temple in Jerusalem, the Jews were required to eat 3 key items on Passover eve: The Pascal Lamb offering, Matzah, and Marror. The great Sage Hillel popularized the practice of eating all 3 items together in one sandwich, because the commandment in the Torah literally states: “You should eat it [the Paschal Lamb] UPON Matzos and Marror.” Today, we no longer eat the Pascal Lamb because we do not have the Temple any more, but we still eat Matzah wrapped together with Marror as the great Sage Hillel did. (”Koreich” literally means “wrapping.”)
Symbolically, wrapping Matzah with Marror reminds us that pain and struggling (symbolized by the bitter Marror) are necessary in order to achieve personal growth and freedom (symbolized by the Matzah). Freedom, that is, from our own self-limiting beliefs and bad habits.
(11) Shulchan Orech
After our extensive discussion of how God took us out of Egypt, we celebrate with a festive meal. Some have the custom to eat a hardboiled egg (from the Seder plate) at the beginning of the meal, because an egg is a symbol of mourning: We mourn that we no longer have the Temple in Jerusalem and can no longer bring the Pascal Lamb as a sacrifice.
On a deeper level, eggs represent the ideal way to endure suffering: Most foods soften when cooked, but eggs harden when boiled. Similarly, when we are faced with challenges, we strive to become harder and stronger. Our suffering in Egypt resulted in the formation of a strong unified Jewish nation; so too, when we overcome personal struggles, it awakens our latent talents and we become aware of strengths and skills we never knew we had.
(12) Tzafun
We now eat the Afikomen, the larger piece of matzah that was broken off and hidden during Yachatz (step 4). “Tzafun” means “hidden” because parents have the custom to hide the Afikomen from their children (or vice versa). It is forbidden to eat or drink anything (except for the 2 remaining cups of wine) after eating the Afikomen.
Just as the taste of the Afikomen lingers in our mouth after the Seder ends, so too should the Passover experience linger and remain with us throughout the year. The lessons that we learned on Passover about God’s love of the Jewish people, trust in God, and how to achieve personal freedom should become incorporated into our lives throughout the year even after the Passover Seder has ended.
(13) Barech
After finishing the Afikomen, we recite Birkat HaMazon, the customary blessing recited after eating any meal containing bread or Matzah.
*** Drink the 3rd cup of wine after bentching. ***
After drinking the third cup of wine, we pour an additional cup of wine for the Prophet Elijah. Pouring this cup is meant to express our sincere hope and expectation of the final redemption to come soon, ushered in by Elijah the prophet.
(14) Hallel
In Hallel, we sing extensive melodious praises to thank God for bringing us out of Egypt and choosing us as His people.
Does God really need us to praise Him? Does He need our compliments and our thanks? No, God does not need our praises; rather, we need to praise Him for our own sake. Expressing gratitude helps us focus on the gifts we have in our lives, and appreciate them to the fullest. In Hallel, we sing songs of praise to God to express our appreciation for our freedom – the freedom provided by Torah and mitzvos which allow us to reach our personal and national potential.
*** Drink the 4th cup of wine after Hallel. ***
(15) Nirtzah
At the conclusion of the Seder, we sing additional songs of praise to God, highlighting that God is supreme over all of His creations. Finally, we express our hopes and prayers that next year we will celebrate Passover with the Temple rebuilt in Jerusalem.
This prayer is borrowed from PASSOVER SEDER CHEAT SHEET.
Passover prayers
Prayer for the First Day of Passover
Eternal God of all the generations, we welcome this festival of freedom with joyful hearts. We have assembled together seeking Your presence. As You redeemed our ancestors from the slavery of Egypt and led them to the land of their inheritance, so have You been our Redeemer and Protector throughout the centuries. You have watched over us and guided us at all times.
We thank you, God, that our lot has fallen in this blessed land, dedicated to liberty and peace. May we be imbued with a deep sense of our duty as free people. When we gather in our homes with our families and friends, may we ever be mindful of those who still dwell in poverty and deprivation, who still eat the bread of affliction. May the good tidings of redemption soon be heard in every land. May those who hunger for freedom and justice be satisfied, and may all people be blessed with the joys of harmony.
We rejoice now in the memory of our deliverance from bondage, and we celebrate the goodness we have known through the ages. For the strength our people have shown in the face of oppressors, we are grateful.
We give thanks to You for the courage that sustained us in times of suffering.
Not once but many times have we been delivered. Time and again we went from bondage to freedom, from darkness to light, from sorrow to joy.
In this season of liberation, we celebrate the freedom to live without fear, the freedom to earn our daily bread, the freedom to speak our mind.
And we celebrate the season that brings new life to the growing world. We rejoice in the first harvest of the soil, the promise of life in every land, the flower and tree reborn.
For now the winter is past, and flowers appear on the earth. The time of singing has come.
The Eternal One is our Strength and our Song!
We praise You, our God, Giver of freedom, Source of life.
[From page 315 of the new revision of the Union Prayer Book, Chicago Sinai Edition, 2011.]
Prayer for the Seventh Day of Passover
I
Eternal God, at the closing of our festival of freedom, we gather once again to thank You for the blessings which this sacred celebration has bestowed upon us, and for the message that it has brought. Delivered by You from the tyrant’s might, our people Israel sang a song of praise to You by the shore of the sea. Many times since that great day have You saved us from the fury of the oppressor and from the floods of destruction. In peril and in need, You have been our Tower of strength.
May You continue to protect us and all humankind from danger and oppression. Wherever people groan under the yoke of servitude, hasten to deliver them. Cleanse every heart of hatred and strife, of greed and lust for power, and fill all humanity with good will and love of justice. Speed the Passover blessing of the future, when tyranny and slavery shall cease, when weapons shall be set aside permanently, and freedom and peace shall reign forever. On that day, all people shall come to know that they are brothers and sisters. With gladness and song, they will proclaim You their God and Redeemer. Amen.
II
This seventh day of Passover is the anniversary of our people’s deliverance from the tyrant’s wrath. That day, Israel first sang a song of praise to the God of freedom at the shores of the sea. Many times since then have we known oppression and bondage. Each time, we have remembered the message of Passover and taken it to heart. Never have we forgotten the bitterness of slavery; never have we despaired of the hope for liberation.
O God of freedom, purify the hearts of all people. Free us from the destructive impulses of hatred and strife, of greed and the lust for power, and fill us with good will and the love of justice. Let us strive for that great Passover of the future, when sword and spear shall be broken, when freedom and peace shall reign forever. On that day, all shall come to know that we are of one human family, and gladly proclaim You their God and Redeemer.
[From page 315 of the new revision of the Union Prayer Book, Chicago Sinai Edition, 2011.]
This portion of prayers was borrowed from Rabbi Howard A. Berman.
A Passover Prayer
This prayer is borrowed from By Sarah Zadok.