Sundown this evening marks the beginning of a very important meal. Seder is a dinner prepared and shared by families of the Jewish faith the world over. This meal is the traditional way to begin their week-long observance of Passover. It is a meal celebrated, yet ritualistically lived again, in honor of their ancestors from the Old Testament. Those Hebrews who were held in the harsh and cruel bonds of slavery. They made their Exodus from Egypt and wandered forty years in the desert, to reach the Promised Land. But they were free people!
Tonight families will gather to share this commemorative dinner, drinking wine or grape juice, and partaking of certain foods, praying, and remembering in their own way how the flight of the Hebrews was achieved. The story of Moses, which is known by almost everyone will be recounted. He was the champion of his people. The Seder plate holds food that symbolizes each step leading up to the Hebrews’ departure from Egypt, escaping from the oppressive Pharaoh, to cross the parted waters of the Red Sea. These foods are a reminder, and an expression of faith, handed down through the centuries in Jewish families. Scriptures are read, prayers are said and the children are asked questions as to their understanding of this night. Seder is to remind and to teach.
I learned that four glasses of wine or grape juice are served throughout the evening. A special piece of unleavened bread, or matzo, is withheld until the end of the meal, to represent how quickly the Hebrews had to grab their belongings and make their escape. Imagine being old you have only an hour to gather your belongings and families and leave! Freedom was worth taking bread which had not yet had time to rise.
I found many photographs of Seder plates and some are filled with the appropriate six food items:
Two bitter herbs called Maror (horseradish) and Chaxeret (romaine lettuce roots) for the bitterness and harshness of slavery Jews endured in Egypt.
Charoset, a brown sweet paste which includes nuts and fruits and cinnamon, to remind them of the mortar used to build Egyptian storehouses.
Karpas (usually parsley) dipped in salty water or vinegar, representing the tears of slavery, and the crossing of the Red Sea.
Zeroa, a lamb bone which has been roasted; and representing Pesach sacrifice, which was a lamb offered in the Temple of Jerusalem.
Beitzah, a roasted egg, for the special festivals offered in the Temple, honoring Passover.
When night falls and the stars shine above, candles will light the tables of Jewish families around the world. Shalom!
Tags: Passover, Seder, Seder Meal