The Seder and its 15 Steps

We learned about the Pesach Story, we cleaned our house of Chometz, and bought Mazta and grape juice to eat and drink at the Pesach Seder.

There are many things we do at the Pesach Seder that are unusual. They are unlike anything we do the entire year at any Shabbos  meal.

Why is that so? Firstly, we do many unusual things to peak the children's interest. We want them to be curious asking questions why we do the things we do. We want the children involved since they were part of the Pesach miracle story as well.

Secondly, all the things we do and all the things we eat at the Seder are to remember the events which took place for the Jewish people in Mitzrayim, how Hashem took care of us and took us out of there to freedom where we could serve him happily without needing to look over our shoulders.

 

Here we are at last!

The Pesach Seder. :)

The 15 Steps of the Seder/ How we conduct the Pesach Seder: 

-Setting up the Seder plate:

-Put 3 matzos under the Seder Plate

Zeroah: Chicken bone which reminds us of the Korban the Jewish people brought to Hashem when leaving Mitzrayim. (We dont eat the bone or any meat left on it)

Egg: Reminds us of the Korban brought to Hashem every Yom Tov.

Marror: Bitter Herbs- To remember the bitter times of the Jews in Mitzrayim.

Charoses: Reminds us of the bricks and cement the Jews made and built in Mitzrayim.

Karpas: Vegetable dipped into salt water to remember the tears of the Jewish people during their hard times in Mitzrayim.

Chazeres: Lettuce and Marror that will be used in the Korech sandwich together with a bit of Charoses.

 

We drink Four cups of wine/grape juice over the course of the Seder.

Step 1: Kadaish (drink first cup) - After we set the Seder Plate we make Kiddush.

 

Step 2: Urchatz

Washing hands for the wet vegetable that we will dip into salt water without making brocha we say on matza.

Step 3: Karpas- Dipping vegetable into salt of water and remembering the tears while crunching away.

 

Step 4: Yachatz- breaking the middle matza in half that is under the Seder plate.

The little piece we put back under the plate. The big piece we break into five pieces and put away in a bag for the Afikoman dessert at the end of the meal.

Step 5: Maggid-(After Maggid we drink second cup) Asking the four questions of Pesach and afterwards retelling the Pesach Story to our children, family, and friends. (The questions asked begins with the youngest child asking them first.)

Step 6: Rachtza: Washing hands for Matza the same way as we wash for bread. This time we say the brocha for Mazta.

Step 7: Motzei Mazta- We eat the Matza reclining a bit to the left. Yum!

 

Step 8: Maror- Eating Maror while remembering the bitterness of the Jew's plight back in the days of Mitzrayim.

(Here Joshua is bravely grating the Maror before the "Seder" then placing it on the correct spot on the plate.)

 

Step 9: Korech- Eating the Matza sandwich filled with lettuce, marror, and charoses. Yum!

 

Step 10: Shulchan Aruch- Time to eat the meal!! Phew!! Yay!! We cant wait!!

Before we eat the meal, we eat the egg from the Seder plate.

 

Step 11: Tzafon- Find the matza with five pieces if was hidden and then share wih your family and eat it for dessert, that is of course after you eat a real tastey dessert, such as, ice cream and fruit. :)

Step 12: Bairach-(After we bentch drink third cup) Bentching and thanking Hashem for the food we ate.

 

Step 12 and 13: Halled and Nirtza- (Drink fourth cup) We open the door for the Prophet Eliyahu Hanavi who comes to everyones homes but of course we cant see him. We ask him to daven to Hashem to make it easy for us to make the right choices and send Moshiach. We then dance and sing and praise Hashem for all the mirzacles He has done for us and for all the every day miracles He does for us now every single day.

We sing "L'shana Habah Biyerushalayim"- "Next Year we will be celebrating Pesach in Yerushalayim."

Pre Pesach and Pesach Customs :)

(Here we made a science expirement to see the difference of the Mazta dough and the challa dough. The matza dough will not rise if started and completed with in 18 minutes while challa dough will rise since there is yeast inside of it.)

When the Jewish people left Mitzrayim they were in a rush. The dough they were preparing to  make laffas from for their travel didnt have time to rise and so it couldnt get baked. Instead, they took the raw dough, put them into sacks, through them over thier shoulders, and began their journey out of Mitzrayim.

The sun was beating down strongly on the nice April day. The heat of the sun baked the dough into flat laffa crackers which we call matza.

Today we eat matza on Pesach instead bread to remeber this detail in the story. However, the reason for eating matza and no bread on Pesach has a bigger significance.

Matza is flat and simple while Challa/ bread dough rises from the yeast it has in it.

Mazta teaches us to be humble even with all the talents and abilities we have. So for eight days we try not to eat bread and eat matza instead while thinking of ways to inprove our humility.

Kosher for Pesach matza is made from begining to end within 18 minutes. If the timing goes over 18 minutes it is considered Chometz and cannot be eaten.

Since we try not to eat Chometz which is any food product made from wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt, or their derivatives, which has leavened (risen) we spring clean our house from any such food. We either close it up until after Pesach or we completely get rid of them.

 

(Alec is searching for Chometz and the 10 peices of bread using a spoon, feather, and bag)

The night before Pesach we wrap 10 little peices of bread and put them in different places in one room. We then walk around looking for those peices using a candle, feather, and spoon scooping up those peices into a bag and any extra traces of Chometz that may have been left behind. :) We seal the bag securely so there wont be any fall aways.

In the morning we bring this bag of Chometz to the shul to get burned. We say a brocha telling Hashem that we are giving up our Chometz and if any Chometz may be found in our house over Pesach it should be considered as though it doesnt belong to us.

 

Any food with the label reading Kosher for Pesach or kosher signs ending with a P is edible for Pesach. Enjoy!!

Pesach Story Part 2

Hashem sent more punishments to the Mitziryim for the way they were treating the Jews. King Pharoah was included in these punishments just as much for not allowing the Jewish people the freedom of leaving Mitzrayim.

Hashem sent a message to Pharoah saying that if he wont let the Jews go Hashem will set them free. But in the mean time, Hashem continued with the punishments.

Three more punishments Hashem did give.

Hashem sent a big wind over Mitzrayim which brought with it plenty of grasshoppers that ate up all their crops. He then made Mitzrayim complete with darkness. The people couldnt see and eventually they couldnt move around until the punishment was over.

Then Hashem began to make the eldest child in each family become sick. Pharoah feared he would be getting sick too since he was a first born himself.

He ran to Moshe in the middle of night begging him to take all the Jewish people and leave Mitzrayim right away. Pharoah really meant what he said  this time, however, Moshe thanked him and told him the Jewish people will leave in the morning.

When Moshe told all the Jews of the incredible news he made sure to say that nothing should be left behind. Everyone should pack up all their belongings since theyll be leaving Mitzaryim and never going back.

They marched out of Mitzrayim happily and finally relieved.

Three days later, they heard horses and soldiers. They turned around to see Pharoah in the front of his armies running after the Jews to bring them back to his land.

The Jewish people were afraid. They didnt want to go back to Mitzrayim.Moshe told them they dont need to worry and Hashem is taking care of them.

There was no where for them to run for safety. Ahead of them was a raging sea. Hashem told Moshe to keep walking forward with the Jews toward the sea. When they got there Hashem told Moshe to raise his hands with his stick over the water. The water split in two standing up like two walls. The Jewish people walked through the sea on dry land until they got to the other side to safety and then the water closed. The Mitzraiyim couldn come and get them.

Hashem loves us! Hashem watches over us! Hashem takes care of us!

They Jewish people sang and danced and thanked Hashem for being good to them and saving them.

Parshas Tazriah and Metzorah

(Remember, tzoraas happened only in the times of the Mishkan and Beis Hamikdosh)

For more info on the Parshos click here:

http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/377920/jewish/Tazria-Roundup.htm

http://www.torahtots.com/parsha/vayikra/metzora2.htm

 

For a Parsha song about the results of what we speak click here:

 http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/573745/jewish/Parshah-Song.htm

We learned the rules of a Traffic Light. We can use the same rules when talking.

First we stop, slow down, and think, and if we are sure that what we will say will be kind or helpful we then go. We have the green go ahead to to say what we would like to say.

We are learning to be concious of the words we speak. :)

Song we learned in our class about being careful how we speak:

No Lashon Hara should be said,

From the time we wake up,

Until the time we go to bed,

Unless it's an emergency,

Then tell!

Letter Tzaddik

Our Mail Carried brought us the Letter Tzaddik.

It has one big slanted line coming down, one big line on the bottom, and one little line coming down onto the big slanted line.

Careful, the Tzaddik looks similar to the Letter Alef and Ayin. Look out for the differences.

 

Forming Letter Tzaddik with our bodies. Can you?

Tzaddik begins with the Letter Tzaddik

Tzaddik - A very holy Rabbi.

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2367724/jewish/Tzaddik.htm

 

Tzipor- Bird begins with the Letter Tzaddik.

 

 

Tzeddaka (Charity) begins with the Letter Tzaddik.

Letter Fay Sofis

David our Mail Man :)

Letter Fay Sofis looks like a standing Letter Fay.

It has one bog line on top, one extra big line coming down, and one little line on the side, and one little line in the middle.

Fay Sofis is a letter that can only come at the end of a word. That is why it is called Fay SOFIS- Fay at the end. :)

Forming Fay Sofis with our bodies. Woohoo! We can do it.

 

Af- Nose ends with Fay Sofis

 

Kesef- Money also ends with the Letter Fay Sofis

Rosh Chodesh Nissan :)

This past week on Tuesday began the new Hebrew month of Nissan. Nissan is a month of miracles, as its name stems from the Hebrew word for “miracles” (ניסים).
We had a rally togther with Morah Chani and all the Preschool friends welcoming and celebratung this new month.
With the month of Nissan comes the Yom Tov of Pesach. Yay! :)
So much to do and so much to learn! :)