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Seder in Bnei Brak
The teachers in Bnai Brak were so engrossed in telling the Passover story that they did not notice that it was after sunrise.
Reason They may have been in a windowless room since they were risking their lives by celebrating Passover, against Roman law.
Seder Customs
Here are some seder customs:
  1. Have someone else pour the water over your hands for washing before karpas.
  2. Have someone else pour your wine for you.
Seder: Purpose
It is praiseworthy to tell the story of Passover even if you know all the details and interpretations (as did the great rabbis of the Talmud), because of the principle of “in order to remember” (lema'an tizkor): that we should remember everything God did for us when taking us out of Egypt.
The Three Discussion Points
The most important part of the seder is discussing:
  • Passover offering (Pesach),
  • Unleavened bread (matza), and
  • Bitter herbs (maror).
These three segments should be read from the Passover hagada in the Hebrew.  If anyone does not understand the Hebrew, these paragraphs and the concepts they express must be explained in whatever language he or she can understand.
Children at the Seder
Children are an integral part of the sederWe try to get children to ask questions and then we teach them the answers.  The Torah says to do this!
Acknowledging God's Miracles
We acknowledge God's miracles in sending the plagues against the Egyptians and their gods and in taking the Children of Israel out of slavery and Egypt.
Telling Our History
We tell our history beginning with Jacob (Yaakov) and Laban (Lavan) and on to slavery and, finally, to achieving freedom.
 
Acceptance of Seder and Commandments
We hope that God accepts our seder and all of the commandments that we have done on this night.
Alcohol Content of Seder Wine
You may dilute the seder wine to a minimum of 4\\% alcohol.
Women: Leaning at Seder
For women and leaning at the seder, see Leaning to the Left.
Hallel Divided at Seder
At the seder, hallel is divided into two parts. The first two psalms, read before the meal, deal with the exodus from Egypt. The remaining psalms, read after the meal, concern other miracles and the future of the Jewish nation.
Women: Drinking Wine at Seder
For women and drinking wine at seder, see Everyone Must Drink at Seder.
Everyone Must Drink at Seder
At the Passover seder, all Jews above the age of bar mitzva or bat mitzva (including women--unlike on other Jewish festivals) must drink wine for kiddush and for the other three times in the seder when the borei pri ha'gafen blessing is said.
Note On the other Jewish festivals, only one person needs to drink the wine when kiddush is said, and that will cover and fulfill everyone else's requirement for that kiddush.
Note Only children and people who will get sick if they drink alcohol are permitted to drink grape juice at seder.
Five Foods of the Seder Plate
Seder plate consists of five foods: 

Shank Bone
Shank bone, meat, or a neck represents the Passover lamb offering.
Note Any part of any kosher animal or bird may be used for this purpose except liver. You may even use roasted lamb, but you may not eat it.

Egg
Egg represents the holiday offering (chagiga).

Bitter Herbs
Bitter herbs (maror), such as romaine, horseradish, or endive, represent the bitterness of slavery.

Charoset
Charoset (sweet mixture of nuts and fruits) reminds us of the mortar the Jews used to build the Egyptian storage cities.

Vegetable
Vegetable such as parsley or potato (karpas). The vegetable does not represent anything and is there to motivate the children to ask questions.
 
Hallel at Night at Passover Seder
There are many opinions as to why we read hallel at night: most are related either to praising God for saving the Jewish people or to accompanying the Passover sacrifice in the Temple in Jerusalem.
Lamb and Other Meat at Seder
Don't eat roasted meat of any kind at the seder, including roasted poultry.
Reason So it will not be confused with the Passover offering.
Note You may eat lamb as long as it is not roasted.
 
Red Wine or White for Seder
If you have equally good red wine and white wine, the red is preferred for the four cups at the seder. If your white wine is better or if you prefer white wine, use that.
 
Timing of Ma'ariv on Seder Night(s)
  • Ma'ariv on the first night of Passover may begin at sunset.  But since the seder may not be started until after dark, the custom is to begin ma'ariv a little before dark.
  • The second seder may also not be started until after dark.  Ma'ariv on the second night of Passover may be said from plag ha'mincha, 1 1/4 hours before sunset.
  • Ma'ariv on the seventh and eighth days of Passover may be started as early as plag ha'mincha, 1 1/4 hours before sunset.