Passover is full of contradictions. We see symbols of wealth and symbols of slavery. We celebrate peace and pain at the same time. We also hear why we're the most hated of nations, yet the most beloved of God. Rav Berkovits so beautifully articulates the underlying message within our season of freedom.
Besides cleaning the home before Pesach, the chance for purifying your heart is also close at hand. There were four ancient rivers that flowed from Eden. Each symbolizes a glittering attraction that pulls us away from God. From this, Mrs Heller explains the idea of why four cups of wine.
Which universal character trait generates flexibility of thinking plus extra energy to act? And how does making the effort to shrink one's ego relate to the central elements of seder night? Rebbetzin Heller walks us through the basic stages of the Seder, tying together many of the threads using humility and freedom.
We are enjoined to say the Hagaddah out loud on Seder night. Rabbi Kelemen asks the following, “Why not instruct us to say over Fantastically Deep Wisdom (FDW)?” FDW, explains Rabbi Kelemen, is essentially frum TV – which entertains and leaves you high, but does not promote real 'change.' Exactly what change is he referring to, and how does saying the seder story drive the message of change home?
On this night, we are told: Tell your children all the events of our redemption from Egyptian bondage. The Pesach Seder is the optimum time for embedding our beliefs into their lives. Hear the rock-bottom, essential message that children need to hear - mainly from their parents, and throughout the year as well.
Chinuch does not only mean to give over information, but how to do it. Hidden within the Haggadah are the keys for success in bringing up our children. Hear about the tools of ingrained repetition, questions, and how to answer them. How can we find the most opportune moment to guide our children?
In order to merit bounty from above, a sincere initiative towards God is needed from below. Rabbi Orlowek explains one rock-solid principle that held true for both the Mishkan and Yetzius Mitzraim. As we left Egypt, we connected to Hashem with a tiny, untainted act - the strength of which will last forever.
There are many questions that revolve around why “Sefer Vayikra” needs to be read in shul before Pesach. One of the many dilemmas discussed are: when a year has two Adars, in which month won’t Purim happen? Another highlight of this class is how the Egyptians brought upon themselves the ten plagues - mida–keneged–mida.Great moments of drama for Layil Ha-seder.
Passover is a wonderful time for family and friends to be together. If you're wondering why this night is different than other Pesach nights, hear Rabbi Wagensberg pack fun and informative ideas throughout the proscribed stages of seder night.
Rabbi Zweig identifies the two methods of speech we use on the Seder night – one a soft language of storytelling, and one that is harsh and demanding. Don’t the two contradict? Pesach night can be a time of glorious memories of freedom, but the night can’t stop there. How do we direct it toward the future?