Night of Beginnings is a groundbreaking new haggadah for the Passover seder from acclaimed poet, translator, and liturgist Marcia Falk, beautifully designed and illustrated with original color drawings by the author.

Introduction xiii Notes for the Reader Transliterations xxi Proper Names xxii Translations and Adaptations xxii Tinted Pages xxiii ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ OPENING THE FESTIVAL Hadlakat Nerot ¿ag Hapésä: Lighting the Pesach Candles 2 The Journey: Lighting the Way (Kavanah) 7 Birkat Haz’man: Blessing of Time and Renewal (Shehe¿eyánu) 8 Change: The Flow of Life (Kavanah) 11 Birkat Habat, Birkat Haben: Blessing the Children 12 ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ BEGINNING THE SEDER The Seder Plate 17 The Seder Table 18 Kadesh Ur¿atz: Order of the Night Kadesh: Sanctification (Kiddush) Birkat P’ri Hagéfen, K’dushat Hayom: Fruit of the Vine, Hallowing the Day (First Cup) 22 Fruit of the Vine (Kavanah) 27 Ur¿atz: Washing Washing the Hands 29 Karpas: Spring Greens T’vilat Karpas Va’akhilato: Dipping and Eating the Spring Greens 30 Spring: The Birth of the Year (Kavanah) 33 Shirey Aviv Mim’gilat Shir Hashirim: Spring Poems from the Song of Songs 35 Yá¿atz: Breaking Breaking the Matzah, Hiding the Afikoman 45 Brokenness and Wholeness (Kavanah) 47 ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ BEFORE THE MAGGID: PREPARING TO LISTEN Arba Hakushyot: The Four Questions 51 The Four Children 54 Sh’fäot Va’avadim Hayínu: Once We Were Slaves 59 Ha Läma Anya: This Is the Bread of Affliction 63 Open Door (Kavanah) 66 Freedom and the Lives of Others (Kavanah) 68 B’khol Dor Vador: In Every Generation 71 Telling Oneself into the Story 75 ¿ MAGGID: THE TELLING Presentation of the Text 79 Overview and Themes 80 One: Enslavement in Egypt 82 Two: Miriam and the Women 82 Three: Moshe’s Calling 85 Four: Moshe, God, and Pharaoh—Confrontations 89 Five: Exodus from Egypt 93 Six: Miriam the Prophetess 98 Maggid: The Telling, Abbreviated 100 ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ AFTER THE MAGGID: CELEBRATING THE STORY Kos Miryam: Miriam’s Cup 106 Dayénu: It Would Have Been Enough 108 Nonetheless 111 What Is Enough? (Kavanah) 113 Birkat P’ri Hagéfen: Fruit of the Vine (Second Cup) 114 Hallel 1, T’hilot ¿adashot: New Poems of Praise 117 Song of Joy 118 The Feast 119 Nishmat Kol ¿ay: The Breath of All Life 120 Hal’lu, Yif’at Tevel: Hal’lu, Beauty of the World ¿ THE FESTIVAL MEAL Ro¿tzah: Washing Washing the Hands 126 Motzi’ah/Matzah: Unleavened Bread Birkat Halé¿em, Akhilat Matzah: Blessing before the Meal, Blessing for Eating Matzah 128 Maror: Bitter Herb T’vilat Maror Va’akhilato: Dipping and Eating the Bitter Herb 130 Sweet and Salt, Bitter and Sweet 133 Korekh: Sandwich Eating the “Hillel Sandwich” 134 Shul¿an Orekh: Setting the Table The Meal Is Served 135 Tzafun: Hidden Eating the Afikoman 137 Concealment and Revealment (Kavanah) 139 Barekh: Blessing Birkat Hamazon: Blessing after the Meal 140 Birkat P’ri Hagéfen: Fruit of the Vine (Third Cup) 142 ¿¿¿¿ CONCLUDING THE SEDER Kos Eliyáhu: Elijah’s Cup 146 Who Was Elijah? (Kavanah) 148 The Promise of Elijah Hallel 2, Mizmorey T’hilim: Psalms 153 B’tzet Yisra’el: When Israel Went Forth 154 Mah-l’kha Hayam: O Sea, What Alarms You 156 Y’varekh et-Bet Yisra’el: May the House of Israel Be Blessed 158 Hal’lu et-Adonay: Praise God, All You Nations 160 Min-Hametzar Karáti Yah: In Distress, I Called Out 162 Kol Rinah Vishu’ah: The Voice of Rejoicing 162 Pit¿u-li Sha’arey-tzédek: Open the Gates of Justice 162 Od’kha Ki Anitáni: I Give Thanks 164 Birkat P’ri Hagéfen: Fruit of the Vine (Fourth Cup) 166 Nirtzah: Fulfillment of the Seder Birkat Hagéfen Ufiryah: Blessing of Fruitfulness 168 ¿¿¿¿¿ SONGS About the Songs 175 ¿ad Gadya: One Little Kid 176 E¿ad Mi Yodé’a?: Who Knows One? 188 Adir Hu: Mighty Is God 190 Karev Yom: Bring Near the Day 192 Acknowledgments