Second Cup Of Wine

We are about to drink that second cup of wine, 

The beginning of the Maggid section of the Seder,

As we tell the story 

Of how we left the narrow place.

In the Talmud, Rabbi Hanina says that

Human versions of God’s vast intent are as unripened fruit,

Filled with potential,

Perceived completely only by God.  

Hanina says that the unripened fruit of prophecy is a dream.

Which is kind of cool. 

So I speculate,

As grapes become wine

So does the unripened fruit of truth 

Become the story.

We tell tales with beginnings, middles and ends

Around our seder table, 

And our mythology tells us who we were

Which helps a lot,

Almost as much as that second cup of wine.

So

Blessed Holy Wholeness

We give thanks 

For the fruits of the earth

And our minds.

Amen

Plagues Are Not Cute

Plagues are not finger puppets,

Plagues are not soft and furry stuffed toys,

Plagues don't have googly eyes,

Plagues are not cute.

Plagues are not targeted attacks,

Plagues are not guerilla warfare,

Plagues do not show up in a court of law,

Plagues are not fair.

Plagues are not a bland topic for a mild discussion,

Plagues do not call for objectivity,

Plagues are not subject to ironic humor,

Plagues are not interesting.

No,

Plagues are disaster without explanation,

Plagues are revenge without a solution,

Plagues are acts of desperation,

Plagues attack everyone,

Plagues hurt the poor more than the rich,

Plagues kill the innocent as well as the guilty,

Plagues are not cute or fair or interesting.

So I drop wine onto my plate to remember all who suffered, Hebrew and Egyptian.

I drop wine onto my plate for the desperate acts that often come with freedom struggles.

I drop wine onto my plate so that I will not forget that

Plagues

Are 

Not
Cute.

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Trisha

Performance at D'var Shirah

Four Children and Five Rabbis

Blessing After Eating the Seder Meal

All who sit around this table:

Friends and Strangers,

Those who remember and those who are remembered

On this Pesakh,

Who have shared such a fine meal

And such a fine story,

We take this moment to acknowledge

How blessed we are

And in our turn, we bless:

Blessed be the eaters and the eaten,

Blessed be the feeders and the fed.

Blessed be the cooks and the meal,

Blessed be the drinkers and the winemakers..

Blessed be the vegetables and the farmers,

Blessed be the matzah and the baker.

Blessed be them all.

Blessed be the questioners and the questioned,
Blessed be the musicians and the songs.

Blessed the comics and the jokes,

Blessed be the artists and the illustrations.

Blessed be the maggid and the stories,
Blessed be the rabbis and the learning.

Blessed be them all.

Blessed be the doers and the done upon,

Blessed be the freers and the freed.

Blessed be the leaders and the led,

Blessed be the tellers and the told,

Blessed be the prayers and the prayed for,

Blessed be the servers and the served.

Blessed be them alll.

Blessing us,  One-ness

With the biggest and the smallest of blessings

And

Blessing the One-ness

With the biggest and smallest of our gratitudes,

All who sit around this table,
All who ate this wonderful meal,

Friends and Strangers,

Those who remember and those who are remembered,

On this Pesakh

We give thanks.

Amen 

Two Cups: Elijah and Miriam

We open the door for Elijah,
Angry prophet of the world to come.
And we ask God to pay attention
To the fire from the sky that was Elijah’s gift,

A regretted necessity.
Elijah announces the Mashiach
Who then saves the Jews!  Huzzah!!
Elijah, the angry bringer of justice.
It’s a little scary
So invite that in.
Bring down the anger, bring down the plagues
Sometimes we need them,
It’s part of the story.
We were slaves in Egypt and it was horrible.

But 
If there is a child at the table
Let her open the door for visiting Uncle Elijah
And hope that there’s some wind tonight.
And when it blows
Tell her that’s Elijah as he comes inside
Visiting each Jewish home on Pesach
To have his cup of wine.
And when the child sits back down
Jiggle the table just a little
And tell her to watch the wine shake in the cup
So the kid thinks Elijah is there, taking a sip:
The anger will wait, let's have fun.

We lift Miriam’s cup,
Dancing prophet

Of the world that glories in Now.
And we tell God we are grateful
For the water that was Miriam’s gift,
A welcome necessity.
Miriam announces joy!
And teaches us to save ourselves.
Miriam, the bringer of mercy,
There’s no prayer for her in the haggadah--
So make one up!
It’s a little scary
But what the heck.
Bring up the water, start the party
Sometimes we need it
And it’s part of the story:
We were slaves in Egypt and now we are free.

But
If there is a child at the table
And all the gabbing makes him thirsty,

Let him take a sip from Miriam’s cup.
And while he drinks
Tell him about Miriam the artist
Singing Mi-Hamochah on the Red Sea shore,
Taking too much pleasure in the Egyptian's deaths.
And when the child is ready
Remember that Miriam was a truth teller
And for that the prophet paid a heavy price.
Make sure the kid values that water:
The fun will wait, let's get angry.

Fire and Water,

Justice and Mercy,
Tzedek v’ Rachamim.
The cup of wine to stir the flame,
The cup of water to quench it.
Only with both cups are we complete.

Baruch Atah Adonai,

Brucha At Shechinah
Elijah and Miriam
We are blessed this Pesach night.
Amen.