Pesach, My Favorite Chag........
Pesach is coming
hurray, hurray!
For us to remember
and celebrate our freedom
so long ago.
We were slaves in Egypt
to Pharaoh and his gang
working day and night
with cruel taskmasters watching over us
we built cities and pyramids.
One day Princess Batya
went down to the water.
A basket was floating
and a baby boy was crying.
Fishing the basket out from the water
Batya recognized he was a Jewish child.
Said she would call him Moshe
and raise him in the palace
as her own.
From behind the bushes
Miriam, who was watching her brother
appeared
telling Princess Batya
that she knew a good midwife.
Yocheved the midwife
also known as Puah
went to live in the palace
where she raised her own son.
And because of Pharaoh's decree
to drown Jewish baby boys
Puah and Miriam
the Jewish midwives
were able to save the lives of
many, many baby boys.
Moshe grew up in the palace
and he saw our hard life.
He struck and killed a taskmaster
who was beating a Jew.
Moshe ran away in fear
but G-D told him to return.
And tell Pharaoh
let My people go!
Each time Pharaoh said no
another plague did come...
blood, frogs, lice,
wild beast, pestilence, boils,
hail, locust, darkness
slaying of the firstborn.
Finally Pharaoh said go!
Take your people and animals.
Just go!
Moshe told the people
we will go at midnight.
There was no time
for their dough to rise,
and so from that time
until today
we eat matza, unleaven bread.
Moshe led the Jewish people
to the Red Sea.
"We are going to drown"
the people shouted.
Behind them came
the chariots of Pharaoh
the Jews were scared.
G-D told Moshe
to stretched out his arms
and the sea split in two.
The Jewish people
walked to freedom
between the towers of water.
They were saved
but Pharaoh's men
were all drowned.
When the house is all Pesachdik
and we sit down to our Seder
we recount our liberation
as though we were there.
We begin with singing the Seder order
and making Kiddish.
A piece of celery, potato or onion
we do eat.
Four questions we ask.
Four cups of wine we drink.
Hiding the afikoman
for the desert we will eat.
Washing our hands
and making the Bracha
matza, maror charoset
we eat to remember
how hard our lives were.
Then comes the meal
so yummy and traditional.
Enjoying the guests at our table,
thankful we have reached this season.
Time to look for the afikoman
the children squeal with glee.
Who will find it.......
"I did, I did", said the little child so proud.
Eating the afikoman
bentching and Hallel.
We invite Eliyahu HaNavi
and welcome him
to our home.
The Seder is almost finished
all that is left
is to sing
לשנה הבאה בירושלימ
Next year in Jerusalem.
Wishing everyone a Chag Samaech v'kasher Pesach........
Feel free to comment and pass my blog around.
Miriam
