Weeping Over The Seder Plate

[USU78]

Last evening I was invited to an authentic* Seder at a friend's home. My wife and I were seated next to the host and hostess, though the host didn't sit much. At the point in the meal when we dipped our pinkie fingers into the wine* and shook the drops onto the plates, I saw the wine* mingling with the salt water left over from the eating of the parsley dipped in brine . . . and unbidden tears came to my eyes.

The wine*, you see, represents the blood shed . . . both by the pesach sacrifice and by the people in the past . . . and the sale water represents the tears shed by the people. Seeing them mingled on the plate like that . . . a highly moving experience, and one I won't soon forget.

What was it Nephi wrote to us latter-day Goyim?

But thus saith the Lord God: O fools, they shall have a ^aBible; and it shall proceed forth from the ^bJews, mine ancient covenant people. And what ^cthank they the ^dJews for the Bible which they receive from them? Yea, what do the Gentiles mean? Do they remember the travails, and the labors, and the pains of the Jews, and their diligence unto me, in bringing forth salvation unto the Gentiles?

What a debt we owe them.

How ought we to thank them?

[USU78]

*The Mormon-born wife of the Jewish convert husband provided home-made grape juice, "wine of your own making," for the traditional 4 cups each. Had a ball learning and singing "Eliahu Hanavi" and other traditional songs.

[DH]

That is beautiful, USU78! Thanks for sharing that.

I've enjoyed the Seder for many years, usually in an LDS context, but one year I went to a local synagogue for Pesach. They did have wine, but recognizing that some people don't want to drink alcohol, they had grape juice, as well. And oh my, the dessert tables were spectacular! LOL

Edited March 26, 2013 by DH

[volgadon]

*The Mormon-born wife of the Jewish convert husband provided home-made grape juice, "wine of your own making," for the traditional 4 cups each. Had a ball learning and singing "Eliahu Hanavi" and other traditional songs.

Fun song.

[volgadon]

Last evening I was invited to an authentic* Seder at a friend's home. My wife and I were seated next to the host and hostess, though the host didn't sit much. At the point in the meal when we dipped our pinkie fingers into the wine* and shook the drops onto the plates, I saw the wine* mingling with the salt water left over from the eating of the parsley dipped in brine . . . and unbidden tears came to my eyes.

The wine*, you see, represents the blood shed . . . both by the pesach sacrifice and by the people in the past . . . and the sale water represents the tears shed by the people. Seeing them mingled on the plate like that . . . a highly moving experience, and one I won't soon forget.

What was it Nephi wrote to us latter-day Goyim?

What a debt we owe them.

How ought we to thank them?

Beautiful, thank you.

Pesach is very important for me, lots of childhood memories.

Here is my favourite Pesach song.

"Hasten the day, hasten the day,

That day which is neither day nor night.

Hasten the day, hasten the day,

That day which is neither day nor night.

Exalted One, Exalted One,

Declare, declare that both day and night are yours.

Exalted One, Exalted One,

Declare, declare that both day and night are yours.

Appoint watchers, appoint watchers over your city,

All of the day and all of the night.

Appoint watchers, appoint watchers over your city,

All of the day and all of the night.

Illumine, illumine, illumine, illumine,

Illumine as day the dark night.

Illumine, illumine, illumine, illumine,

Illumine as day the dark night."

This is a fragment of a far lengthier work- And It was at Midnight.

The song relates the accounts of miraculous redemption performed at midnight. The melody is the Baal Shem Tov's, but the text is Byzantine, and is utterly hypnotic.

This prophecy of redemption in Zechariah, of course, plays a large role in the Book of Mormon, which makes this even better.

This is the song performed by Shuli Natan, the one who sang Jerusalem of Gold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXWX-IPFrZg

For sheer emotive power, on cannot beat the 91 year old actress Hannah Rovina's rendition.

[MormonMason]

I once celebrated a Seder with a family. The host had all seats removed from the dining room. We all stood. Just prior to sundown, he took the blood from the lamb he had saved from the lamb before roasting it, and actually took it and brushed it across the top and sides of the door jambs, and closed the door. We ate the bitter herbs and also the Passover lamb. The next day, he took what was left over and burned it all in his barbecue in the yard. It was beautiful all around. Of course, when he found that one of the other guests who ate the Passover was not circumcised he was not amused...but aside from that it was a great experience.

How many, I wonder, actually still strike blood on the door jambs this way? Anyone else ever witness that?

[volgadon]

I once celebrated a Seder with a family. The host had all seats removed from the dining room. We all stood. Just prior to sundown, he took the blood from the lamb he had saved from the lamb before roasting it, and actually took it and brushed it across the top and sides of the door jambs, and closed the door. We ate the bitter herbs and also the Passover lamb. The next day, he took what was left over and burned it all in his barbecue in the yard. It was beautiful all around. Of course, when he found that one of the other guests who ate the Passover was not circumcised he was not amused...but aside from that it was a great experience.

How many, I wonder, actually still strike blood on the door jambs this way? Anyone else ever witness that?

Are you sure they were Jewish?

[USU78]

One other occurrence that gave me a chill was when the host explained leaving the door open during the part of the service dealing with Eliyahu (Elijah):

For Ashkenazim who were in the Russias and Poland, during the times when the blood libel (that Jews would slaughter Christian children in order to make the matzoh) was au currant, people left their doors open so passersby could see there was nothing awful going on during the Seder.

That, coupled with the reminders that a Haman or two will arise in every generation who will attempt to exterminate the people, evoke a pathos amidst the fun (and it's mostly just good old fun).

Edited March 27, 2013 by USU78

[volgadon]

One other occurrence that gave me a chill was when the host explained leaving the door open during the part of the service dealing with Eliyahu (Elijah):

For Ashkenazim who were in the Russias and Poland, during the times when the blood libel (that Jews would slaughter Christian children in order to make the matzoh) was au currant, people left their doors open so passersby could see there was nothing awful going on during the Seder.

That, coupled with the reminders that a Haman or two will arise in every generation who will attempt to exterminate the people, evoke a pathos amidst the fun (and it's mostly just good old fun).

I know of an instance in the 1750s in Western Ukraine involving an adult corpse left outside a rich Jew's home. If one of the principal participants is to be believed, his grandfather, the Baal Shem Tov, briefly resucitated the corpse in order to fool the mob.

On the other hand, the classic blood libel is still believed by many in that same region.

[USU78]

I know of an instance in the 1750s in Western Ukraine involving an adult corpse left outside a rich Jew's home. If one of the principal participants is to be believed, his grandfather, the Baal Shem Tov, briefly resucitated the corpse in order to fool the mob.

On the other hand, the classic blood libel is still believed by many in that same region.

Too many USmerican Evangelicals today likewise believe it (or something near enough not to be distinguishable). The stupidity of people looking for somebody less tough to beat up on never ceases to amaze.

Those same folks today likewise believe the Blood Atonement Libel as well. It's even been put into a recent dreadful movie with general theatrical release (though it closed awfully fast . . . not even to emerge in the Walmart $5 bin). And then there are the dreadfully numbskullian Muslims who beat up an Israeli filmmaker . . . in Paris . . . because . . . why was that again?

Edited March 28, 2013 by USU78