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The Seder: As You Like It
By Judy Meltzer
(with apologies and gratitude to William Shakespeare)
Below is a different interpretation of the steps of
the seder, especially designed for lovers of
Shakespeare.
All the evening is a Seder
"And all the men and women merely players
They have their exits and their entrances;
And each guest in his time plays many parts."
(As you Like It)
His acts being in 14 stages. At first kaddesh
We say the kiddush over the first cup of wine
And then urchatz:
We lave our hands
And then, karpas
We dip a vegetable in salt water
Our mouths pronounce the blessing
and then the Yachatz
We break the middle matzah
Preparing for the quest of the afikoman:
And then maggid, ah yes, the tale,
"A tale of sound and fury, signifying" everything.
(Macbeth)
Four questions: "to be or not to be
That is the question."
(Hamlet)
"And yet another cup of wine.
Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well
used."
(Othello)
Rachtza anon, we lave our hands
Bless and bless again the matzah
I had Maror "most need of blessing."
(Macbeth)
Maror, a second dipping, maror in haroset
Korech, a sandwich of matzah and herbs
"Eating the bitter bread of banishment."
(King Richard
II)
And now we dine, shulchan orech.
Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends.
(The Taming of the Shrew)
"Eat no onions nor garlic,
For we are to utter sweet breath."
(A Midsummer's
Night Dream)
Tzafun, the afikoman
Barech, we say the blessing after the meal
And drink again.
"One draught above heat makes him a fool,
The second mads him,
And a third drowns him."
(Twelfth Night)
Hallel - songs of praise
"How many thinks by season season'd are
to their right praise and true perfection!"
(The
Merchant of Venice)
Nirtzah, the completion of the seder.
We complete the seder in song and music
"The man that hath no music in himself
Nor is now mov'd with concord of sweet sounds
Is fit for treasons, strategems, and spoils."
(The
Merchant of Venice)
"Now our joy, although our last, not least."
(King
Lear)
"The end crowns all."
(Troilus and Cresida)
Judy Meltzer is the
Director of Adult Learning at
Chizuk Amuno Congregation
In Baltimore
~~~~~~~
from the April 2008 Passover Edition of the Jewish Magazine
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