WHAT’S WITH ALL THE FOURS: A Passover Seder Supplement

Despite being late at night and overcome with exhaustion, many people at the conclusion of the Passover Seder have wondered, what’s with all the fours! While many see the Seder as a random collection of verses and songs, the ancient rabbis saw the Seder as a tool to ingrain specific concepts in the minds of its participants. To do this, the rabbis borrowed from educational pedagogy and used songs, riddles, and puzzles to convey their intended meaning.

With this supplement, we hope to decode the fours and help enhance your Passover Seder.

WHAT IS A SEDER?

It is customary during the first (and for some the second) night of Passover to participate in a Seder. The Passover Seder is a festival meal where participants walk through 15 steps to retell the Exodus story and our ancestor's freedom from slavery in Egypt. Seder means order. It has this name because the steps in a Seder are intended to be done in a certain order to help us imagine that we ourselves are on a journey from slavery to freedom. Seders are intended to be unostentatious and fun, questions are welcome, as is the chaos that sometimes results from 4 cups of wine and a really good time! After all, we are celebrating not being slaves anymore.

How To Use This Passover Seder Supplement

On the pages that follow, you will find readings and rituals that can be added to your Passover Seder. Use them as is or let them inspire you.