In the first episode of Together with Rabbi Yonah we speak with the incredible and inspiring Eli Beer about his experience surviving COVID19. Eli is the President of United Hatzalah in Israel, the volunteer paramedic organization.
Here is the dilemma. You want to do a proper Seder, but due to the pandemic, some tired kids, or for whatever reason, you need to get the Seder done with efficiently. It’s not ideal – but it happens. The problem is that we realized is that people end up skipping essential parts of the Seder, because most Hagaddahs will not tell you what you can skip.
With this in mind I created the 10 Minute Haggadah originally in 2012. I have now updated it, and it’s a Kosher seder for those short on time.
This Haggadah is two pages long and you download it and print it out at home, or get it copied. I originally put this Hagaddah together for “Matzachella”, our Shabbat Tent Coachella Seder.
Everything that MUST be said or done at the Seder is included in The 10 Minute Seder. In addition some favorites are included like Dayeinu. Even if you will use another Haggadah, check out the Ten Minute Seder!
Here is an excerpt:
1. What’s up with the matzah? 2. What’s the deal with horseradish? 3. What’s with the dipping of the herbs? 4. What’s this whole chilling at the table business?
PARTICIPANTS SAY TOGETHER
We were slaves in Egypt. God took us out with awesome miracles. Had God not taken us out of Egypt, then what? We, and our children, and grandchildren would still be slaves in Egypt! So, even if we were all great Torah scholars, we would still have to tell about the Exodus from Egypt. The more we talk about this the better – but God I’m short on time!LEADER
The Torah reflects upon four types of kids: One Wise, One Evil, One Simple, and One Who Doesn’t Know How To Ask. GUIDE the wise one through the obligations of Passover. TELL the Evil One, we need you to be part of our people. EXPLAIN to the Simple One, “with a strong hand God brought us out of Egypt.” ENGAGE the one who doesn’t know how to ask, make that child feel comfortable, and tell them about the Exodus.
As we learn from the Torah when the Jewish people jointly funded the building and running of the Mishkan/Tabernacle, keeping Jewish organizations, programs and institutions running is in our hands.God created that world this way.
Yes, it would be easier if all we had to do was tell God that we are starting a school, Yeshiva, Synagogue, or summer camp, and then we just wait for God to fill the bank account with the money that we need. But that is just not how God created the world.
Rather God entrusted all of us with the sacred task of supporting, funding, and building the centers of Jewish life and learning throughout the ages.
One of the main reasons, teach the sages, is that when we contribute to the creation of something, we value it more. When we are given something for free, we don’t value it as much. Another reason is that when the Jewish people collectively work together for the creation of something, it creates achdut-unity. Lastly, it gives each person the opportunity to become a giver, a donor.
What is so great about becoming a giver? More than you can imagine. For example: You feel good about yourself for helping others; you are recognized for generosity, not wealth; you are more protected from financial harm; and it creates an everlasting legacy in this world and the World to Come.
As we have printed our our donor cards at Pico Shul and quote from the poem by M. Josephson:
How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought but what you built; not what you got but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success but your significance.