Bittersweet
The Haggadah we use for our Passover Seder has a copyright date of 1966, and I'm sure the books were acquired around that time, probably through a supermarket promotion. The book has a full Hebrew version of the service, and a simplified version in English, a complete Seder in 24 pages.
We have used the English version as far back as I can remember. The text breaks down to sections designated "leader", "participant" and "assembled". My father was always the leader, until a few years ago. My mother took over the role for a few years.
This time around, Becca wanted to be the leader, and we let her do it.
But in my head, I could hear my father's voice. How beautifully he'd sing the Kiddush. And then there's the line about the barren woman becoming the mother of children -- I remember Passover 1992, when Jen was a baby and I was pregnant with Becca, and the pointed look my father gave me as he read that line.
And then Becca proved whose grandchild she is.
There's a prayer in the Haggadah that reads "Thou hast loosened my bands." My father would always misread it as "bonds" and we'd all laugh.
Becca got to that line and ... You guessed it ... Read the word as "bonds."
Good food, good company, a house filled with laughter. What more can you expect of a holiday?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
We have used the English version as far back as I can remember. The text breaks down to sections designated "leader", "participant" and "assembled". My father was always the leader, until a few years ago. My mother took over the role for a few years.
This time around, Becca wanted to be the leader, and we let her do it.
But in my head, I could hear my father's voice. How beautifully he'd sing the Kiddush. And then there's the line about the barren woman becoming the mother of children -- I remember Passover 1992, when Jen was a baby and I was pregnant with Becca, and the pointed look my father gave me as he read that line.
And then Becca proved whose grandchild she is.
There's a prayer in the Haggadah that reads "Thou hast loosened my bands." My father would always misread it as "bonds" and we'd all laugh.
Becca got to that line and ... You guessed it ... Read the word as "bonds."
Good food, good company, a house filled with laughter. What more can you expect of a holiday?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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