What was your favourite moment of the Seder?

Elfrida

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 5:41 am

After all the work, the stress, the exhaustion, the agony, we finally got to the grand production, the crowning moment of Pesach. What was your favourite part?

This year I had two favourites. One was as the seder began, looking round the room to see the whole family together, alight with anticipatin and prepared to sit together to perfom the mitzva of sippur Yetziay Mizrayim. Thuinking back to the lonely tables last year when we announced 'Kadesh' to an empty house, it was such a stark and joyful contrast.

The other is always one of my favourite moments, which is Hallel. We've told about Yetziat Mizrayim, we've eaten matza and maror, and a yom tov meal. We have drunk three out of four cups of wine, and rushed to finish the afikomen by chatzot. We've invited Eliyahu. It's well after midnight and the חיפזון הלילה , the children have either crashed out of have got a second wind ; everyone is replete, half drunk and wholly exhausted - and we sit around the table pouring out praises of Hashem. I always find that moment incomparable.

What are other people's favourites?

amother

Seashell

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 5:56 am

We're still in lockdown, but bh have a large family. Just before chag, someone replied to my message saying that we're so lucky that even in lockdown, we still have a full table, they're just 3.
Dh and I sat across from each other, and at a certain point looked at each other and said 'how? How did we end up with this?' Several boys bar mitzva or pretty close, all the little kids, everyone sitting at the table dressed in shabbat clothes, and besides the baby, they all stayed for the entire thing. They behaved beautifully, joined in, and every time the wine or grape juice spilled, and it spilled a lot, we just rejoiced in the overflowing brachot we have received. And at the end, when everyone had gone to sleep, DH and I were able to enjoy a few minutes of feeling truly satisfied at a job well done, and truly blessed.

amother

Maroon

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 7:11 am

1. When my two year old daughter stayed up for both sedarim until 2:am and she was full of energy . She sang every song she learned and performed the mah-nishtana adorably. At nirtzah she insisted that my DH stand up and dance with her to sing And the two of them danced. She then began tugging at each one of my boys to come join the dancing. They all got up and sang and danced together. It was so sweet to see the little toddler be so serious and joyful about the Seder and that she was able to convince her adult and teenage brothers to do the same. It was really beautiful.

2. One of my kids accidentally spilled his becher of wine which suddenly led to a domino effect of wine spilling , including my own becher. It was right after the whole family said Vanitzak out loud and had in mind a yeshua that each one of us individually had in mind. Then suddenly the grape juice and wine spilling began. And my DH kept telling the kids, that all we need to do is cry out and HaShem answers. Look at all this siman bracha happening. He was so energized each time there was another spill that the spills brought smiles to all of us.

3. There was no afikomen fighting or drama this year and my kids all sang and participated until the end.

Raisin

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 7:26 am

My son saying the whole mah nishtana, yiddish and hebrew.

By the ten plagues he threw a whole bunch of frogs over everyone.

Usually we have a lot of guests or run a public seder, so this is the second time with just our immediate family. Strange but really nice to experience. Especially now my kids are older.

amother

Lime

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 8:11 am

The most hilarious part of our seder was when my 12 yr old son tried to walk behind my chair and somehow the string from the windowshade wrapped itself around the back pocket button of his pants. Whenever he tried to move the shade either went up or down. Omg I was crying from laughter. I couldn't even unhook him I was laughing too hard. So he was stuck there.

What made it even funnier was his automatic reaction: what the F??? I was so shocked. Thanks to his yeshiva friends who love cursing. It made me laugh even harder to the point that I totally missed the 3rd cup and opening the door for eliyahu hanavi.

Kiwi13

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 8:24 am

My 3yo daughter proudly belting out mah nishtana after months of practice. 😍

My 5yo son staying up the whole time for
The second Seder and finishing up Nirtzah with me even when my husband got too exhausted to continue. He (5yo) got a kick out of Chad Gadya and his reaction to it made me feel like the cool kid at a party telling everyone some awesome story they’d never heard before. 🤣

My 3yo daughter’s mid-Maggid tantrum the second night that abruptly ended in a huffed “NEVERMIND!” and the return of her big smile after I casually mentioned that people who are too tired to listen are too tired to stay up. (No it basically never works out like that. A Pesach Neis!)

amother

Yellow

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 8:37 am

My OTD husband and child made no rude, snarky comments and participated respectfully. Can barely get through Shabbos without one of them complaining but I heard not a peep during a 3-day yom tov. BH!

dragoneye126

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 8:44 am

We had a big storm on Sunday night and lost power just before the second Seder! I lit some extra candles, and DH, my mother, and I (kids were in bed), had a beautiful candlelit Seder that made us feel so connected to those who came before. The power came back on just as we started shulhan orech. We’ll never forget it!

Chayalle

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 9:00 am

My 3 year old nephew hiding my father's afikomen, and loudly announcing the hiding place from the next room as he hid them, with everyone rolling from laughter. My father asked him what he wants for afikomen prize, and he had no clue. The excitement of getting the afikomen and hiding it was enough for him.

All thru the Seder, he kept asking when we are bringing out the Afikomen, when are we eating it. He kept himself going and stayed up. His face when he went to get it and brought it back in was priceless.

Yesterday he kept bringing me bits of matza and asking me if I want a piece of the "afikomen" from him.

essie14

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 11:17 am

1. My 4 yr old said the mah nishantana so beautifully, I was so sad we couldn't capture on video but I really savored the moment.
2. She kept randomly getting on her chair throughout the seder and singing it again Very Happy

We were cracking up
3. We sang "One is Hashem" in English and "Echad Mi Yodeah" in Hebrew and because of all the repetition she picked both of them up by the end.
4. She has now spent the past 3 days singing all 3 of these songs to herself all day long.

amother

Amber

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 11:36 am

Elfrida wrote:

The start of the Seuda 🙃

silverlining3

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 12:17 pm

My favorite part was my younger kids behaving beautifully. Pretty unusual (I guess they were well rested Smile

)

While they were well behaved, they weren't so tuned in during the 1st seder, and I was fine with it, as long as they did their things and didn't disturb. The second seder they were so so with it, singing the songs learnt in school, more interested in listening in etc.. Although it took longer than the 1st, which I usually lose patience one time or the other, this time I didn't. They're pretty knew to reading full Hebrew sentences and were eager to say so many paragraphs during maagid while on my lap or next to me. It was just so beautiful.

Most hilarious part was by pouring off the makos. My 2 and a half year old thought the goal is to get the glass empty. He poured big gulps and when empty he excitedly exclaimed yayyyy. Was too funny.

Most proud moment was when I didn't lose myself after one of the kids through a glass, not thinking it'll break. I kept my cool and very calmly said, oysh, no more glass for you, only a cup. Child was upset but understood.

amother

Taupe

Tue, Mar 30 2021, 1:02 pm

This is the first year our boys stayed up! They are 5 and 3.5 and they sang mah nishtana and it was so fun! They loved looking at the haggadah with pictures.

It is extra special because we didn't have children for many years, so now we are finally getting to see them grow in yiddishkeit.