The Passover Seder

Passover (Pesach) is one of the most biblically mandated Jewish holidays, with several core observances explicitly required by God in the Torah (primarily in Exodus 12–13, Leviticus 23, Numbers 9, and Deuteronomy 16). These are considered divine commandments (mitzvot) rather than later rabbinic customs.

Here are the main ones that are directly commanded in the Torah:

1. Remove all leaven (chametz) from your home
—On the first day (and for the full seven days), you must eliminate yeast/leavened products entirely. Eating leavened bread during the seven days is forbidden, with severe penalties mentioned (e.g., being "cut off" from the people). (Exodus 12:15–20; 13:7)

2.Eat unleavened bread (matzah)
— For seven days, eat only matzah. Specifically, there is a positive commandment to eat matzah on the first night of Passover. (Exodus 12:15, 18, 20; Deuteronomy 16:3, 8)

3.Observe the festival for seven days
— The first and seventh days (in the Diaspora, first, second, seventh, and eighth) are holy convocations with no work allowed (except food preparation). (Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:6–8)

4.Tell the story of the Exodus
— You must recount the events of the deliverance from Egypt to your children on that night. This is the basis for the Haggadah's storytelling. (Exodus 12:26–27; 13:8, 14; Deuteronomy 6:20–25)

5. Eat bitter herbs (maror) — In the original biblical command, this was part of the Passover meal with the sacrificial lamb. (Exodus 12:8)

6.The Passover sacrifice (Korban Pesach)
— In Temple times, a lamb or goat was sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan at twilight, eaten roasted that night with matzah and bitter herbs, with strict rules (no bones broken, not taken outside the house, etc.). This is central in Exodus 12 but cannot be performed today without the Temple. (Exodus 12:3–11, 21–27; Numbers 9:1–14)

Other elements like the four cups of wine, the Seder plate's full setup (karpas, charoset, etc.), reclining, or specific Haggadah readings are important Jewish customs (minhagim) developed over centuries in rabbinic tradition to fulfill or enhance the biblical commands

—but they are not explicitly required in the Torah itself.
The holiday commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, the "passing over" of Israelite homes during the tenth plague, and freedom from slavery. Observance is an eternal statute commanded by God (Exodus 12:14, 17, 24).
In modern practice (without the Temple), the focus is on matzah, maror, removing chametz, the Seder retelling, and resting on the holy days. Many Jews today emphasize these biblical requirements while incorporating rich traditional customs.


סֵדֶר, meaning "order" in Hebrew) is the central ritual of Passover (Pesach). It's a festive, interactive family meal held on the first night (or first two nights outside Israel) of the holiday. The purpose is to fulfill the biblical commandment to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt to your children and household (Exodus 13:8), reliving the journey from slavery to freedom as if we ourselves were liberated.
The Seder follows a structured order laid out in the Haggadah (the special book used for the evening), which includes prayers, blessings, songs, symbolic foods, discussions, and the retelling of the Exodus story. It typically lasts 2–4 hours (or longer in some homes), blending serious reflection, joy, food, wine, and family participation.

Key Elements on the Table
Before diving into the steps, here's what you usually see:
Seder plate (with symbolic items):

Maror (bitter herbs, like horseradish) → bitterness of slavery
Chazeret (another bitter vegetable, often romaine lettuce)
Zeroa (shank bone or roasted chicken neck) → Passover sacrifice
Beitzah (roasted egg) → mourning for the Temple / new life
Karpas (green vegetable, like parsley or celery) → spring/renewal
Charoset (sweet mixture of apples, nuts, wine) → mortar used by slaves
Matzah (three or more unleavened breads, often in a cover)
Salt water (for dipping karpas, symbolizing tears of slavery)
Four cups of wine (or grape juice) → represent four expressions of redemption