In Pesah Me`ubbin, “Mneumonic for the Passover Seder” (פסח מעובין, סימן לסדר פסח), by Rabbi Hayyim Benveniste (חיים בנבנשת; Turkey, 1603-1673), Rabbi Hayyim Benveniste says that his older brother Rabbi Joshua Benveniste (יהושע בנבנשת, 1590-1668), a physician, wrote this rhymed, metered poem written to help remind Jews of the order of the Passover Seder.
Ve-yo-KHAL ma-a-kha-LO
Ve-ha-tza-FUN etz-LO
Ve-ha-she-li-SHI KHOS LO
Be-ra-KHOT nig-ME-ret
U-va-KOS ha-re-vi-I
Le-ha-LEL EL ro-I
Be-ha-LEL sha-a-shu-AI
Le-SHEM ul-tif-E-ret
Let it never fall—
As the night* of the Passover seder.
Let it be on the forehead
As a sign and a remembrence.
I will order its pickings:
Its principles and its details;
And I will weigh its laws
Through song from a book.
Beginning at its head:
One shall sanctify one’s Kiddush
Using the premier of one’s cup
For a great vine.
Then that person’s hands shall be in a vessel
For a dipping purpose;
One shall raise their hands without
Any blessing being said.
Then one shall dip their karpas
In vinegar, but at the beginning of this,
One shall bless God, that person’s maker,
And exempt another.
And for the second**, shall one split
That matzah in the middle.
And one shall hide*** its half
In a guarded**** cloth.
And one shall teach from the Haggadah.
With the second cup, one shall repeat,
And for the one who asks*****, answer
A thoughtful answer.
One shall raise one’s hands in accordance with Halakhah:
Raising one’s hands with a blessing.
And the blessing over the matzah is as such,
With the matching matzah.
In the bitter herb it shall be forged,
To dip into haroset,
And the wrap is made
With matzah and lettuce.
And one shall eat one’s food,
And the hidden piece shall be with that person.
When with that peron’s third cup,
With a completed blessing.
And upon the fourth cup:
Praising God, my shepherd!
In Hallel is my entertainment
For the Name****** and for beauty.
Some variants in this piyyut, as found in Pesah Me`ubbin on the Bar Ilan Responsa Project (www.responsa.co.il) accessed on March 26, 2015:
*כְּֿלַל ke-LAL The principle of | ** וְלַשְּֿׁנַֽיִם velashe-NA-yim And for the two | *** תַּצְנַע tatz-NA Hide or She shall hide / תֻּצְנַע tutz-NA Let it be hidden | **** מְֿשֻׁמֶּֽרֶת meshu-ME-ret protected / מִשְׁמֶֽרֶת mish-ME-ret of watching / מְֿשַׁמֶּֽרֶת mesha-ME-ret watching | ***** וְֿאֶל שׁוֹאֵל ve-EL sho-EL / And to one who asks | ****** לְֿהוֹד le-HOD For glory
Rabbi Jonah Rank is a musician, writer, and teacher. At JonahRankLiturgy, Rabbi Jonah Rank posts recordings of traditional tunes for educational purposes as well as original tunes for lesser-sung texts--and then the occasional something else.
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