All things having been thus prepared, the guests wash their hands, and
seat themselves at table. The master of the family, soon after this,
_takes his cup of wine in his right hand_, and the rest at the table
doing the same, he says, together with all the others, "Blessed art
thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who hast created the fruit
of the vine." This is followed by a. thanksgiving for the institution of
the passover. _Then the cup of wine is drank by all_. Afterwards the
master of the family says, "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of
the Universe, who hast sanctified us with thy commandments, and
commanded us to cleanse our hands."
Then the master of the family desires the guests to partake of the
charvil dipped in salt water, which he gives them with an appropriate
blessing. He makes them touch also the dish, containing the egg and
shank bone of the lamb, and repeat with him a formula of words suited to
the subject. He then takes _the second cup of wine_, and uses words in
conjunction with the rest, expressive of the great difference between
this and any other night. After this, copious remarks follow on the
institution of the passover. Then follow queries and answers of the
rabbis on this subject: then historical accounts of the Jews: then the
fifteen acts of the goodness of God to the Jewish nation, which they
make out thus:--He led the Jews out of Egypt: he punished the Egyptians:
he executed judgment on their gods: he slew their first-born: he gave
the Jews wealth: he divided the sea for them: he made them pass through
it as on dry land: he drowned the Egyptians in the same: he gave food to
the Jews for forty years in the wilderness; he fed them with manna: he
gave them the sabbath: he brought them to Mount Sinai: he gave them the
law: he brought them to the Laud of Promise: he built the Temple.
Pages:
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302