Water is refreshing, cleansing, and nourishing, so it’s easy to understand why so many cultures and religions use water for symbolic purification. At tonight’s seder, we will wash our hands twice. Now we will wash with no blessing, to get us ready for the rituals to come. Later, we’ll wash again with a blessing, preparing us for the meal. For this first washing, the leader will wash in honor of all of us.


haggadah Section: Urchatz