SEDER-MASOCHISM
Written by God, Moses, or A Series of Patriarchal Males, depending on whom you ask
Moses
Animated and Directed by Nina Paley
Moses
Produced by Nina Paley and Producer X
Moses
Hoop-de-doo-de-doo-de Moses
Moses!
Behold this golden goblet of wine.
It is a symbol of joy as we celebrate the festival of Passover.
Many long years ago on this night,
our ancestors heard the call of freedom
and tonight that call rings out once more,
commanding us to champion the cause
of the oppressed peoples throughout the world.
I don't know, are you recording?
I can't tell.
I think so...
Don't waste this.
I hope so...
Okay.
All right!
So what do you want me to do?
I want you to sing the...
the...Passover...
uh...
You know, you'd go like, baruch-atah-adonai-eluh...
No, that's not what I sang on Passover.
I really don't know what I used to...
Well, OK, there's this part, which is the Kaddish
And I will do the best I can, Nina -
excellent -
Because it's been years and years and years -
When was the last Seder you did?
When did you leave the house?
(Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God,
King of the Universe
Who createst the fruit of the vine.)
Sorry, when I'm not burping I'll do it again.
We now drink our first cup of wine.
It is customary for each person to drink four cups of wine at the Seder table.
These four cups symbolize the ancient Four Freedoms
which are represented in the liberation of the Jewish people from bondage.
Ooh-ahh, rat-a-tat-boom!
Make the sound of a jet plane zoom.
Ooh-ahh, rat-a-tat boom!
Make the sound of a bomb.
You've got to believe in something
Why not believe in me?
You've got to believe in something
Why not believe in me?
Tell me, brother,
What have I - I -
done to you
to make you mean and treat me
the way you do?
Go on and wave your flag,
brother,
start your revolution.
I'm willing to let you do your thing,
Tell me why are you blind when it comes to mine?
You've got to believe in something
Why not believe in me?
Me, me, me, me, believe in me
You've got to believe in something
Ooh yeah
Why not believe in me?
Why don't you let the Wilson sisters set you free?
Take the chain off your brain
Believe in me, Oh I said now -
Take the chain off your brain
Believe, yeah hey
You always want to be like that
We're under you, can't believe
STOP! Take a look at yourself.
Don't refuse
You've got to believe in something
Why not believe in me?
Why don't you let the Wilson sisters set you free?
You've got to believe in something
Why not believe in me?
You've got to believe in something
Why not believe in me?
You've got to believe in something
Why not believe in me?
We were once the slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt
And the Lord, our God,
delivered us from bondage by His might.
Go down,
Moses.
Way down in Egypt land.
Tell old Pharaoh...
to...
LET MY PEOPLE GO!
Now, when Israel was in Egypt land...
LET MY PEOPLE GO!
Oppressed so hard they could not stand...
LET MY PEOPLE GO!
So the Lord said,
Go down, Moses,
way down in Egypt land.
Tell old Pharaohs
to let my people go.
LET MY PEOPLE GO.
So Moses went to Egypt land.
LET MY PEOPLE GO
He made old Pharaoh understand.
LET MY PEOPLE GO
Yes, the Lord said:
Go down,
Moses,
Way down in Egypt land.
Tell old Pharaohs
to let my people go.
LET MY PEOPLE GO
"Thus spoke the Lord,"
bold Moses said,
LET MY PEOPLE GO
"If not, I'll smite your first-born dead."
LET MY PEOPLE GO
'Cause the Lord said,
Go down,
Moses
Way down in Egypt land
Tell old Pharaoh
to LET MY PEOPLE GO!
WAY DOWN IN EGYPT LAND
Tell old
Pharaoh
to let my people
GO!
Oh, when I was a kid I knew this, word by word.
And this is what we did in Hebrew school.
We learned these things by rote.
And I could do everything, and then at the Seder I would have a certain...
You know, as the kid, the youngest male, I would have certain...
special roles, like asking about...
asking the Four Questions...
...one of which is, "Why is this night...
...whatever..."
THE SEDER PLATE
Shankbone
Roasted Egg
Parsley
Bitter Herbs
Romaine Lettuce
Apple, nuts, wine and honey
Matzoh
"Ha lachma anya."
This is the bread of poverty which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt.
Let all who are hungry and needy
enter, and eat with us.
Oh, here's a question.
Yeah?
Since you cared so little about it, or for it,
why did you keep doing Passover anyway?
Well I still believed in the fact that, uh,
you had a heritage, and I wanted you guys to know something about your heritage.
And it was a happy, kind of, uh,
I mean there are the sad times, the Exodus and all that stuff...
which is the sad part of Passover...
but, uh...
It was happy and sad both.
You know, happy from the fact that Jews were getting out of Egypt,
and it was, uh...
sad that...
there had to be all these mean Jews before the Pharaoh...
gave in to the Jewish people, and...
they had an opportunity to
for Moses to lead them through the split Red Sea, and then of course,
the Sea came back together again
and killed all these Egyptians...
But, uh...
I thought you should know a little something about
the heritage of a...
of what was basically our family.
We now reach the reading of the Ten Plagues
which God brought to the Egyptians.
As each one of these Plagues is mentioned,
a drop of wine is spilled from the goblet
into a plate.
THE TEN PLAGUES
BLOOD
Which a-way,
which a-way,
do that blood-red river run?
From my back window
to the rising sun.
Red river, red river,
won't you tell me what to do?
Mmmm, worried as I can be.
Which a-way, which a-way,
do that blood-red river run?
From my back window
to the rising sun.
FROGS
FROGS!
They hop to that.
FROGS!
Hop to that.
FROGS!
They hop to that.
FROGS!
Hop to that.
FROGS!
They hop to that.
FROGS!
Hop to that.
FROGS!
They hop to that.
FROGS!
Hop to that.
And some might say that he's a dummy.
LICE
Tiny insects in my hair,
Tiny insects everywhere.
Tiny insects in my pants.
Watching insects make romance.
Insects make you make me want to DANCE!
Dance, dance
They make me want to dance!
Dance, dance
Those insects make me want to dance!
FLIES
Flying insects everywhere.
Flying insects buzzing, buzzing, buzzing through the air.
Just like little diamonds in the sky.
Insects buzzing in my eye!
Buzzing insects make me want to DANCE!
Dance, dance!
They make me want to dance, dance, dance.
Those insects make me dance, dance, dance.
They make me want to dance, dance, dance.
Those insects make me want to dance!
MURRAIN
Dead animals
Dead anima-ha-hals
Dead animals, dead animals
Dead animals, dead animals.
BOILS
I GOT BLISTERS!
HAIL
Hail, hail,
the gang's all here!
What the duke do we care?
Hail, hail, we're full of cheer!
What the duke do we care now?
LOCUSTS
Insects make me scream and shout!
They don't know what life's about.
They don't have blood, they've got too many legs,
too little brains in their heads!
They know they'll rule the world someday,
They bite and sting me anyway!
They bite and sting and SUCK!
They bite and sting and suck suck suck!
They bite and sting and suck suck suck suck...
DANCE!
Stomp! Dance!
Those insects make me....
DARKNESS
Who turned the light out on my life?
And who turned my day into night?
You made a mess out of my life.
You don't seem to know the wrong from right.
Somebody said you were leaving,
and I didn't know what to do.
I thought I'd never stop grieving;
I just couldn't tear myself from you!
And, uh, you know,
We all sat around the table, including Uncle Herzl...
And Uncle Herzl rejected to the part where you did...
a drop to signify...
To signify the killing of the firstborn Egyptians. My uncle
got infuriated with that, he didn't like that part.
Why?
Well who wants to kill people?
What?
I mean, we don't want to go around killing people, right?
But you shed the drop because -
the idea is you shed the drop because you're sympathizing.
You're like, "oh, this was a terrible thing."
So you're going to spill some of the wine from your cup
because it was such a bad thing.
Yeah but I think literally it was
in celebration of the killing of the firstborn Egyptians
and my uncle didn't like it.
But anyhow, he and my father would have a big fight every Seder at that point.
Every year they'd have a big fight.
DEATH OF THE FIRSTBORN EGYPTIANS
Falling stars you wished upon
are cinders now, and now they're gone.
Their residue festoons my fetid field.
Unfeeling husks of lovers past,
the shells are all that ever last.
I've taken everything that they've concealed.
Whoever told you like was fair?
Look around you, everywhere
the cruelty of nature is displayed.
Why the scorn? Why the surprise?
Everything that's born must die
and it isn't I
who made the world that way.
What wicked little twist of fate
placed you here upon my plate?
Here, where no one hears your cries?
Where was your God, to steer you through?
Perhaps your God's forsaken you.
Otherwise, why lead you here to die?
I
I know the way how
I'll melt away now
I know the way.
I'm feeling bliss now,
dissolved to mist
how strangely I go
away
Now I finally know.
It's merely moments now,
moments now until
your feeble flesh bends to my will
and it will
so rest your weary head.
There'll be no pain,
no pain at all,
as everything you are dissolves
Your fate resolved upon my silky threads.
I
I know the way how
I'll melt away now
I know the way.
I'm feeling bliss now,
dissolved to mist
how strangely I go away
Now I finally know.
I
I know the way how
I'll melt away now
I know the way.
I'm feeling bliss now,
dissolved to mist
how strangely I go
away
Now I finally
know.
Oh!
All right now go!
Walk out the door
Just turn around now,
you're not welcome anymore....
Let us therefore sing a song of thanks to God!
Not only for protecting us from our enemies,
but also for the great and magnificent gifts He has bestowed upon us:
His Torah,
The Sabbath,
and the Festivals.
And now His greatest gift,
which we in this generation have been privileged to witness:
The return of our land!
The land of Israel!
DAYENU!
There's a land that I see
where the children are free
and I say it ain't far
to this land from where we are.
Take my hand, come with me
where the children are free
Come with me, take my hand
and we'll live
In a land where the river runs free!
In a land through the green country!
In a land through a shining sea!
And you and me are free to be
you and me.
I see a land, bright and clear,
and the time's coming near
when we'll live in this land,
you and me, hand in hand.
Take my hand, come along,
lend your voice to my song.
Come along, take my hand,
sing a song:
For a land where the river runs free!
For a land through the green country!
For a land through a shining sea!
For a land where the horses run free!
And you and me are free to be
you and me.
Every boy in this land
grows to be his own man.
In this land every girl
grows to be her own woman.
Take my hand, come with me
where the children are free
Come with me, take my hand,
and we'll run
to a land where the river runs free!
To a land through the green country!
To a land to a shining sea!
To a land where the horses run free!
To a land where the children are free!
And you and me are free to be,
and you and me are free to be,
and you and me are free to be
You and me.
You and me!
And you and me are free to be
You and me.
The second half of our Seder
begins with the Grace After Meals.
Praised be Thou, oh Lord God,
King of the world,
who feeds the entire universe with His goodness,
His grace,
and His lovingkindness.
He gives bread to all flesh,
and in His great goodness
food has never been lacking for us,
for He feeds and supports everyone.
Our God,
Our Father,
feed us,
support us,
sustain us.
Do you think the events in Exodus actually happened?
What the hell kind of question is that to ask me?
I don't care!
Now if you feel that you can't go on,
because all of your hope is gone,
and your life is filled with much confusion
until happiness is just an illusion
and your world around is crumbling down,
Darling
Reach out
Come on girl, reach on out for me
Reach out
Reach out for me
Ha!
I'll be there
with the love that will shelter you
I'll be there
with the love that will see you through.
When you feel lost, and about to give up
'cause your best just ain't good enough
and you feel the world has grown cold
and you're drifting out all on your own
and you need a hand to hold,
Darling
Reach out
Come on girl, reach out for me
Reach out
Reach out for me
Ha!
I'll be there
to love and comfort you
And I'll be there
to cherish and care for you.
I can tell the way you hang your head
you're without love now
now you're afraid
And through your tears you look around,
but there's no peace of mind to be found
I know what you're thinking:
You're alone now, no love of your own
but Darling,
Reach out
Come on girl, reach out for me
Reach out
Just look over your shoulder
I'll be there
to give you all the love you need
And I'll be there
You can always depend on me
I'll be there...
Our third cup of wine is called:
Elijah's Cup.
In Jewish tradition, the Prophet Elijah
is the messenger of God.
Appointed to herald the era of the messiah,
the era of perfect happiness
when all peoples throughout the world
shall be free.
We drink the third cup,
The Cup of Elijah
and then refill our cups
for the fourth and last time.
So you have no religious inclinations whatsoever
These days?
Ever.
Ever?
Yeah. Oh when I was a kid, yeah.
Really?
Yeah, when I was a kid I bought into a lot of this stuff.
Remember that was before I was Bar Mitzvah’ed at age thirteen.
You know I thought that’s the way...
I’m told by my
parents and by the Sunday School people that
all these stories
and I thought, OK, that’s my...
uh...
well I shouldn’t say my tribe, but that’s the way my
the people I know closest all believe
and obviously that had to be the truth and all that stuff
and, uh...
yeah, I bought into that stuff
That, uh,
Judaism went back so many thousand years and this and that...
eh, but after a while
some of that didn’t make complete sense either.
OK?
You know, so...
I mean there are people who spend a lot of time, they are great religious scholars, they
want to understand all these little nuances about Judaism and things like that
and I figure, OK, fine.
Just don’t push it down my throat.
They hold up half the sky.
Woman
I can hardly express
My mixed emotions at my thoughtlessness
After all, I’m forever in your debt.
And woman,
I will try to express
my inner feeling, and thankfulness
for showing me the meaning of success
Oooh, oooh oooh oooh
well, well
doo-doo-doo-doo-dooo
Oooooohhh oooooh oooh ooooh oooh
well, well
Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Woman,
I know you understand
the little child inside the man
Please remember, my life is in your hands
And woman,
hold me close to your heart
however distant, don’t keep us apart
After all, it is written in the stars
Ooooooooooooh ooh oooh ooh ooh
well, well
doo-doo-doo-doo-dooo
OoooOooohh oOOh oooH oOh oooo
well, well
doo-doo-doo-dooo-dooo
Woman
please let me explain
I never meant to cause you sorrow or pain
So let me tell you
again and again and again
I love you
Yeah, yeah
Now and forever
I looooove yooooooouuu
Yeah, yeah
Now and forever
I looOOOOVVe yooooOOOOOoooouuu
yeah yeah
now and forever
I used to love Her
but I had to kill Her
I used to love Her
but I had to kill Her
Lying, cheating, hurting,
that’s all you seem to do
Messing around with every guy in town
putting me down for thinking of someone new
Always the same, playing your game
drives me insane, troubles gonna come to you
One of these days, and it won’t be long
you’ll look for me but, baby,
I’ll be gone.
This is all I’ve got to say to you woman:
Your time is gonna come
Made up my mind
break you this time
won’t be so fine
it's my turn to cry
Do what you want, I won’t take the brunt
it’s fading away
can’t feel you any more
Don’t care what you say ‘cause I’m going away to stay
gonna make you pay for that
great big hole in my heart
People talking all around, watch out woman
no longer
is the joke gonna be on my heart
You’ve been bad to me, woman, but it’s coming back home to you
Your time is gonna come
bye-bye baby
Your time is gonna come
Now that the four cups of wine have been consumed,
the official ceremony is over.
But wait!
Our rejoicing has only begun!
It’s time for some rhythmic Hasidic melodies.
Rhythm, of course!
Rhythm has always been the very soul of Hasidic prayer!
It’s strange
I don’t know what it will be like for me tonight
I look at you as I did the first time.
More words,
always words
the same words
I don’t know how else to tell you
just words
You are that beautiful love story I will never stop reading
Easy words
fragile words
aren’t they pretty
You are the one of today and of tomorrow
Too pretty.
You are forever my only truth.
But the time for dreaming is over
memories also fade
when we forget them
You are the wind that makes violins sing,
and you carry the perfume of roses
Toffees, sweets, and chocolates
Sometimes I don’t understand you.
Thanks, not for me
give them to another
who likes the wind and the rose’s perfume
Tender, sugar-coated words
taste sweet on the lips
but not in my heart
one more word-
Words, words, words
Listen to me.
words, words, words
Please!
words, words, words
I swear to you!
words, words, words, words, words
words and more words
that you sow in the wind.
I more or less dropped out of Judaism
in my teenage years, early teenage years
And I really quit when I was in Wisconsin
and it was hard to fast for Yom Kippur
When I was a graduate student in Wisconsin and
all these things were more difficult and
I just said the hell with it.
What about the pressure
that you had?
Like, Bubbie Zelda was always wanting us to be
What?
Bar Mitzvah'ed and Bat Mitzvah'ed
Oh, she would have loved that
Well, she would have loved that.
But I wasn’t interested in that.
That’s very brave.
I know first-hand what it’s like to do something that your family’s not-
that your family doesn’t like.
Oh yeah? Like what?
Like dropping out of college
That was just stupidity on your part. It has nothing to do with religion.
There was no way we could prevent that.
I mean, I think you’ve made some mistakes in life, Nina
but we’re not here to talk about your mistakes
Unless you want me to talk about your mistakes
I mean, I put those all behind me years ago.
What?
You know how, I mean you look funny there but I
I still think a Bachelor’s Degree
from those days would have been of use to you.
Don’t you think that Bubbie Zelda would have said the same thing about
you know
having a Bat Mitzvah?
I dunno.
Too many broken hearts have fallen in the river
Too many lonely sighs have drifted out to sea
You lay your bets and then you pay the price
The things we do for love.
Communication is the problem to the answer
You’ve got her number and your hand is on the phone
The weather's turned and all the lines are down
The things we do for love.
Like walking in the rain and the snow
when there’s nowhere to go
When you’re feeling like a part of you is dying
And you’re looking for the answer in her eyes
You think you’re gonna break up,
then she says she wants to make up
Ooh, you make me love you
Ooh, you’ve gone away
Ooh, you have me crawling
up a wall
Like walking in the rain and the snow
when there’s nowhere to go
When you’re feeling like a part of you is dying
and you’re looking for the answer in her eyes
You think you’re gonna break up
then she says she wants to make up
Ooh, you make me love you
Ohh, you’ve gone away
Ohh, you have me crawling
up a wall
A compromise would surely help the situation
agree to disagree, but disagree to part
when after all, it’s just a compromise
of the things we do for love.
The things we do for love
I think you gotta check your equipment.
I am checking my equipment-
This seems like a lot of fuss for-
No no, I’m just, uh, I’m just
I know but it seems like a lot of fuss if you
want to record people smoothly and things like that
Well you’re always adjusting this thing!
Oh, would you like me to stop adjusting?
The microphone’s sort of going into your neck.
That’s not bothering me one bit!
No no, but it’s uh, affecting the-
If a microphone is pushed up against something...
Oh you mean the sound quality.
Well, if you have a problem...
Well I can try to attach the microphone...
to another part of your gown...
I’ll bet that will be better.
OK
If you attach it so it keeps falling off
you know what the problem’s gonna be. Yeah.
God is male
He’s old, He’s white.
His beard is long,
His asshole’s tight.
He watches everything you do,
and then He throws the Book at you.
Mighty Father in the sky
Mighty chromosomes XY
Like the Sons of Israel
God’s a patriarchal male.
And now our concluding song:
Chad Gadya.
This is a folk song written especially for children.
That is, children from six to sixty!
It tells the story of a father
who bought a little goat
Although it also tells about a cat,
a dog,
and many other things
Listen well to this song because it really tells the entire story of the Jewish people
throughout their long history.
I think when it comes to our kids
we did a pretty good
we were very lucky
I mean, you didn’t follow everything I wanted you to do
Josh didn't
Liz didn’t, but...
And I think again when it come to financial success
and remember someday you’re gonna have to eat
and you know you need money to eat, Nina, and to live
and I hope that
in this lousy economy
you don’t suddenly find that you’re completely at sea.
Now, as long as your mother is alive
and we have the house, you’ll have a place to go
if it’s absolutely necessary
and we hope that doesn’t happen, but
at least you’ve got some degree of fallback
But, uh...
I would have been happier if you had been
more financially independent by now.
So anyway, you know, if you had had
if you had built up more money
in your bank account and stuff like that I think
I’d feel
I could rest more easily about you guys, but...
Since there’s nothing I can do about it, ah...
And you know my own life is coming to an end, one of these days soon
right here in Urbana, ah...
You know I just hope that things go well for you.
As I say, I’d feel a lot better if you had more security, but
that’s a Father’s job.
So anyway, what else?
Next year in Jerusalem!
This land
is mine.
God gave this land
to me!
This brave
and ancient land
to me!
And when the morning sun
reveals her hills and plains
then I see a land
where children can
run free
So take
my hand
and walk this land with me.
and walk this lovely land
with me.
Though I am just a man,
when you are by my side
with the help of God
I know I can be
strong!
Though I am just a man,
when you are by my side,
with the help of God
I know I can be strong!
To make this land our home,
if I must fight,
I’ll fight,
to make this land our own
Until I die,
This land is mine!
Give me that
old
time
religion
Hallelujah! Good enough for me.
Give me that old time religion
Looking for religion
Good religion how we used to be
Give me that old time religion, Lord
Hallelujah! Good enough for me.
Give me that old time religion
Looking for religion. Good religion that we used to be.
Give me that old time religion, Lord
Hallalujah! Good enough for me.
Oh, give me that old time religion
I’m looking for religion that we used to be
Give me that old time religion, Lord
Hallalujah! Good enough for me.
It was good enough for my Mother
Hallelujah!
It was good enough for my father
Hallelujah!
It will help me through my problems
Hallelujah! Good enough for me.
It was good enough for Paul and Silas
Hallelujah!
It was good for the Hebrew children
Hallelujah!
It will help you
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Good enough for me.
And then you drink the wine.