Running from an apartment to a bomb shelter may make this year's Passover feel like a real-life exodus story. For those in Israel, there is no guarantee that this year's Seder will go by uninterrupted. But what happens if sirens go off during Seder? When must a blessing be repeated, and when does it remain valid? What happens if there is a shelter sprint mid-Maggid?
Even though Seder night is called “Leil Shimurim” (a night of protection), Israeli Rabbi Yitzhak Yaakov Fuchs explains that we must not rely on miracles when danger is common, and that the requirement of pikuach nefesh (saving a life) overrides all else.
While Fuchs said the best option is to hold a seder in a safe room or shelter, this is not possible for everyone.
What to do if interrupted
If kiddush is interrupted by a siren, Fuchs recommends resuming if the pause was short but restarting if the delay was long. However, if you drank the required amount, there is no need to repeat.
With regards to washing for Karpas, Fuchs said it is preferable to rewash on return, but it is not compulsory.
Tzfas Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein adds more nuance, saying there is no need to wash the hands again upon returning, provided that the hands have been kept clean. If the hands haven't been kept clean, they should be rewashed without a blessing. He recommended the same rules for washing for matzah.
If the siren sounds during the Maggid, Fuchs said to resume where you stopped, but preferably repeat the “Dayenu” section if interrupted. Goldstein said an alternative is to continue reciting Maggid while in the shelter, since there is no requirement for Maggid to be said in a single fixed location. He added that one can resume the Seder at the table from the point reached in Maggid.
If the siren sounds during Maztah and Maror, and a kezayit (biblical unit) was already eaten, interruptions do not affect the mitzvah, Goldstein said. However, if not, a full kezayit must be eaten. Blessings are generally not repeated.
Regarding the Afikoman, it is forbidden to eat it in two places. Therefore, if interrupted before starting to eat the afikomen, one should wait. If one started eating, then on return one should eat a full kezayit again.
If one is interrupted mid-Birkat Hamazon (blessing after a meal), one should ideally return and continue there, resuming from the point stopped and repeating a few words before concluding a blessing if necessary, Goldstein says.
Most importantly, however, Goldstein stressed that all decisions tonight should be grounded in the recognition that preserving life comes first, even as we "strive to fulfill the mitzvot of Pesach and the Seder in the best possible manner under extraordinarily challenging conditions."