Pesach is coming...

Hi,

Pesach is coming:

"Biblically, we are instructed to speak of the miracles and wonders performed for our ancestors in Egypt, on the night of the fifteenth of Nisan, as it says, 'Remember this day when you left Egypt'."

(Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Chametz uMatzah 7:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Why do we dip twice at the Seder?

Hi,


Notwithstanding my Torah Thought from three years ago here...

"As far as why we dip twice: It is in order to create a symbol for the children [so that they will notice that tonight is unique]."

(Talmud, Pesachim 114b)

חג כשר ושמח,
Mordechai

The Mitzvot of Pesach - Discussing the departure from Egypt

Hi,

The Torah expresses the mitzvah of sippur yetziat mitzrayim (re-telling the account of leaving Egypt) as a two-part mitzvah: (1) To talk about the events of our departure from Egypt, and (2) To thank Gd for engineering that miracle. The Torah says we should do this while eating the korban pesach, and so we, in the absence of a korban, do this at our seder; the Sefer haChinuch lists this as the 21st mitzvah in the Torah.

The Tzlach (Berachot 12b) noted that there is a separate mitzvah of mentioning our departure from Egypt on a daily basis, and the gemara even discusses the possibility that such a mitzvah might apply nightly as well. Nonetheless, that on-going mitzvah is not included in the standard count of the 613 mitzvot. The Tzlach suggested that this omission may be because the pasuk from which the lesson is derived says, “So that you will remember,” and does not command, “You shall remember.”

Chag kasher v'sameach,
Mordechai

True spiritual liberation

Hi,

"On the first night of Pesach we tell the story of a long search by man for Gd, of Gd responding to the inquisitive search, of Gd taking man, who longs for Him, into His embrace. At the Seder, we try to stimulate the naive curiosity of the children and thereby make them Gd-searchers. The quest for Gd, along with the acceptance of the commandments, is the true spiritual liberation."

(Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveichik, "Exalted Evening," pg. 28-29)

Good moed,
Mordechai

The message of removing the table during the Seder

Hi,

"The practice of uprooting the table when saying KiHa lachma anya (“Like this bread of oppression”) is meant to explain why matzah, the bread our ancestors ate in Egypt, is called “bread of oppression.” The Jews were given into the hands of the Egyptians, who could destroy their livelihood and uproot their table, for the hands with which they would earn their living were bound to the Egyptians.

"To remember this reality we uproot the table when we recite the Haggadah, saying, “Like this bread of oppression which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt,” meaning that our ancestors anticipated, at every moment and every instant, that their table might be uprooted – that the Egyptians might say to them, “Work for us, and we will not feed you.”"

(Haggadah haShir v'haShevach, R' Zalman Sorotzkin)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Elijah's Cup

Hi,

"One reason why we pour a fifth cup and call it 'Elijah's Cup' is that there is a debate in the gemara as to whether we use a fifth cup, and the halachah is not determined. Therefore, we pour a fifth cup and we call it 'Elijah's cup,' and when Elijah comes the doubt will be clarified."

(Taamei haMinhagim 551, citing the Vilna Gaon)

Have a great Moed,
Mordechai

Lifting the Seder Plate

Hi,

[During the Seder, at "Ha Lachma Anya," we lift the Seder Plate.]

"One could explain the practice simply, based on this midrash:

"It is written (in Psalms), 'From the refuse, Gd will lift up the poor.' This refers to the Jewish people, who were sunken in Egypt, and Gd elevated them."

(Taamei haMinhagim 530, from Matei Aharon)

Have a wonderful Yom Tov,
Mordechai

Hiding the afikoman

Hi,

"One reason why we hide the afikoman is so that children will see and ask why we are hiding away matzah before we have even eaten. Through the answer we will come to tell the story of leaving Egypt."

(Taamei haMinhagim 527)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Dipping twice

Hi,

"One reason we dip twice [at the Seder] is:

"We dip once to remember the redemption from Egypt, regarding which it is written [for the Pesach offering brought on the night of the redemption], 'You shall take a hyssop bundle and dip it.'

"The second dip is to remember the exile, which was for the sin of selling Joseph, regarding which it is written, 'They dipped his tunic in blood.'"

(Taamei haMinhagim 524, citing Shelah)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A Beautiful Seder Table

Hi,

"All year long, it is good to avoid beautiful utensils, in order to minimize any feeling of status, to remember the destruction of the Temple. This does not apply for the Seder night, though, because the Torah instructed us to demonstrate freedom, such as by using silver and gold implements and brightly colored clothing."

(Maharil, Seder haHaggadah #4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Three matzot at the Seder

Hi,

"One reason why we use three matzot is to commemorate the three se'ah measures of flour [that Sarah prepared for the visiting angels in Genesis 18] on Passover.

"We break one of the matzot in order to remember the splitting of the Sea, as well as the Jordan River [when the Jews entered Israel in Joshua 3], which occurred on Passover."

(Taamei haMinhagim 520, citing Daat Zekeinim miBaalei haTosafot)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Seder Kittel - An exercise in humility

Hi,

[Note: A kittel is a simple white robe, worn by grooms under the chuppah in many Jewish communities, and also used as one of the tachrichin burial shrouds.]

"One reason to wear a kittel at the seder is to keep one from becoming arrogant in his joy; thus one wears the garment of the deceased."

(Taamei haMinhagim 503, from the Taz)

Have a great day,
Mordechai