Passover 19

After the eating of the Matzah, we now turn to the MAROR; the bitter herb. As I have indicated previously, this must be either lettuce, or a related green leafy herb such as endive. In my opinion, there is no basis for the use of horseradish, other than it was used for many centuries in colder parts of Europe where lettuce was unavailable at this time of year. Ashkenazim hold that custom trumps halachah. This is NOT my view, nor the view of most Sepharadic rabbis. An olive's bulk of the bitter herb is given to each participant. The blessing "...Who has sanctified us by His commandments, and commanded us to eat bitter herbs" is recited. In most communities, the Maror is eaten without leaning, as the leaning signifies freedom, while the Maror symbolized the bitterness of slavery. Interestingly, the eating of the Maror is NOT Biblical, except as an adjunct to the Passover Sacrifice. This is different from the Matzah, which is also an adjunct to the sacrifice, but is also commanded separately: "In the evening you shall eat matzot". After the destruction of the Temple, the sages ordained the eating of Maror in memory of the former practice. The Maror is dipped in Charoset, in commemoration of the mortar we used in Pharaoh's building projects. There are many recipes for charoset. Its primary ingredients are ground fruit, nuts, and wine. My own recipe is ground nuts, apples, pears, wine and cinnamin. The next step in the Seder is KORECH (wrapping). Another olive's bulk of maror is wrapped in an olive's bulk of matzah. Those observing the two matzah tradition, take from the matzah that remains from the previous eating of the Matzah. Those doing the three matzah custom, use the remaining bottom matzah, as only the upper one and a half were previously used. We wrap the matzah around the maror, dip it in Charoset (some dip the entire sandwich, others dip the maror alone before putting it in the matzah). Again, "wrapping" implies soft matzah. If using hard matzah, one simply puts matzah above and below the maror, making a sandwich. We eat it leaning. This is in memory of the practice of the sage, Hillel. The Torah commands that the sacrifice be eaten with matzah and maror. While the other sages understood that to mean that they were eaten at the same time, Hillel opined that the matzah and maror needed to literally be eaten wrapped together. One would not fulfill one's obligation today with that, as the presence of the maror is now by Rabbinic law, while the matzah is still Biblical. The lesser obligation, according to most, negates the greater obligation.Therefore, we eat them separately, giving each precept its due attention. The korech is primarily a reminder of the Temple. A statement to this effect is recited before eating the korech: "In memory of the Temple, in accordance with Hillel". I find the weaving in and out of time periods, as well as of freedom and slavery, to be one of the most compelling features of the seder. It is as if we had a time machine, going constantly between yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The Kabbalists speak of the seder night as expressing "Mochin D'Gadlut" (expanded consciousness). In fact, a Jew always lives in all three. But the seder pulls us out of our complacency and makes us keenly aware of that fact. Next, SHULCHAN ORECH (prepare the table). We eat.