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After the eating of the Matzah, we now turn to the MARROR; 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,...
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The table is set, and we are ready to eat. The sources simply say "one eats whatever one wishes, and drinks whatever one wishes". There are no halachic requirements for the meal, nor even universally accepted customs. The only one that comes close...
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The meal has ended. It is time for TZAFUN, "the hidden". Near the beginning of the seder, we broke a matzah into two, and hid a piece away for the Afikoman. Afikoman is a Greek word, meaning "we go out"; that is essentially "dessert". But it is no...
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The meal has ended, with the Afikoman as its climax. The third cup of wine is poured. In most communities, each participant then washes his or her fingers (the Vilna Gaon requires washing of the whole hands), in preparation for BARECH, the...
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The wine has been poured for the second cup. The MAGID section is begun. The usual custom is for is for a child to ask the four questions. In many homes, all the children ask. While in others, the child asks first, with all the participants...
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Now that the Seder Plate is ready, let's begin the Seder!(1). KADESH make kiddush. A cup of wine is poured for each participant. The cup must hold a "revi'it", (estimated at 86 ml., although some say higher or lower). The usual holiday...
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The Torah tells us that the Passover sacrifice was to be eaten at night. We are also told "In the evening, you shall eat matzot" (As I pointed out in an earlier post, matzah is both an adjunct to the sacrifice, and an independent mitzvah unto...
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The many ceremonies of Passover eve, now known as the Seder (order), must be distinguished into three different categories. First is Pesach Mitzrayim (Egyptian Passover), the one observed on the eve of the Exodus. The blood of the sacrifice was...
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In speaking about which herbs are acceptable for the Marror; the bitter herb, I left off with the issue of lettuce. There is no question that lettuce is the preferred marror of the Talmud. The Jerusalem Talmud even notes that all the herbs...
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So why does the Talmud see lettuce as the preferred choice for Maror? While it is true that wild lettuce (also known as "opium lettuce", as it contains a mild narcotic) is extremely bitter, it is listed as the least preferable of the five species...
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