Monday, March 24, 2014

When we lead seders, do things that make the children ask questions. The Talmud says, "Why do we remove the table? -- ... so that the children may perceive [the unusual proceeding of removing the table] and enquire [why]. Abaye was sitting before Rabbah when they saw the tray taken up from before him. He said to them: We have not yet eaten, and they have already come and removed the tray from before us! Rabbah said, "You have exempted us from reciting, 'why is this night nice different.'" (B. Pesahim 115b) 
Go ahead, shake things up at your seder! Make the children ask what's going on!

What is "The Bread of Affliction?" We will hold up the matzahs and begin the seder, "Lo, this is the bread of affliction." Meanings:
1. It's a pun: In the Talmud, Samuel says it comes from the word "to answer (onim)": and we are about to recite the four questions, which are said near the matzah. It's the Bread of Answers! 2. It's the bread of affliction from Deuteronomy 16:3, "For you departed Egypt in haste." 3. (My personal favorite) This is a trait of the Passover, which is like a trait of the flower offering of the poor. (Lev. 5:11-13), (Perush Kadmon, a 9th-10th century commentary and 14th century Hasidei Ashkenaz) 4. Compared to the Omer offering, the Omer is 1/10 of an ephah (Ex. 16:36) which is considered the amount of a hallah offering in the sanctuary, the amount of a meal offering of the poor.
So when we hold up the Bread of Affliction and ask others to join us, in Aramaic, the language of the people, we are saying: We are going to answer questions of what we are doing this evening, why this night is different from all other nights; we left Egypt in haste and poverty, fleeing affliction; our matzah is like the offering of the poor to God, and in our humility we too approach God in thanksgiving.

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