B"H
Tuesday, Adar2 26, 5782 / March 29, 2022
It is less than three weeks left until Pesach. The first Seder will be Friday night, April 15. The second Seder, only in the Diaspora, will be Saturday night, April 16. In Israel only one Seder is performed.
Q. On Shabbat and holidays, after reciting the blessing over the first cup of wine, we can drink as many cups of wine as we want, without reciting another blessing over each cup. Why, at the Seder do we make a separate blessing for each of the four cups of wine?
A. The reason we drink four cups at the Seder is to commemorate the fourexpressions of redemption which G-d used for the Exodus. Each cup is anothermitzvah, expressing another expression of redemption, thus a separate blessing is required for each cup.
Another reason is that the lengthy passages of the Hagadah and the discussions we are encouraged to have about the story of the Exodus constitute an “interruption” between the cups of wine and thus necessitate an individual blessing for each cup.
Q. At the Seder, when we eat the matzah and drink the four cups of wine, we are required to sit in a recliningposition. What is the reason for this?
A. In ancient times, noblemen would eat in a reclining position. A servant did not recline when eating. At the Seder, when we celebrate our freedom from slavery, the Rabbis instituted that we demonstrate our freedom by reclining as noblemen, when performing the special mitzvot.
Q. Why do we recline on the left side, not on the right side?
A. Our sages established that we recline on the left side so that the food should not accidentally enter the upper part of the windpipe, which may cause chocking, G-d forbid.
Q. What is the significance of placing threematzot on the Seder plate?
A. The three Matzot represent the three categories which make up the Jewish people: the Kohen (priestly family), the Levi and the Israel.
Q. Before reciting the Hagadah, we break the middle matzah. We hide the bigger part for the Afikoman, to be eaten at the end of the meal. The smaller piece we put back onto the Seder plate. Why do we break the matzah before reciting the Hagadah?
A. Matzah is called in the Torah, a “poor man’s bread” and “Bread of affliction.” The broken matzah represents this concept. Although, at the Seder, we celebrate our freedom, we also remember and recall our slavery and affliction. One can appreciate the miracle of freedom much more after remembering the pain and suffering before becoming free.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY