B"H

Thursday, Nissan 13, 5782 / April 14, 2022

Q.One of the items placed on the Seder plate is a hard boiled egg. What does the egg represent?

A.Unlike other foods, eggs become firmer when boiled. This recalls the story of the Jewish people in Egypt. The Torah tells us that the more the Jewish people were afflicted, the more they multiplied and became exceedingly mighty.  We too, throughout history have become much stronger and firmer during our over 2000 years of exile and hardships. May we finally merit the coming of Moshiach.  Amen.

*A wealthy man was fond of a particular beggar. Every year, before Pesach he gave the poor man 500 rubles. One year, when the poor man came for his annual Pesach donation, the rich man gave him only 250 rubles.

“What is the meaning of this?” asked the beggar.  “This is only half of what you usually give me.”

“I’m sorry, but I must cut my expenses,” replied the benefactor apologetically. This year my daughter married a young man who is studying in Yeshiva.  Between the wedding bills and their support I cannot give you more.

“What!” cried the poor man, “you marry off your daughter and support her and her husband on my account?!”

**In Chelm, there was a wine maker.  We'll call him Yankel.  Naturally, most of his yearly income came before Pesach, when Jews all over, and Chelm was no exception, buy a lot of wine. 

One year before Pesach, Yankel opened a fresh barrel and noticed that it was half empty.  How could wine be missing from a newly-opened barrel? He thought and thought, but couldn't figure it out. He called his wife and told her about this puzzle.  "Perhaps you can solve the mystery," he said.

After a quick inspection, she pointed to the bottom of the barrel and exclaimed, "Yankel, look there is a small hole here. This is why the wine is missing!"

Yankel carefully inspected the hole, examined the wine in the barrel and looked at the hole again.  "That's the silliest thing I have ever heard! How could the hole be the culprit?" he said confidently.  "Look, the hole is at the bottom of the barrel and the wine is missing at the top!"

***Rabbi Akiva Eiger, one of the great Torah scholars of his day, would invite many poor people to his Seder and did everything he could to make them feel at home.   Once, a guest accidentally spilled his cup of wine all over the new white Pesach tablecloth. The poor man became very embarrassed.  Thinking quickly, Rabbi Akiva Eiger knocked over his owncup and exclaimed, "It seems that the table is not very steady…"

BEST WISHES TO YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES FOR A HAPPY &  HEALTHY PASSOVER

CHAG KOSHER V’SAMEACH - NEXT YEAR (even better.. THIS YEAR) IN JERUSALEM

Next Torah Fax in a week and a half, after the holiday, G-d willing