B"H
Tuesday, Adar 25, 5785 / March 25, 2025
The Pesach holiday begins with the performance of the Seder. At the Seder everyone gets together as one family to celebrate our Holiday of Freedom.
The objective of the Seder is that everyone, young and old, participates together. The main part of the Seder is not and should not be the chicken soup… It is the Haggadah - telling the miraculous story of our freedom and our existence which began over 3,000 years ago.
The Seder is not only the story of our past; it is also the story of the present. In the Haggadah we recite, “In every generationthere are those who want to get rid of us.. But G-d saves us from their hands.” If a few years ago anyone thought that antisemitism was a thing of the past, now we all know that it’s alive and kicking… Celebrating the Seder is celebrating OUR presentexistence. We celebrate G-d’s continuous watching over us.
The Seder also celebrates our future. Our children are very important players at the Seder. The framework of the Seder was set with the children in mind. It is they who will carry forward the torch of freedom of our people. This is why the Seder begins with the children asking the four questions.
Q. At the Seder, after the Kiddush, before eating the festive meal, we recite the Haggadah. Why don't we eat immediately after the Kiddush and recite the Haggadah afterwards?
A. Our rabbis instituted this order to make sure that we stay awakefor the Seder. If we eat the meal first, there is a good chance that we will become tired and drowsy and not perform the Seder properly.
Q. Why is it customary for the children to hide the Afikoman at the beginning of the Seder?
A. In order to keep them awakethroughout the Seder. The excitement of receiving a reward for returning the Afikoman at the end of the meal will keep them up and have them participate in the Seder.
Q. At the Seder we place items on the table which remind us of the enslavement in Egypt (bitter herbs) and the Exodus (matzah, four cups of wine). The Torah tells us that at the Exodus, the Jewish people came out of Egypt with great wealth, just as G-d had promised Abraham many years earlier. Why don’t we make any symbol for the great wealth we took with us at the Exodus?
A. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, writes, "Jewish wealth is not houses and gold. EverlastingJewish wealth are the Torah and mitzvot we perform and bringing into the world children and grandchildren who keep Torah and mitzvot and continue our rich Jewish tradition."
The fact that we all sit at the Seder table, together with our family members, surrounded by our children and grandchildren, who participate in the customs and traditions of the Seder and the great Nachas we derive this night, this is the greatest display of our everlasting great wealth!
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY - MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW