B"H

Tuesday, 19 Adar 2, 5776 / March 29, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR

In less than four weeks, Friday night, April 22, Jews all over the world will sit down at their Passover Seder Table, together with family and friends and re-tell the story of our freedom.

This year’s Seder will be the 3328th year of telling the story of the Exodus, which took place 3328 years ago.   

Our sages say that all the exiles of the Jewish people throughout the generations, and who can even count how many times we have been exiled from place to place, they all have their roots in the exile of Egypt.

Similarly, every redemption including the final redemption with Moshiach, is rooted in the Exodus from Egypt.

Thus, Passover is not just a reminder of our past, but also a source of encouragment and inspiration for the present and future.

For the Seder we prepare a "Seder Plate" containing the following: Three whole matzot; the shank bone (zeroa), an egg (beitzah), bitter herbs (maror), a vegetable (karpas) and the charoset. 

One of the steps of the Seder is called “yachatz,” which means "dividing."  The one who leads the Seder takes the middle matzah of the three and breaks it into two pieces.  The bigger piece is wrapped in a cloth or napkin and hidden so it can be eaten later at the end of the meal.   The piece of matzah which is hidden is called "Afikoman." The smaller piece of matzah is placed back between the two whole matzot.

Q.  What is the significance of the three matzot on the Seder Plate?

A.  They represent the three categories of the Jewish people; Kohen, Levi and Yisrael. They also represent the three patriarchs; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Q.  Why do we break the middle matzah?

A.  The Torah refers to matzah as "Lechem oni" - "bread of poverty."  A poor person, who never knows where his next meal will come from, fears that he may not have anything to eat later. So he before he eats his meal he usually breaks off a piece and saves it for the next meal. 

Thus, we break the matzah and recite the story of our enslavement in Egypt and our subsequent liberation, over the smaller piece of "broken" matzah which represents the poor man's bread - bread of poverty.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY