Pesach, which begins this year on March 30, 2010, is the holiday we commemorate the redemption of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. One of the highlights of Pesach is the Seder. The Seder is a unique service performed on the first two nights of Pesach. At the Seder we eat various special foods and we tell the story of our exodus from Egypt.
1) We drink 4 cups of wine because during Pesach we have to feel like royalty.
2) We lean to show that we are free to eat like kings.
3) We eat matzas to remember that the Jews were fed matza in Egypt because matza symbolizes poor man’s bread.
4) We eat maror (bitter herbs) to remind ourselves that the Egyptians made our lives bitter.
At the Seder even though we commemorate our redemption by drinking 4 cups of wine and by leaning, we eat matza and bitter herbs to remember our history and what we were. People who forget their past do not appreciate what they have now. Pesach is a reminder to appreciate our freedom – our ability to freely study Torah and do mitzvot.
Pesach is all about appreciation to the Almighty. This is only possible if we remind ourselves of the hardship and difficulties that our forefathers encountered in Egypt. That is the reason why we start the Seder with saying, “Why is this night different from all other nights� On one hand, we eat bitter herbs and matza to commemorate the slavery. On the other hand, we drink wine and lean while we eat matza to show that we now live in freedom.
We start the Seder with ×”× ×œ×—×ž×” ×¢× ×™×” (this is the poor man’s bread), and then the youngest in the family asks the Four Questions. מה × ×©×ª× ×” – What is the difference between this night and all other nights? His question is essentially the following – are we commemorating our slavery by eating matza and bitter herbs or are we celebrating our freedom by drinking wine and leaning while eating matza?
The father answers: we were slaves in the land of Egypt but G-D took us out. In order to appreciate our freedom we have to remember our past hardship. We have to remember our history. People who do not remember their past have no future.
In conclusion, Pesach is all about appreciation to the Almighty, appreciation for our freedom, appreciation of being a chosen nation, and being able to perform G-D’s mitzvot freely. This would only be possible by remembering our past and that G-D helped the Jews in Egypt. He helps every generation. We just have to raise our hands to him and realize that he is the master of all.
On behalf of everyone at Yachad Kollel, I would like to wish you and your family a happy and meaningful Pesach.
Rabbi Yosef Shemtov