831. Maror and Charoses

118:3 For maror (the bitter herbs), it is customary to use horseradish. Since it is very sharp, one may grate it with a grater, being careful not to wear it down completely. It should be grated upon arrival home from shul and, as discussed above in 98:3, it must be grated in a manner different than on weekdays. One is not permitted to grate on Shabbos, so in that case one must grate his horseradish before Shabbos and cover it, though it would be better to use romaine lettuce instead of horseradish. (The lettuce is a symbol of the Egyptian servitude, which started out easy and got hard. Similarly, the lettuce starts sweet and turns bitter - Mishnah Brurah 473:42.) Romaine lettuce is easy to eat but it is considered a form of maror because its stalk becomes bitter while it is in the ground. One may also use wormwood, which was an ingredient in vermouth. Other vegetables, like escarole and chicory, may also be used for maror, though they may not be common in all locales. The different species that can be used for maror may be combined to make the required olive-sized portion (i.e., a k'zayis).

One may use both the leaves and the stalk of the lettuce but not the small roots that split into different directions. The large root from which the leaves grow, even though it's buried in the ground, is considered part of the stalk. In any event, it's preferable to use the leaves and stalks that are above the ground because some authorities consider whatever is in the ground to be the root. One may only fulfill his obligation with the leaves when they are fresh but the stalks can fulfill one's obligation whether they are fresh or dried, though not when they are cooked or pickled.

118:4 The charoses must be thick, to remind us of the mortar in Egypt. When it's time to dip the maror in the charoses, one adds wine or vinegar to soften it as a reminder of the blood; also, this renders the charoses suitable for dipping. Charoses should be made from fruits that are compared to the nation of Israel, like figs, as per Song of Songs 2:13, "The fig tree ripens its figs" - nuts - verse 6:11, "I went down to the garden of nuts" - dates - verse 7:9, "Your stature is like a palm tree" - pomegranates - verse 4:3, "like the halves of a pomegranate" - apples - verse 8:5, "I woke you up under the apple tree," referring to the Jewish women giving birth there in Egypt on their own, without pain - and almonds - because Hashem persevered to bring about the end of the Egyptian exile. (Editor's note: in Hebrew, the root ShKD means both an almond and to persevere.) One must also add some spice, like cinnamon or ginger that are not chopped up too fine, to resemble the straw that was added to the mortar. On Shabbos, we don't add wine or vinegar to the charoses because this must be done with a change from the normal weekday manner. We therefore put the charoses into the wine or vinegar. Even if yom tov does not fall on Shabbos, we make the salt water before yom tov. If one does make it on yom tov, it must be done with a change, like adding the water first and then the salt.