Tefillah Tips - Haggaddah Insights
The Seder night is the yearly exhibition of Jewish Education in the home. We discuss the four types of children that make up Jewish families, their questions, and some answers.
As we sing and eat our way through the night there are plenty of customs and rituals to give definition and meaning to the evening(s).
I would like to focus on a poignant moment during the night. Yachatz -meaning dividing- is when the Seder leader breaks the middle Matzoh into two. The smaller piece is maintained in the Matzah bag next to the Maror and Charoset while the bigger one is hidden way and eaten later after the meal at the part of the Seder called Tzafun-meaning hidden.
This is the moment the children at the Seder have been dreaming about since Chanukah. If they somehow manage to acquire the smaller piece -entitled the Afikomen- a present is traditionally promised for its return.
On a practical level we understand this- that since we were slaves in Egypt, we eat broken scraps and impoverished style bread (not fresh Italian loaves). But there is something much deeper we can learn from this as well.
HaRav Shimon Schwab zt"l reveals a beautiful insight into Yachatz in the name of his father:
He explains that the two pieces of Matzah represent two entirely different worlds. The smaller piece on which we pronounce "the bread of affliction" represents "Olam Hazeh" which means the everyday world that we live in. It is the world that has ups and downs, sickness and health, and a myriad of imperfections. The bigger piece that we are commanded to eat AFTER WE ARE SATED-al HaSovah represents "Olam HaBah"- the world to come.
The world that everyone has a portion in- if earned. The eternal reward is what one has to look forward to after a life filled with worthy tasks and productive behavior (perhaps that is why we eat it after we are full).
The Seder night is unique because it is the only time that so many Mitzvot are fulfilled in the nighttime. Aside from lighting Chanukah candles (which is not biblically commanded), holiday mitzvot are reserved for the daytime. We shake a Lulav in the day, blow a shofar in the day,......so why do we eat Matzoh and read the Haggadah at night? Why is this night different..?
The answer is because Passover has a redemptive personality. It is the holiday that reminds us through ritual and prayer that our exile is only temporary. Our celebration manifests that the same way the Jews were redeemed 3300 years ago from Egypt (at this time), so too will we be redeemed again. It is the time of the year we remind ourselves with comfort that there has been a time and there will be a time when darkness turns into light and night turns into day. That is why we celebrate the Passover Seder at night.
As we sic our vacuum cleaner on the last Osem crouton let us try and find an hour here and there to prepare for your family Seder(s). Think about how many hours have been invested into these precious family meals. Let's decorate the cuisine with some well-researched information on the Hagaddah as well.