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Kabbalistic Seder Plate
Contributed by Evan Feist

  • TOP HAGGADAHS FOR 2023

Kabbalistically, the Passover Seder Plate represents all ten points of light (with the plate itself reprenting the tenth malkhut or kingdom) referred to in mystical books and teachings as the ‘ten sephirot’.  These ten points of light each represent mystical and spiritual attributes which make up the blueprint of the universal energies and of people in their physical manifestation.

Matzot  - The three intellectual attributes of the Kabbalah
The three highest Kabbalistic attributes are chochma, binah and da’at (the three intellectual attributes of wisdom, intellect and knowledge). These are represented on the Seder Plate by the three pieces of matzot.

The matzot represent our meditation and knowledge of G-d in an inner state of bitul (self-nullification). The matzot also remind us to continually be aware of Jewish continuity through our love for all Jews, who are divided into the three categories of Cohen, Levi and Israel (which correspond to the three matzot).

The three primary emotional attributes of the Kabbalah
Kabbalah teaches us that chesed (kindness, expansion), gevurah (restraint, contraction) and tiferet (harmony, balance) form the first triangle of emotional attributes in the Kabbalah’s blueprint of people. On the Seder plate they are represented by the shank bone, the egg and the bitter herbs. 

The Kabbalah teaches us that the shank bone represents the sefirah of chesed (lovingkindness) and specifically, zeroah netuya (G-d’s outstretched arm of Infinite Kindness to redeem us) and reminds us to emulate this trait, displaying lovingkindness toward all G-d’s creations.

Corresponding to the sefirah of gevurah (awe), the egg represents our awe of G-d and the life/death dichotomy.  It awakens our commitment to Torah and Mitzvot

Corresponding to the sefirah of tiferet, beauty and mercy, the maror represents the bitterness of the trials and tribulations of this world, and our prayers which arouse G-d’s great and infinite mercy to redeem us. The bitter herbs represent the pain/compassion continuum, which brings balance and harmony.

The three secondary emotional attributes of the Kabbalah
The emotional attributes of netzach (perseverance, the victory of individuation), hod (empathy, compassion, merging) and yesod (binding, unification of the individual and the group) make up the lower emotional triangle. 

On the Seder Plate netzach is represented by charoset, a sweet mixture of fruits and nuts, symbolizing the perseverance of nature, the individuation of the different trees and fruits, and our confidence binds us to the strength which G-d gives us to succeed in life’s endeavors.

Hod (thanksgiving) is represented by karpas, a vegetable, onion or potato, representing the earth’s compassion and non-discrimination. 

Yesod (foundation) is represented by hazaret which is used to ‘bind’ the ‘Hillel sandwich’, unifying the whole Seder by bringing together the matzot (freedom) with the marror (suffering and slavery).

The chazeret reminds us of our strongest existential connection to G-d in all situations of life. This is a state of continual repentance, chazarah (“return”–same root aschazeret) b’teshuvah. 

  • Four Cups of Wine

The ability to flow freely and connect all these levels together is accomplished by drinking the four cups of wine on the Seder night. “When wine enters the secret emerges.” (Eiruvin 65a)
haggadah Section: Introduction

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