Passover, like many of our holidays, combines the celebration of an event from our Jewish memory with a recognition of the cycles of nature. As we remember the liberation from Egypt, we also recognize the stirrings of spring and rebirth happening in the world around us. The symbols on our table bring together elements of both kinds of celebration.

We now take a vegetable, representing our joy at the dawning of spring after our long, cold winter, and we dip it into salt water, a symbol of the tears our ancestors shed as slaves. Before we eat it, we recite a short blessing:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree ha-adama.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruits of the earth.

As we did our Karpas into salt water, we are reminded of more than just our ancestor's story. We live today in a time of renewal and sorrow. We are entering into spring in the northern hemisphere, a time of rebirth, a time of the planting and sprouting of new vegetation. At the same time, we hear daily the counts of infection rise and death tolls rise around the world. We add to our thoughts that this time of renewal and rebirth is tinged with the tears of those who mourn the loss of loved ones and the prayers for the recovery of those ill around the world.

We all have aspects of ourselves that may feel buried under the stresses of adapting to life during this pandemic. What have we learned from this change? What elements of our own lives do we hope to revive during this season?


haggadah Section: Karpas