כּוֹרֵךְ זֵכֶר לְמִקְדָּשׁ כְּהִלֵּל. כֵּן עָשָׂה הִלֵּל בִּזְמַן שבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הָיָה קַיָים: הָיָה כּוֹרֵךְ מַצָּה וּמָרוֹר וְאוֹכֵל בְּיַחַד, לְקַיֵים מַה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: עַל מַצּוֹת וּמְרֹרִים יֹאכְלֻהוּ

We now take some maror (horseradish/other bitter herbs) and charoset (apple/nut paste stuff yum) and put them between two pieces of matzah and give the sandwich to the person on our left.

When you think of a bitterness and sweetness in tandem, what do you think of? Share out a few words/phrases (meant to be first reaction/instinct)

In eating the Korech, we can remember the loss of the temple. While eating the Korech we taste the bitterness of slavery mixed with the sweetness of freedom. This practice suggests that part of the challenge of living is to taste freedom even in the midst of oppression, and to be ever conscious of the oppression of others even when we feel that we are free.

A quote I love that INN uses and that also feels really relevant here as well as throughout (almost) all Jewish texts is below:

This practice suggests that part of the challenge of living is to taste freedom even in the midst of oppression, and to be ever conscious of the oppression of others even when we feel that we are free.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?

But if I am for myself only, what am I?

And if not now, when?

-- Hillel

Thank you all for being here now and doing your best to be for others.


haggadah Section: Koreich
Source: Hila Mann