Dipping the bitter herb in sweet charoset |  maror   |מָרוֹר   

In creating a holiday about the joy of freedom, we turn the story of our bitter history into a sweet celebration. We recognize this by dipping our bitter herbs into the sweet charoset. We don’t totally eradicate the taste of the bitter with the taste of the sweet… but doesn’t the sweet mean more when it’s layered over the bitterness? This complexity of flavors reminds us that being happy is not just about feeling joy. Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of the best-selling  How of Happiness, defines happiness as “the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being,  combined with  a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.” Therefore, sometimes we must experience negative emotions - such as sadness, fear and loneliness- in order to find a deeper connection to the positive forces in our lives and to feel true happiness.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל אֲכִילַת מרוֹר

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al achilat maror.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who made us holy through obligations, commanding us to eat bitter herbs.


haggadah Section: Maror