We take a piece of the bitter herb from the Seder plate and
prepare to eat it.
This is a reminder of the bitterness of slavery. As we eat the
maror, let us remember the bitterness that many immigrants still
encounter.

We say together:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל אֲכִילַ ת מָרוֹר.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’Olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotavv’tzivanu al achilat maror.
Blessed are you, Sovereign of the Universe, who has sanctified us with your
commandments and commanded us to eat maror.

To Consider- Rabbenu Asher, Pesachim 2:19 (from the Talmud)
Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, “Why is Egypt
compared to Maror?” Like Egypt at first it is soft, but in the end it is hard. Similarly, the
Egyptians first acted softly, but in the end were hard. In the beginning, they dealt gently
with the Israelites, but in the end, they imposed hard labor on them.


haggadah Section: Maror
Source: Jewish Council on Urban Affairs Justice and Freedom Seder 2008/5768