Rabban Gamliel was a teacher who lived in Israel about 2,000 years ago and helped write the Haggadah. He wanted us to make sure that the foods at our seder are not just for eating but to remind us how the Jews felt at their last night of slavery. Rabban Gamliel said that every Pesach seder should include the story of Pesach, Matzah, and Maror. 

The Pesach is a lamb bone and also the name of this holiday, but why do we need it on our seder plate? Before the Jews left Egypt, each family had roasted lamb to eat. When Hashem brought the 10th plague to all the houses in Egypt, Hashem “passed over” the Jewish homes. The lamb is a sign to Hashem that the Jews were choosing to be free. The lamb bone reminds us that we are choosing to celebrate Pesach now.  

The next, which is matzah, why is that on our seder table? Matzah is made of the same dough as bread but we make it much faster. Matzah reminds us that when Pharaoh was finally convinced to let us go, we had no time to get ready or wait and that we had to go fast! Eating matzah at the seder reminds us of slavery and freedom because we took it with us to eat when we didn't have time to make anything else. 

Maror, which means “bitter,” is a vegetable we eat on Pesach but why is it on our seder table? Maror has a bitter and harsh taste just like the Jews’ lives being slaves in Egypt. It helps us remember and imagine the heaviness of lifting bricks and our pain and suffering in our hearts when we thought we would never be free. Maror helps us understand the importance of freedom because of how much we talk about slavery. It helps us remember that when we get the choice, we choose to be free. x5g43wle0ELj7VVJfglKHJR_7P7zEMY1-5i6oXfLMbKQR3-zdwGA9NsBCfARYkNHsYmNFR5nwtTCeW2bB0IrsHydg1jpFbEiWyN7w0dURZFRuhOw8em9ipMkZ4RO3-qe6YIHj9jr

These three symbolized foods, Pesach, Maror, and Matzah bring the feeling of Pesach to our table. No matter how long ago the first Pesach was, we still try to feel that right now we are free and we should be thankful for it.



*Sources:  www.sefaria.org  www.chabad.org


haggadah Section: Motzi-Matzah