bitter herbs: The bitter herbs provide a visceral reminder of the bitterness of slavery. charoset: The charoset symbolizes the sweetness of redemption and liberation. egg: Honestly, this one I googled around and it's just a tradition because ancient rabbis say so. Something about an offering to the Holy Temple, but not much backstory or symbolism. shank bone: The shank bone is called the pesach, from the Hebrew word meaning "to pass over." When God commanded the plagues upon Egypt, he told the Jews to paint their doors with lamb's blood so that they would not be affected by the plague. matzah: The matzah reminds us that when the Jews were finally free to leave Egypt, there was no time to pack or prepare. So people basically went rogue and grabbed whatever dough was lying around and set out on their journey, letting their dough bake into matzah under the sun as they fled.


haggadah Section: Rachtzah