The Seder Table

Seder Plate

On the table is a seder plate on which the following foods are found:

Maror: bitter herbs remind us of the bitterness of slavery

Z'roa: a roasted bone reminds us of the special lamb that was brought to the Temple in Jerusalem on Pesach as an offering to God

Beitsa: a roasted egg reminds us of the sacrifice our ancesters would bring to the Temple in honor of the Jewish festivals of Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot

Charoset: a mixture of nuts, apples, and wine reminds us of the clay our ancestors used to make bricks for the Pharaoh in Egypt

Karpas: a green vegetable, such as parsley, reminds us that Pesach occurs during the spring, when new life brings a feeling of hope

On the seder table we also find:

Yayin: during the seder meal we drink four cups of wine to remind us of four of God's promises of freedom for the Jewish people

Mei-melach: the salt water reminds us of the bitter tears shed by our people during slavery, as well as the tears of those who are not yet free

Matzah: three matzot remind us that there are still three kinds of people: those who are not yet free, those who don't care about the freedom of others, and those who are free and work to help others become free

Kos Eliyahu: the rabbis of long ago taught that the prophet Elijah will come and announce a time when all people will be free; we fill a special cup with wine for him

Miriam's Cup: we honor the contributions of this strong woman, without whom our story would not have happened


haggadah Section: Introduction
Source: Judaica Webstore