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What's On The Table
Contributed by Andrew Hazen

  • TOP HAGGADAHS FOR 2023

The Seder Plate

We place a Seder Plate at our table as a reminder to discuss certain aspects of the Passover story. Each item has its own significance.

Maror – The bitter herb. This symbolizes the harshness of lives of the Jews in Egypt.

Charoset – A delicious mix of sweet wine, apples, cinnamon and nuts that resembles the mortar used as bricks of the many buildings the Jewish slaves built in Egypt

Karpas – A green vegetable, usually parsley, is a reminder of the green sprouting up all around us during spring and is used to dip into the saltwater

Zeroah – A roasted lamb or shank bone symbolizing the sacrifice made at the great temple on Passover (The Paschal Lamb). The blood of sheep was also used to mark the doorposts of Jewish homes in Egypt so that when the angel of death came to slay the Egyptian first-born it would know to "pass over" the Jewish families.

Beitzah – The egg symbolizes a different holiday offering that was brought to the temple. Since eggs are the first item offered to a mourner after a funeral, some say it also evokes a sense of mourning for the destruction of the temple.

Orange - The orange on the seder plate has come to symbolize full inclusion in modern day Judaism: not only for women, but also for people with disabilities, intermarried couples, and the LGBT Community.

Matzah

When our ancestors escaped slavery in Egypt, they were concerned about surviving the murderous spears of their pursuers and the deadly heat of the desert, so waiting for yeast was low on the priority list.  That's why they made matzah. So we eat the matzah to remind us of the danger our ancestors faced and the sacrifices they made in leaving behind the only world they knew, in leaving their homes and their belongings to flee in search of freedom into a barren, parched, unknown wasteland yet unmapped by Google.  Matzah is the bread of liberation and of refugees.  Its dough is the desire to be free and it is baked in the fires of just and justifiable rebellion.

Elijah’s Cup

The fifth cup, which we leave for Elijah the prophet, represents our final redemption back to Israel that is yet to come. We leave it for Elijah to symbolize that we have not yet reached the point that we can merit arriving in our homeland. Let this fifth cup also represent the plight of refugees around the world who are still waiting for a durable solution that enables them to build a new home in safety. We pour the fifth cup in solidarity with these refugees because as Jews we recognize what it means to be wandering without a home, facing persecution, uncertain of our fate.

Miriam’s Cup

The cup is filled with water and placed next to Elijah’s cup. Miriam was the sister of Moses and a prophetess in her own right. After the exodus when the Israelites are wandering through the desert, just as G_d gave them Manna to eat, legend says that a well of water followed Miriam and it was called ‘Miriam’s Well’. The tradition of Miriam’s cup is meant to honor Miriam’s role in the story of the Jewish people and the spirit of all women, who nurture their families just as Miriam helped sustain the Israelites.
haggadah Section: Introduction

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