Asking the Clergy: Symbolism of Passover seder foods

Symbolic food and drink are an important part of the seder meal that begins the Jewish festival of Passover after sundown on April 15. This week’s clergy discuss how such traditional Passover staples as bitter herbs, eggs, matzo, wine and water help tell the biblical story of the exodus of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt.

Rabbi Michael Baum

Temple Beth Am of Merrick and Bellmore

At the seder meal, every place is set with a plate containing foods that are highly symbolic when eaten during the reading of the Haggadah, the guide to the Passover story. Two that are especially meaningful are herbs and roasted eggs.

The bitter taste of the herbs reminds us of the bitterness of our slavery in Egypt. The herbs can be either romaine lettuce or horseradish (because of their sharp, bitter taste).

Why a roasted or hard-cooked egg? There are many interpretations. Since the time of the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, the slaughtering of a paschal lamb was replaced by the roasting of a hard-cooked egg and the shank bone. The egg is a religious symbol in nearly every culture because of its oval shape, symbolizing life and eternity. The Talmud even has a section called “Beitza” (the Hebrew word for egg), which deals with the use of eggs laid on Jewish festivals.

One of my teachers said the roasted-egg custom derived from its Aramaic translation, be'ah, which resembles ba'a, or desire, in that God was desirous of redeeming Israel. Others claim it's simply a leftover of the typical hors d'oeuvre in Roman banquets.

Rabbi Susie Heneson Moskowitz

Senior rabbi, Temple Beth Torah, Melville

Miriam’s cup, which brings the sister of Moses and Aaron into the seder, is one of my favorite Passover rituals. I own several such cups, some crafted for the seder table by artists, others homemade.

This newer ritual added in the past 50 years lends itself to creativity. I do a ritual adapted using the American singer-songwriter Debbie Friedman’s Jewish religious songs and the Ma’yan women’s seder. We start with an empty cup, and each person adds water to it and shares a way that they will increase peace in the world this coming year. This year I will say, “I pour this water and pledge to work to make the lives of immigrants better.”

The Passover seder is about asking questions that help make ancient events relevant to our lives now. Miriam’s cup helps us feel the stress of wandering through the desert as it reminds us that we are the ones who need to do the work of repairing the world — of bringing life to arid land. We use life-giving water instead of the wine you’d find in Elijah’s cup because Miriam is associated with the wellspring of water that followed the Hebrews in the wilderness so that they would never go thirsty.

Rabbi Anchelle Perl

Director, Chabad of Mineola

Hasidic thought emphasizes that matzo is the “bread of faith.” The seder night is a spiritual opportunity to literally chew, digest and absorb faith. This makes matzo more than just one-night’s mitzvah. Because it has lasting spiritual effect all year, it must be watched, guarded and protected for its purity and holiness.

The boxed matzo you see in the stores is "Kosher for Passover" (if so certified on the package); no question about that. But there is a preference that handmade shmurah matzoh be eaten, especially for the seder nights. Regular matzo is made by machine. Handmade shmurah matzoh is different. Every step of this process is done with focus and intent, for the sake of the mitzvah.

Shmurah literally translates to “watched,” meaning the flour used in these matzo was carefully supervised from the harvest and throughout the milling process to ensure it remained dry, without any contact with water, until it was mixed with water and baked into matzo.

One last thought; the characteristic of leavened dough is that it rises and swells, symbolizing pride and boastfulness. The matzo, on the other hand, is thin and flat, reminding us to strive to attain the attribute of humility in our lives.