Learn what's on the seder plate, and how each item relates to our personal lives.
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EGG
Reminds us to mourn that we can no longer offer the Korban Chagigah (Holiday sacrifice) since we no longer have the Temple. An egg is a sign of mourning because it is round, symbolizing the cycle of life from birth to death.
We yearn for God to redeem us from our present exile and rebuild the Temple, so that we will be able to serve God in the most optimal way.
LETTUCE
A form of Marror. Lettuce is not always bitter, but it can become hard and bitter if left in the ground for too long before being harvested. This hardening process parallels the transformation in attitude that the Egyptians had toward the Jews: Just as lettuce starts out soft and ends up hard and bitter, so too, the Egyptians originally welcomed Jacob and the Jewish people to Egypt with open arms, but later turned their backs on the Jewish people and subjected them to backbreaking labor.
The lettuce reminds us to remain loyal and appreciative toward the people who help us. We should not be like the Egyptians and the lettuce, which are soft at first but later become hard and bitter.
HORSERADISH
Reminds us of the bitter enslavement of our forefathers in Egypt. Many people eat lettuce (see above) for Marror instead of horseradish.
KARPAS
A vegetable like celery or a potato. We dip the Karpas into saltwater to remind us of the salty tears the Jews shed from the backbreaking labor in Egypt.
When God saw the Jews’ tears and heard their cries, God‘s mercy was aroused and He brought the Jews out of Egypt. The salty tears therefore remind us of God’s tremendous mercy, and the power of prayer to save us from even the most difficult of circumstances.
CHAROSET
A mixture of apples, cinnamon, nuts, and wine. Its appearance reminds us of the bricks and mortar the Jews used in Egypt.
We dip the bitter Marror into the Charoset to sweeten the bitterness of the Marror. This is a reminder that we can always find a spark of goodness and something to appreciate within every challenge we face in life. Every dark cloud has a silver lining.
ROASTED BONE
Reminds us of the Korban Pesach (Paschal Lamb) that was eaten at the seder in the times of the Temple. Since we no longer have our Temple, we can’t offer the Korban Pesach any more, and we don’t eat this meat, either.
The Korban Pesach was roasted because roasted meat is considered something eaten only by royals; poor people are more likely to just boil their meat. The Korban Pesach reminds us to celebrate that God elevated us from a nation of slaves to a holy nation of royalty. We are not just regular people, we are children of the King!