Barech (Step 13) – A Special Opportunity To Elevate An Everday Mitzvah

Rabbi Lam relates a story of how he was once in an office saying an after brocha on his danish, and could not speak to the receptionist. After finishing he explained that he was saying the blessing required after eating. The receptionist responded that in her religion they say grace before meals. He explained that giving thanks before you eat is much easier than thanking after you are full, so in Judaism we say a blessing both before and after. The secretary replied, “Word – That’s the truth.”

Word it is, but the problem is that we often have difficulty Bentching properly. And on Seder night, it can sometimes be even more difficult. But with that difficulty, comes opportunity.

Pesach is a time on which we are dining at Hashem’s table. There are so many Mitzvahs of eating on this night. We truly have an opportunity to transform our everyday act of eating into a spiritual act. And what better way to top it off, then by bentching slowly with Kavannah. Pesach is a time of special protection, of a special love between Hashem and His People. What a great time to reciprocate that love with a beautiful Barech.

Rabbi Moshe Gordon – Seeing Yourself As If You Left Mitzrayim

The Haggadah relates that:

In every generation a person is obligated to regard himself as if he had come out of Mitzrayim, as it is says: “You shall tell your child on that day, it is because of this that Hashem did for me when I left Mitzrayim.”

In this mp3, Rabbi Moshe Gordon explores some of the classical approaches to understanding and fulfilling this Mitzvah. You can download it here.

Tzafun (Step 12) – Halachic Approach to a Common Problem

The following is dedicted LZecer Nishmas Avivah Rachel bas Malkah Zicronah Livracha whose all too short life was dedicated to Torah, Avodah and Gmilus Chasadim. May her family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

I mentioned in my first post that one of the more frequent issues that arises with respect to Tzafun is that of Chatzos–eating the afikomen before halachic midnight. IOW, your seder is progressing -you have gone through Magid with a lot of Divrei Torah and Shirah and you have started the meal. Depending on the calendar, Chatzos not so suddenly creeps up on you and a halachic issue presents itself-what about the Afikoman?!

The Avnei Nezer, one of the Gdolei Acharonim presented the following ingenious solution.The He suggested that one take a matzah before Chatzos and say-If the Halacha is in accordance with R Eliezer Ben Azaryah , this is the Afikoman. If the halacha is not so, it is just a piece of matzah. Therefore, regardless of who the halacha is like., I can continue to eat because according to R Eliezer Ben Azaryah, since the time for eating the Karban pesach has passed, and according to the Rabbanan, one can eat the Afikoman until Alos HaShachar (sunrise)-all night and before Alos HaShachar I can eat another piece of
matzah to fulfull the view of the Rabbanan. ( See ShuT Avnei Nezer Orach Chaim Siman 251 Sif Katan 5 for the entirety of this fascinating solution).
Read more Tzafun (Step 12) – Halachic Approach to a Common Problem

Tzafun (Step 12) – Eating the Afikoman

The Mishnah (Pesachim 120a) tells us “ain maftiriin achar Pesach Afikoman. Rav Yehudah in the name of Shmuel states that the Afikoman is the last item eaten at the meal as a remembrance of the matzah that was eaten with the Karban pesach. Although Mar Zutrah quotes Shmuel as permitting one to eat after the Afikoman, the Gemara concludes that one may not do so. The Baalei Tosfos understand that Afikoman is a Greek word that means cessation from eating.

Many Rishonim ( Rambam, Rashbam, ) hold that the eating of the Afikoman is the essential part of the mitzvah of eating matzah. It should be noted that there is a substantial machlokes in the Rishonim and Acharonim as to whether one can drink anything after the afikoman because it would nullify the taste of matzah in one’s mouth .
Read more Tzafun (Step 12) – Eating the Afikoman

Rabbi Yakov Horowitz on the Boro Park Chillul Hashem

With a heavy heart and firm resolve, I would like to use this forum to publicly repudiate the actions of those in the Boro Park community who shamed Jews worldwide yesterday with their lawless and violent actions.

As a Torah Jew, I am obligated to judge people l’kaf zechus (favorably). With that in mind, and considering the fact that I was not there to witness these protests firsthand, perhaps I should listen to those in our community who defend or excuse the actions of the protesters by pointing out that there were allegations of police brutality that sparked the protests.

However, there is no set of circumstances that permit the torching of a police car and the setting of fires in this malchus shel chesed (benevolent country). These criminal acts are a dark stain on our community and constitute a disgrace of Hashem’s Torah. And I firmly believe that those who perpetrate these actions are ‘rodfim’ who are putting all of us in danger.
Read more Rabbi Yakov Horowitz on the Boro Park Chillul Hashem

Shulchan Orech (Step 11) – Food for Thought

It is interesting that Shulchan Orech is included as one of the Steps of the Seder. I mean, since when did Jews need to be commanded to eat?! The answer, I think, hearkens back to what we mentioned in the step of Rachtza: one can eat a meal as a pure physical necessity or desire or one can take the physicality in the meal and elevate it to something spiritual.

The Ma’ainah Shel Torah asks the question of how it is possible to split the Hallel that we say at the Seder (half after Maggid and half during the step of Hallel)? Isn’t the eating of an entire meal in between the two halves considered a hefsek (an impermissible interruption)? The answer is that when we properly eat our meal, in a manner that raises it from the physical to the spiritual, the meal itself is really a continuing praise of Hashem and therefore is not an interruption at all.

Korech (Step 10) – The Sandwich Generation

At this stage of the Seder, we combine the Maror with the Matzah according to the opinion of Hillel. Most haggadahs state at this point: “This is in remembrance of the Temple, as Hillel used to do.” Hillel was of the opinion that in order to fulfill the mitzvos of eating maror and matza (and the passover offering during the time that the Temple stood), they must be eaten together.

The halacha is not like Hillel and we only eat Korech as a rememberance of the Temple. The interesting thing is that while we do find in halacha that we will fulfill a minority opinion if possible but here the minority opinion is incorporated as an actual step of the seder. Why is it that Hillel’s opinion merited to be added as a separate step of the seder and why was it specifically added as a “rememberance of the Temple”?

Hillel was the paradigm of patience and truly embodied the concept of “loving your fellow Jew”. It is Hillel’s example that we must follow in order to merit the construction of the Third Temple. By giving prominence to a minority opinion, we make the ultimate expression of loving your fellow Jew. That is, even if I don’t agree with you, your opinion, when properly formed within a Torah framework, is important. That is why Hillel’s Korech sandwich is incorporated as a step in the seder and that is why it is a rememberance of the Temple. May we all merit to see that Temple rebuilt, speedily, in our days.

Maror (Step 9) – The Eating of the Bitter Herbs

The Haggada asks: “For what reason do we eat these bitter herbs?” The answer, known by most, is because the Egyptians made the lives of our fathers bitter by burdening them with back-breaking work.

The Me’am Lo’ez haggada advances a different reason. He explains that there are three words for romaine lettuce in Hebrew: maror, chasa, and chazeres. We have already explained why it is called maror, because of the bitterness we experienced in Mitzraim.

It is also called chasa because Hashem took notice of the Jews suffering in Mitzraim and had mercy (chas, in Hebrew) on them and brought them out of servitude.
Read more Maror (Step 9) – The Eating of the Bitter Herbs

Matzah (Step 8) – Training in Emotional Gymnastics

On the night of the Seder, we have an obligation to view ourselves as if we left Mitzrayim. This is no small task and many commentators have questioned how it is possible. We have to seriously arouse our emotions for this, and the Seder provides a night filled with emotional stimuli to help.

At the center of these stimuli is the Matzah, a simple food of just flour and water. But it is around this food that we need to do emotional gymnastics. We have to think of Matzah as the staple we ate when we were slaves in Egypt. And at the same time, this is the food that we baked in haste as we left Mitzrayim.

Matzah is to be transformed in our minds and our hearts from slave rations to the food of freedom. Perhaps Hashem is showing us that we can control our thoughts, and through our mind we can control our emotions. The whole night we are being trained to go from thoughts of slavery to thoughts of freedom so that we can actually come to feel that we ourselves, each one of us, actually left Mitzrayim and thank Hashem with all our hearts.

Motzi (Step 7) – Uplifting a Jew to Near Perfection

By Rav Lazer Brody

Motzi uplifts a Jew to near perfection. A Jew possess the body of a mammal, yet the soul of an angel. No one but the Jew can take coarse materiality and convert it to spirituality. On Seder night, when the Jew grasps the matzos with his ten fingers, and then says the blessing “HaMotzi” that consists of ten words, he and his family are able to ascend the spiritual ladder of the ten spheres and attain perfect unity with Hashem, as the number ten indicates perfection. Since Hashem is perfection, all who cling to Him and subjugate themselves to Him interfuse with perfection.

On Seder night we make “HaMotzi” on the simplest of pas, the matza shmura that consists of water and wheat with nothing else. Symbolically, this shows that we attain spiritual perfection by minimizing material needs, since interestingly enough there are ten mitzvas in the Torah involving wheat. A happy and kosher Passover.

How Would You Handle this Situation?

Our friend Phil sent in the following question:

In my inlaws’ apartment complex, I often pass by the door of some college students. They’re Jewish, but not observant. On the door, there is a mezuzah on the left side. (If not observant, then at least they’re ‘proud’, right?) I was thinking that maybe this could be a kiruv opportunity. I’d like to secretly slide a letter under their door that informs them of the correct mezuzah placement. I suspect that I should hint that that’s not the only reason why I wrote them.

Obviously, I want to avoid any hint of judgmentalism, here’s-my-unsolicited-advice-ism, and preachiness. The letter should be very lighthearted and witty (rhyming couplets, perhaps?), or at least sensitively written, fostering good-will. I also think I should include my name, number, and email, and tell them I’m related to their neighbors, whom they know a little.

Unfortunately, I’m not the most creative of writers, and would love to see some BeyondBT readers take a stab at it. OR: If you think that the only advice taken is the advice sought, and you think I should just forget the whole thing, please say so.

Why a letter and why not knock on their door? It all comes down to my getting tongue tied in some sensitive situations.

Rachtza (Step 6) – The Washing of the Hands Preceding the Eating of the Matzah

Our physical bodies are comprised of 2\3 water and the earth upon which we live is made up of more than 2\3 water. That being the case, it is easy to conceive of water as simply a physical, coarse life necessity devoid of spirituality. Of course, we know that not to be true.

Water plays a prominent part in the spiritual life of a Jew. Mikvah, Netilas Yadayim, the water drawing ceremnony in the Temple, etc. Indeed, the torah itself is compared to water. The primary function of water is to remove impurity or lift the spiritual state of an object or person. For example, after we immerse our dishes in a mikvah they become usable, one who is in a spiritually impure state arises from the mikvah in a pure state. There are many such examples.
Read more Rachtza (Step 6) – The Washing of the Hands Preceding the Eating of the Matzah

Maggid (Step 5) — The Lesson of the Simple Son

The Maggid step has got to be the most commented upon section of the haggadah. Our vort on Maggid is presented by A Simple Jew. What better section of Maggid for A Simple Jew to discuss than The Simple Son.

The Lesson of the Simple Son
By A Simple Jew

The Simple Son is one of the most overlooked sons in the Haggadah. He does not have a dominant part as do the Wise Son and the Wicked Sons. Who is wise? He who learns from every person. (Pirkei Avos 4:1). Thus, there are lessons one can learn from the Simple Son. Today the term “simple” has a negative connotation. When we say that a person is “simple”, it usually means that we regard the person as naive, unsophisticated, or unintelligent.There are many chassidic stories that honor the simple person and his pure intentions.
Read more Maggid (Step 5) — The Lesson of the Simple Son

Yachatz (Step 4) — A Taste of Things to Come

Rabbi Goldson is a well-known author of numerous pieces appearing on the web and in print media. He has quickly become one of the most popular contributors and commenters here on BeyondBT.

The fourth step of the seder, yachatz, is so brief that it can easily slip past us with little notice, depriving us of one of the most profound symbolic messages of the Pesach evening.

The simple, superficial imagery of breaking the matzah reminds us of the poor man rationing his meager fare and protectively hiding away the larger portion (the afikomen) to guard against an uncertain future. This echoes the symbolism of matzah as lechem oni — poor-man¹s bread, the coarse meal accorded the Jewish slaves by their Egyptian overlords.
Read more Yachatz (Step 4) — A Taste of Things to Come

Beyond BT Guide to the Seder

A few years ago I put together a guide to the Seder to hand out on the night of Pesach so that all the people could follow all the halachos if they wanted to do, without us having to be overbearing with continual instructions.

I lost the original file on some computer and was down to one remaining copy, appropriately doused in wine. Thanks to the miracles of the scanner, optical character recognition and David’s adept editing, I was able to revive the file and present it here for distribution. Most of the halachos are from the Kol Dodi Haggadah by Rabbi Dovid Feinstein.

Please distribute this freely to whomever you want in its complete format. Here is the PDF version of the Beyond BT Guide to the Seder. We’ve also included it in it’s entirety below.

Read more Beyond BT Guide to the Seder

Who Destroys a Single Jewish Life…

Dr Marvin Schick wrote a very thoughtful article in this week’s Jewish Press and he was kind enough to allow us to publish it here.

The November 1999 issue of The Jewish Observer, Agudath Israel’s magazine, was devoted entirely to children at risk, the spreading phenomenon of youngsters from religious homes who stray from Judaism, at times by indulging in anti-social behavior, including drug abuse.

The discussion was meaningful and moving, touching on a subject that many of us sensed Read more Who Destroys a Single Jewish Life…