Ha Lachma Anya
Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Prophets (New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2001), p. 19
Above all, the prophets reminded us of the moral state of a people: Few are guilty, but all are responsible.
( Ha Lachma Anya ) הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא
הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם. כָּל דִכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל, כָּל דִצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח. הָשַתָּא הָכָא, לְשָנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְרָאֵל. הָשַתָּא עַבְדֵי, לְשָנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין.
This bread of affliction which our ancestors at in the land of Egypt: Let all who are hungry, come eat; all who are needy, come share Passover. Now, we are here, next year in the Land of Israel; now, we are slaves, next year, free people!
Babylonian Talmud, Pesachim 115b
Shmuel said: it is written “the bread of affliction” (Deut. 16:3)—bread which elicits conversation.
Babylonian Talmud, Yoma 74b
You cannot compare one who has bread in his basket with one who has none.
Rashi, (France, 11th cent.), commentary thereon
This refers to one who has food today but worries about [food for] tomorrow.
Josef Karo¸ Shulchan Aruch, (Late Medieval law code) “Yoreh De’ah” 250:1
כמה נותנין לעני, די מחסורו אשר יחסר לו. כיצד, אם היה רעב, יאכילוהו. היה צריך לכסות, יכסוהו. אין לו כלי בית, קונה לו כלי בית...וכן לכל אחד ואחד לפי מה שצריך.
How much is it appropriate to give to the poor? “Sufficient for his needs in that which he lacks.” If he is hungry, one must feed him. If he needs clothing, one must clothe him. If he lacks housing utensils, one must provide him with housing utensils… To each person according to what he needs.
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