Karpas
Dipping of a vegetable in salt water
Some people may ask why we have Karpas at our Seder well there are many answers from the midrash why. Karpas is parsley a vegetable the Jews used to eat in Egypt when they were hungry. We dip healthy green parsley in bitter salt water near the beginning of the Seder. This is because the cold bitter salt water is similar to the heavy tears of the Jews. Dipping a vegetable in the salt water reminds us of the suffering of our ancestors. Also, we eat a vegetable to be similar to the changing season. The green vegetable reminds us of hashem's outstanding creations like plants and trees.
We do many different things during the seder. Some of those traditions we do cause children to become more curious about why we do this. One of those traditions is the act of Karpas. Karpas is the Hebrew word for Parsley is mainly used for dipping in salt water and eating with a bracha. The bitter salt water reminds us of the sad tears of the Jews. According to The Haggadah Beruah parsley was considered a slave food that the slaves could just pick from the ground and eat that also reminds us about the suffering of the Jews. According to A Passover Haggadah you say adamah and then eat the salty parsley. When the children ask questions it usually lead to discussion and learning throughout the Seder.
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