The Maror
This is the maror , the bitter herbs. (Strictly speaking, horseradish isn't an herb, but that's tradition for you.)
The maror represents the bitterness of slavery. We only eat a little of it at the Seder, much as we hope that, while we can't entirely avoid pain and bitterness in our lives, we hope to only experience a bit of it at a time.
We don't eat the horseradish on its own. Later on, we will taste it twice, once mixed with the sweet kharoset and one as a sort of small sandwich on matzah,
Our lives are made up of elements that mix, contrast, and blend. This family is a blend of people coming from different lands, religions, and traditions. This country is made up of a wide tapestry of people all of whom either immigrated to this land or are descended from people who did. This planet has a mix of climates, currents, and conditions, all of which are in a tenuous balance that humankind can damage if we don't address with environment with care.
The mixture of maror with other foods reminds us to find balance in our lives, between the bitter and the sweet, between struggle and acceptance, between what we want for ourselves and what we would like to see for all the people in the world.
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