SALT WATER SUFFERING

Haggadah Section: Karpas
Salt Water

Salt is unique in that it is bitter on its own, yet sweetens and brings out the taste of that which it is added to. For this reason, salt is the staple of suffering.

There are two perspectives of suffering – Purposeless Suffering and Purposeful Suffering.

Purposeless Suffering is suffering without reason, value, or an end-goal, and is therefore completely bitter. It is based on a keyhole view of life: “What is right in front of my eyes is all there is and there is no grander scheme.”

We squint in order to focus on something in the distance.

The Kabbalists explain that for this reason, the reaction of a person in pain is to close his eyes, since physical eyes don't see the spiritual purpose. Just as a person squints, which is a partial closing of one's eyes in order to focus on something in the physical distance, one may close his eyes completely in order to focus on something in the "spiritual distance.”

Purposeful Suffering is sweetened by understanding the greater context – that all is from God and for the best.

At the Seder, we dip the Karpas into saltwater in order to embody the concept of Purposeful Suffering – that we view any suffering in life as a surgery for our ultimate betterment rather than meaningless torture. (Additionally, we dip Karpas into salt water to represent the tears cried by the Jewish people while enslaved under Egyptian rule.)

We see these two sides of salt expressed by the Dead Sea. Due to its high salt concentration, the Dead Sea contains no life within it, yet has an incredible capacity to heal. On its own, the Dead Sea is "bitter," but when a person dips into the Dead Sea, he is "sweetened."

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree ha-adama.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruits of the earth.

We also dip Karpas to help us remember the sweetness of life. How the universe  works in cycles and the spring will always come back around providing us with new life. 

Source:  
Aish/Pollock
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Table of contents
    Introduction
  • Passover 2020 Introduction
  • Seder Guests...
  • The Seder Plate - Coloring Page
  • Jerry Seinfeld's Passover Stand-Up Introduction - The Yada Yada Haggadah
  • Blessing on Flowers
  • A Secular Humanistic Passover Blessing
  • Phrases
  • Greetings
  • Building Your Mental Health Passover Seder Plate
  • A Poem For The Disappointed
  • Passover Themes Meaningful to Interfaith Families
    • Commentary / Readings
  • 20 Table Topics for Your Passover Seder
  • The Ethical Problem of Hardening Pharaoh's Heart
  • Anne Frank Quote
  • A "Fifth" Cup for Justice
    • Kadesh
  • Why Four Cups of Wine
  • Kaddesh
  • Sanctification - Kiddush
    • Urchatz
  • 2020 Seder Order
  • Blessing For Hand Washing During a Pandemic
  • Hand Washing Coloring Page
  • A Priestess’s Prayer Under Quarantine
    • Karpas
  • Karpas - The Yada Yada Haggadah
  • SALT WATER SUFFERING
    • Yachatz
  • Afikoman Auction
  • The Strangers in Our Midst
  • The Afflicted Matza
  • Song - Don't sit on the Afikomen
    • Maggid - Beginning
  • Michael Walzer, Exodus and Revolution
  • A Historical Perspective
  • Healthy Debate: How This Night Can Be Different
    • -- Four Questions
  • Hunger Seder: Four Questions
  • Four Questions
  • Four Questions in Judeo-Persian/Farsi (Transliterated)
    • -- Four Children
  • The Four Adults
  • Why This Night: Four Children and Five Rabbis
  • The Four Children Approach the Future
    • -- Exodus Story
  • Personal Mitzrayim
  • Donald Trump Tells The Exodus Story - The Trump Passover Haggadah
  • Let My People Go (song)
  • First Proposed Seal of the United States
    • -- Ten Plagues
  • Skit - Pharaoh and Moses Go To A Conflict Counselor
  • The Modern Plagues
  • Dom, Dom
    • -- Cup #2 & Dayenu
  • Dayenu
  • Maroon 5/Adam Levine - "Memories (The 2nd Cup Parody Song)"
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    • Rachtzah
  • Rachtzah: A Deeper Washing
  • Barriers to Love
  • Bring, Deliver, Redeem, Take: Principles of Adulthood
    • Motzi-Matzah
  • No Pasta more Matzah
  • An Ode to Bread
    • Maror
  • Have Yourself a Piece of Bitter Maror
    • Koreich
  • Charoset Chanina (“Charoset of Clemency”)
    • Songs
  • Sweet Charoset - parody song
  • Our Passover Things (Sung to the tune of "My Favorite Things")
    • Shulchan Oreich
  • Let's Eat!
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  • Barech – Invitation to Gratitude
  • Ruth's Cup: A New Passover Ritual Celebrating Jewish Diversity
  • Miriam's Cup by Miriam Jerris
    • Hallel
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  • Adrienne Rich on Freedom
  • The Promised Land
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