What's on The Table

Haggadah Section: Introduction

What's on the Table

Contributed by Arthur Magun

The Seder Plate

We place a Seder Plate at our table as a reminder of the Passover story. Each item has its own significance.

Maror – The bitter herb. This symbolizes the harshness of lives of the Jews in Egypt

Charoset – A mix of sweet wine, apples, cinnamon and nuts that resembles the mortar used as bricks of the many buildings the Jewish slaves built in Egypt

Karpas – A green vegetable, usually parsley, is emblematic of spring and is used to dip into the saltwater

Zeroah – A roasted lamb or shank bone symbolizing the sacrifice made at the great temple on Passover (The Paschal Lamb)

Beitzah – The egg symbolizes an additional holiday offering that was brought to the temple along with the zeroah. The shape  of eggs is also thought to represent the circularity of life and eggs are often the  first item offered to a mourner after a funeral. At Passover, the egg evokes a sense of mourning for the destruction of the temple.

Matzoh

Matzoh is the unleavened bread we eat to remember that when the Jews fled Egypt, they didn’t have time to let the dough rise for their bread. We commemorate this by removing  bread and bread products from our home during Passover.

Elijah’s Cup

This is the fifth ceremonial cup of wine poured during the Seder. It is left untouched in honor of Elijah, who, according to tradition, will arrive one day as an unknown guest to herald the coming of the Messiah. During the Seder dinner, we sing while the door is briefly opened,  to welcome Elijah. In this way the Seder dinner not only commemorates the historical redemption from Egyptian bondage of the Jewish people but also calls to mind their future redemption when Elijah and the Messiah shall appear.

Miriam’s Cup

A relatively new Passover tradition is that of Miriam’s cup. The cup is filled with water and placed next to Elijah’s cup. Miriam was the sister of Moses and a prophetess.  After the exodus when the Israelites are wandering through the desert, legend says that a well of water followed Miriam and it was called ‘Miriam’s Well’. The tradition of Miriam’s cup is meant to honor Miriam’s role in the story of the Jewish people and the spirit of all women, who lead and nurture their families, just as Miriam helped sustain the Israelites.

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Passover Guide

Hosting your first Passover Seder? Not sure what food to serve? Curious to
know more about the holiday? Explore our Passover 101 Guide for answers
to all of your questions.

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