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Birchat hamazon – blessing after the meal--by Alexander Massey Brich rachamana malka d’alma marei d’hai pita. (Talmud, Brachot 40b) A Fountain of Blessings is the Compassionate One, Ruler of Eternity and the concealed and revealed Universe, Master of this Bread. (Translation-interpretation) The origin of this blessing is recorded in the Talmud with the following story: “Benjamin the shepherd made a sandwich [literally, a ‘doubled (wrapped) loaf’] and said, Blessed be the Master of this bread [brich marei d’hai pita], and Rab...

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Pesachim 39b:8 (Babylonian Talmud) We fulfill [our obligation] with all [things] that have the taste of marror ; we do not fulfill [our obligation] with all [things] that do not have the taste of marror . Excerpt from "A Humanistic Haggadah" MAROR - THE BITTER HERB - [Maror held up for all to see.] Why do we have Maror on the Seder plate? Tradition says that this bitter herb is to remind us of the bitterness of slavery. As it is...

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Talmud Pesachim 116a And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt, for it was not leavened because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any food. –Exodus 12:39 The Unleavened Bread is eaten because our fathers were redeemed from Egypt, as it is said, and they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which...

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Pesach Haggadah, Magid, Rabban Gamliel's Three Things Rabban Gamliel was accustomed to say: Anyone who has not said these three things on Pesach has not fulfilled his obligation, and these are them: the Pesach sacrifice, matsa and marror. The Pesach [Passover] sacrifice that our ancestors were accustomed to eating when the Temple existed, for the sake of what [was it]? For the sake [to commemorate] that the Holy One, blessed be He, passed over the homes of our ancestors in Egypt,...

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Sukkah 27b tells the story of R. Eliezer chastising his student R. Ilai for visiting his mentor on the holiday. R. Eliezer was of the view that part of the Biblical mitzvah of enjoying the holiday is remaining in one’s house. He said, “I praise the lazy who do not leave their houses on the holiday.” R. Tzvi Hirsch Chajes, in his glosses to Sanhedrin 32b, asks that if that is the case, why does the Haggadahtell of a time during...

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