The

Education
inspiration
tradition

PESACH
Forum Contents

From crumb to sky……………………………………………..2

The personal touch .…………………………………………. 4
Ma Nishtana— a study in contrasts…................... 5
Given to all…………………...…………………………………...5
What’s behind the Matza Kneidl?.........................6
Why all the fuss?.……………………………………………….6
Atbash………………………………………………………………..7
Seder Table—a practical guide....……………………….8
Pesach in numbers……………………………………………. 10
What is there to celebrate?.……………………………….11
Why a seder?……………………………………………………..11
Grandfather’s maror…………................................. 14
Four sons make one………………………………………….. 15
To find out more about what the Forum can do for you - turn to the back page.

The Forum WCK is a charitable organisation, relying on donations to operate.

Please help to make an investment in Whitefield’s Jewish future by supporting
the Forum in these hard economic times: www.justgiving.com/whitefieldck

Dedicated In loving memory of

Patricia Salter (Pesha bas Reuven) A’H, and Leonard Salter (Hersh Leib ben Shraga) A’H.
Donated by their sons Philip and Paul Salter together with their families.
The page
PESACH two
Forum
From crumb to sky
By Rabbi jonathan guttentag
Halocho has a special word for the smallest - director
quantity - ma'she-hu. At Pesach the smallest crumb of leavened substance,
one may neither eat nor possess. Even trace elements of chametz can not be
discounted and do not become nullified. Such a principle does not apply in
other spheres of kashrus, where we can often rely on nullification of the pro-
hibited particles in a majority (bittul be-rohv) or in sixty times (bittul be-
shishim). Why is it, that particularly with the laws of chometz on Pesach we
find the principle of ma'she-hu?

Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik offered a most worthwhile idea. Ma'she-hu, the

smallest amount of chametz that is not nullified, is a symbol of the Jewish
people through the ages. Over 3,000 years ago in Pharaoh's Egypt they
started attempting to 'nullify' us, and yet we are the eternal people and it
was Hashem's will that we should survive.

Thus the prohibition of chametz on Pesach carries with it the uplifting mes-
sage for am yisrael from the beginning of their history: that throughout the
millennia, in spite of the foes which were destined to surround them, and
which would attempt to nullify them, eynon beteylim, they would not be-
come nullified.

Therefore at the Yom Tov of Pesach, which celebrates the existence of the
Jews as a nation, when the Children of Israel became the People of Israel, we
are given the mitzvah of chametz to observe, based on the principle that
even the smallest quantity does not become nullified, mashehu eyno boteyl.

Am Yisroel is a very small people - 12 million Jews as against the world's 1

billion Muslims and 1.9 billion Christians. The Jewish people, it has been ob-
served by an American writer, is smaller than a small statistical error in the
Chinese population census.

When we consider those relative numbers we see how breathtakingly pro-

phetic are the words of the Torah: lo meyrubchem mi-kol ho'amim choshak
Hashem bochem vayivchar bochem, 'not because of your greater numbers
than the other nations did Hashem desire you and choose you' ; ki attem
hame'at mikol ho'amim, 'for you are the least numerous of all the na-
tions' (Devarim 7;7).
The page
PESACH three
Forum And here we come across a working principle of Jewish life, we don’t play the
numbers game. Numbers don’t count. That is the message that arises from a
verse that we recite as part of our daily prayers, which describes G-d in the
following terms:

Moneh mispor lakochovim He counts the number of stars,

Lechulom sheymos yikro - to all of them He assigns names.
Godol Adoneynu verav koach - Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
li'sevunaso eyn mispor - to His understanding there is no 'number'. Psalm
(147;4-5)

This wording is difficult to comprehend. Surely the verse should say ‘to His
understanding there is 'no limit', or ‘to his understanding there is 'no end' -
lisevunoso eyn sof. Tevunah, understanding, is not something that is to be
counted by numbers? In answer, Rabbi Soloveitchik suggests a new way of
reading the phrase: lisevunoso: in Hashem's deep understanding - eyn mispor
'number is of no significance’.

For in the preceding verse G-d is described as supervising the heavenly and
the lofty. He is depicted as counting stars, giving each one a name. Such a G-d
who deals in the huge and the celestial, in the creation and managing of the
universe, what interest should He have in the small details of this world and
lowly human life? The final phrase shows that indeed Hashem does have that
interest: in G-d's deep understanding (lisevunoso) number and size (mispor)
has no significance (eyn).

But this year on Erev Pesach morning, Wed 8th April 2009, we are given the
opportunity to combine our atttention to the lowly and mundane, with a
gaze that focuses upwards on the very heavens. For the opportunity arises
to recite a beracha that occurs only once every twenty eight years - the bless-
ing of the sun, Birkat Hachamah.

According to the biblical account of Bereishis, the sun and the other luminar-
ies were created and started to function on the fourth day of Creation. Tradi-
tion has it that this occurred at the tekufah of Nissan (the traditional Jewish
calculation of the spring equinox). Jewish tradition recognises a solar cycle of
the anniversary of this event that takes twenty eight years to complete. On
completion of that cycle on the Wednesday of the spring equinox the bless-
ing is to be recited oseh maaseh Bereishis – delcaring that G-d ‘fashions the
works of Creation.
Chag Kasher V’Sameach
The page
PESACH four
Forum
The personal touch
By Rabbi Dovid eisenberg
We live in a world of comparisons.
Every game of football that we watch has
- whitefield community kollel
statistics and compares the different players
of the teams. Companies are always looking to downsize and will compare their
employees to see who brings the best results. The cars we drive, the watches and
clothes that we wear our holiday destinations are all up for scrutiny and
comparison. The Internet is booming with comparison websites. Whether it’s car
insurance, electrical appliances or just about anything you can think of, it is always
looked at in comparison with something else.

In the haggadah we read of the four sons. The torah has four different narratives
describing the answer to be given to each of the sons when they ask about the
Exodus from Egypt. In the introductory paragraph it states as follows “The Torah
speaks in regard to four sons: One is a wise son, one is a wicked son, one is a simple
son and one son does not know how to ask.” There is an obvious difficulty with this
statement. Why does the haggadah have to write the word “one” four times?
Would it not have been sufficient to write that the torah spoke about four sons the
righteous, wicked, simple and the one unable to ask questions?

The answer to this question is a very fundamental one and it goes to the core of
what the seder night is all about. The seder night, historically, has always been one
of passing down of traditions, as well as the quintessential educational experience.
It is therefore imperative that the ideals of the seder be given over properly and
according to each child’s ability.

Here is where the writer of the haggadah felt it was important to make a distinct
difference between each of the children. Each child is a like a different world. His
emotions, intellect and being are radically different from every other person that
walks the face of this planet. We should not forget this when passing on the
tradition and just do it on a large scale. There is ONE child who is wise and ONE
child who is simple. Never make the mistake of confusing the two or treating them
equally! That is why each one of the four sons got the word “one” put in front of it
to symbolize this individuality.

Today, more than ever, we must learn internalize the correct approach to child
rearing. Every child is special and different and we, as parents, and grandparents,
have the responsibility to teach and deal with the child according to his talents,
ability and needs. Hopefully we can take this lesson of the seder and integrate it
into our lives making us better and more effective parents and granting us many
years of nachas from our children.
The page
PESACH five
Forum
Ma nishtana a study in contrasts
By Rabbi mendy melinek
On seder night children worldwide ask their
- whitefield community kollel
fathers four questions, known as the Ma
Nishtana. These are four pertinent ques-
tions—but where does the hagaddah actually answer them?

The Abarbanel (1437-1508) explains that the four questions are really four
examples of a conflict in the emphasis of moods that the children notice
throughout the night. On the one hand they notice us dipping parsley into
salt water, eating bitter foods and poor mans’ bread (matza) - all of which
setting a sombre tone; whereas we also drink wine, and lean, denoting
freedom and a more upbeat and festive mood.

The father replies “originally our ancestors were slaves in Egypt for many
years” - this is commemorated by eating maror and dipping into salt water
(a reminder of the Jewish tears, cried through the years).—”but Gd brought
us out of slavery with a strong hand and outstretched arm” - and for this
very reason we recline and drink wine, to relive the great exodus that
resulted in our freedom.

This is really the underlying theme and ultimate purpose of the seder
night—to view ourselves as if we personally left Egypt after all the bitter
years, leading us to a real feeling of gratitude to Gd for everything he did,
and does for us both then and now.

By jonathan caller
- whitefield boys house Given to all
'Baruch HaMakom Baruch Hu Baruch Shenatan Torah LeAmo Yisrael Baruch
Hu...keneged arba banim'

In Maggid, the four sons are introduced with the seemingly unrelated decla-
ration that 'Blessed is He Who gave the Torah to His people, Israel'. Indeed,
according to the Haggada, this declaration 'corresponds to' the four sons.

Rav Mordechai Elon explains beautifully that each of the sons - the wise one,
the wicked one, the simple one and the one that does not know how to ask,
are children of Hashem. The Torah was given to all of them. The Torah was
given to each of us, not to a select few. Internalising this not only gives us
strength and inner-belief, but also allows us to appreciate others, remove
barriers and bring us closer together, a crucial objective of Seder night.
The page
PESACH six
Forum
The most meaningful family meal in

Whats Jewish life takes place on the first

night of Pesach. The Seder relives and
retells the story of the Jewish exodus from

behind the
Egyptian bondage. Ever since that year
(1312 BCE) Jewish families have gathered
on Pesach so that their children—the next

matza
generation—will hear about the most
wondrous miracles of the redemption.
This is not just another Jewish custom—it
is a mitzvah actually rooted in the Torah.

kneidl But why over a meal? Why all the fuss?

Why not just spend a big longer in Shul
By Rabbi ari gutman and sit down to eat dinner straight away
- whitefield community kollel like on Purim?

Rabbi Avigdor Miller explains this with a moshel. A business man wants to sell some
real estate to a fellow investor—the first thing he does is invite him out for lunch ,
when over lamb chops and a few glasses of wine the selling process begins. While
the investor’s palate is satisfied—the deal can only go in the seller’s favour! It’s
amazing what a full stomach can do.

If the Torah wants us to sell the miraculous story of the exodus to our children in
the best possible way—the time to do it is as they are licking clean the plates after
a satisfying meal with matza and bitter herbs to start.

And why all the strange starters and eating restrictions? To get the questions firing
out to stimulate the oncoming discussion.

So as you move through the detailed and heavily regulated introductory courses—
don’t lose their point in the detail—tonight even the Borsht and Matza Kneidl have
a purpose and meaning—to tell the story of the birth of our people and the start of
their redemption from Egypt..

Why all
But what’s the real point of Pesach and re-living
the miraculous exit from Egypt? Why don’t we do
the same thing for Rosh Hashana—celebrating
Gd’s creation of the world?

the fuss
Pesach is here to re-inforce the fact that Gd did
not just create the world and leave it be—but
that his influence and leadership is ever-present
whether revealed or hidden.
The page
PESACH
ATBASH pesach and the calendar
seven
Forum
A fascinating way to remember the dates of From understanding the alef beis
the Jewish holidays is by using the at-bash - by d leitner
alphabetic transformation method. This works
by putting the first and last letters transposed e.g. alef—tof,
beis-shin, gimmel-reish and so on...

The first (Alef) day of Pesach is always on the same day of the week as Tisha
B’Av (starting with a Tof). There is significant symbolism behind this, as al-
luded to in a pasuk we mention in the Pesach haggadah - “you shall eat…
matza together with bitter herbs”. With the Matza representing freedom,
nationhood and identify, the bitter herbs hint to tisha b’av– the national day
of mourning for the temple, the resurrection of which will see our ultimate
freedom realised.

The second day of Pesach (Beis) falls each year on the same weekday as Sha-
vuous (Shin), which is the second (beis) stage of our redemption, the giving of
the Torah, which binds us together as a Jewish nation.

The third day of Pesach (Gimmel) is always on the same day of the week as
Rosh Hashana (Reish) - reflecting the reflourishing of the new year as spring-
time re-emphasises nature and the wonders of creation (Pesach is also called
Chag HaAviv—the festival of Spring).

The fourth day (Daled) corresponds to the same day each year as
simchas torah (denoted as a Kuf—for kriya –reading) the festival on which we
celebrate reading the end and beginning of the torah, again
emphasising the world’s replenishment and rejuvenation as in spring.
To further bring home this idea, and to demonstrate the power of
teshuva—repentance, which Hashem accepts all year round, the fifth day
(Hey) always falls on the same weekday of the week as of Yom Kippur, known
as Tzom Kippur (the fast of forgiveness) (Tzadi).

And finally, the 6th day (Vov) is always the same day of the week as
Purim (Pey) on the same Hebrew year—one of the holiest days in the Jewish
calendar, when Hashem saves the Jews from annihilation by the Persian king
Achashverosh and his Amalekite minister Haman through hidden , rather
than revealed miracles—in a contrasting manner to that of our leaving Egypt.
Showing that miracles are not just present when we see them outright, but
they operate all the time in the background to the same, enormous effect.
The page
PESACH eight
Forum

Seder table
By Rabbi jonathan guttentag

WHAT? WHO? WHEN?

Seder An 'audiovisual', Home or Away - Family or 15 & 16 Nissan. Diaspora
interactive religious family Friends. The needy. Seder to start at Tourists i
experience nightfall 2nd day Y
Arba Kossos - Red or white wine, grape Men, women, children. After - 1. kiddush; Each part
4 cups of wine juice or mixture. Ill? Consult a Rabbi 2. maggid; 3 bentsching. enough to
Min cup size 3.3 fl ozs 4 hallel
Leaning - Reclining, leaning All participants 4 cups of wine; matzo; At table;
Heseybah to left hand side; koreych; afikomon
Karpas - dip Radish, parsley, potato - Leader - first washes his After kiddush Have salt
vegetable in any veg. that will not be hands - distributes to all prepared
salt water used later for maror participants participan
Yachatz Divide the middle matzah Leader watched by After karpas The small
into two unequal pieces participants motzi ma
Maggid - telling Reading and explaining Leader involves all,
story of Exodus haggodoh narrative. communicating especially
Wider - transmitting with children
Jewish heritage
Motzi Matza Eating a minimum All participants. Enough To be eaten within 9 Leader ra
quantity of matzah - matzah on table for all minutes, or preferably and recite
kezayis, sheet of matzah 6 participants to have within 2 minutes. then lets
x 7 inches minimum size the berac

Maror - Lettuce leaves to cover Leader gives out to all Before eating, dip into In front o
bitter herb an area of 8 x 10 ins participants - No leaning charoses and shake off on the tab
+ horseradish

Korech - Lettuce and horseradish, Leader gives out to all After maror Have ava
Hillel sandwich in charoses with matzoh participants 7 in) and
participan
Shulchan Orech The main evening meal All participants; help serve. Don't eat too much; Customar
- Meal Freedom festival for afikomen and two cups salt wate
women, too! still to come Temple (n
night of w
Afikomen Finishing off the meal All participants to partake, At the end of the meal Whereve
with a kezayis of matzah shared out by leader after dessert, before or bidding
(6 x 7 in) chatzos - midnight shemurah
(approx 1.14am)
Bentsching The third cup of wine is All – led by leader Not later than 72 min. Back at ta
poured beforehand after last food gently!)
Hallel The recitation of the All - led by leader - other First two paragraphs Sitting aro
paragraphs from Psalms participants responsively as before meal, the Enjoy the
chazan and congregation remainder after meal
 The
PESACH
Forum
The Seder can be a complicated and confusing experience— use this guide
to navigate your way around the experience, make it run more smoothly,
settle any hagadda differences and enjoy a meaningful Pesach.
WHERE?
15 and 16 Nissan
in Israel observe a 2nd seder (and
Yom Tov)
ticipant should have a cup large
to contain 3.3. fl ozs
on pillow or arm of chair
t water and vegetable ready
d and enough to hand out to
nts
ller piece put back for later use as
atzah a broken
aises all three matzos in his hands
es the first beracha hamotzi. He
go of the bottom matzo, and recites
cha “al achilas matza”
of leader, more supplies should be
able than can fit into the seder plate
ailable on table enough matzo (4 in x
d lettuce / horseradish for each
nt
ry to begin with hard boiled egg in
er - commemorating destruction of
nb: Tisha B'Av is always on same
week as first seder)
er you can find it! If hidden too well,
ng goes too high, just distribute more
h matzah from box
able, (wake up any sleepers -
round the table
e tunes
HOW?
Try to rest before - kids to sleep in
afternoon.
Drink most of the cup
lean to the left
To the left - to ease digestion
All recite together the beracha -
boreh pri ho'adomoh
Larger piece wrapped and hidden -
possibly for ransom
Can be recited in Hebrew/English.
Try to include everyone around the
table.
Shemurah matzah - supervision
from an early stage in manufacture
than standard matzah;
Either machine made or handmade
Leaning to left
Lettuce - bug warning; wash,
inspect each leaf carefully by light.
Horseradish grated fresh. Not
pickled from jar.
The maror part dipped into
charoses,
Leaning on the left side
Enjoy. Customary not to have
roasted foods - To avoid
appearance of roasted Pesach
offering
Leaning to the left. No further food
to be eaten (except the two cups).
Final impression left on us is taste
of matzah
Bentsching introduced by mezuman
- a three man quorum
Hebrew reading needs a brush up?
Hebrew Reading Crash Course:
Call The Forum 766 2150
page
nine
WHY?
Torah commands a Jewish family event
to tell the story of the Jews leaving Egypt
Symbolic of freedom. Corresponds to four
expressions of freedom in Shemos (6;6-7)
A symbolic demonstration of freedom
The unusual procedure of vegetable
straight after kiddush awakens curiosity
of children (and everyone else).
So that the subsequent eating of matzah
be from broken pieces - poor man's bread
Torah commandment: Ve-higadeto
levincho bayom hahu; 'and you shall tell
your son on that day'
Fulfillment of the Torah command. Dual
aspects - the bread of affliction, reminder
of the slavery; bread of freedom - a
reminder of the Exodus.
Symbolic of bitter slavery.
Pesach offering was eaten with bitter
herb
A commemoration of Temple: matza and
maror were eaten with meat of pesach
lamb
Biblical command to celebrate yom tov
with fine food
A symbolic reminder of the lamb meat of
the korban pesach - in Temple times -
which was eaten at the end of the meal
Biblical command, to eat, be satisfied,
and bless.
Hallel means praise - thanksgiving to G-d
for miracles of Exodus
The page
PESACH ten
Forum
[ Pesach in numbers
The Seder (literally, order) comprises of 15 distinct parts, By rabbi yanky prijs
known by the words Kadesh, Urchatz etc., corresponding - Whitefield community kollel
to the 15 different aspects of Hashem’s kindness names in
the popular song—Dayenu. Hashem took us out of Egypt AND punished our enemies
AND split the seas AND gave us wealth etc.

Four cups, four sons, four questions! And even four matzos (after the middle on is split).
The legendary scholar, the Vilna Gaon, explains these may correspond to the four dan-
gerous situations requiring a thanksgiving offering (and today the HaGomel blessing)
which the Jewish nation were saved from.
1. Illness—the Jews all underwent the bris milah procedure.
2. Prison—they were freed from their enslavement.
3. Sea travel—they passed safely through the Red Sea.
4. Desert - 40 years travel and accommodation in the desert.

Four cups: the Jerusalem Talmud explains that these correspond to:
a) the four expressions of the different aspects of redemption in Exodus 6
(freedom from work, leaving Egypt, destruction of their masters in the sea
and becoming Hashem’s chosen nation)
b) the four kingdoms that would continue to exile or enslave the Jewish
nation through our history, but who we will survive. (Babylon, the Medes,
Greeks and “Roman Exile”, which we are still enduring),
c) The four ways in which the Jews stayed apart from the Egyptians to avoid
assimilation. (They kept their names, language, dress and loyalty to each other)

We dip twice during the seder. The karpas is dipped into salt water and the maror into
charoset. The Shela explains that these relate to the two dippings that caused the exile
and which helped save the Jews from it:
1. The dipping of Joseph’s technicolour dreamcoat into blood, following his sale
to Egypt, causing their descent into the country and the subsequent exile.
2. The mitzvah on their final night to dip into blood and sprinkle on the
doorpost, so Hashem would pass-over the Jewish houses and save them
(This is commemorated nowadays with Mezuzas to protect our homes.)
The page
PESACH eleven
Forum What is One, more than pertinent
question to ask throughout the s
eder, is “what really is there to

there to celebrate—aren’t we still in exile?”

Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin (1881-1966)

celebrate
answers this question by drawing on
an expression we use each night
when davening Ma’ariv (evening
prayer) - that Gd has taken us out of
By rabbi yanky prijs Egypt “l’cheirus oiam” - to eternal
- Whitefield community kollel freedom.

The main attainment of leaving the Eqyptian exile was our Jewish spiritual
freedom, that allowed us to practice the Torah by subjugating ourselves to
such a worthwhile pursuit that was to be our national treasure, keeping us
going through all other physical exiles as proud Jews.

Wherever Jews have been, through whatever trials, identity and loyalty to
Judaism and its tenets. Why celebrate when we’re still in exile? - to
remember how close we are to the exodus generation in terms of our beliefs,
loyalty and reliance on Gd; and how we have the responsibility to uphold
these in our own lives.

[ why a seder
The Sfas Emes (1847-1905) asks why we call the procedure of seder night a
"seder" - the word "seder" means "order" denoting a regular, predictable
series of events. This could be called an odd term to choose, in light of the
fact that we celebrate the most potent series of miracles—stark departures
from the normal “natural” order.

His answer is both deep and thought-provoking. For the Jewish people, our
natural order is the miraculous. We have a seder of miracles. We were forged
in impossible circumstances (Avraham’s father was an idol worshipper, his
wife Sarah was baron, Joseph was sold to Egpyt and rose to be the viceroy,
etc.) and conceived in a blaze of miracles (redeemed from Egypt through the
sees, facilitated by the ten plagues etc.). We could never descend into the
natural, living by a prescribed order of nature; the tale of our existence and
retained identity is owed to Gd’s miracles—for us to deny these would be
The page
PESACH twelve
Forum Rabbi tom meyer

Wisdom, courtesy of aish.com

understanding and
growth
And even if all of us were wise, all men of
understanding, all elderly, all of us knowing
the Torah, there is still a mitzvah upon us to
tell about the Exodus from Egypt. And whoever
talks about it at length is praiseworthy.

What does it mean to be "wise?" Wisdom is intuitive insight. You just look at
things and grasp the meaning and truth.

What is "understanding?" That's being able to draw principles and lessons

from the information you receive. That's deeper because it involves intellectual
analysis.

The Haggadah also lists the "elderly?" They are wise from life experience.

And then there's "knowledgeable in Torah." That's having a strong tradition to

back you up.

Even the wisest Jew has to talk about what it meant to leave Egypt. And even
someone sitting at the Seder alone -- no children, no guests, nobody else -- still
has to talk to himself about leaving Egypt.

Why? Because we all need to work on getting out of the body. And even
though you work the whole year, remember this is a yearly cycle. Next year
you're going to work on it another way. We need to constantly focus and grow.
The process lasts a lifetime. No matter how big you are, you can always grow.

"And whoever talks about it at length is praiseworthy." The more you work on
The page
PESACH thirteen
Forum Who knows one
Have you ever wondered why the author of By rabbi Yechiel emanuel
the Hagaddah composed this song and in- - whitefield community kollel
serted it at the end of seder service?

I once heard a thought provoking answer. There are certain words which
when mentioned elicit a typical response or remind you of a particular some-
thing. For example, if you were to mention the word knife to someone they
would (hopefully) think of a fork – high and low, black and white etc.

If you were trying to educate a child and inculcate within them manner – you
would try and make them instinctively say “please” when making a request
and “thank you” when receiving it, possibly even “it’s a pleasure” when being
thanked.

At the end of the seder, which is meant to be spent learning and teaching
about our exodus from Egypt thereby inculcating within our children a belief
in Gd, appreciation of his divine authority, responsibility and intervention, we
now want them to instinctively remember these points – so that upon hear-
ing the number one – their minds are instantly triggered to think one is
Hashem, two are the tablets etc.

We must endeavour to gear our seder in order to educate our children to be

proud of their heritage, realising that we are the chosen nation and that our
history is unique. One good idea is to give them these simple pointers that
will always help them to make easy reference to matters of great importance
– the basis of our faith, culture and tradition.

On the second night of Pesach, we start to

Counting
count 49 days of the Omer, leading up to Sha-
vuos—the giving of the Torah. This mirrors
the journey of the Jews through the desert on
their way out of Egypt, as they climbed 50
on us steps up the spiritual ladder that would pre-
pare them to receive the Torah after being
steeped in exile for so long,

Rabbi Mordechai GIfter, Rosh Yeshiva of Telz in America, explains the

counting as more than a ‘countdown’, asserting that the point of the Jews
leaving Egypt was to get the Torah and their unique identity—to leave Egypt
with only physical freedom would be an incomplete exodus. Therefore we
connect these two pivotal festivals together to emphasize the real purpose of
The page
PESACH fourteen
Forum
Grandfather
s maror
"You cannot understand what it was like.... By Chani Newman
...You can't imagine." - courtesy of Aish.com

Suddenly our family Seder, usually exuberant with words of Torah, song, and the tell-
ing of our ancestors' exodus from Egypt, becomes more solemn, as my grandfather
approaches the Hagadda with the baggage of a Holocaust survivor.

"What about all the times when God didn't save us?"

He can't help but ask the unanswerable questions which continue to haunt his
thoughts. The younger generations sitting at the table grapple to explain the
"answers" we tell ourselves to support our beliefs -- beliefs my grandfather himself
puts into practice even after years of questioning. But as soon as he says it, describing
just two graphic examples of the horror, I know my grandfather is right: "You were not
there. You can never understand."

I distract myself by casting my gaze downward toward the bowl of maror (bitter
herbs) sitting before me. I hold a plastic fork in my hand, using it to mix around the
ground up pieces of horseradish. The tiny pieces move around the bowl easily, ready
to be swallowed with a minimum amount of challenge to the taste buds.

And then, my fork hits something solid. Mixed up among the tiny pieces lies a large
chunk of the original horseradish root, as solid as ever. I try to cut it and stab it with
my fork, but to no avail. This piece will not be broken up tonight. It is too large, too
hard, and too strong and bitter for anybody to eat whole.

I look up at my grandfather. I attempt to say something worthwhile, some words of

comfort. We are still here, getting stronger, still praising God for the good. Thoughts
that evil is man-made flit through my head. Thoughts that perhaps, regardless, we just
can't understand, mortal humans as we are. But as my eyes turn back to the maror,
silence is my response.

Why can't that chunk just go away? It's so much easier to deal with the mixture that
has gone through the food processor. Frustrated, I stab at the chunk again, thinking
how this piece is more connected to its root than the other pieces. This piece contains
more bitterness than any of the ground up pieces.
continued overleaf
The page
PESACH fifteen
Forum Grandfather s maror continued...
The images will not go away from my grandfather's brain. He speaks of
rabbis humiliated by Nazis who cut their skin off together with their beards, of public
hangings. The pain and bitterness is rock solid, indigestible. But for myself, my broth-
ers, my parents, the pain is ground up into tiny, palatable pieces. What can we do
about the troubled solid chunk sitting in the bowl?

My eyes divert from the bowl before me and shift to the other symbolic foods on
the table. They stop and rest on the lump of charoset (a mixture of sweet ingredi-
ents, including apples, wine, and nuts) on the Seder plate. We add sweet charoset to
soften the maror's sharpness. The charoset, with its mortar-like texture and blood-
like ingredient of red wine, acknowledges the suffering and bitterness of the Hebrew
slaves, while also introducing hope for sweetness in the future generations of our
People.

The charoset contains fruits to which the eternal Jewish Nation is compared, and
apples associated with Jewish women in Egypt giving birth to the next generation.
I peer at my family, seated around the table, and think of my new six-month-old
nephew, my grandfather's first great-grandchild, whose family celebrates the holi-
day in far-off Israel.

Taking in the Passover spirit, I realize there is but one thing we can do to respond to
my grandfather at such a Seder. We dip the maror in the charoset.

By jonathan caller
Four sons make one
- whitefield boys house When introducing the 4 sons, the Haggada writes that
there is 'One wise, and one wicked, and one simple, and
one who does not know how to ask'. It does seem a little strange that the
word 'echad' 'one' is repeated four times! It could have written 'chacham,
rasha, tam veshe'eino yodeah lishol'!

Rav Elon explains that that the numerical value of the word 'echad' 'one' is
13, and the numerical value of the word 'ben' 'son' is 52. Therefore it is
only when we have all four 'echad's together do we have 'ben', a son. In
essence, a son has each of these four aspects.

Appropriately, the name Eliyahu, Elijah, who we are waiting for particularly
tonight to bless us, teach us how to 'restore the heart of fathers on chil-
dren and the hearts of children on their fathers' and bring us together, also
has a numerical value of 52.
The
PESACH
What the Forum page
sixteen
Forum can do for you...
For more information on any of the events listed below,
please call Barbara at the Forum office on 0161 766 2150

Improve your Hebrew Reading Course

Hebrew Enrol on the UJIA/Forum Hebrew reading course,
run by Rabbi Yanky Prijs, to learn or brush up on
Reading the basics of Hebrew reading.

Expand your One-to-One Learning

Jewish Arrange a weekly session with one of the Whitefield
Kollel to learn about Jewish history, thought, law
Knowledge or prayer… or visit the Forum Library

Take a step Regular Trips to Eastern Europe

back in time... One-day tours of modern Jewish historical sites, led
by Rabbi Pinny Cohen alongside expert guides. Sites
include Auschwitz, Prague, Lizjensk, and Warsaw

Enjoy Student Houses Project

Whitefield’s The boys and girls student houses entertain teenag-
ers for Friday Night dinners , Shabbos lunches and
Club 13-20 through the week.

Pamper your Women’s Forum

Jewish Spirit Enjoy regular events run by Rebbetzen Debbie
Guttentag . Themes include Shabbat and family.

Learn on Roaming Shiur

Location Join Rabbi Pinny Cohen for a weekly lecture hosted
at local houses—food and comedy included.

Delicious Shabbos Youth Minyan Kiddush

Davening With Rabbi Yechiel Emanuel. Themes including…
Burger Kingdush, pizza, cholent and Chinese.

Power Lunch Business Forum

Invigorate your lunch hour with a hot kosher buffet
and topical discussion on business ethics - in Town.