The Seder Plate

Passover epitomizes the season of redemption. It's the time Hashem stepped in and freed us from Mitzrayim, from enslavement. The Seder is an experiential retelling of the story of the exodus, with the Seder Plate at its center, each food commemorating a part of this story. 

Typically, this is the time of year we begin to leave the darkness of winter behind and begin to welcome brighter, warmer days. We clean out our homes, spend more time outdoors and feel somewhat released from the hibernation of winter. We feel a new “us” emerging. And very often, there’s a restlessness this time of year, a “now what?” It's no coincidence. We feel this energy but might not always be aware as to the depths of its spiritual origins, or how to productively direct it.

Time is cyclical and repetitive, the very same energies that enabled the exodus to occur in the spring are with us this time of year as well, strengthening our abilities to break free from our spiritual binds. Tapping into and properly channeling this energy has the potential to catapult us forward, enabling us to experience our own individual freedom.

At the core of this idea is the ke'ara, the Seder Plate. When delved into more deeply, we learn there are spiritual and emotional significances to the simanim, signs, foods, of the seder plate. When fully internalized, it offers guidance as to what and how to reach our personal transcendence.

I hope to explain each piece at both the guf, body or physical, level and the neshama, soul or spiritual, level. Each siman corresponds to one of the ten Sefirot, or attributes, manifestations, emanations, of G-d. Through refining each of these characteristics within ourselves, we are able to live B’selem Elokim, in the image of G-d. 

May we all properly utilize the physical signs of the seder to refine our personalities and achieve immense spiritual growth. 

Chag kasher v’sameach!

Rachel 

Chaye Sarah

Three Matzot - Chochma, Bina, Da’at, Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge

• There is a practical reason for three matzot. Since we break one to symbolize matza as lechem oni, poor man’s bread, incomplete, we add a third to ensure we say hamotzi on two full breads, as we do on Shabbat and holidays. 

• Spiritually, the three matzot correspond to the three levels of intellect, chochma, bina and da’at, wisdom, understanding and knowledge. 

• Chochma is the vast array of knowledge we absorb. It is known as “the potential to be,” as chochma is knowledge in its expansive stage, not yet actualized. It remains in idea form, setting the stage for the integration of bina. 

• Bina is taking this knowledge and developing it. It's discerning between and organizing the information, and applying it. Bina, understanding, gives shape to chochma. 

• Da’at is the merging of chochma and bina. It’s what we strive for, a wisdom so intrinsically internalized it becomes one with us, a part of who we are. Da’at is the driving force in our lives and the goal of all knowledge, especially the knowledge of Hashem. Da’at connects the intellectual faculties with the emotions. 

• For thought: Are we consistently expanding our knowledge intake? Are we learning and striving to make sense of it, to apply it? How can we further refine our intellect and achieve growth?

Lamb Shank - Zero’a - Chesed, Lovingkindness -

• Represents the Passover lamb that was offered in the time of the Bet HaMikdash and eaten at the Passover Seder. 

• Zero’a means “outstretched arm” alluding to our giving natures, how we express love to others. Chesed is the beautiful unbridled expansiveness of giving, its showering good upon others and ourselves. Left unchecked, this can have negative consequences, i.e. a spoiled child. 

• For Thought: Are we giving enough? Can we identify areas of stinginess? Are we giving too much? How can we put aside our egos and connect more fully through giving?

Egg - Betza - Gevura, Strength or Restraint - 

• Represents the Korban Chagiga, the festival offering that was offered in the time of the Bet HaMikdash and eaten at the Passover Seder.

• The egg connects to the trait of gevura, translated as strength, but more correctly defined as restraint. It’s the discipline within love. Gevura is the emotional strength of knowing when to hold back good, to mete out only what is appropriate and what others can handle. Too much gevura is the need for rigidity and control.

• For Thought: Do we have enough structure in our lives? Do we hold too tightly to structure? Are we able to be flexible enough to allow for things to naturally unfold, yet live a disciplined life?

Bitter herbs - Maror - Tiferet, Beauty, Harmony, Compassion - 

• Alludes to the bitterness B’nei Yisrael experienced while in slavery, which we empathize with on this night.

• The bitter herbs represent tiferet, the harmony of hesed and gevura, the balance between over giving and control. Both chesed, unrestrained giving and gevura, the need for control, are drives which emanate from within a person. Tiferet, on the other hand, is the resolution of these extremes and takes into account what is good for the other person; it subdues our natural tendencies and is outwardly driven. 

• For Thought: Are we able to reconcile giving and restraint? Are we thinking of others and acting according to their needs? How can we be more compassionate within, to embody the proper balance of kindness and discipline for ourselves?

Haroset - Netzach, Strength and Endurance

• Represents the mortar used to build cities for the Egyptians.

• Netzach connects to our enduring strength, to our eternal faith in Hashem and the knowledge that our souls are eternal. It is manifest in our ability to withstand challenges, both internal and external. Netzach shields us from despair. It’s the push to keep going, with the final victory one of unification and love between opposing sides. Too much netzach is dominance over another. 

• For Thought: Do we have enough spiritual endurance? Are we able to endure and emerge victorious, overcoming and uniting? Are we shining our own eternal light out to the world?

Celery - Karpas - Hod, Humility, Gratitude, Splendor

• Alludes to the backbreaking work done in Egypt by the 600,000 Jewish men over the age of 20.

• Celery grows low to the ground symbolizing humility, the nullification of ego. When we are humble we are naturally grateful which brings forth a deep connection to others. Hod is the counterpart to netzach, strength. It is submissive in its extreme.

• For Thought: Are we able to control the ego, to use it, when appropriate, to reveal the splendor within? 

Endive - Chazeret - Yesod, Bonding, Foundation

• Endive is the leafy green used in the korech, sandwich. We sandwich the bitter herbs, matza and haroset as per Rabbi Hillel who held to eat them together, as they did in the time of the Bet HaMikdash.

• Yesod is the merging of netzach, strength and hod, humility. Too much or too little of either will not bring about the fullest expression of ourselves. Too much strength leads to misplaced pride while too much humility can lead to insecurity and passivity. Yesod is the foundation of all our emotions as it is what our personalities, and our relationships, are built on. 

• For Thought: Are we emotionally balanced? Are we able to find our strength when necessary, and our humility when called for? Are we building on a solid foundation? If not, what needs to be strengthened?

The Seder Plate - Ke'ara - Malchut, Kingship, Dignity

• The Seder Plate itself is that which holds all the simanim. 

• Malchut is compared to the moon as it has no light of its own. Its value lies in its ability to reflect the light of the sun. The Seder Plate unifies and reflects what it holds, the previous nine emanations. Much like a king who puts aside his own desires for the good of the people he is serving. 

• It is the end point and goal of this process, to live with dignity. The dignity of knowing we are created in the image of G-d, with a higher purpose and an eternal soul. It is the realization of the potential of da’at, where we began.

• For Thought: Are we able to fuse our attributes to a unified “us”? Do we stand a little straighter knowing who we are? Do we walk through our days living our soul’s purpose?

*The Seder Plate and its foods are based on an article by Rabbi Simon Jacobson, who based it on the work of Rabbi Isaac Luria Ashkenazi, the Arizal. Some of the explanations of the Sefirot are from books I had on hand. 

There is a discrepancy on the meaning of the three matzot, with some opinions relating them to keter, chochma and bina. There are two opinions as to what constitutes the ten Sefirot (some say Keter, Chochma, Bina as the first three which relate to intellect). In this array, Keter, crown, would be the first of the attributes and relates to ratzon, will. All opinions agree on the breakdown; three faculties of the mind, six emotional attributes and one which encompasses all others. I have included the explanation with da’at as I felt it connected seamlessly to our conversation.