Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Halocho #90 - Storytelling is a Mitzva

Seder night consists of food and talk. Food: - On Seder night there's a Mitzva in the Torah to eat a piece of Korban Pessach on Matza with Marror (bitter herbs). Until the Bet Hamikdash (temple) is rebuilt we only have the Matza and Marror. The minimum Torah requirement is to eat a Kezayit (an olive's worth) of Matza, which is approximately one-third of a square machine-Matza. At a typical Seder it's customary to eat 2 Kezeitim for Motzi-Matza, a 3rd for the Hillel-sandwich and a fourth for the Afikomen. - On Seder night there's also a Rabbinic requirement to drink 4 cups of wine. All the above - besides for the Marror - must be eaten while leaning on ones left side. Talk: The rest of the Seder consists of reading the entire Haggada. However, there's no Mitzva per se, to read the Haggada. There's a Mitzva in the Torah to tell ones children the story of the Exodus from Egypt in Question-Answer format on Seder night. The Haggada gives a framework so that one covers all required parts of the story, which is why it's important to understand and explain all those parts of the Haggada that recount the slavery, 10 plagues and deliverance in a language that all participants understand. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 119:4, 5, 7 May we merit to eat the Korban Pessach soon, in our lifetime. - Danny 3 Nissan 5768

1 comment:

  1. Somebody wrote

    Hi Danny,
    I love your halocho a day!
    BTW if you are listing food related mitzvot, there is also a Torah mitzva to say Bircat Hamazon on Seder night.
    Thanks again,

    ReplyDelete