Sefaria: Ha Lachma Anya Contributed by Stephanie Source

Sefaria: Ha Lachma Anya Contributed by Stephanie Source: This is the bread of haste....which our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt .Not the bread of affliction but the bread of haste. Matzah was the food that the people ate when they were liberated, not while they were enslaved. While most commentators associate Matzah with slavery and oppression, Rabbi Epstein believes that it is more closely connected with Israel’s liberation. The Israelites did not eat Matzah in Egypt. In fact in Numbers, 11:5 the Israelites tell Moses that the food in Egypt was plentiful: “We remember the fish we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.” (There is no mention of Matzah in this verse.) When the Haggadah says that they ate the “Lechem Oni” in Egypt, it does not mean literally “in Egypt” but rather in the vicinity of Egypt when the people left the land. All who are hungry come and eat; all who are needy come and celebrate Passover .While these two statements sound repetitive, they contain two different types of invitations. The first statement is for those suffering from hunger while the second statement is for those who have food but lack the necessary provisions to celebrate Passover. Rabbi Epstein understands the second statement to be an invitation to join in the celebration of the holiday. “Vayifsach” is not a reference to the Passover offering but rather a verb formed from the proper noun “Pesach,” meaning to celebrate Passover. We find a basis for this interpretation in Maimonides’ version of the Haggadah. It says, “Kol detzrikh lifaseach,” “Anyone who needs to celebrate Pesach...” Furthermore, the continuation of this statement in the Haggadah makes it clear that this is a reference to the festival and not the Pesach offering since it says, “This year we are here (in the Diaspora).” The Pesach offering could not be sacrificed in the Diaspora so the opening statement must be an invitation to celebrate Pesach at a time when the Passover sacrifice was no longer being offered. Why are both statements necessary? The invitation reminds us that we have two different types of obligations to the needy. According to Halachah we must provide food to those who are hungry without investigating their needs. If someone asks for food we should not question him. We must give him what he asks for. When it comes to other less essential needs, we have a right to investigate if the person is really as needy as he says. One more note: If this is an invitation why don’t we make the statement, “All who are hungry…” before the Kiddush at the very beginning of the Seder? The Kiddush must be recited at the very onset of the Sabbath or the holiday without any delay, in fulfillment of the statement, “Remember the Sabbath day – remember it as soon as it begins.” (See Peachim 106b.) We find a similar statement in the Torah concerning Passover in Exodus 13:2, “Remember the day on which you went forth from Egypt.” The same principle must applies to both the festival and the Sabbath with regard to the Kiddush - we don’t delay its recitation. What’s more, we can’t be sure if and when there will be needy people at our door step so it would be impractical to delay the Kiddush while we issue an invitation and wait for the needy to arrive. The participants recite the Kiddush as soon as the Seder begins and only afterwards they issue an invitation to those who are hungry or needy to join them. All who are hungry...now we are here, next year in the land of Israel; now we are slaves next year may we be free: The opening statement of the Haggadah begins with three passages: “This is the bread of haste…” “All who are hungry” and “Now we are here.” The first statement sets the stage for the telling of the Passover story. Is there a connection between the two invitations (all who are hungry and all who are needy) and the following two statements (now we are here and now we are slaves)? In Talmud, Berachot 34b, we learn that in Messianic times the only thing that will change in the world is that there will no longer be political oppression of one nation by another. There will, however, still be poverty in the world. Some realities never change. These two statements make this clear; even when we are in the land of Israel we will still have to say, “All who are hungry come and eat,” because “the poor will not cease from the earth.” (See Deuteronomy 15:11.) What will be different between the present era and the messianic era? “Now we are slaves,” but in the time to come “we will be free.” These statements are also a road map to redemption. The Talmud in Baba Batra10a, says, “Great is Tzedakah because it will bring redemption to the world.” We begin the story of redemption by bringing redemption to the world through acts of kindness and justice. The Talmud bases this statement on Isaiah 56:1, “Observe justice and perform righteousness (Tzedakah) for my salvation is soon to come.” These statements also explain the connection between the second and the third statements in “Ha Lachma Anya.” By performing acts of charity (“all who are hungry…”) we will gain the merit to live in the land of Israel as free men and women..

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