Shabbat haGadol 5781 Hospitality During COVID and Beyond: Symbolic Gestures and Meaningful Actions Source Sheet by Elliot Kaplowitz

הגדה של פסח, מגיד, הא לחמא עניא Hagadah, Ha Lachma Anya .1 מגלה את המצות, מגביה את הקערה ואומר בקול רם: ָהא ַל ְח ָמא ַע ְניָא ִּ ּדי ֲא ָכלוּ ַא ְב ָה ָת ָנא ְב ַא ְר ָעא ְד ִּמ ְצ ָר ִּים. ָּכל ִּד ְכ ִּפין יֵי ֵתי ְויֵיכֹל, ָּכל ִּד ְצ ִּרי ְך יֵי ֵתי ְו ִּי פְסַח. הָ ּ שַתָּא הָכָא, לְש ָנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְ עָא דְ יִּש ְרָ אֵ ל. הָש ּ ַתָּ א עַבְדֵ י, לְש ָנָה הַבָּאָה בְּ נֵי חוֹרִּ ין. The leader uncovers the matsot, raises the Seder plate, and says out loud: This is the bread of destitution that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Anyone who is famished should come and eat, anyone who is in need should come and partake of the Pesach sacrifice. Now we are here, next year we will be in the ; this year we are slaves, next year we will be free people.

׳משנה תורה, הלכות קרבן פסח ב׳:א , Mishneh , Paschal Offering 2:1 .2 )א( ֵאין ש ֹו ֲח ִּטין ֶאת ַה ּ ֶפ ַסח ֶא ָּלא ִּל ְמנוּיָיו ֶש ּנֶ ֱא ַמר )שמות יב ד( " ָּתכֹ ּסוּ ַעל ַה ּ ֶ שה" ְמ ַל ֵּמד ֶש ִּּמ ְת ַמ ִּּנים עָלָיו כְּשֶהוּא חַ י. ְו ֵא ּלוּ ַה ִּּמ ְת ַמ ִּּנים ַעל ַה ּ ֶפ ַסח ֵהם ַה ִּּנ ְק ָר ִּאים ְּבנֵי ֲחבוּ ָרה: The Paschal sacrifice should be slaughtered only for the sake of those who were enumerated for partaking of it, as Exodus 13:4 states: "Everyone... should be enumerated on the lamb." The implication is that one should be enumerated on it while it is alive. Those enumerated on a Paschal sacrifice are referred to as "the members of the company."

3. The Questions: ,שבלי הלקט על הגדה של פסח ,a. Shibolei HaLeket on Pesach )ג( כל דצריך ייתי ויפסח. רבינו ישעיה זצ"ל כתב דלא גרסי' ליה ]לפי[ שאין לנו פסח עתה ואפי' אם היה לנו פסח עתה לא היינו מזמנין אותם שאין הפסח נאכל אלא למנוייו כשהוא חי כמו שדרשו חכמים מהיות משה מחיותיה דשה רשאין לפחות ולהוסיף אבל לאחר שנשחט לא ועל כן לא גרסי' ליה: All who are needy come and celebrate the Pesach: Rabbi Yeshiah said we do not say this statement since we do not eat the Pesach offering anymore on the eve of . Even if we did we could not invite anyone to join us since they have to be assigned to the group before hand as the sages have explained.

b. Erica Brown. Seder Talk - The Conversational Haggada. "This is the Bread of Affliction" 14-17 What kind of hosts are we? We invite guest at the last minute and then when they join us, we give them the bread of affliction? No one wants to join us for that.

c. The Jonathan Sacks Haggadah. This is a strange invitation...What hospitality is it to offer the hungry the taste of suffering?

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d. New American Haggadah. Ed. Jonathan Safran Foer. Jeffrey Goldberg "Nation" Commentary If there is a moment in the seder that should leave us feeling self-conscious, it is now. "This is the bread of affliction," we read. True enough: matzah is the quintessential discomfort food. But what follows is a problem: "All who are bent with hunger, come and eat." What's the problem, exactly? Judaism, after all, is not opposed to feeding the hungry (Jews even excel at feeding those who are already full). In fact, feeding the hungry is in some ways the mother all mitzvot. And precisely because it is the most fundamental form of charity, this invitation to the hungry seems empty and hypocritical. Why? Because it comes too late. By the time we read this passage, we are seated, out hands are washed, the wine is poured, the table is crowded with fine dishes. And only now we invite the poor to join us? Maybe this passage should be read a week, or a month before Passover, when there would still be time toissue a meaningful invitation to a hungry person But there is no provision in Judaism for such a pre-seder seder -- and tampering with the seder would mean negating the very idea of seder.

משנה תורה, הלכות שביתת יום טוב ו׳:י״ ח Mishneh Torah, Rest on a Holiday, 6:18 .4 )יח( ֵּכי ַצד. ַה ְּק ַט ִּּנים נ ֹו ֵתן ָל ֶהם ְק ָלי ֹות ֶו ֱאג ֹו ִּזים וּ ִּמ ְג ָּדנ ֹות. ְו ַה ָּנ ִּשים קוֹנֶה לָהֶן בְּ יםגָדִּ וְתַ כְש ִּיטִּ ין נָאִּ ים כְּפִּ י מָמוֹנוֹ. ְו ָה ֲא ָנ ִּשים א ֹו ְכ ִּלין ָּב ָ שר ְו ש ֹו ִּתין יַ ִּין ֶש ֵאין ִּ ש ְמ ָחה ֶא ָּלא ְּב ָב ָ שר ְו ֵאין ִּ ש ְמ ָחה ֶא ָּלא ְּביַ ִּין. וּ ְכ ֶשהוּא א ֹו ֵכל ְו ש ֹו ֶתה ַח ּיָב ְל ַה ֲא ִּכיל ַל ֵּגר ַל ּיָת ֹום ְו ָל ַא ְל ָמ ָנה ִּעם ְש ָאר ָה ֲע ִּנ ִּּיים ָה ֻא ְמ ָל ִּלים. ֲא ָבל ִּמי ֶש ּנ ֹו ֵעל ַּד ְלת ֹות ֲח ֵצר ֹו ְוא ֹו ֵכל ְו ש ֹו ֶתה הוּא וּ ָב ָניו ְו ִּא ְש ּת ֹו ְו ֵאינ ֹו ַמ ֲא ִּכיל וּ ַמ ְש ֶקה ַל ֲע ִּנ ִּּיים וּ ְל ָמ ֵרי נֶ ֶפ ש ֵאין ז ֹו ִּ ש ְמ ַחת ִּמ ְצ ָוה ֶא ָּלא ִּ ש ְמ ַחת ְּכ ֵרס ֹו. ְו ַעל ֵא ּלוּ נֶ ֱא ַמר )הושע ט ד( " ִּז ְב ֵחי ֶהם ְּכ ֶל ֶחם א ֹו ִּנים ָל ֶהם ָּכל אֹ ְכ ָליו ִּי ַּט ָּמאוּ ִּּכי ַל ְח ָמם ְל ַנ ְפ ָשם". ְו ִּ ש ְמ ָחה ָּכז ֹו ָקל ֹון ִּהיא ָל ֶהם ֶש נֶּאֱמַ ר )מלאכי ב ג( "וְזֵרִּ יתִּ י פֶרֶש עַ ל פְּ נֵיכֶם פּ ֶרֶש חַ גֵּיכֶם": The children, for example, should be given parched grain, nuts, and sweetmeats; the womenfolk should be presented with pretty clothes and trinkets according to one's means; the menfolk should eat meat and drink wine, for there is no real rejoicing without the use of meat and wine. While eating and drinking, one must feed the stranger, the orphan, the widow, and other poor unfortunates. Anyone, however, who locks the doors of his courtyard and eats and drinks along with his wife and children, without giving anything to eat and drink to the poor and the desperate, does not observe a religious celebration but indulges in the celebration of his stomach. And about such is it stated (Hosea 9:4), "their sacrifices are like the bread of mourners, all who eat it will be contaminated; for their bread is for their own appetites." Such joy is a disgrace for them, as it is stated (Malakhi 2:3), "I will spread dung on your faces, the dung of your festivals."

Ancient Practice ׳תענית כ Ta’anit 20b-20a .5 ִּּכי ֲה ָוה ָּכ ֵר ְך ִּרי ְפ ָּתא ֲה ָוה ּ ָפ ַתח ְל ָב ֵבי ּה ְו ָא ַמ ר ׇּּכל ַמאן ִּ ּד ְצ ִּרי ְך ֵלי ֵתי ְו ֵליכ ֹול ָא ַמר ָר ָבא ּכוּ ְּלהוּ ָמ ֵצי ָנא ְמ ַק ּיַי ְמ ָנא ְל ַבר ֵמ ָהא דְּ לָא מָצֵינָאלְמִּ יעְבַּד מִּש ּ וּם דִּּ נְפִּיש ִּי בְּ נֵי חֵילָא דְּ מָחוֹזָא The Gemara further relates: When Rav Huna would eat bread, he would open the doors to his

2 house, saying: Whoever needs, let him come in and eat. Rava said: I can fulfill all these customs of Rav Huna, except for this one, which I cannot do, due to the fact that there are many soldiers in the city of Meḥoza,

׳רש"י על תענית כ״א א:א Rashi .6 משום דנפישי בני מחוזא - דאיכא עניי טפי וקא מיכלי קרנא:

Since there are many residents of Mehoza -- There are many poor who will consume everything.

׳בן יהוידע על תענית כ״א א:א Ben Yehoyada on Ta’anit 21a .7 מִּשּ וּם דִּּ נְפִּיש ִּי בְּ נֵי חֵילָא דִּּ מְ חוֹזָא. עיין פירוש רש"י, והקשה מהרש"א לשון 'בְּ נֵי חֵילָא' לא משמע על עניים, ולכן פירש על חיל המלך עיין שם. ועדיין קשא לפירוש מהרש"א למה אומר 'מִּש ּ וּם דִּּ נְפִּיש ִּ י' אפילו דלא נפישי ליחוש דאיך יאכיל פיתו לעכו"ם? ונראה לי בס"ד ליישב פירוש המהרש"א ז"ל, דאי לא נפישי אין נמצאים ברחובות היהודים כדי שישמעו דברים אלו ויבואו יען כי רחובות היהודים הם בפני עצמו ומה יעשו חיל המלך שם?! אך כיון שהם רבים דנפישי טובא אז ימצאו גם ברחובות היהודים ויראו דבר זה ויבואו לאכול גם הם. ועוד נראה לי כיון דנפישי לא תתן להם הממשלה כדי סיפוקם ומחמת רעבונם יעברו חק ונימוס המלכות ליכנס לבית היהודים לאכול. See Rashi. The Maharsha asks, the phrase b'nei cheila does not imply poor people, therefore he translates it as the king's army. And there is still a difficulty, why does it say "since there are many"; even if they weren't many, we should wonder how he could feed his bread to non-Jews? It seems to me to resolve the explanation of the Maharsha, that if they were not many, they would not be found in the streets of the Jews so that they would hear their proclamation and come [to eat], since the Jews lived in their own neighborhood and why would the king's soldiers be there?! But since they were many, then they would also be found in the streets where the Jews lived and come to eat. Further, if they were many then the government would not feed them to satisfaction and as a result of their hunger they would invoke the king's sovereignty to enter the Jews' homes to eat.

פירוש אבודרהם על ההגדה (R. David ben Yosef Abudraham (14th Century, Seville, Spain .8 כתב רב מתתיה מה שנהגו לומר כל דכפין ייתי וייכול כך היה מהנג אבות היו מגביהין שולחנותיהם ולא היו סוגרין דלתותיהם והיו אומרים ככה כדי שיבואו ישראל העניים שכיניהם לאכול, ולקבל שכר היו עושין זה, ועכשיו שנעשו שכיני גויים יותר משכיני ישראל מפרנסין אותם בתחילה קודם הפסח כדי שלא יחזרו על הפתחים, ואח"כ מגביהין את השולחן ואומרים כמנהג ראשונים. ע"כ. Rav Matitya wrote that the practice to say "All who are hungry come and eat" was the practice of

3 our ancestors to raise their tables and not close their doors, and they would say this so that poor Jews who were their neighbors would come to eat. They would do this to receive reward. Now that we are neighbors with non-Jews more than with Jews, we provide [for poor Jews] before Pesach so they will not have to beg at the doors, and later we raise the table and say what our ancestors said.

אורח חיים ת״ פ Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 480 .9 )א( סדר כוס רביעי ובו סעיף אחד: ... הגה וי"א שיש לומר שפוך חמתך וכו' קודם לא לנו )ר"ן פרק ע"פ( ולפתוח הפתח כדי לזכור שהוא ליל שמורים ובזכות אמונה זו יבא משיח וישפוך חמתו על העכו"ם )מהרי"ב( וכן נוהגים ויכול לגמור הלל אף שלא במקום סעודה )רמב"ם והמגיד פ"ח(: The fourth cup... Rema: Some say that we should say "pour Your wrath" before "Not for our sake..." and to open the door in order to remember that it is a protected night. In the merit of this faith the Messiah will come and pour out his wrath on those who deny Hashem. This is our practice.

שלחן ערוך הרב. תפ:ה Shulchan Aruch haRav 480:5 .10 ובקצת מקומות נוהגין שלא לנעול החדרים שישנים שם בליל פסח כי הוא ליל שמורים לכל בני ישראל דורותם... In some places the practice is to not lock the room sin which they sleep on the night of the Seder because it is a night of protection for all of Israel for all generations....

׳שבלי הלקט על הגדה של פסח, מגיד, הא לחמא עניא ג׳:ג׳-ד Shibolei haLeket on Pesach Hagadah .11 )ד( ואחי ר' בנימין נר"ו כתב דאין חשש לסלקו ליה ואע"פ שאין עתה זמן פסח לשון ההגדה מסודרת על יסוד הפסוקין כדכתיב בתחילת הענין ויקחו להם איש שה לבית אבות שה לבית ואם ימעט הבית מהיות משה ולקח הוא ושכנו וגו' שהיו מזמנין זה לזה לפסוח יחד וכן משמעו כל מי שאין לו פסח יבא וימנה על שלי ובודאי קודם שחיטת הפסח קאמרי ליה וקבעוהו בהגדה לזכר בעלמא ... Rabbi Benjamin said that we don’t have to worry about taking it out of the Haggadah since we are inviting one another (at the table) to join in the Passover meal. Certainly this was originally said before the Pesach offering was sacrificed, and it was included in the Haggadah as a reminder.

פירוש הרשב"ץ (Rashbetz (R. Shimon ben R. Tzemach Duran, 1361-1444, Spain and Algeria .12 ולפי שאמר משה רבינו ע"ה: "משכו וקחו לכם צאן למשפחותיכם" )שמות יב:כא( - שיהיו נמנין הרבה על פסח אחד משפחות משפחות...ע"כ אנו ממשיכין לזה: כל מאן דצריך להמנות עמנו בפסח יבוא וימנה עמנו, ואם בשנה הזאת אנו אין לנו פסח, לשנה הבאה נהיה בארץ ישראל. Since Moshe said: "Go, pick out lambs for your families" -- i.e., that they should appoint many

4 families for one Paschal offering... We continue this practice: Anyone who needs to be appointed with us for a Pashal offering should come and be appointed, and if this year we do not have a Paschal offering, next year we will.

Not a True Parallel נצי"ב. הגדה של פסח אמרי שפר Netziv, Hagada Imrei Shefer .13 כל דכפין... - הקדימו עוד להודיע דבכל פרטי הסדר יש להשוות אופן אכילת מצה במן הזה כמו שהיה אופן אכילת פסח בזמן הבית, כמו לענין שאין מפטירין אחר )הפסח( מצה אפיקומן. ולענין שני מקומות והשינה מפסיק במצה כמו בפסח. זולת בזה שונה, דבפסח לא היה רשאי להסב בסעודה זו, כי אם מי שהיה מנוי במעוד יום. ולא היה אפשר לקבל איזה עני ולזכות בו. מה שאין כן במצה, יש לנו הזכות לקבל עני ואביון על השלחן ולזכות בו. אבל בשארי דברים יש לנהוג במצה כמו שהו בפסח. וזה שאמרו כל דכפין ייתי וייכול לא כמו בפסח, אבל כל דצריך ייתי ויפסח. פירוש, כל צורך אכילה יש לנו לומר על המצה שהוא כמן פסח. ואמרו טעמו של דבר ראוי להנהיג במצה כמו בפסח שני טעמים. In all details of the Seder, we should compare the way we eat the Matzah in our time, with the way the Paschal offering was eaten in the times of the Temple, such as we may not eat after the Pasachal offering afikomen. And the rules of eating in two different places, and sleep constitutes a hefsek (interruption). The only difference is that with the Paschal offering only those designated during the day were allowed to recline at the feast. There was no way to include a poor person [at a later time]. This is not case with Matzah, we have the merit to receive the poor at our table. But with all other matters we should treat Matzah as we would the Paschal offering. This is the meaning of "Let all who are hungry come and eat" -- unlike the Paschal offering, rather anyone in need can come and celebrate Pesach.

Spiritual Understanding הרב ר' אברהם יצחק הכהן קוק הגדה של פסח Rav Avraham Yitzchak haCohen Kook, Hagadah .14 כל דיכפין ייתי וייכול, כל דצריך ייתי ויפסח -- ב' בחינות יש: עצם הקדושה שצריך לקבל עומ"ש והאמונה, ומי שחסר לו זהוא חסרון רעבון שא"א בלא זה כלל, ונוסף לזה ענין עטרות ותוספת קדושה, והוא כענין הפסח שנאכל על השובע שלא בהכרח. ועתה, ג"כ מלשימה לנו המצה ב' הקדושות שמשתלם החסרון, וזהוא כל דכפין רעב לדבר ה'. וכל דצריך שמרגיש בעצמו שהוא צריך, מפני שהשלמות הקדושה תאוה לזרע הקודש, ייתי ויפסח, שקדושת הפסח יקנה ע" הכנתו עם עשיית המצוה. All who are hungry...- there are two aspects: The essence of holiness is that one must accept the

5 yolk of heaven and faith, and anyone missing this is starving and cannot live without it at all. Additionally, is the matter of adding holiness similar to the Paschal offering which was eaten while satiated, when it was not [physically] necessary. The Matzah fulfills for us these two levels of holiness -- this is the meaning of "let all who are hungry come and eat" -- that is who hunger for the word of God. "And al who are needy" who feel in themselves that they need to complete the holiness , a desire for the holy seed, "come and observe Passover" the holiness of Passover will be acquired through his preparation for the mitzvah.

Remove the Question פירוש קדמון Peirush Kadmon on Haggadah .15 וכי כל אדם פותח פתחו ומכריז כל מי שרעב יבא ויאכל עמי. אלא כך הוא אומר: כל אדם שהרעיב עצמו בערב פסח לפי שאסור לטעום שום דבר מחמש שעות ולמעלה כדי שיכנס לאכילת מצה כשהוא תאוה... וכל דצריך ייתי ויפסח -- שהכל ראויין שיהו עניים אצל הפסח, שלא יאמר יחיד הואיל ואני עשיר אלך ואקנה פסח אחד ואוכלנו לבדי... Does every person open their door and declare "Anyone who is hungry can come and eat with me"?! Rather, it means anyone who made themselves hungry on Erev Pesach since it is forbidden to eat anything from 5 hours on so they will come to eat Matzah while hungry... All who are in need come and celebrate Passover -- everyone should be "poor" when it comes to the Paschal offering. A person should not say "since I'm rich I will buy a lamb and eat it alone.."

:פסחים צ״א א 91a .16 מַתְ נִּי׳ ֵאין ש ֹו ֲח ִּטין ֶאת ַה ּ ֶפ ַסח ַעל ַה ּיָ ִּחיד — דִּּ יבְרֵ רַ בִּּ י יְהוּדָ ה,... גְּמָ׳ תָּ נוּ רַ בָּנַן:מִּ נַּיִּן ש ֶאֵין ש וֹחֲטִּין אֶת הַפּ ֶסַח עַל ַה ּיָ ִּחיד, ַּת ְל מוּד לוֹמַר: ״לֹא תוּכַל לִּזְבּ ֹחַאֶת הַפּ ָסַחבְּאַחַ ד״, דִּּ יבְרֵ רַ יבִּּ יְהוּדָ ה. וְרַ יבִּּ יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר: יָחִּ יד וְיָכוֹל לְאׇּכְלוֹ — ש וֹחֲטִּ ין עָלָיו, עֲשָרָ הוְאֵין יְכוֹלִּין לְאׇּכְלוֹ — אֵיןש וֹחֲטִּ ין עֲלֵיהֶן. וְרַ בִּּ י יוֹסֵי, הַאי ״בְּאַחַ ד״ מַאי עָבֵיד ?לֵיהּ מִּיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ לְכִּדְרַ בִּּי ש ִּמְ עוֹן.דְּתַ נְיָא,רַ בִּּי ש ִּמְ עוֹן אוֹמֵר: מִּ נַּיִּין לַזּוֹבֵחַ תאֶ פִּּסְ חוֹ תבְּבָמַ יָחִּיד בִּּש ְעַת אִּיסּ וּר הַבָּמוֹת שֶהוּא בְּ לֹא תַ עֲשֶה — תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״לֹא תוּכַל לִּזְבּ ֹחַ אֶת הַפּ ָסַח בְּאַ ַחד ְש ָע ֶרי ָך״. יָכ ֹול ַאף ִּּב ְש ַעת ֶהי ֵּתר ַה ָּבמ ֹות ֵּכן, ַּת ְלמוּד ל ֹו ַמר: ״ ְּב ַא ַחד ְש ָע ֶרי ָך״ — לֹא ָא ְמרוּ ֶא ָּלא ְּב ָש ָעה ֶש ׇּּכל ִּי ְ ש ָר ֵאל ִּנ ְכ ָנ ִּסין ְּב ַש ַער ֶא ָחד . MISHNA: We do not slaughter the Paschal lamb on behalf of an individual, only for a group of people; this is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. ... GEMARA: The Sages taught in a baraita: From where is it derived that we do not slaughter a Paschal lamb on behalf on an individual? The verse states: “You may not sacrifice the Paschal lamb in any one of your gates, which the Lord your God has given you” (Deuteronomy 16:5). The phrase “in any one” is expounded to mean: For any one person, which indicates that the Paschal lamb is not slaughtered on behalf of an individual; this is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. And Rabbi Yosei says: If

6 there is an individual and he is able to eat an olive-bulk of the Paschal lamb, one slaughters it on his behalf; whereas if there are ten people and they are unable to eat together an olive-bulk of the Paschal lamb, we do not slaughter it on their behalf. The Gemara proceeds to analyze the opinions taught in the baraita: And what does Rabbi Yosei do with this phrase, “in any one,” from which Rabbi Yehuda derived the halakha he taught in the mishna? He needs it for that which Rabbi Shimon expounded, as it was taught in a baraita: With regard to improvised altars used by individuals for their private offerings, which are permitted for use only when there is no permanent national altar, Rabbi Shimon says: From where do we know that with regard to one who sacrifices his Paschal lamb on an improvised altar, at a time when the prohibition of sacrificing offerings on improvised altars applies, he is in violation of a negative mitzva? The verse states: “You may not slaughter the Paschal lamb in any one of your gates.” The phrase “any one of your gates” is referring to the use of improvised altars. I might have thought that even at a time when it is permitted to sacrifice offerings on improvised altars this is so; therefore the verse states “in any one of your gates,” which indicates that this prohibition was said only when all of the Jewish people enter into one gate, i.e., when they all come together to sacrifice their offerings on a permanent national altar, such as the Temple. However, where there is no permanent national altar, it is indeed permitted to offer the Paschal lamb on an improvised altar.

Sign of Freedom הגדת הגיוני הלכה לר' יצחק מירסקי .R. Yitzchak Mirsky. Hagadat Hegyonei Halacha.17 שאלו רבים, וכי זו השעה להזמין אורחים לסעודה, כשבעל הבית כבר יושב בביתו, יפה היה להכריז כך ברבים, בשוק או בבית הכנסת ולא בביתו? ביאר ר' יעקב מאיר פאדווע שהיה אב"ד בבריסק, שאין אמירה זו מכוונת לאוריחם ביחוד. אלא כיון שבליל פסח מצוה להרבות בסימני חירות, אמירה זו לדעתו מנימוסי חירות היא עכת"ד...ונראה שדבר זה היה מכריז בעל הבית בפני בני ביתו ואומר שיש לו לסעודתו די והותר ויכול גם להזמין אחרים לסעודתו, והוא מנהג חירות. Many have asked: is this the time to invite guests to the meal, when the head of the house is already sitting at home? It would have been better to declare in public, in the market or synagogue, and not in his home? R. Yaakov Meir Padwa, who was the av beit din in Brisk, that this declaration is not directed only toward guests. But on the night of Pesach it is a mitzvah to multiply the signs of freedom. In his opinion, this declaration is one of the signs of freedom...It seems that the head of the house would declare this [invitation] in front of the members of the house and say that at his meal there is plenty, such that he could invite others to the meal. This is the way of the free.

18. Erica Brown. Seder Talk - The Conversational Haggada. "This is the Bread of Affliction" 14-17

7 What kind of hosts are we? We invite guest at the last minute and then when they join us, we give them the bread of affliction? No one wants to join us for that. But wait. We were slaves. We could not invite guests because we didn’t know that food was on its way. But then miraculously we found a bit of food. It was wasn’t much, but it was worth sharing. A Holocaust survivor wrote in her memoir: Ilse, a childhood friend of mine, once found a raspberry in the camp and carried it in her pocket all day to present to me that night on a leaf. Imagine a world in which your entire possession is one raspberry and you gave it to your friend.”…When we have the capacity to give away even the most meager thing we have to give someone else pleasure, we have achieved light through darkness. And we tell those we invite for our modest meal that we know something else about true friendship. We never forget those who extend us kindness during hardship when we finally find ourselves in the position to enjoy success.

19. The Jonathan Sacks Haggadah. This is a strange invitation...What hospitality is it to offer the hungry the taste of suffering? In fact, though, this is a profound insight into the nature of slavery and freedom. As noted, matza represents two things: it is the food of slaves, and also the bread eaten by the Israelites as they left Egypt in liberty. What transforms the bread of oppression into the bread of freedom is the willingness to share it with others. Primo Levi survived Auschwitz. In his book If This Is a Man, he describes his experiences there. According to Levi, the worst time of all was when the Nazis left in January 1945, fearing the Russian advance. All prisoners who could walk were taken on the brutal "death marches." The only peopl left in the camp were those too ill to move. For ten days they were left alone with only scraps of food and fuel. Levi describes how he worked to light a fire and bring some warmth to his fellow prisoners, many of them dying. He then writes: When the broken window was repaired and the stove began to spread its heat, something seemed to relax in everyone, and at that moment Towarowski (a Franco-Pole of twenty-three, typhus) proposed to the others that each of them offer a slice of bread to us three who had been working. And so it was agreed. Only a day before a similar event would have been inconceivable. The law of the Lager [concentration camps] said: "eat your own bread, and if you can, that of your neighbor," and left no room for gratitude. It really meant that the law of the Lager was dead. It was the first human gesture that occurred among us. I believe that that moment can be dated as the beginning of the change by which we who had not died slowly changed from Haftlinge [prisoners] to men again. Sharing food is the first act through which slaves become free human beings. One who fears tomorrow does not offer his bread to others. But one who is willing to divide his food with a stranger has already shown himself capable of of fellowship and faith, the two things from which hope is born. that is why we being the seder by inviting others to join us. Bread shared is no longer the bread of oppression. Reaching out to others, giving help to the needy and companionship to those who are alone, we bring freedom into the world, and with freedom, God.

20. Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon. Pesach Haggadah Shirat Miriam Haggadah MiMekorah. What is the significance of inviting guests when no one hears the invitation? Perhaps in the past, when people would pen their doors, poor people would actually enter at that

8 point, but this was stoppedn when non-Jews began to take advantage of this practice. (Avudraham)... What is the significance of this statement nowadays, when we are sure that no one will take up this invitation (nor do we say it at the very beginning of the seder). In order to understand this, we must first understand the difference between a slave and a free man...Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveithcik (Festival of Freedom p. 22, and see Haggadat Siach HaGrid) explains: Hesed is the characteristic mark of the free man. The bondsman is not spiritually capable of joining the hesed community, because he is too much concerned with himself...Only free and proud people think of others and share with others. The birth of the hesed community...is symbolized by the paschal sacrifice. God...simply wanted the people -- slaves who had just comeout of the house of bandage -- to emerge from their isolation and and insane self-centeredness into the hessed community.. If so, the distinction between the slave and the free person is that the slave thinks only about himself., about his own personal survival. A free person, is full of vigor and strength, shakes off his own personal concerns and thinks of others and how to help them One of the characteristics of the slave is that he is unable to help others: "Whatever is acquired by a slave belongs to his master" (Pesachim 88b). Thinking about others is the mark of a free man! At the beginning of the seder, we proclaim, "Do you want to be free? Think about others." It is likely that it is already too late to invite guests. Everyone is already in the place where they will be celebrating the seder, and an invitation at this time is meaningless. Nonetheless, we announce for ourselves and our families: we are leaving for freedom, and the first expression of this is to look beyond ourselves and to help others: "Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat." This task will accompany us throughout the year, ut we must remember that giving to others is not done only through food; it is done through every area in which God gave us powers and abilities. Our goal at the seder to to become free, to be aware of others, to become people who influence others, and give to them as only truly free men can.

Ha Lachma Anya -- Remember your past! It is normal for a person who has difficulties to feel that if he could only fill a certain void in his life, he would take great pains to ensure that no one else would suffer as he suffers now. If only he had money, he would make sure to supply the needs of others; if only he were married, he and his wife would help their single friends. However, once that particular problem is solved, the person tends to forget the other people whom he had planned to help, who are in the same position he once was. At the beginning of the haggadah, we announce and remember: "Our forefathers ate the bread of affliction!" Even though our circumstances are much improved since those times, we remember the previous condition of our nation, and that gives us the power and desire to help all those who are still living in poverty. We will always remember our suffering -- "this is the bread of affliction" -- and by remembering it we will be sure to help all those who suffer still.

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:כתובות ח׳ ב Ketubot 8b .21 א"ל קום אימא מלתא כנגד מנחמי אבלים פתח ואמר אחינו גומלי חסדים בני גומלי חסדים המחזיקים בבריתו של אברהם אבינו )שנאמר )בראשית יח, יט( כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה את בניו וגו'( אחינו בעל הגמול ישלם לכם גמולכם ברוך אתה משלם הגמו ל Reish Lakish said to the disseminator: Stand and say a statement with regard to those who comfort the mourners. He began and said: Our brothers, bestowers of loving-kindness, sons of bestowers of loving-kindness, who embrace the covenant of Abraham our Patriarch, as it is stated: “For I know him, that he will command his children…to do righteousness and justice” (Genesis 18:19). Our brothers, may the Master of reward pay you your just deserts. Blessed are You, Lord, Who pays the just deserts.

Instructions for Hachnasat Orchim 22. Rabbi David Silber with Rachel Furst. A Passover Haggadah: Go Forth and Learn. ...Traditionally, this call is understood as an invitation to paricipate in both the meal (yeitei ve- yeikhol, "come and eat") and in the sacrificial rite (yeitei ve-yifsach, "come and participate in the Passover ritual"). But this interpretation is problematic, because according to Jewish law participation in the Passover offering must be determined before the animal is slaughtered, and at this stage it would be too late to add "guests." Alternatively, the term ve-yifsach could be understood as an invitation to stay and linger at the seder. Most commentaries understand the word pasah to mean "pass over," as when God saw blood marking the Israelite homes during the Plague of the Firstborn (Exod. 12:13). But some claim that pasah means "lean" (Rav Saadiah Gaon) or "protect" (the Septuagint), implying that God did not skip over the Israelite homes but rather hovered above them in protection (see Ibn Ezra on Exod. 12:27). When we invite the needy to come and "make Pesach" we're not inviting them to eat and leave but rather to "hover" with us -- that is, to join us for the duration of hte ritual and participate fully in the learning, the singing and the celebration.

מלכים א י״ח:כ״ א I Kings 18:21 .23 )כא( ַו ִּּי ַּ֨ג ׁש ֜אֵלִי הּו אֶ ל־כ ל־ה ֗ע ם ֙וַי ֙ אמֶר עַ ד־מתַ ֞ י אַתֶ ֣ ם פסְחִ ֮ ים עַל־ׁשְ תֵ ֣ י הַסְעִפִ ֒ ים אִ ם־ה' ה ָֽ אֱֹלקִ ֙ ים לְ ֣כּו ֔ אַחֲריו וְאִ ם־ הַבַּ֖ עַל לְ ֣כּו ֑ אַחֲריו וְל ָֽ א־ע ֥ נּו ה ע ֛ם א ֖ ֹות ד ב ָֽ ר׃ (21) Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you keep hopping between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; and if Baal, follow him!” But the people answered him not a word.

׳משנה אבות א׳:ה Pirkei Avot 1:5 .24 )ה( י ֹו ֵסי ֶבן י ֹו ָח ָנן ִּאי ש ְירוּ ָש ַל ִּים א ֹו ֵמר, ְי ִּהי ֵבי ְת ָך ָפתוּ ַח ִּל ְר ָו ָחה, ְו ִּי ְהיוּ ֲע ִּנ ִּּיים ְּבנֵי ֵבי ֶת ָך, ְו ַאל ַּת ְר ֶּבה ִּ שי ָחה ִּעם ָה ִּא ּ ָשה. בְּאִּש ְתּ וֹאָמְ רוּ, לקַ וָחֹמֶר בְּאֵש ֶת חֲבֵרוֹ. מִּכָּאןאָמְ רוּ חֲכָמִּ ים,כָּל זְמַן ש םֶאָדָ מַרְ שבֶּה ִּ יחָ העִּם ָּ הָאִּשה, גּוֹרֵ ם רָ עָה לְעַצְ מוֹ, וּבוֹטֵלמִּ דִּּ בְרֵ י תוֹרָ ה, וְ סוֹפוֹיוֹרֵש גֵּיהִּ נֹּם:

10 Yose ben Yochanan (a man) of used to say: Let thy house be wide open, and let the poor be members of thy household. Engage not in too much conversation with women. They said this with regard to one’s own wife, how much more [does the rule apply] with regard to another man’s wife. From here the Sages said: as long as a man engages in too much conversation with women, he causes evil to himself, he neglects the study of the Torah, and in the end he will inherit gehinnom.

Expression of Core Values 25. Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik. The Seder Night: An Exalted Evening Pesach is the holiday of solidarity. Not all the Jews in Egypt were slaves. Slavery was neither uniform nor homogeneous: there were various degrees of slavery. Hazal tell us that the the tribe of Levi was never enslaved. the Jewish aristocracy, the people who were wealthy, those who paid high taxes, did not have to do physical labor. Still, there was unity of purpose, solidarity, and responsibility. Each one felt the pain of his neighbor, and that helped bring about the ge'ulah. Therefore, on Pesah, before we sit down to read the Haggadah, we declare, "This is the poor bread that our forefathers ate in the land of Egypt. Let all who are hungry enter and eat; let all who are in need come and celebrate the Passover." I interpret "in the land of Egypt" as referring to the period that they were slaves. They not only ate this bread, but shared it with each other. One had a mazzah, while the other had none; the former split the mazzah in two and passed half to his unfortunate brother. Therefore we eat the "poor bread" as does a pauper, she-darko bi-perusah, who eats a broken piece... Ha lahma anya is the renewal of a pledge of solidarity among the Jewish people -- solidarity between individual and individual, and between the individual and the Jewish community as a whole. It is a proclamation that we are one people, and we are ready to help each other. Pesah night is a time of sharing; without manifesting and demonstrating the sense of solidarity, responsibility, unity and readiness to share and to participate, the whole Seder becomes meaningless.

שבת קכ״ז א:״ג Shabbat 127a .26 ָא ַמר ַרב ְיהוּ ָדה ָא ַמר ַרב: ְּגד ֹו ָלה ַה ְכ ָנ ַסת א ֹו ְר ִּחין ֵמ ַה ְק ָּב ַלת ְּפנֵי ְש ִּכי ָנה, ִּ ּד ְכ ִּתיב: ״ ַו ּיֹא ַמר ה׳ ִּאם ָנא ָמ ָצא ִּתי ֵחן ְּב ֵעינֶי ָך אַ ל נָא תַ עֲבֹר וְגוֹ׳״. אָמַ ר ַר ִּּבי ֶא ְל ָע ָזר: ּבֹא וּ ְר ֵאה ֶש ּלֹא ְּכ ִּמ ַּדת ַה ָּקד ֹו ש ָּברוּ ְך הוּא ִּמ ַּדת ָּב ָ שר ָו ָדם. ִּמ ַּדת ָּב ָ שר ְו ָדם, ֵאין ָק ָטן יָכ ֹול ל ֹו ַמר ַל ָּגד ֹול ״ ַה ְמ ֵּתן ַעד ֶש ָאבֹא ֶא ְצ ְל ָך״, ְו ִּאי ּלוּ ְּב ַה ָּקד ֹו ש ָּברוּ ְך הוּא ְּכ ִּתיב ״ ַו ּיֹא ַמר ה׳ ִּא ם נָ א מָצָאתִּ י וְגוֹ׳״. Rav Yehuda said that Rav said on a related note: Hospitality toward guests is greater than receiving the Divine Presence, as when Abraham invited his guests it is written: “And he said: Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please pass not from Your servant” (Genesis 18:3). Abraham requested that God, the Divine Presence, wait for him while he tended to his guests appropriately. Rabbi Elazar said: Come and see that the attribute of the Holy One, Blessed be He, is not like that of flesh and blood. The attribute of flesh and blood people is such that a less significant person is unable to say to a more significant person: Wait until I come to you, while with regard to the Holy One, Blessed be He, it is written: “And he said: Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please pass not from Your servant.” Abraham requested that God wait for him due to his guests.

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27. New American Haggadah. Ed. Jonathan Safran Foer. Jeffrey Goldberg "Nation" Commentary If there is a moment in the seder that should leave us feeling self-conscious, it is now. "This is the bread of affliction," we read. True enough: matzah is the quintessential discomfort food. But what follows is a problem: "All who are bent with hunger, come and eat." What's the problem, exactly? Judaism, after all, is not opposed to feeding the hungry (Jews even excel at feeding those who are already full). In fact, feeding the hungry is in some ways the mother all mitzvot. And precisely because it is the most fundamental form of charity, this invitation to the hungry seems empty and hypocritical. Why? Because it comes too late. By the time we read this passage, we are seated, out hands are washed, the wine is poured, the table is crowded with fine dishes. And only now we invite the poor to join us? Maybe this passage should be read a week, or a month before Passover, when there would still be time toissue a meaningful invitation to a hungry person But there is no provision in Judaism for such a pre-seder seder -- and tampering with the seder would mean negating the very idea of seder. So we are left with an uncomfortable question: Is the Haggadah being cruel? Or merely disingenuous? How, as we fill our bellies with , can we mourn the existence of hunger in the world and not feel like hypocrites? The Haggadah, of course, might be a making a point at our expense. Could it be teaching us that this night, in one crucial way, is just like all other nights? On all other nights we et to satisfaction without a thought for the hungry stranger. Tonight, we speak of hunger, but do nothing to alleviate it. In Judaism, it is not the thought that counts, but the deed. Is the Haggadah telling us to get up right now from this table and find a hungry person to feed?

Source Sheet created on Sefaria by Elliot Kaplowitz

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