eSefarad Noticias del Mundo Sefaradi
Imagine a formal dinner in an upscale restaurant. The table will include the customary condiments: salt, pepper, and perhaps some olive oil. Now imagine Maimonides’ table for the Pesah Seder. On his table, there is an element that literally replaces “all” other condiments and dressings that night: Haroset, the exclusive dip meant to accompany all the symbolic foods we consume on the Seder night.
Let us examine how and when the Haroset is consumed at the Pesah Seder according to Maimonides:
KARPAS WITH HAROSET
After inaugurating the Pesah Seder with the Kiddush, the first thing we eat is a piece of Karpas, which most interpret as celery. In ancient times, it was common for a festive dinner to begin with an aperitif (celery or other fresh vegetables) before serving the main dish in order to stimulate the appetite. Now, the general custom in the Seder is to dip the karpas in vinegar (or water with salt) to remind us of the bitter tears that we shed in our Egyptian captivity. But according to Maimonides, the karpas should be dipped in the Haroset! Note, however, that Maimonides’ Haroset recipe included a significant amount of wine vinegar, which gave his Haroset an acidic flavor.
MATSA WITH HAROSET
The second time Haroset is used, as per Maimonides, is when we recite the blessing for the Matsa (Motsi-Matsa). Then we should also dip the Matsa in the Haroset, instead of using salt as we usually do when we say haMotsi for bread. This gesture reminds me of a beautiful custom that is practiced in some families during Rosh haShana: to express our wishes for a good and sweet year, when we say haMotsi, we dip the bread in honey, or season it with sugar instead of salt. While the honey or sugar used in Rosh haShana is a popular tradition or folklore, the dipping of the Matsa in the Haroset seems to be a formal, practically “halakhic”, requirement, at least for Maimonides .
MAROR WITH (A LITTLE BIT OF) HAROSET
The Haroset is used mostly to dip the Maror, the bitter herb. In the particular case of the Maror the rabbis indicate that the presence of the Haroset must be minimal, so that the flavor of the Haroset does not deprive us of experiencing the bitter taste of the Maror. Some rabbis wrote that after dipping the Maror in the Haroset, the Haroset must be removed from the Maror so that only a superficial layer remains on it. Maimonides clarifies that in this case, when spreading the Maror with Haroset, we are fulfilling a rabbinic precept, although we do not say a specific blessing for the Haroset. According to some opinions, this is because of the rulings of iqar and tafel, which determine that we say blessings on the main food -in this case, the Maror – as opposed to its accompaniment – in this case, the Haroset.
MATSA AND MAROR WITH HAROSET
Finally the Haroset is also added to the Korekh, the sandwich of Matsa and Maror that reminds us of the qorban pesah, the lamb that was consumed during the Seder of Pesah with Matsa and Maror in the times of the Bet haMiqdash. As in the case of the Maror, the use of the Haroset in the Korekh is also practiced by all the Jewish communities.
THE REASON FOR THE HAROSET
As we already explained, the Haroset is not mentioned in the Tora, and is rather a ritual food related to the Pesah Seder which was established by the rabbis. I believe that this ruling by our Sages carries tremendous meaning, as the Haroset, its taste, its texture and its looks, imbues it with particular significance the messages that the Seder of Pesah conveys.
THE TASTE OF THE HAROSET
According to Maimonides, the Haroset is basically made with dry fruits (figs, dates, or raisins) and wine vinegar (and tebalin, a subject I plan to discuss in a future HOTD) . The most appropriate word to define the flavor of Haroset should be: “bittersweet”. And “bittersweet” is also what best defines the general flavor of the Seder. On the one hand, we remember and reenact the bitter memories of the slavery, oppression and genocide that we suffered in Egypt. And on the other hand, we also celebrate our freedom. We toast four times; we eat reclining as nobles, and sing in gratitude to God, savoring the sweetness of our redemption. Each of the elements of the Seder meal represents either a gesture of joy and freedom or a gesture of pain. The bittersweet Haroset is special in that it is able to combine the two.
To be continued…
Fuente: halaja.org
