Ha Lachma Anya
Ha Lachma Anya is a declaration that is recited at the beginning of the Magid portion of the Passover Seder. Written in Aramaic, the recitation is believed to be one of the oldest portions of the Haggadah,[1] and it serves as the first explanation of the purpose of Matzah during the Seder.[2]
Procedure
During the Magid portion of the Passover Seder, participants retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt.[3] The Magid begins with the uncovering and lifting of the matzah on the Seder table and the recitation of Ha Lachma Anya.[1][4] The words Ha Lachma Anya are written in Aramaic,CITEREFIsaacs2000 and it begins with the proclamation that "this is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in Egypt".[5] This recitation is based on Deuteronomy 16:3, which states that "[y]ou shall eat unleavened bread, bread of 'ani' (distress) — for you departed from the land of Egypt hurriedly", and the recitation serves as "the first official explanation for matza in the Hagaddah".[2]
History
Scholars believe that Ha Lachma Anya "is one of the oldest parts of the Hagaddah".[1] Some sources state that Ha Lachma Anya originated during the Gaonic period (circa 750-1038 CE), while others trace it back as far as the as the first or second century CE.[6] In the past, the head of the household would "step out into the street and recite Ha Lachma Anya, so as to invite any poor people to the Seder".[7] Some medieval Haggadot also added the phrase "we left Egypt hastily" (biv'hilu yatsanu m'mitsrayim) at the beginning of Ha Lachma Anya.[6]
Commentary
Commentators have suggested that Ha Lachma Anya adds "a sense of immediacy and urgency to our telling" of the story of the Exodus, and that the recitation "establishes the intimacy of our connection to the ancient Israelites" because participants in the Seder will "eat the same bread they ate" and will "experience the taste and texture of their lives as slaves".[5] Others have also suggested that the reference to matzah in Ha Lachma Anya "is a memorial not of liberation, but of slavery".[2] Some have also stated that the process of beginning the Magid by looking at matzah "is a visual reminder of events in Egypt" and that the Ha Lachma Anya "also stresses the importance of opening one's house to the poor and sharing one's meals with them, because it is through such generosity that one can aspire to redemption".CITEREFIsaacs2000[7]
See also
References
Citations
- ^ a b c Scharfstein 1999, p. 81.
- ^ a b c Zion 1996, p. 37.
- ^ "A Review of the Seder of the Seder". Orthodox Union. February 18, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
Over the matza and the second cup of wine, we tell of the Exodus in answer to children's questions.
- ^ Isaacs 2000, p. 82-83.
- ^ a b Anisfeld 2000, p. 81.
- ^ a b Arnow 2008, p. 135.
- ^ a b Scharfstein 1999, p. 81-82.
Bibliography
- Anisfeld, Sharon Cohen; Mohr, Tara; Spector, Catherine (2006). The Women's Seder Sourcebook: Rituals & Readings for Use at the Passover Seder. Jewish Lights Publishing. ISBN 1580232329.
- Arnow, David (2008). My People's Passover Haggadah: Traditional Texts, Modern Commentaries, Volume 1. Jewish Lights Publishing. ISBN 1580233546.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - Isaacs, Ronald H. (2000). Every Person's Guide to Passover. Jason Aronson. ISBN 0765760436.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - Scharfstein, Sol (1999). Understanding Jewish Holidays and Customs: Historical and Contemporary. KTAV Publishing House. ISBN 0881256269.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - Zion, Noam; Dishon, David (1996). Haggadah Shel Pesach: The Family Participation Haggadah: a Different Night. Shalom Hartman Institute.