Hebrew Language Blog

קערה

Preparing the Seder plate is not just putting the required foods on the plate. It takes advanced preparation and cooking. In order to prepare all the seder foods on time, you’ll need other members of the household to help out. Every item on the Seder plate abounds in meaning and allusion. So I’m going to go through them below and help you see why they are included, how they are prepared and what its roles are in the Seder meal.

The plate is placed on top of the covering of the three matzot and is placed in front of the head of the household. The Seder plate has six items on it, arranged in a special order.

The Shank Bone

The shank bone (a piece of roasted meat) represents the lamb that was the Paschal sacrifice on the eve of the exodus from Egypt. Since the temple was destroyed in the month of Elul, year 3830 (August 70 AD), the Paschal sacrifice is no longer offered. Many communities today have the custom to use a roasted chicken neck or similar.

To prepare: Roast the meat on all sides over an open fire on the stove. Some have the custom of removing most of the meat off the bone.

During the Seder: The meat of the shank bone is not eaten. After the meal it is refrigerated, and used a second time on the Seder plate the following night.

Hard boiled egg

The egg represents the offering brought in to the Temple.

To prepare: Boil one egg per Seder plate, and boil a few more in case they are needed during the meal.

During the Seder: One egg is placed on each plate. As soon as the actual meal is about to begin, remove the egg from the Seder plate and use during the meal.

Bitter Herbs

Bitter herbs (maror) are a reminder of the bitterness of the slavery the Jews experienced in Egypt. The most common choices for this are horseradish root, romaine lettuce, and endive.

To prepare: This must be done before the holiday begins. Peel the raw horseradish roots, and rinse them off well. Dry the roots thoroughly since they will be eaten with the matzah later on. Not a single drop of water should be left on the horseradish – this will prevent chametz when later used with the matzah. Grate the horseradish with a hand grater or electric grinder. (Cover the face with a cloth to cover the nose and mouth. Breathing in the strong, bitter odor will cause quite a lot of tearing up and coughing.)

The lettuce or endive leaves must be washed, carefully checked for insects, and again, thoroughly dried. As an alternative, the stalks can be used as they are easier to clean. Put a few of the cleaned dried leaves of romaine lettuce on the Seder plate and then put the horseradish on top.

Role in the Seder: After the recital of most of the haggadah comes the ritual handwashing. Then matzah is eaten, followed by maror, followed in turn by a sandwich of matzah and maror.

The Paste

This is a mixture of apples, nuts and wine to resemble the mortar and brick made by the Jews when they toiled for Pharaoh.

Preparation: Shell walnuts and peel apples and chop finely. Mix together and add a small amount of wine.

Role in the Seder: The morar is dipped in this (then shaken off) before eating.

The Vegetable

This non-bitter vegetable alludes to the backbreaking work of the Jews as slaves.

Preparation: Peel an onion or boiled potato. Cut off a slice and place on Seder plate. Next to the Seder plate, place a small bowl of salted water.

Role in the Seder: After recital of kiddush, the family goes to the sink and washes hands, but without saying the usual blessing. Then the head of the household cuts a small piece of the vegetable, dips it in saltwater, and gives each person at the table a very small piece (less than 17 grams – or ½ ounce) over which they say the appropriate blessing.

Question: What’s the difference between kosher wine and kosher for Passover wine?

Answer: As with anything to be considered kosher, it must be created under a rabbi’s supervision, and only Sabbath-observant Jewish males are allowed to handle the grapes through the entire process.

Because chametz is forbidden at any time during Passover, this also applies to wine. Because wine requires some sort of yeast for fermentation, the Passover prohibition applies to yeast which is a product of one of the following five grains: wheat, barley, oat, spelt, or rye. Any wine saying it’s kosher for Passover wine must be made from a yeast that has been grown on something like grapes, or its sugars. And there should be no preservatives, like potassium sorbate.

Even though you may find wine that says it’s a kosher wine – not all are kosher for Passover. Make sure to look for a “P” next to the kosher symbol or it will say “Kosher for Passover” in both English and/or Hebrew. All Israeli wines are Kosher for Passover.

This article is about the traditional, kosher preparation of baking matzah for Passover. I have attached a PDF at the end if you want to make them in a non-kosher way.

Matzah and Passover

כָּשֵׁר – kosher
מַצָּה – matzah
חָמֵץ – chametz (leaven)
סֵדֶר – seder
פֶּסַח – Passover
תְּסִיסָה – fermentation

As we know from an earlier article, חָמֵץ is forbidden during the entire holiday of פֶּסַח . מַצָּה is the bread used during the seder and is made from grain and water בָּצֵק without any fermentation as commanded in Exodus 12:8. The problem is how to make the בָּצֵק without using any kind of leaven, or accidently causing fermentation? This is done by protecting the ingredients from moisture and heat prior to mixing, preparing the dough as fast as you can and baking it at a high temperature.

Ingredients Needed

קֶמַח – flour
שָׁמְוּרָה – shamura
מַיִם – water
     הקש על המים – tap water
     מים חיים – spring water

Before preparations are made, you must be sure the קֶמַח is absolutely dry and has been stored in a cool, dark place. You can purchase such flour (called shemurah flour שָׁמְוּרָה ) from a מַצָּה שָׁמְוּרָה bakery.

The מַיִם for use in the dough must be drawn from a natural spring and settle overnight in a cool, dark, place – but not near the קֶמַח as you'll risk getting it wet, making it unfit for מַצָּה . The vessel in which it is stored should be perfectly clean and כָּשֵׁר for פֶּסַח . Tap water or bottled spring water may not be used .

Kneading and Preparing the Dough

צוֹנְנִים – cold water
מַעֲרוֹךְ – rolling pin
בָּצֵק – dough
לְלָשׁ – knead

Before we begin, we have to be sure the board, מַעֲרוֹךְ , and any other utensils you'll be using are כָּשֵׁר . Everyone who will be handling the בָּצֵק should wash their hands in cold water not only before beginning to work, but also between each batch of בָּצֵק being handled, after which the hands must be dried thoroughly.

The קֶמַח and מַיִם are mixed in a tub or large mixing bowl. Depending on how many people are going to be making מַצָּה , the maximum amount of dough is anywhere from one to three pounds (remember, you have 18 minutes or less to make and bake a batch – so be wise in how much you use at a time). Once the בָּצֵק is made, cut it up into pieces about the size of your palm and start the kneading.

Kneading the בָּצֵק prevents it from rising, so knead them until they are of uniform consistency (perhaps for 60 – 90 seconds) and then rolled out into a pancake shape. While rolloing the matzot with the roling pin, constantly pick them up off the table or board so that the בָּצֵק does not stick to the table. This is important as additional flour cannot be sprinkled on the board.

Roll out the בָּצֵק until it's very thin, and has a diameter of about eight inches. Carry on the מַעֲרוֹךְ to a machine where the מַצָּה is perforated with holes (or you can use a rolling pin with small spikes too). These holes prevent any air bubbles from forming and making the matzah unfit. After this, the בָּצֵק is taken to the oven.

When a batch is in the oven, each workspace and every utensil must be cleaned off with a paper towel or even sandpaper to prevent any trace of מַיִם from producing חָמֵץ with any leftover dough.

Baking

As noted above, matzot are baked at a high temperature – usually 600° to 800° F. It may take three to four hours to get this high, so prepare this in advance. When the matzot are ready for the oven, they are placed on long wooden poles and put in the oven. They are done baking within two to three minutes.

After baking is completed, a small portion is separated, using the same blessing as in baking challah, and this is burnt up completely.

בָּרוּךְ‎ אתָּה יָי‎ אֳלוֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם‎ הַמּצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ.
(Blessed are You our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth).

The total time elapsed, from the beginning of the kneading till the matzot are placed in the oven, should never be more than 18 minutes.

Since Purim is here, why not take a break from our lessons and sing, dance and rejoice! This song is popular, well known even outside the Jewish communities. Purim is just as good a time to have fun – so listen and sing along. (English translation is at the end of this post)

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The dance that goes with it is called the Hora dance. Here’s a video of it being danced at a birthday party. It’s easy to learn and fun – try it!

The dance steps are really easy:

    1 – Stand in a circle holding the hands of the people on either side of you.
    2 – When the music starts, follow the circle as it rotates.
    3 – Step to the side, passing your left foot behind your right.
    4 – Move the right foot beside the left foot.
    5 – Step to the side again, passing your left foot in front of your right this time.
    6 – Continue as the circle keeps spinning, adding a little hop to your steps as you go faster.
    7 – Move toward the center of the circle and throw your hands, still holding those of the people beside you, in the air.
    8 – Lower your hands and move backward.
    9 – Go back to Step 1 and repeat

Watch how they do it in the video and try it!

English translation

Let’s rejoice
Let’s rejoice
Let’s rejoice and be happy

Let’s rejoice
Let’s rejoice
Let’s rejoice and be happy

Let’s sing
Let’s sing
Let’s sing and be happy

Let’s sing
Let’s sing
Let’s sing and be happy

Awake, awake, brothers!
Awake brothers with a happy heart
Awake brothers with a happy heart
Awake brothers with a happy heart
Awake brothers with a happy heart

Awake, brothers, awake, brothers!
With a happy heart

טוּ בִּשְׁבָט‎ (Tu B’Shevat) is a Jewish holiday on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of שְׁבָט‎. It is also called רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לְאִילָנוֹת‎, literally “New Year of the Trees”. Ecological organizations in Israel and the diaspora have used the holiday to further environmental-awareness programs.

Customs

There are few customs or observances related to this holiday. One custom is to eat a new fruit on this day, or to eat from the שִׁבְעָה הָמִינִים‎ (seven species) described in the Torah (Deut. 8:8) as being abundant in the land of Israel. These שִׁבְעָה הָמִינִים‎ are:

חִטָּה ‎ (wheat),
שְׂעוֹרָה‎ (barley),
עֵנָבִים‎ (grapes),
תְּאֵנִים‎ (figs),
רִמּוֹנִים‎ (pomegranates),
זַיִתִים (olives),
תָּמָרִים‎ (dates).

In the 16th century a seder ritual was developed to discuss the spiritual significance of the שִׁבְעָה הָמִינִים‎. Aish.com provides a traditional text for this seder. The Jewish college student organization Hillel also provides materials for a Tu B’Shevat seder.

List of Dates

Tu B’Shevat will occur on the following days of the secular calendar:

Jewish Year 5773: sunset January 25, 2013
Jewish Year 5774: sunset January 15, 2014
Jewish Year 5775: sunset February 3, 2015
Jewish Year 5776: sunset January 24, 2016

*The word “Tu” is not really a word; it is the number 15 in Hebrew, which you can find out about Hebrew numbers in a previous article.
List of dates from www.jewfaq.org