Page 11 - RMBA Upper School Haggadah 2018

reclining because we are done explaining the exodus from Egypt (so this is when our freedom is
really beginning), and that the first two cups do not require reclining because we are s ll saying
‘we were slaves’ (presently reminding ourselves). The Gemara concludes by declaring that all
four cups require reclining because there is not a clear answer.
A lesson to be drawn from this is that compromise is an essen al part of Judaism. When the
Rabbis are not certain of an answer they will usually proclaim a safe op on so that there is no
chance of execu ng something that it prohibited. In addi on, it shows us the importance of
having the percep on of freedom during Passover.

We wash our hands before eating the Karpas but do not recite a bracha.

Urchatz – ‫וּ ְר ַחץ‬

Why Do We Wash Our Hands For Karpas? - Yehuda Stock (7th grade)
Why do we wash our hands for Karpas? The reason is so kids could ask ques ons at the seder.
Also we wash our hands for purity. This is because when you dip certain vegetables into water,
they become impure, which can make us impure. It was a law at the me of the Beit HaMikdash
to wash our hands when touching vegetables dipped in certain liquids. Today we don’t wash are
hands when we dip vegetables in liquid. At the seder, we want to remember our freedom during
the me of the Beit HaMikdash, so a good way to do that is to wash our hands to purify
ourselves like at the me of the Beit HaMikdash.
Another ques on is: Why we don’t say a bracha when we wash for Karpas? According to Rabbi
Meir of Rothenburg, we don’t say a Bracha before washing because we are washing to prevent
impurity, unlike bread, for which we say a Bracha to sanc fy the Mitzvah.

Karpas – ‫ַכּ ְר ַפּס‬

Take less than a kezayit (the volume of one olive) of the karpas, dip it into salt-water, and recite
the following blessing (keeping in mind the Marror that will be eaten later on as well):

‫ בּוֹ ֵרא ְפּ ִרי ָה ֲא ָד ָמה‬,‫ָבּרוּ ַא ָתּה ה' ֱא קינוּ ֶמ ֶל ָהעוֹ ָלם‬
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