4. The Passover Plate

"WHY IS THIS NIGHT DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER NIGHTS?"

It is about ‘the telling’ or Haggadah in fulfilment of the command to ‘tell your son’ – Exodus 13:8.

The ‘Haggadah’ is a service book which contains the Exodus account from Scripture of the Children of Israel leaving Egypt. It also contains rabbinic comments and traditions along with prayers and holiday songs.

Pesach – Is the Jewish word for Passover.  Hag HaMatzah means the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Matzah – Is bread without yeast in it producing flat bread, striped and pierced!

Afikomen – literally means ‘that which comes after or later’. It is the hidden piece of matzah that is partaken of by all at the end!

The Passover Plate was designed to hold the 6 elements of the Seder (order of the) Meal. They are as follows:-

1. KARPAS (Parsley) – speaks of life. Dipped into salt water to remind the Israelites of the tears shed under bondage.

2. BAYTZAH (Roasted Egg) – representing the burnt offerings of the Temple period.

3. MAROR (Bitter Herbs) – normally horseradish. This is a reminder of the past bitterness of slavery and of the bitterness of sin. 

4. CHAROSET (Sweet apple/nut/cinnamon mix). Is a wonderful reminder of the sweetness of our redemption. Represents the mortar used to make all the bricks for their Egyptian masters. (Two small pieces of matzos are used to make a brick with the apple mix and then dipped into the horseradish).

5. ZEROAH (Lamb Shankbone). To represent the sacrificial Lamb – fulfilled in our blessed Adonai Y’shua HaMashiach, Sar Shalom ve Melech Yisrael (the Lord Jesus – Messiah, Prince of Peace and King of Israel).

6. CHAZARET (Whole Bitter Herb) – normally onion or radish. It is in addition to the Maror since the biblical command is to eat bitter herbs (plural) – see Numbers 9:11.

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