Haggadah Bites: The Bread of Poverty
The Maggid portion of the Haggadah opens with a statement in Aramaic, which doesn't appear in the Talmud but dates back at least as far as the Geonic period. It appears in the Seder of Rabbi Amram (9th C. head of the Sura academy in Babylonia). Here's the text, followed by two questions and reflections. הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִּי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם כָּל דִּכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכוֹל כָּל דִּצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח הָשַׁתָּא הָכָא, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל הָשַׁתָּא עַבְדֵּי, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין This is the bread of poverty that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat. Whoever is in need, let him come and partake in Passover. This year [we are] here; next year in the land of Israel. This year [we are] slaves; next year, free people. What matzah are we talking about here? When the Torah refers to matzah, it's talking about what the Israelites ate while leaving Egypt...