“HA LACHMA ANYA: This is the bread of affliction… Let all who are hungry come and eat.”
The opening lines of the Seder are some of the Haggadah’s most famous words. They commence a seder with themes of empathy and compassion—but also vulnerability and brokenness. This history of this passage is fascinating: What kind of Jew wrote these words? Why are they in Aramaic when the rest of the Haggadah is in Hebrew? Why do we open our celebration of freedom with the words “Now we are slaves”? Do we mean it when we say let all who are hungry…? And what will these words mean to us this year, our second seder in the post-Oct. 7 world?
Come join our blossoming online community of learners as we dive deeply into the history, commentary, and meanings for our lives. We promise lots of material for your seders this year!
Image: North American Coalition on Ethiopian Jewry