[Avodah] Cannot taste the bitterness

[David Wacholder via Avodah]

Cannot taste the bitterness

   1. "Filled me with bitter herbs - Hisbiaani bMrorim - hirvani Laana -
   sated of bitter" - Midrash Eichah in Psicha and on the Passuk - compares
   the Exodus of Mitzrayim to the Exile after the First Temple was destroyed.
   2. Apparently the bitter taste of these vegetables was familiar to all.
   3. The son asks -  why tonight only bitter [kulo maror].  He just ate
   bitter herbs, and he wants to know why no sweet herbs were offered after
   kiddush.
   4. The Mishnah implies that Maror was eaten right after Kiddush. A
   simple person might prefer to start off with Maror ASAP. Someone may have
   stolen the Karpas. Those who pursue radishes for Karpas may prefer it as a
   secondary variety of Maror, reminding us not to consider this the REAL
   maror, which can only be eaten with the Matzah, in advance of next year's
   Korban Pesach.
   5. What if one ate the Karpas leaning - bhesseiba? That would explain
   the child's train of thought - you eat bitter herbs - for slavery and you
   ate them leaning? Sorry - I have no source yet for that. When Matza was
   just unrisen Pita bread, and they held a practice session for the Korban in
   the Mikdash, they likely ate only fire roasted lamb like the esteemed
   Thaddeus of Rome.
   6. Apologies - why eat this possibly infested bitter herbs, requiring
   dipping into vinegar or sharp charoseth, just call in Rabbi Vaya to check
   it, or alternatively​ take it off the menu,  finding some other food for
   appetizer.
   7. skip the appetizer. Renal patients who cannot drink begin with
   Kiddush on Matzah, which some would much prefer. The Magid would be after
   the meal had initialized.
   8. Lately I checked two heads of Romaine lettuce. When I sample some
   leaves, no bitterness was to be found, just a very mild sweetness. in fact
   the Pri Chadash in back of SA Orach Chaim - openly advocates that totally
   sweet lettuce - sans bitterness - is perfectly acceptable! To recap, the
   Mishnah lists five grain varieties for Matzah, which are exclusive. It then
   lists 5 varieties for Maror, but even the Amoraim debated what to buy. Rav
   Huna Bar abba ? sought Maror - the bitterest herb eponymous with
   bitterness, as the Mehadrin would seek. Rava chided him - Chas Rachmana
   Alan - Hashem had consideration for us and prefers Chassa (pun - means
   lettuce) which has some sweetness.
   9. I take this metaphorically -  Hashem is always keeping the balance of
   sweetness and bittterness in the fortunes of the Jerwish People. Fixating
   on bitterness can lead to bad results.
   10. The Pri Chadash quotes the famous Aruch (of Rome, a century before
   Rashi, disciple perhaps of Rabeinu Chananeil) on Charchavina, one of the 5
   species of the Mishna, defined generically - "one sort of bitter herbs".
   11. The Yerushalmi is quoted as debating whether Sweet Chassa is validly
   Maror; bitter Chassa is certainly valid.  Are these species which will at
   some time later become bitter? Or must they be bitter even now as the 4
   sons taste it ?
   12. Is Maror a specific species exact type of plant?  Ateres Tzvi
   (margin of OC 473) and Elya Rabba combine to say there is a family called
   Lettuga - lettuces. That helps immensely - as the leading species candidate
   is "bitter lettuce" - Hebrew Chassa Matzpen - has spine of bumps on its
   leaf, and is a glorified dandelion!  My neighbor the botanist has no idea
   where to find it but he offered me some fresh horseradish leaves.
   Horseradish relates to the cabbage family - including endives, which get
   some mention.
   13. Kale is related to the cabbages, as is horseradish. See Chochmas
   Shlomo - ibid in the margin - eloquently defending a sfeik sfeika - double
   doubt - justifying any bitter tasting herb.
   14. My problem is - the winds of the discussion imply palpable
   bitterness on the tongue, not just associated projection. My father's tears
   would flow as he ground his horseradish every year. The Chochmas Shlomo,
   Rav Shlomo Kluger, seems to have the high road of directness here.
   Rambamists can see that the examples of foods barely edible - which barely
   are considered normal foods - in Shvisas Asor - are these very vegetables -
   Chizrin.
   15. The famous Rav Chaim Berlin, son of the Netziv, apparently got
   medical advice not to eat horseradish, and sought grounds to absolve his
   Neder. He sent a letter to his father the Netziv whether he should continue
   to eat Khrein. Netziv - as predictable - answers - use Sallatin - lettuce -
   like the common practice, and also the zayis olive size is very small.
   [Meromei Sadeh].
   16. In OC 473 the Lvush and Elya Rabba - praise to the publishers of the
   new Levush set -  discuss Maror, and Ateres Tzvi explains that any lettuce
   is fine, as long as it is bitter.
   17. Biologically chickory and lettuce are very close. If even the
   cabbages - the latin name braccidae are also included in Maror, then
   perhaps both kale in its beauty and varieties are included, even perhaps
   arugula.
   18. Perhaps I will make the bracha on kale, then arugula, then Romaine,
   then horseradish for mimetic imitation of my father.
   19. For me - no more sweet or tasteless Maror, I cannot make it bitter
   anymore.
   20. See also Kovetz - in back of the old Rambams. See Aruch al Hashas
   who has in kilayim and in other places diagrams and exact species names for
   all the candidates mentioned in the mishnayos. There is an alphabetical
   index in the last volume.
   21. Identification of Chizrin with Chazeres is no sure thing.  Professor
   Felix has a sefer called haChaklaut..... which explains from a farmer's
   point of view what it means that a crop thrives in the shade.
   22. This is actually a call for help! I imagine most people deal with
   these questions annually. Please - any opinion or information will be
   helpful to me.
   23.

David Wacholder <dwacholder at gmail.com>
5:15 PM (2 minutes ago)



Email: dwacholder at gmail.com
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