Haggadah:Ha Lachma Anya/2

Ha Lachma Anya

Exegetical Approaches

This topic is still being developed and updated

Explanation of Yachatz

The passage comes to explain that we broke the matzah at Yachatz in order to commemorate how the Children of Israel hastily broke and shared their matzah on the night of the Exodus.

Sources:Commentary attributed to RashbamHaggadah Shel Pesach¹

Relationship between the lines – According to this commentaty, the first two sentences explain that we split the matzah exactly as the Israelites did on the eve of their departure from Egypt when, in their haste,² they divided and shared it with whomever had not yet prepared any.  The second and third lines thus reflect the nation's words in Egypt, as they offered to share their Matzah and Paschal sacrifice with all and expressed their hopes that by the next year they would be free people in Israel.³

"לַחְמָא עַנְיָא" – This approach understands "לֶחֶם עֹנִי" in the verse in Devarim 16 and "לַחְמָא עַנְיָא" in the Haggadah to refer to the broken bread which a poor person eats.  A similar interpretation is recorded already in Bavli PesachimPesachim 115b-116aAbout the Bavli, however, the Commentary attributed to Rashbam differs in explaining that the Israelites ate this broken bread due to their haste, rather than because they were poor.  Accordingly, the commandment to eat "לֶחֶם עֹנִי" is elucidated by the continuation of the verse "כִּי בְחִפָּזוֹן יָצָאתָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם".

"דִי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם" - when? This refers to the matzah that our forefathers ate on their way out of Egypt, rather than to the food they ate during their slavery.⁴

"כָּל דִּצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח" – The word "וְיִפְסַח" refers to sharing in the Paschal sacrifice offered in Egypt.⁵

Why in Aramaic? The "Rashbam" Commentary does not address this issue.  If much of the passage is supposed to represent the words of the Israelites themselves in Egypt, it is strange that specifically this section would be written in Aramaic rather than Hebrew or Egyptian.  It is possible, though, that the language simply reflects that the passage was first added to the Haggadah only in Babylonia, where Aramaic was the vernacular.⁶

When do we pour the second cup? This approach might maintain that we pour the second cup after this passage, since it is only then that the Maggid section begins.⁷

Introduction to Maggid

This section introduces the retelling of the story of the Exodus, and contains a synopsis of the main points of the Seder.

Relationship between the lines – The first sentence alludes to the oppression, and explains that we eat matzah to commemorate the food eaten by our ancestors. The second line alludes to the Pesach offering, referring the listener to the events immediately preceding the redemption. Finally, the last line contains praise to Hashem and the continued hope for a full future redemption.⁸

"לַחְמָא עַנְיָא" – This position could explain that the words mean either poor man's bread or bread of affliction.  Either way, the appellation is meant to highlight the hardships of enslavement.

"דִי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם" - when? According to this position, the poor man's bread spoken of refers to the scanty food eaten by the Israelites throughout the years of bondage, and not to the matzah eaten with the Pesach sacrifice.

"כָּל דִּצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח" – This approach understands "וְיִפְסַח" to refer to partaking of the Pesach offering in Egypt.

Why in Aramaic? The short summary of the night is aimed mainly at women and children who might only understand the vernacular.

When do we pour the second cup? According to this approach, the second cup is poured before this passage, further supporting the idea that it comprises the opening of the Maggid section.

Independent Unit

The passage stands on its own, and is not integrally related to either Yachatz or Maggid.  The approach subdivides regarding the specific purpose of the unit, with some viewing the passage as a reference to the celebration of the Pesach in Temple times, and others viewing the lines as stage directions for the Seder leader.

Commemoration of Temple Times

This passage, at the beginning of the Seder, alludes to the way Pesach was celebrated in Temple times, and expresses hope that soon, once again, it can be commemorated in the same way.

Sources:Shibbolei HaLeket218

Relationship between the lines – The first two sentences represent what a person offering the Pesach in the Mikdash would say as he invited others to join him in the sacrifice.⁹  He would make reference to the matzah to be eaten in commemoration of our ancestors in Egypt and invite others to partake of the Pesach lamb.¹⁰   The last line of the passage, though, represents the words of the present head of household who, living in exile, expresses his sorrow that he can no longer bring a sacrifice in the Temple and wishes that next year he will be in Jerusalem.

"דִי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם" - when? The person bringing the Pesach offering refers back to the matzah eaten by our ancestors with their Pesach.

"כָּל דִּצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח" – This refers to the Pesach offering brought in the time of the Mikdash.  Before Pesach, a person would invite others to join in his group to bring the offering.

Why in Aramaic? This passage reflects the reality of those living in exile post the destruction, no longer able to bring sacrifices.  As such, it was likely written in Bavel and is said in the language of exile.

Instructions for the Seder Leader

Sources:AbarbanelCommentary on Haggadah Shel PesachAbout R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, R. Y. Reifman¹¹

Relationship between the lines

• Invitation – Abarbanel views all three lines as part of an invitation from the Seder leader to any needy who want to join the Pesach celebration.  He explains that in order not to embarrass the poor, the leader begins by pointing to the poor bread eaten by our ancestors, as if to say, you are not alone in your poverty; our ancestors too ate just matzah.  Afterwards he actively invites them to join.  The leader ends by pointing out that though he has mentioned the "Pesach", due to the exile they cannot actually offer the sacrifice, but hopefully next year they will do so in Jerusalem.
• Distinct directions – R. Y. Reifman suggests that really there is no connection between the lines because they were not originally meant to be said together. The first line accompanied "Yachatz" and represents the words spoken when breaking the matzah.¹² The second line was said at the start of the meal, where the Seder leader invited others to join. Finally the last line was originally said at the very end of the Seder, where we now say "next year in Jerusalem" and played a similar role. There is no manuscript evidence, though, to support such a  hypothesis.

Why here? If this is an invitation, one must wonder why it is first being proffered now, rather than before Kadesh or at Shulchan Orekh. Abarbanel suggests that the invitation comes here since this would normally be where one begins the meal.  The leader acts as if he is about to eat, breaking bread (Yachatz) and offering an invitation, but instead stops to tell the story, so as to arouse the curiosity of the children.

"לַחְמָא עַנְיָא" – Abarbanel understands this to be bread fitting for one who is poor, as was eaten by the Israelites in Egypt, and as poor men eat even in contemporary times.

"דִי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם" - when? This refers not to the matzah eaten during the redemption but that eaten while they were impoverished slaves.

"כָּל דִּצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח" – According to Abarbanel, this refers to the Afikoman which is in memory of the Pesach, rather than to the Pesach itself, which was no longer brought when the passage was written.

Why in Aramaic? Since these lines are not really part of the story but rather instructions for the leader, it is natural that they are said in the vernacular. Abarbanel adds that if this is an invitation, it needs to be understood by its primary audience, the needy, who would not have known Hebrew.

¹ The interpretation is also found almost verbatim in the Orchot ChayyimSeder HaHaggadah.

² This emphasis on what was done due to the haste in which they left Egypt would work well with the version of the passage found in the Rambam and several Genizah fragments which begins, "בבהילו יצאנו ממצרים".

³ According to this interpretation, it is as if "‏כָּל דִּכְפִין...‏" is preceded by "‏ואמרו:‏".

⁴ The "Rashbam" Commentary could have suggested more simply that breaking the matzah imitates how poor people split their food and save some for later, and that it thereby commemorates the period of enslavement when the Israelites had meager sustenance and did not know where their next meal would come from.  However, there are three disadvantages of this reading which may account for why the author of this commentary preferred his own novel interpretation:

• It does not explain why the verse in Devarim links the "לֶחֶם עֹנִי" with the "חִפָּזוֹן" of the Exodus.
• It does not resolve the connection between the various lines of Ha Lachma Anya.
• There is no evidence that the Israelites had a limited food supply in Egypt.  In fact, when they recall the period in Bemidbar 11, they speak of the abundant fish, squash, onions etc.

⁵ R. Katzenelenbogen, in his notes (in Haggadat Torat Chayyim) to the Commentary, suggests that the "Rashbam" Commentary may understand "וְיִפְסַח" as to hasten.  As support, he points to Rashi Shemot 12:11 who appears to connect the root "פסח" with "חפזון":‎ "לפיכך תאכלו אותו בחפזון משום ששמו מורה על חפזון".

⁶ Much of the rest of the Haggadah derives from the texts of the Mishna and other works written in the land of Israel.

⁷ Cf. R. Saadia Gaon and the Rambam.

⁸ As such, the passage refers to enslavement, salvation and future redemption, three main themes of the evening.  Nonetheless, the formulation is somewhat awkward for a synopsis.  The invitation to eat and share in the Pesach is a very indirect way of alluding to the original Pesach and the various sentences do not flow into one another smoothly.

⁹ It is as if the passage opened "כך היו אבותינו אומרים בזמן שבית המקדש היה קיים..."

¹⁰ The Shibolei HaLeket suggests that the words actually refer to all three components of the sacrificial meal, the Pesach (כל דצריך ייתי ויפסח), matzah (הא לחמא עניא) and maror (כל דכפין ייתי וייכול).  He points to Mishlei 27:7 which suggests that one who is hungry is bitter of soul as support.  This, though, is not a simple reading.

¹¹ See his איגרת ביקורת על סדר ההגדה של פסח, (Jerusalem, 1969): 7-9.

¹² Y. Reifman suggests that the before the matzah was broken it was raised for all to see, and at that point the leader proclaimed, "This is the bread…".