By the time Pesach 5785 arrives, I hope Moshiach will have already arrived. But being that I am writing this article a week before Pesach and Moshiach has not yet come, we need to be optimistic and hope that he will come. A lot can still happen between now and then.
Either way, there’s a certain feeling that some might have as Pesach draws near. Another year has passed, and Moshiach has not come. Another year has gone by, after we ended last year’s Seder with the declaration and prayer “l’shana haba b’Yerushalayim”—next year in Yerushalayim. And we’re still here in golus.
The matzah and maror we have. Cleaning and getting rid of chometz we do. The korban Pesach we still don’t have. Such an essential part of Pesach we’re lacking! We have a shank-bone or chicken-wing/neck on the Seder plate as a reminder, and to try to finish the afikoman by midnight. That’s it. But when we’re sitting at the Seder, if we really think about what’s happening, there should be a feeling of disappointment and despair. And if one doesn’t feel that way, then perhaps it’s something to think about for a few moments. Do we really think about this point? What should we do with that thought, that feeling, when we are once again approaching Pesach, and Moshiach has still not come? How can we be expected to stay strong, and not despair?
A few years ago, I heard shiurim about Pesach, given by Rav Yisrael Belsky zts”l, and he addressed this. He pointed it out from the beginning of the Haggadah, in his original explanation of the ha lachma anya. (It has recently been printed in the book Pesach with Rav Belsky).
At ha lachma anya, we hold the half-matzah and say, “This is the poor person’s bread which our ancestors ate in Mitzrayim. Whoever is hungry, come and eat. Whoever needs, come join for the Pesach. Now we’re here, next year in Eretz Yisrael. This year we are slaves, next year we’ll be free.”
Everyone asks many questions about what we’re saying, and there are numerous explanations given. Rav Belsky asked, why are we now calling the matzah “poor man’s bread”? In a moment, someone will ask the ma nishtana, why is tonight different, that we only eat matzah and not chometz. Why weren’t they paying attention? We just said that it’s the poor man’s bread that we ate in Mitzrayim! But later, at the end of Maggid, we very clearly explain that we eat matzah just like they ate matzah when they left Mitzrayim. So, in ha lachma anya, it seems that we are referring to something else.
Furthermore, if we are inviting in guests at this point, then shouldn’t we make some effort, like opening the front door, to actually invite in some guests?
And to invite a guest to join us for the korban Pesach—well, firstly, we don’t have it today. But even if we did, you can’t invite guests to join your korban Pesach after it’s been slaughtered. Everyone needs to be included beforehand.
And what’s the ending about? Aren’t those statements to be said at the end of the Seder?
There are many questions, and many answers are given. Rav Belsky gave this original answer, which I personally love.
In which part of the Seder is ha lachma anya included? It can’t be the beginning of Maggid, as it is printed in many Haggadahs. One proof is, that we fill the second cup of wine after ha lachma anya, and we only say Maggid over a full cup. Furthermore, if we are describing why we will eat matzah, then we are taking all the fun out of the Seder right at the beginning! Before asking the ma nishtana! Where’s the build-up?
So, how did it become part of Maggid? Because the original printers followed the order of the Rambam. The Rambam begins the talking part of the Haggadah with ha lachma anya. But according to the Rambam, we don’t break the matzah until we eat it, so he skips Yachatz here, and therefore includes ha lachma anya in Maggid.
Rather, Rav Belsky explained, ha lachma anya is the explanation for what we just did at Yachatz. We’re explaining why we broke the middle matzah and put it away for later. We are “beginning the Seder from the ganai—disgrace, and ending with the shevach—praise.” When we were originally slaves, we ate like poor people, who always need to save for later. That’s why we broke the matzah. But the real reason why we eat matzah, we’ll say at the end of Maggid. It’s because Bnei Yisrael were hurried out to freedom, and the dough didn’t have time to rise.
So, what do we mean when we seem to be inviting guests?
The Pri Megadim (Eishel Avraham 473:6) brings two opinions. The Chok Yaakov, who says that we do open the door, as we are actually inviting guests now. Others say, that we’re speaking to whoever is with us right now, at our Seder. We are following that opinion. It could include just the household, but it could also include guests. We’re saying, we are having the Seder now, still in the same situation as in the past: golus, without the korban Pesach. The realization and disappointment that we are once again at the Seder as another year has passed without Moshiach coming, and we are once more without the Beis Hamikdash, should really be putting us into a sad state of mind, like on Tisha b’Av! Another Seder without Moshiach! Oy!
Wait! Stop! Don’t despair! We are still hopeful that by next year Moshiach will have come, and we’ll be zoche to have the Beis Hamikdash! So, right now, I am inviting all of you here at my Seder, to join me, be’ezras Hashem, to be in my group next year when we will bring the korban Pesach! For this year, it is too late, but we are being hopeful for next year!
For next year, I’m inviting you all to join me in bringing and eating the korban Pesach when we will be truly free, without the oppression of the golus. Free from the oppression of being exiled from our land, and free from being subjugated under other powers in our land. Rather, to be free Torah Jews in Eretz Yisrael, bringing the korban Pesach with Moshiach’s arrival!
Rav Belsky gave an example of this hope and belief. It’s very common to take old warehouses and turn them into wedding halls (very common here in Eretz Yisrael!). If one receives an invitation to a wedding, and recognizes the area as an industrial one, then how can they believe that a wedding will happen there? Ah, it was a warehouse, but it’s in the process of being redone, and by the wedding date, be’ezras Hashem, it will be completed!
This is how we can really hope and believe that our declaration and invitation will, be’ezras Hashem, come true!
Everything around us has been happening and changing so quickly. We have been having more and more signs of Moshiach’s imminent arrival. Everything can change, and Hashem’s salvation can come in the blink of an eye!
May we be zoche to bring and eat from the Pesach and the other korbanos this Pesach, with the arrival of Moshiach! Chag Kasher V’sameach!
