Ha Lachma Anya
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Ha Lachma Anya ("This is the bread of affliction") is a declaration that is recited at the beginning of the Magid portion of the Passover Seder. Written in Aramaic, the recitation serves as the first explanation of the purpose of the matzo during the Seder.[1]
History
Although portions of the
According to Rabbi
Some Haggadot say K'Ha Lachma or Ha K'Lachma,[9] "This is like the bread of affliction", to indicate that the matzah at the Seder is only a replica of that which was eaten by the Israelites in Egypt. Professor David Daube suggests that the wording, “This is the bread” might be misread as a hint of the Christian doctrine of transubstantiation, so some texts altered it to “This is like the bread”.[10]
Procedure
During the Magid portion of the Passover Seder, participants retell the story of the Exodus from Egypt.[11] The Magid begins with the uncovering and lifting of the matzah on the Seder table and the recitation of Ha Lachma Anya.[12][13] The words Ha Lachma Anya are written in Aramaic,[14] and it begins with the proclamation that "this is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in Egypt".[15] This recitation is based on Deuteronomy 16:3, which states that "[y]ou shall eat unleavened bread, bread of 'ani' (distress) — for you departed from the land of Egypt hurriedly", and the recitation serves as "the first official explanation for matzah in the Hagaddah".[1]
Invitation to guests
Modern interpretations
Anisfeld, Mohr, and Spector have suggested that Ha Lachma Anya adds "a sense of immediacy and urgency to our telling" of the story of the Exodus, and that the recitation "establishes the intimacy of our connection to the ancient Israelites" because participants in the Seder will "eat the same bread they ate" and will "experience the taste and texture of their lives as slaves".[15] Zion and Dishon have also suggested that the reference to matzah in Ha Lachma Anya "is a memorial not of liberation, but of slavery".[1] Isaacs and Scharfstein have also stated that the process of beginning the Magid by looking at matzah "is a visual reminder of events in Egypt" and that the Ha Lachma Anya "also stresses the importance of opening one's house to the poor and sharing one's meals with them, because it is through such generosity that one can aspire to redemption".[14][16]
Full text
Aramaic[17] | Transliteration[18] | Translation[19] |
---|---|---|
הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם. כָּל דִכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל, כָּל דִצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח. הָשַׁתָּא הָכָא, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל. הָשַׁתָּא עַבְדֵי, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין. |
Ha lachma anya di achalu avhatana b’ara d’mitzrayim. Kol dichfin yeitei v’yeichol, kol ditzrich yeitei v’yifsach. Hashata hacha, l’shanah habaah b’ara d’Yisrael. Hashata avdei, l’shanah habaah b’nei chorin. |
This is the bread of affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. All those who are hungry, let them enter and eat. All who are in need, let them come celebrate the Passover. Now we are here. Next year in the land of Israel. This year we are slaves. Next year we will be free. |
Gallery
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In the Sarajevo Haggadah, 1350 CE
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In the 14th century Barcelona Haggadah
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In the Rothschild Haggadah, 1450 CE. Includes use of the alternate Ha K'Lachma Anya.
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In the Sister Haggadah, 14th century.
See also
References
Citations
- ^ a b c Zion 1996, p. 37.
- ^ a b Tabory 2008, p. 2.
- ^ Telushkin 2001, p. 643.
- ^ Tabory 2008, pp. 2–3.
- ^ Tabory 2008, p. 3.
- ^ a b Vilosky 2014, p. 55.
- ^ Vilosky 2014, p. 54.
- ^ a b Arnow 2008, p. 135.
- ^ "Let's make this year different from all other years - The Jewish Chronicle".
- ^ "Like the bread of affliction". OzTorah. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ "A Review of the Seder of the Seder". Orthodox Union. February 18, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
Over the matza and the second cup of wine, we tell of the Exodus in answer to children's questions.
- ^ Scharfstein 1999, p. 81.
- ^ Isaacs 2000, pp. 82–83.
- ^ a b Isaacs 2000, p. 83.
- ^ a b Anisfeld 2006, p. 81.
- ^ a b Scharfstein 1999, pp. 81–82.
- ^ "פרשני ההגדה - הא לחמא עניא – ויקיטקסט".
- ^ Magid Ariel Benjamin
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-22. Retrieved 2019-03-22.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Bibliography
- Anisfeld, Sharon Cohen; Mohr, Tara; Spector, Catherine (2006). The Women's Seder Sourcebook: Rituals & Readings for Use at the Passover Seder. Jewish Lights Publishing. ISBN 1580232329.
- Arnow, David (2008). My People's Passover Haggadah: Traditional Texts, Modern Commentaries, Volume 1. Jewish Lights Publishing. ISBN 978-1580233545.
- Isaacs, Ronald H. (2000). Every Person's Guide to Passover. Jason Aronson. ISBN 0765760436.
- Scharfstein, Sol (1999). Understanding Jewish Holidays and Customs: Historical and Contemporary. KTAV Publishing House. ISBN 0881256269.
- Tabory, Joseph (2008). The JPS Commentary on the Haggadah: Historical Introduction, Translation, and Commentary. Jewish Publication Society. ISBN 978-0827608580.
- Telushkin, Rabbi Joseph (2001). Jewish Literacy. Harper Collins. ISBN 0688085067.
- Vilosky, Rabbi Chagai (2014). Pesach Haggadah: The Answer Is... (PDF). Art Scroll. ISBN 9781422614839.
- Zion, Noam; Dishon, David (1996). Haggadah Shel Pesach: The Family Participation Haggadah: a Different Night. Shalom Hartman Institute.