Separate or together? The sages disagreed on how to eat the Matzah and Maror at the Passover Seder.

The Talmud (Berachot 49a) teaches that mitzvot should not be performed 'bundled' together ("chavilot chavilot"). We do not want to give the impression that mitzvot are a burden, an unwanted obligation that we wish to quickly discharge. For this reason, the mitzvot of eating Matzah and Maror should be performed separately.

But Hillel's custom was to combine the Pesach and Matzah and Maror and eat them together. Why did Hillel join these mitzvot together?

Matzah and Freedom

To understand Hillel's opinion we must first examine the significance of Matzah and Maror.

Matzah is a symbol of freedom. But what is freedom? Freedom does not mean to sit idle and unemployed. True freedom is the opportunity to grow and develop according to one's true inner nature, without the interference of foreign influences. This freedom is symbolized by Matzah, a simple food consisting of only flour and water, unaffected by other ingredients and chemical processes.

The formation of the Jewish people as a holy nation required that their national character be free of all foreign influence. They left Egypt retaining none of Egypt's spiritual or cultural baggage. Before offering the Passover offering, they were commanded to "remove and take for yourselves sheep" (Ex. 12:21) — they needed to remove the small measure of Egyptian idolatry that clung to them (Mechilta ad loc).

Without any national character of their own, the Divine character could then be ingrained upon Israel's national soul. This is an aspect of the Matzah metaphor: it lacks any shape and taste of its own, so that the desired form and flavor may be properly imposed upon it.

Maror and Servitude

Maror is the opposite of Matzah; it symbolizes servitude. But even servitude can have a positive value. An individual whose life's ambition is to be a doctor must spend many years in medical school before finally achieving this goal. The long years of concentrated effort require great dedication and discipline. These years are a form of servitude — but a servitude that serves one's inner goal, and thus ultimately complements the true expression of freedom.

This concept also applies to the Jewish people. The soul is ingrained with a Divine character, but there is dross that clings to us and prevents us from realizing our inner nature. For this reason we need to accept upon ourselves a pleasant form of servitude, the service of God. We acquired this talent through our bondage in Egypt. After removing the negative aspects of slavery, we are left with its positive contribution. It is through this trait that we are able to accept that which goes against the desires of the moment. This is the message of Maror: acceptance of the bitter side of life, with the knowledge that before us lays a higher objective. For this reason, we eat the Maror only after eating the Matzah — after we have clarified our ultimate goal.

Slavery and Freedom

Now we can understand the disagreement between Hillel and the other scholars.

Freedom, as symbolized by the Matzah, reveals the Divine character of Israel and their innate love for God, His Torah and mitzvot. It is this very force that gives us the ability to overcome inclinations that do not yet match the overall elevated goal. It is through our persistence and servitude to the overall goal that the inner power of freedom is fully revealed.

Both freedom and servitude need to act without interference from the other. When freedom is appropriate, it should not be limited by a servile attitude; and when discipline and a sense of obligation are needed, they should not be disrupted by a desire for freedom. Thus, according to the majority opinion, Matzah and Maror should be eaten separately.

The final goal, however, is attained only with the recognition that these two forces do not contradict one another. Joined together, they present the highest freedom, whose nobility and power is only revealed when it bears the crown of lofty servitude — the service of the Holy King, which is complete freedom.

Thus Hillel would eat the Matzah and Maror together. He sought to emphasize that freedom and slavery are not contradictory concepts, dealing with distinctly separate stages. Yes, servitude belongs more to the initial preparatory stage — but in the overall picture, the two forces are connected, influencing and complementing one other.

"The highest form of freedom is when it is combined with servitude. Then one finds in his soul true independence, befitting for one who is truly free: when one can control even the greatest of his powers — the power of freedom."

(Olat Re'iyah vol. II, pp. 287-289)

Copyright © 2006 by Chanan Morrison