Hillel the Elder used to take the Pesach, Matza, and Marror, roll them together to commemorate the verse 'with Matza and Marror you should eat it. That is called Korech, a sandwich.
The bitter marror; the marror of pain and suffering; the marror of hardship is sandwiched by the tasty paschal lamb and the crunchy Matza.
This message of the sandwich can reflect a truism of our own expressions to God in prayer.
Depending on how one couches the emotion, one's true feelings become clear.
The final psalm of Hallel, indeed the culmination is reached in psalm 118. Yet, if we were to analyze the torso of the psalm, verses 5-18, the bulk of the mizmor, all remind us of the 'marror' experience in the psalmists life: "from the straits I call out to God", "no fear, God will help, I will see my enemies", "encircled by my enemies" (four times in three successive verses!), "I will not fall, I will not die".
However, due to it being sandwiched beginning and ending by genuine praise, thankfulness and joy, we can only surmise that the psalm emits the totality of the author's expression. The inclusio is heightened by the repetition of the verse as the prologue and epilogue: Hodu LaHashem ki tov, ki le'olam chasdo--Be thankful for God's absolute good, His eternal kindness.
A fitting ending for the expression of praise and joy to God on the holiday of Pesach as it too reminds us that though the embittered experience of the slave consumed our people for generations, the spark of redemption, the emergence from the fire, the worthiness of miracles, the journeying together towards a brighter future--they are what ultimately resonate in our hearts and minds (and taste-buds) this Pesach.
Chag (korech) Sameach!
A blog dedicated to the analysis of Tehillim--psalms-- as well as their adaptation to daily Orthodox Jewish liturgy, attempting to answer questions such as "Why did our sages use Psalms as the medium with which to commune with God?"
My new book...
The Poetry of Prayer: Tehillim in Tefillah, published by Gefen Publishing House, can be ordered at http://www.gefenpublishing.com/product.asp?productid=715 or bought at your local Jewish bookstore.
About Me
- Rabbi Avi Baumol
- Efrat, Gush Etzion, Israel
- I was Born and raised in NY and studied at Yeshiva University, receiving an MA in Medieval Jewish History as well as Semikha, Rabbinic ordination. Studied in Yeshivat Har Etzion for several years where the love for Torah and Tehillim developed. I am married to Hadley and we have five beautiful children, Elisheva, A.J., Ashira, Tiferet and Techelet. I have taught Tehillim as well as Torah, Halakha, philosophy and Talmud in day schools, high schools, Yeshivot and Seminaries as well as adult education for the past 18 years. I served as the rabbi of Congregation Schara Tzedeck in Vancouver, British Columbia from 1998-2003. From 2009 until 2013 I was the Rosh midrasha of a new and exciting seminary called Midreshet Tzvia (www.tzvia.org) and have finished a book on Tehillim called The Poetry of Prayer. I am taking a new position serving the Jewish community of Krakow, teaching Torah and Jewish identity to the revitalizing Jewish community.
