The Bread of Affliction

by: Rabbi Ari Weiss

Fri Apr 15, 2011 at 11:11:51 AM EDT

Next Monday evening, Jews across the world will be participating the Passover seder, the quintessential Jewish meal. Its food recreates the tastes of slavery and freedom: matzo, the bread of affliction; the maror of embittered lives and hard work; charoset, thick as mortar; the four cups of triumphant redemption; and the savory pesach sacrifice, a celebration of being passed-over and chosen for a life of service. Food at the seder goes beyond just simple nourishment; it is symbol and performance.
 
The seder incorporates these tastes and smells of freedom to tell a story about the Jewish people, specifically, a story of the liberation from slavery and their realization as a people. The Haggadah provides the general narrative of this story but its telling remains incomplete. In every generation, one must regard themselves as though they had gone out from Egypt and in every generation we must continue the work of the Exodus and continue to create freedom and fairness in the world. In this generation, Uri L’Tzedek has chosen to add an ambitious chapter to the seder’s never-ending story of oppression and freedom: food and justice.

The Food and Justice Haggadah Supplement contains commentary by 26 different authors highlighting themes related to food, social justice, and ethical consumption found in the Haggadah.

Download the supplement for free.