The Significance and Spirituality of Traditional Jewish Foods

Did you know there is a custom to individually wrap each of the three matzos at the Pesach Seder? And that there are specific kavanos one should have in mind when fulfilling the exalted mitzvah of eating matzah? Did you know that while some use celery for Karpas, others use radishes, potatoes, or onions, and still others dip celery together with potatoes into the saltwater?

Although every Jewish holiday is steeped in tradition, when it comes to the hallowed Pesach Seder, the amount of different customs that abound for each and every part, as well as the reasoning behind them, is mind-boggling! And all of it is there to serve one fundamental purpose: elevating what we do and what we eat on this holy night to a most sublime experience.

In Seudah Secrets on the Seder, Rabbi Dovid Meisels, author of the popular Secrets series, shares with us hundreds of customs relating to the Pesach Seder, as well as the many explanations for why and how they are done. As always, Rabbi Meisels culls his material from midrashim, Chazal, and the sefarim hakedoshim.