A fellow who was known as quite a joker had an interesting custom at the Seder. When he reached the part that read, “Maror zeh,” this bitter herb, he would point at his wife! All joking aside, there is actually a custom brought down in German Haggadas that upon saying those words, “one points to his wife.” Incredible? Here’s the story. R’ Moshe Meir Weiss Shlit”a offers two insights to why such a custom might be instituted. First of all, Chazal tell us that when the Egyptians enslaved the Jews, they resorted to psychological warfare as well. Part of that entailed giving men work that was typically reserved for women, such as child-rearing, sewing, and other home-based work. At the same time, the women were forced to do back-breaking manual labor. This role reversal caused not only physical pain, but mental anguish. Therefore, when we say that the Egyptians embittered their lives with hard work, we point to the women, who were subjected to the hardest labor. Also, the Midrash says that the slavery was intended to keep down the Jewish population, so only married people were enslaved, giving an incentive not to wed and have a family. By pointing at the wife, we highlight that the man was willing to endure bitter labor because she was worth it. But still, don’t try this at home.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 23:30:01 +0000