This morning while inspecting his testicles post shower: “Are the babies separate?”
And. . .
Bob: “Mom are you going to have another baby?”
Me: “I don’t know. Why?”
Bob: “Because then we could fill all the chairs. (at the table) And the baby could sit next to me!”
We’re going to celebrate Good Friday as a family tonight by eating a non-traditional seder dinner together.
Menu: Braised chicken, sauted greens (turnip and swiss chard), potato salad with dill along with the traditional Seder elements: wine, horseradish, parsley, salt water, charoset, and matzoh.
Here are the 4 questions and the answers that we’re going to go through:
Why do we eat only Matzoh on Pesach and not all kinds of breads and crackers like other nights?
When Pharaoh finally ordered Jews to get out of Egypt after the tenth plague, they were in such a hurry to get away from slavery that they hadn’t time to let their dough rise and bake their bread. Thus, they took the raw dough with them on their journey and baked it into hard crackers in the hot desert called Matzoh. Thus, we eat only Matzoh on this day to remind us of their struggles. “Because tonight we remember Jesus. By whose stripes we are healed. Yeast leavens, or puffs up, as pride and sin inflates our hearts. Tonight we eat unleavened bread, bread without yeast, to remember Jesus who was without sin.
2. Why do we eat bitter herbs or Maror at our Seder?
Maror or the bitter herbs are eaten to remind us of the bitterness of slavery and harsh and cruel ways in which Jewish people were treated as slaves under the Pharaoh in Egypt. For on that long ago night, that night of Passover for the children of Israel, God said that ‘bitter herbs they shall eat’ (Ex. 12:8) and so we do too. To remember the bitterness of the cruel slavery of the Israelites to Pharaoh, to recall the bitterness of our relentless, ugly bondage to sin.”
3. At our Seder, why do we dip the parsley in salt water and the bitter herbs in Charoset?
Parsley represents new life and Spring while salt water represents tears of Hebrew slaves. Parsley dipped in salt water thus represents new life that emerged from the tears and hardship of the Jewish slaves. Bitter herbs dipped into Charoset represent the bitter days of slavery. Charoset has a coarse texture like clay used to make bricks for the Pharaoh’s buildings.
“Our fathers dipped hyssop branches into the blood of the Passover lamb, that they might mark their doorposts.” He dips a parsley sprig into the salt water and continues. “As they wept salty tears for their life of slavery, they, in faith, painted the door lintels with the blood, that the Angel of Death may pass over. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.” He dips the parsley again, this time into a small glass dish of apple and raisins. “But now we have hope. Because of the blood shed by the thorns piercing Jesus’ brow. Because of the blood from the wounds of the nails, that we, in faith, mark on the door of our hearts. Now we wipe away our tears, for we have glorious, endless new life in Christ. We have been rebirthed into His hope.” 4. Why do we lean on a pillow while eating tonight and do not sit straight like other nights?
Leaning on a pillow signifies the comforts of freedom. As slaves, our ancestors had little comforts. Thus, we lean on a pillow to assert that we are free now and can sit straight or lean on a pillow as much as we like. “Because our Passover Lamb has bought our freedom. Tonight we remember that we are no longer slaves, but children of the very King of Kings. Free men, royalty, recline while eating. So, as Jesus who reclined at the Last Supper, we too recline tonight, for we are free to come before God who is upon the Throne.”
We also went through the 4 cups — the cup of sanctification, judgement (plagues), redemption and the cup of the kingdom (that you don’t drink).
Finished Calling Romeo — it was OK. Reading Anne of Green Gables with the boys now — there’s a reason why it’s a classic~!
With the kids, finished Caddie Woodlawn. Thinking about starting Anne of Green Gables, not sure yet.
I finished Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. Wasn’t that impressed with it. I liked Austenland much better. Currently reading Calling Romeo which isn’t an Austen-inspired book (although it is similar to Bridget Jones’ Diary or the Sophie Kinsella books — Brit Chick Lit) and it’s not a one day wonder . . . So now I have to think of a new category designation.