Chazeret

The sixth compartment of the Seder Tray can hold: nothing, an orange (women's addition), or a second vegetable. The most common vegetables used are lettuce, watercress, or radish. Otherwise, any variety of vegetable that is or becomes bitter can be used.

The Biblical verse, `They shall eat it (the paschal lamb)
with unleavened bread and bitter herbs" (Numbers 9:11)
is probably the basis for the use of chazeres as one of the symbolic foods.
The verse speaks of bitter herbs (plural) and not a bitter herb.
Therefore, two types of bitter herbs (vegetables that have a bitter tang)
were introduced.

"The Mishna (Pesachim 2:6) speaks of chazeres as one of the herbs
(vegetables) that can be used on Passover to fulfill one's religious obligation.
It was not, however, uniformly adopted by all authorities.
Rabbi Isaac Luria, the 16th century mystic of German extraction,
also known as the `Ari' (using the initials: ha-Ashkenazi Rabbi Isaac),
is known to have used chazeres as one of the symbolic foods
on his Passover table.

But, the equally great 18th century scholar, Rabbi Elijah of Lithuania
(better known as `The Vilna Gaon'), did not place chazeres
on his Seder table."

Source: The Family Seder, Prepared by Rabbi Alfred J. Kolatch.

[Editor's Note]: You'll notice that I have no image of Chazeret to include here.  I guess my family sides with Rabbi Elijah of Lithuania, whether we realized it or not.

Comments

[Dr. John E. Lamar]

Hi!

I have written a book in which one picture was taken from this website is to be used. I seek your permission to use this picture in a book for sale. The picture will appear with others on the cover and in the text. The same artwork, associate with your picture, will be used for both. The title of the book is "The Tabernacle Furniture, The Lord's Feasts and The Armor of God: A Set of Correlations". I hope you grant the permission requested.

Dr. John E. Lamar