Today we will begin with the items on the Seder plate, which symbolize the actual emotional experiences of our lives which are divided in seven sefirots or dimensions: Chesed (love and kindness), Gevura(discipline, Justice), Tiferet(empathy, harmony, balance), Netzach (endurance), Hod (humility), Yesod ( bonding) and Malchut (Kingship/ dignity).
The Zero’a (shank bone, which means arm )represents Chesed (love and kindness).
Love is the root and single most important of all emotions- the ability to give, reach out and care for others❤️.
The hard boiled egg (beitzah) reminds us of the Temple’s destruction and it symbolized discipline(Gevura), this attribute is necessary so we can temper and balance the transmission of love. Unchecked love can hurt the person you love, just like a flood can destroy fields. For love to be effective it needs to be measured.
The bitter herbs (Maror) elicit Tiferet (empathy). Eating bitter herbs is about being able to connect to someone’s else’s suffering and being there for them. Remembering the bitterness of our ancestors in Egypt allows us to open our hearts to feel for others. We must also feel for G-d and how Sad it is that we don’t think about Him enough. This should give us the strength to WANT to be close to Him.
Tomorrow we will continue with the rest of this Shiur.
Adapted from Rabbi Simon Jacobson “The Seder Plate:A Microcosm of Your Psyche”
