Pesach related posts

The Haggadah of the Ri M'Josh. (Unfortunately, I did not have time to complete the edits for this year.)

2013

1. Why burn siur (partially fermented dough) before Pesach?
2. A segulah I can (sort of) support.
3. Matzah constipated Chazal
4. Why I am in favor of selling chametz

2012

1. The chacham's desire to learn Greek wisdom. And that is why he wants to learn all Torah -- so that he may then study Greek wisdom. However, the response to this is אין מפטירין אחר הפסח אפיקומן.

• The Order of the Seder
• Kadesh (2012)

Why does ואת עמלני refers to sons specifically? Rav Chaim Kanievsky explains, based on a gemara that רוצה לעשות כל בניו זכרים יבעול וישנה, which entails greater tircha. And this is related to the beginning of parashat Tazria, and the famous derasha about how to have male children.


My analysis of the Haggada (starting in 2010)

In order of the haggadah, some thoughts on:

• Ha Lachma Anya (2010)
• Ma Nishtana
• Avadim Hayinu
• Harei Ani Keven Shivim Shana
• Keneged Arba Banim 
• Chacham
• Rasha
• Tam
• She'aino yodea lish'ol
• Yachol meiRosh Chodesh
• Mitechila
• Baruch Shomer Havtachato
• Tzei Ulemad
• Vayered Mitzrayma
• Bimsei Me'at
• Vayare'u Otanu
• Vanitzak (2011)
• Ve'et amaleinu (2012)
• Ve'et lachatzeinu
• Vayotzi'einu
• Beyad chazaka and bizroa netuya
• Uvemora gadol
• ובאותות ובמופתים
• davar acheir
• On calculating plagues
• Dayeinu
• Rabban Gamliel
• bechol dor

2011

1. An interesting peshat in the importance of Nissan
2. A review of the 2011 Absolut Haggada
    
3. YU Pesach to Go
4. From YU Torah, Last Minute Seder Preparation

2010

1. Why eat maror? It is to remind of the bitterness, or from some medical reason? Can we ascribe it to practical cause against the Rabbinic tradition (which also happens to make good sense)? Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Ibn Caspi. Also, how Ibn Ezra is thus frum.
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2. Is blood on the doorposts le-dorot? Two parses of a pasuk yields the blood on the doorposts as a command for just in Egypt, and as a recurring commandment. Similar to the structure by amah ivriya. I strongly favor the traditional parse as the better parse.
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3. Was it the Israelites of the Egyptians on the seashore? Two parses of the pasuk וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-מִצְרַיִם מֵת עַל-שְׂפַת הַיָּם? The traditional one is that the Egyptians were dead on the seashore. Rashbam and Ibn Ezra differ from Rashi and the midrash, and claim that the Israelites were standing on the seashore when they saw the Egyptians dead. I side with Rashi and Shadal, in the traditional explanation. Also, does the trup indicate anything in this regard?
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4. Charoses and the authenticity of the Zohar -- If named Tannaim or Amoraim mentioned in the Zohar think the tapuach is the apple, but according to true Chazal the tapuach is the citron, then how could the Zohar be anything other than a forgery?
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5. Does an orange belong on the seder plate?
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6. Introducing the Absolut Haggadah, 2010 Vintage -- a link, and positive review, of that haggadah. I focus on one dvar Torah therein, about the meaning of varav, as mature. You can download the Haggadah here.
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7. The text of kol chamira

2009

1. My review of the 2009 edition of the Absolut Haggadah. You can download the haggadah here.
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2. Prepare for Pesach by learning through all of Rif on Pesachim. This year, I put it into a single convenient PDF.
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3. "And even you shall break his teeth": parts one, two, three, four, five.
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4. Does Oto HaIsh is the Haggadah refer to Jesus?
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5. And even you shall break his teeth -- what does this mean? part i, ii, iii, iv, v.
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6. The text of kol chamira. Times are from that year, though, unless I get around to updating it.
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7. Is Nirtza a violation of ain maftirin achar hapesach afikomen?
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8. Rav Shmuel Palagi's objections to the songs after Hallel (during the seder) -- part i ; part ii; part iii. And his objections against piyutim in general.
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9. Another take on minei zemer (as definition of Afikoman)
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10. The dot on the heh of rechokah, and Pesach Sheni.
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11. Who likes Gazalot? Further analysis of that Yerushalmi about minei zemer.
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12. Does Arami Oved Avi refer to a wandering / poor Aramean, or to Lavan who sought to destroy? This post deals with an interpretation of Arami Oved Avi by Ibn Ezra and Radak which goes against the classic midrashic interpretation, and the reaction of two supercommentaries of Rashi to this "daring" interpretation. What comes into play is whether Ibn Ezra and Radak can claim to have absolute knowledge of Hebrew to be able to declare the midrashic interpretation to not work out according to the rules of dikduk; and whether one can argue on midrash, as they are doing, if after the midrashic interpretation goes all the way back to Sinai! It could also be that as supercommentators of Rashi, they are simply defending Rashi's interpretation as one of peshat.a
13. The Rav on Arami Oved Avi -- Dr. David Segal told me over a peshat he heard from the Rav zt"l, in which Arami Oved Avi as expounded in the haggadah is in line with Ibn Ezra and Radak's insistence that Oved is an intransitive verb. Rabbi Wohlgelenter also heard this from the Rav. I repeat this from memory, and from a brief conversation; therefore, I hope I have the details right.
    

2008

1. Absolut Haggadah, 2008 Edition
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2. All of Rif on Pesachim
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3. One Who Dons Tefillin On Chol Chol haMoed is Chayyav Misa?
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4. Early Seder
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5. Some Fascinating Info On Dayenu, pt i
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6. One Who Eats Matzah On Erev Pesach
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7. A Redefined Kezayis, Because They Had a Smaller Strain of Olives
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8. What should I feed my goldfish on Pesach?
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9. Dueling Chumros
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10. Reclining Be-Benei Berak According to Abarbanel
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11. Rasha Mah Hu Omer -- How Do We Know This Is The Rasha?
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12. Elijah Drinks
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13. Soft Matzah
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14. The Prayer for an Edible Matzah
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15. Davening Maariv early on Shabbos on Erev Pesach
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16. The Pizza after Pesach segulah?
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2007

1. When did the heirs slaughter the son
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2. It Is Permitted To Own Kitniyot On Pesach!
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3. Why do we care that Lot ate matza on Pesach?
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4. Does Eliyahu haNavi Really Visit Every Seder?
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5. Eating Original Chazeres
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6. What Do You Mean, It Would Have Been Enough Had God Stranded Us On The Shore of the Reed Sea At The Mercy of the Egyptians?
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7. The Absolut Haggadah, 2007 Edition -- my review

2006

1. The Learner/Burner Question (7 posts)
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2. The Rif on Sefirat HaOmer
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3. Cute: Pesach seder in 60 seconds
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4. Sources for Yoshev Lifnei Rabbo Devar for Pesach
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5. Naghei vs. Leilei (7 posts)
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2005

1. Cute Pesach Flash
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2. Blunt his teeth because of his attitude, not because of his actions
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3. Feeding Gorillas Matzah in the run-up to Pesach. But what will they feed him Erev Pesach?

2004

• Erev Pesach Haircuts
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• Echad Mi Yodea and Chad Gadya
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• Karpas: For How Long? Entertaining the possibility that we can (and they did) eat through maggid.
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• Pesach : Matza : Maror - { the ":" being used to denote ratios, an examination of the Yerushalmi and Bavli regarding the eating matza, maror, the korban pesach, and korech. }
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• A Short Response to The (Dolorous) Passion
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• Round Trip Tickets - To Jerusalem and Back to Pelisium (a post from parshat Yisro)
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• Ruminating Upon Chad Gadya (A Suggestion of Dual Authorship)
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• Kol Chamira: The (Non-existent) Chazitei/Chamitei Distinction
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• Kol Chamira: The Chamira/Chami'a Distinction
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• Explaining the Miracle of the Splitting of the Reed Sea (an article from Arutz Sheva)
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• Ad SheDarashah Ben Zoma (Yemei Chayecha/Kol Yemei Chayecha)

to be continued...