At the start of the Passover Seder, before we begin to tell the story of the Exodus, we uncover the matzah while we recite a short invocation called Ha Lachma Anya.
The opening line introduces us to the matzah: this is the bread of affliction. In this brief passage we also extend an invitation to guests to join the Seder.
All those who are hungry, let them enter and eat. All who are in need, let them come and celebrate the Passover.
The Spirit of Giving
For many years, I’ve brought various friends — both Jewish and non-Jewish — to my family’s Seder. One of our family traditions is to pause at Ha Lachma Anya and acknowledge those who have joined us. We bring them into the fold, inviting them not just to sit at our table passively but to fully participate in the Seder to the degree they wish to do so.
This moment always gives me a sense of joy, as I feel the spirit of Ha Lachma Anya and fulfilling the commandment of creating space for people to join our family traditions.
A New Perspective
This year I got the opportunity to experience the spirit of Ha Lachma Anya from the other side.
I’ve been traveling and living in California for the past several weeks. Although I had the intention to return to New York for Passover, plans change.
My parents decided to go to Israel for the holiday and my inner wisdom told me to stay in Los Angeles. I’m on a journey here and it’s not yet time to return.
Suddenly, I needed to find a place to go for the two Seders. I knew there were communal Seders I could attend, but my ideal environment was to be in a more intimate family setting.
Within a day of deciding that I would stay in L.A., I had received invitations for both Seders. One was from a couple who graduated from my high school a few years ahead of me. The other was from the in-laws of close friends of my parents.
Other than those tangential connections, they were strangers to me.
That didn’t matter.
The moment I spoke with each host on the phone and received their open hearted and generous invitations to join their families for the Seder, I felt a sense of peace.
I immediately felt the impact of Ha Lachma Anya in a new way.
Inclusion. Welcome. Family. Community. Knowing you have a place to go.
I felt part of something bigger. Each hostess made me feel like I was family, even before we had met in person.
I didn’t feel the attitude of we can make room for a stranger.
I felt the open-hearted spirit of of course you are welcome here. We would love to have you. You are family.
This touched something deep within me that’s hard to articulate.
Before arriving at the Seder, I already felt the spirit of Ha Lachma Anya.
The experience of receiving those invitations was a powerful reminder that sometimes it’s only by allowing ourselves to receive that we can appreciate the true measure of what we give to others.
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