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From: arig@cvl.UUCP (Ari Gross)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Pesach
Message-ID: <248@cvl.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 3-Apr-85 12:53:10 EST
Article-I.D.: cvl.248
Posted: Wed Apr  3 12:53:10 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 6-Apr-85 02:23:06 EST
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Organization: Computer Vision Lab, U. of Maryland, College Park
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    I heard over the past shabbos several nice interpretations on
various portions of the Haggadah (in the course of the shabbos hagadol
drasha) . I know that I am always looking for something to say at the
seder table and I'm sure there are others out there who feel the same
way. With that in mind, I'd like to give over two "pshatim" that I 
particularly enjoyed (BTW, these were all given over during a shabbos
hagadol drasha by Rav Shragi Kawior, formerly of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel,
Baltimore):

1]   This pshat was said over in the name of Harav Ovadiah Yosef.
     The Haggadah opens with the words "ha lachma ania" -- "this poor
     bread that our fathers ate in Egypt;let all who are hungry come and
     eat...". The question that is commonly asked at the seder is why is
     this portion of the Haggadah in Aramaic while the rest of the Haggadah
     (with certain exceptions -- "chad gadia") in Hebrew . The answer
     commonly given is that we are inviting all who are hungry to come
     and join us for the pesach seder and thus the language of the Haggadah
     for this portion is in the vernacular tongue of those days, Aramaic, so
     that even the layman could understand it . An alternative question, Rav 
     Ovadiah points out, is how are we permitted to recite a portion of the
     Haggadah in a language other than Hebrew? The Talmud relates (Sotah ?)
     that the angels in heaven only understand Hebrew and that one should
     therefore pray in that language in order that the angels understand what
     one is praying for and properly convey that request to G-d. The Talmud
     goes on to say that if one prays with a minyan then he can pray in other
     languages since G-d listens directly to tephilot said with a minyan
     ("kra'u'hu bee'yoto ka'rov") and G-d understands all the languages of
     man. Thus the kaddish is recited in Aramaic, but can only be recited
     with a minyan . The Talmud also inquires into the actions of a
     particular rabbi who used to pray at the bedside of one who was sick in 
     Aramaic and not in Hebrew . The Talmud goes on to explain that this 
     rabbi was entitled to pray in Aramaic since G-d dwells among those who
     are sick and in need of healing . Thus when G-d's presence is directly
     felt and is presiding over a given situation one is entitled to pray in
     foreign tongues and is not restricted to Hebrew. So too on Pesach at the
     seder, Rav Ovadiah concludes, it is a "l'ail shimurim" -- a night when
     G-d watches closely over His People -- "ani v'loh mal'ach" , G-d takes
     direct charge of Bnei Yisroel and doesn't relegate that reponsibility
     to His mal'achim (angels) -- on this night we may take the liberty of
     saying a portion of the Haggadah in Aramaic.  

     (to be continued)
                                             
                                   Ari Gross