Machshavot HaLev - Yeshivat Lev HaTorah

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בלה תובשחמ
needs are not our number one priority can a person start to look for happiness,
meaning and who they are. This is why Hashem gave us Shabbat and chagim –
days of contemplation and rest without work. One cannot change things business
related or monetarily on these days – and we get the freedom we spend all week
working for. This is the first cup of the seder – a toast of thanks to Hashem for
freeing us from the toil of Egypt then and a weekly freedom from the rat-race
of today. Remember - relief from burdens is not a RESULT of freedom – it is a
prerequisite for freedom.
3. Karpas – Why do we eat a bit of vegetable now?
The Torah often describes vegetables as an accompaniment for bread or other
food. Indeed, the Torah says we are to take the Korban Pesach and “together with
matzot and maror you shall eat it” (Bamidbar 9:11).
Usually some vegetable is eaten with bread or soon before the main course to
stimulate the appetite and avoid overtaxing the digestive system. In fact the
Rambam advises, “One should always eat the light food before the heavy food.”
We would usually refer to such food as hors d’oeuvres. Generally, though, there is
never a long gap between eating the vegetable and eating the rest of the meal. It
is counterproductive – the appetite is stimulated but no food follows. But this is
exactly what we do now at the seder – there may be at least an hour if not more
between karpas and the rest of the meal.
The idea behind this, says the Shem Mishmuel, is to help us understand and
relate to the circumstances we were in, in Egypt. Moshe appeared with Aaron
promising redemption and it was at least six months (and according to some a
year) later before we left. So too at the start of the seder we whet our appetites
for what is to come, but not having our desire satiated straight away allows us to
comprehend the longing for redemption we experienced after Moshe and Aaron
came to Egypt.