Karpas

From Halachipedia

Obligation

  1. The first food on the Kaarah (Seder Plate) is the karpas. Some hold that it's one of the mitzvah of the night to demonstrate slavery and freedom, while others hold that it's only brought to get the children to ask. [1]

Type of Vegtable

  1. It's preferable to have celery as Karpas. However, there are differing minhagim and some of them include potato, radish, or parsley. Nonetheless, one should be careful to check for bugs, and if one is unable to check, one can fulfill their obligation with any vegetable, yet one should be careful it has the bracha of HaAdama. [2]

Size of Karpas

  1. One should eat a piece of Karpas that's smaller than a Kezayit so as not to get into a dispute about Bracha Achrona. [3]
  2. If one did eat more than a Kezayit one shouldn't make a bracha of Boreh Nefashot. [4]

Leaning during Karpas

  1. There's a dispute whether one shouldn't or shouldn't lean during Karpas and it's preferable not to lean, but one if one wants one is permitted. [5]

Bracha

  1. When one makes the bracha on the Karpas, one should have in mind to cover the Maror. [6]
  2. It's preferable that one person make the bracha for everyone and everyone can listen. However, if the one making the Bracha doesn't say the words accurately or won't have the proper intent to fulfill everyone else, everyone should make their own bracha. [7]

References

  1. ↑ The simple explanation of the Gemara Pesachim 114 is that we dip the Karpas to get the children to ask. However, Rambam holds that one has to eat a Kezayit of the Karpas implying that the Karpas has the status of a mitzvah of the night. See R. Yosef D. Soloveitchik (Haggadat Si'ach HaGrid no. 5) who explains this more fully. The other aspects to Karpas is sourced in the Minhagim (Haggadah 16) who says that Karpas is eaten before the meal to act like royalty who serve appetizers before a meal. Lastly, Karpas represents the idea of slavery through the letters of Karpas spelled backswards: "Samech" which is equal to 60 (corrosponding to the 600,000 who left Eygpt) and the Avodat "Perach" (backbracking labor). This can also be reflected in the practice to dip Karpas in salt water.
  2. ↑ The Gemara Pesachim 114a doesn't identfy what vegtable should be taken as the vegtable dipped before the meal. Manhig(Siman 60) writes the Minhag is to do it with Karpas because of the drasha on the letters of Samach Perach. Arizal (quoted by Od Yosed Chai Tzav 6, Kaf HaChaim 473:14, Chazon Ovadyah (Pesach vol 2 pg 34)) writes that the minhag of using Karpas is established and shouldn't be changed. Rashi (Sukkah 39b) says that Karpas could be translated as cress (similar to parsly) but he heard (from his rabbis) that Karpas is translated as Apie. Sh"t Chatom Sofer 132 in the name of his teacher Rabbi Natan Adler says that the Apie vegtable is celery. Machsit haShekel (473:4) in name of medical books, and Sh"t Bet Shearim 213 concur that Karpas is celery. the Karpas is traslated as Halichot Shlomo writes Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach when he was younger ate celery and in his later years had cucumber as Karpas.
  3. ↑ Bet Yosef brings a dispute between the Rosh, Sh"t HaRashba, Tur, Hagahot Maimoniot, Hilchot Chametz U'Matzah 8:4 who hold that less than a Kezayit of Karpas is needed because the Karpas is only meant as a way to get the children to ask. However, Rambam (Hilchot Chametz U'Matzah 8:2) holds that one must have a Kezayit of karpas. [Another Rishon, the Rashbetz (Yafeh Shamuah pg 35) holds like Rambam because the washing of Urchatz only applies to dipping a vegtable of a the size of a Kezayit.] S"A 473:6 rules like the Rosh against Rambam because of the issue brought up by the Sh"t Maharil 25. There's a dispute between Rashbam, who holds the Bracha on Karpas covers the Maror, and the Tosfot (Pesachim 115a D"H VeHadar in name of the Ri), who holds that the Maror doesn't need a bracha as it's part of the meal. Therefore suggests the Maharil in order to satisfy the opinion of the Rashbam one should have less than a Kezayit so that one doesn't have to make a Bracha Achrona before the meal and put oneself in doubt about the Bracha on Maror. S"A 473:6 rules in accordance with Maharil. So rules Mishna Brurah 473:53 and Sh"t Chazon Ovadyah 17. http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/743796/Rabbi%20Josh%20Flug/Karpas:%20The%20Vegetable%20at%20the%20Beginning%20of%20the%20Seder
  4. ↑ Mishna Brurah 673:56 writes that even if one did eat more than a Kezayit one should not make a Boreh Nefashot because we want the HaAdama to cover the Maror. However the Gra holds that since the Ashkenaz Minhag is to make a bracha on each cup of wine, it must be that we hold that the Haggadah is an interruption and if so, one should make a Boreh Nefashot. Nonetheless, Buir Halacha says that the Magan Avrham would argue that the reason we make a bracha on each cup is because each is it's own mitzvah and one can make the same claim that Karpas and Maror are separate Mitzvot. Chazon Ovadyah (Pesach vol 2 pg 42) concurs.
  5. ↑ There's a dispute in the Rishonim if one should lean during Karpas. Shibolei HaLeket (92b) writes that one shouldn't lean (probably for the reason that Karpas represents slavery and leaning represents freedom). However, Avudraham writes that one should lean during Karpas [perhaps the reasoning is that it's a mitzvah of the night and has some resemblance of freedom; see R. Moshe Shternbuch, Moadim U'Zmanim 7:183 who says that the Rambam would agree with the Avudraham]. The majority of Achronim including Mateh Moshe 625, Birkei Yosef 673:14, Shulchan Gavoha 673:29. Gra in Kiseh Eliyahu 673:4, and Chazon Ovadyah (Pesach vol 2 pg 40) rule like the Shibolei HaLeket and so one doesn't need to lean. Nonetheless, since by Maror is one wants one can lean (Bet Yosef 675, Magan Avraham, and Mishna Brurah 675:14), one is certainly allowed to lean during Karpas. http://www.dailyhalacha.com/Display.asp?ClipID=1408
  6. ↑ Mishna Brurah 473:55
  7. ↑ Chazon Ovadyah (Pesach vol 2 pg 35)
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