Karpas: Difference between revisions

==Type of Vegetable==

# 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. <ref> The Gemara Pesachim 114a doesn't identfy what vegetable should be taken as the vegetable 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 Parech. 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 parsley) 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 vegetable is celery. Machasit haShekel (473:4) in name of medical books, and Sh"t Bet Shearim 213 concur that Karpas is celery. Halichot Shlomo writes that Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach when he was younger ate celery and in his later years had cucumber as Karpas. </ref>

==Size of Karpas==

# One should eat a piece of Karpas that's smaller than a [[Kezayit]] so as not to get into a dispute about [[Bracha Achrona]]. <ref> 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 vegetable of a the size of a [[Kezayit]].] Shulchan Aruch 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 (Pesachim 114b s.v. peshita), who holds the Bracha on Karpas covers the [[Maror]], and the Tosfot (Pesachim 115a s.v. VeHadar in name of the Ri), who holds that the [[Maror]] doesn't need a bracha as it's part of the meal. This is why the Tur (473:6) writes that according to Rashbam one should not recite borei nefashot after karpas even if one did in fact eat a k'zayit, while according to Tosfot you would. Therefore, suggests the Maharil (Responsa 25), 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]]. Shulchan Aruch 473:6 rules in accordance with Maharil. This is also the opinion of Mishna Brurah 473:53 and Sh"t Chazon Ovadyah 17. See further concerning the significance of Karpas at [http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/743796/Rabbi%20Josh%20Flug/Karpas:%20The%20Vegetable%20at%20the%20Beginning%20of%20the%20Seder YUTorah by Rabbi Josh Flug]</ref> If a person is very hungry one may continue to eat karpas in a way that there’s no mental break between the karpas and maror, avoiding the dispute about reciting borei nefashot. <ref>Rav Hershel Schachter ([http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/791887/Rabbi_Hershel_Schachter/Inyonei_Pesach_ “Inyonei Pesach 4”], min 54-5) </ref>