At this point in the Seder, it is traditional to eat a green vegetable dipped in saltwater. The green vegetable represents rebirth, renewal and growth; the saltwater represents the tears of enslavement. When everyone has a green vegetable dipped in salt water, we say
together:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melekh Ha’Olam borei p’ri ha’adamah.
Blessed is the One who sustains all life, and brings forth fruits from the earth.

from the #BlackLivesMatter supplement: Dipping the karpas is a sign of luxury and freedom. The saltwater represents the tears of our ancestors in Mitzrayim. This year may it also represent tears of Black parents and families mourning the loss of their Black youth at the hands of police brutality.


haggadah Section: Karpas