Pesach is a springtime holiday. The karpas (or parsley) reminds us of springtime and hope, but the salt water reminds us of the bitter tears our people wept when we were slaves in Egypt. As we taste the fresh greens, we feel refreshed, but the salt water makes us wince in memory of our experience as strangers, and we are mindful of those who are still treated as strangers in our own country and in their own lands. 

We dip the karpas into the salt water, feel the bitter tears running down our cheeks, seeping into the corner of our mouths, and we experience our own tears and the tears of strangers everywhere.

Dip the karpas in salt water and eat.


haggadah Section: Karpas
Source: Modified from Haggadah for Pesach, circleboston.org and Karpas by Lisa Marquardt