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Shabbat during Passover

The Hillel Sandwich

Just before the hard-boiled eggs, gefilte fish, and main course of the Passover seder, we eat the Hillel sandwich. In Hillel's time the Hillel sandwich was matzah, maror (bitter herb), and the pascal lamb. Today we combine matzah, maror (bitter herb), and charoset (sweet fruit and nut mixture.

Matzah is the bread of affliction. Maror reminds us of the bitterness of slavery. Charoset reminds us that even in the midst of affliction and oppression, the ancient Hebrew women brought their lovers to orchards and nut trees and continued to express love in the most intimate ways.

The Hillel sandwich teaches that bitterness and sweetness co-exist in lived experience. In the darkest of times, it is possible to find tiny sparks of light: a knowing smile, an unexpected moment of laughter, profound natural beauty. These small sweetnesses are exactly what get us through the bitternesses we encounter.