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The Proper Way to Dip the Marror in the Haroset

What is the proper way to dip the Marror in the Haroset at the Pesah Seder?

The Shulhan Aruch writes (Orah Haim 475:1) that one should "take a Kezayit of Marror and submerge it entirely in the Haroset. But he should not let it stay there, in order not to neutralize its bitter taste." According to the Shulhan Aruch, one must submerge the entire piece of Marror in the Haroset. The Shulhan Aruch then adds that one should shake the Marror so that only a small amount of Haroset remains.

The Peri Hadash (Rav Hizkiya Da Silva, 1659-1698), however, records the custom to dip just the tip of the Marror in the Haroset, and then shake off the Haroset.

Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998), in his work Or Le’sion (vol. 3, 15:19; listen to audio recording for precise citation), rules in accordance with the Shulhan Aruch’s ruling, that one must submerge the entire piece of Marror in Haroset, and then shake the Haroset off the Marror.

Hacham Ben Sion then addresses the question of whether this Halacha applies also when dipping the Marror for Korech (the "sandwich" of Masa and Marror eaten after the Marror). When one dips the Marror in Haroset for Korech, must he dip the entire piece of Marror in the Haroset, or does it suffice to dip only part of the Marror?

Hacham Ben Sion notes that the Shulhan Aruch does not mention the requirement to submerge the Marror in its entirety for Korech, as he does in the context of Marror. This might suggest that for Korech it suffices to dip only part of the Marror, and Hacham Ben Sion notes that this is indeed the prevalent practice. He writes that although it would seem more proper to dip the entire piece of Marror in the Haroset even for Korech, one may rely on the prevalent practice to dip only part of the Marror for Korech, and then shake off the Haroset.

Summary: Before one eats Marror at the Seder, he should submerge the entire piece of Marror in Haroset and then shake off the Haroset. When dipping the Marror for Korech, however, it suffices to dip only part of the Marror, and then shake off the Haroset.

 


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