After drinking the second cup of wine after Maggid, we wash our hands for the Masa, just as we must always wash our hands for bread, and the Beracha of "Al Netilat Yadayim" is recited over the washing. Although we had washed our hands earlier in the Seder, before Karpas, we wash again because one may have soiled his hands in the interim, during the reading of the Haggada. Maran (Rav Yosef Karo, author of the Shulhan Aruch), in Bet Yosef, is adamant that this washing is strictly required as part of the Seder, and one should not excuse himself from this requirement. One might think that instead of troubling everybody at the Seder to wash a second time, everybody should wash before Karpas with a Beracha and then be careful throughout Maggid to keep their hands clean, thus obviating the need for the second washing. This should not be done, because the second washing was instituted as part of the Seder that must be observed. This point is made also by the Aruch Ha’shulhan (Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein of Nevarduk, 1829-1908), who notes that there are other reasons for this washing, besides the simple reason that one’s hands may no longer be clean.
Hacham Ovadia Yosef rules that even if one mistakenly recited a Beracha on the first washing, before Karpas, he must nevertheless wash again before eating the Masa with a Beracha.
Our community’s custom is that only the Orech Ha’seder – the one leading the Seder – has a Seder plate with the three Masot in front of him. After everyone has washed Netilat Yadayim, the Orech Ha’seder takes hold of the three Masot – two whole Masot, and the broken Masa in between them. In principle, one should be required to hold only two Masot, just as on every Shabbat and Yom Tob the Beracha of "Ha’mosi" is recited over two loaves. However, at the Seder one holds all three Masot because, as the Tur (475) cites, there is a debate among the Rishonim whether the Beracha of "Ha’mosi" is recited over the whole Masa or the broken Masa. In light of this uncertainty, one holds all the Masot. After reciting the Beracha of "Ha’mosi," the Orech Ha’seder puts down the bottom Masa and recites the Beracha of "Al Achilat Masa" on the remaining two Masot. He then breaks the two Masot and eats a Ke’zayit of each, distributing the rest to the people at the Seder. As explained by the Aruch Ha’shulhan and Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1833-1909), in light of the uncertainty as to which of the two Masot the Beracha of "Ha’mosi" refers, the Orech Ha’seder should eat a Ke’zayit of both. Although the Be’ur Halacha (475) questions the need to eat two Ke’zetim, and argues that it should suffice to eat just one Ke’zayit, the Shulhan Aruch rules that the Orech Ha’seder should eat a Ke’zayit from each Masa. Everybody else at the Seder, however, needs to eat just one Ke’zayit. Of course, the Orech Ha’seder’s Masot will not generally suffice for everyone at the Seder, so they should take Masa from the box of Masa on the table to complete the required amount of Ke’zayit.
It should be noted that some people have the custom that everyone at the Seder eats two Ke’zetim of Masa, but Hacham Ovadia Yosef does not follow this position. Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998) likewise maintained that everyone else at the Seder needs to eat just one Ke’zayit. If one wishes he may be stringent and eat two Ke’zetim, but the requirement is to eat just one, with the exception of the Orech Ha’seder, as discussed.
The Shulhan Aruch (475:1) rules that one may add salt to the Masa, and according to Kabbalah, it is proper to do so. The Rama (Rav Moshe Isserles of Cracow, 1525-1572) ruled that salt should not be added to Masa, but, as mentioned, the Shulhan Aruch permits salt, and this is also the ruling of the Aruch Ha’shulhan.
Summary: One must wash his hands a second time at the Seder before eating the Masa, even if he had ensured to keep his hands clean since the earlier washing before Karpas. One recites a Beracha over this second washing, even if he had mistakenly recited a Beracha over the first washing. The one leading the Seder holds all three Masot in his hands while reciting the Beracha of "Hamosi," and then puts down the bottom Masa for the recitation of the Beracha of "Al Achilat Masa." He should eat a Ke’zayit from each of the two Masot, whereas everyone else may eat just one Ke’zayit. Salt may be added to the Masa,and according to Kabbalistic teaching it is proper to add salt to the Masa.
