אַל־יִתֵּ֣ן לַמּ֣וֹט רַגְלֶ֑ךָ אַל־יָ֝נ֗וּם שֹֽׁמְרֶֽךָ׃
Nie da zachwiać się nodze twojéj, nie drżémie stróż twój.
Tevele Bondi
This is not a problem since both the person who attends to others and the person who is attended to by others illustrate the greatness of the Holy One and the lowliness of human beings.
We acknowledge a human being's importance by the way that others serve him. This is not the case with the Holy One who shows His glory by the way he serves His children. We learn this from a passage "Who is like you among the mighty," which is understood to mean there are none that act like You do. (Shemot Rabbah 20,25) "What is the difference between mortal beings and the Holy One? How does a mortal king exhibit his glory? His servant attends to him and serves him. This is not the case with the Holy One who attends to and serves his children. A mortal king is bathed by his servants while the Holy One bathes (and purified) Israel, as is written: "I bathed you in water." (Ez.16:9) God also anoints his children, as is written, "I anointed you with oil." (Ez. 16:9) God dressed them, as it is written: "And I clothed you with embroidered garments." (Ez. 16:9) A road is prepared for a mortal king while the Holy One made a path through the sea for His children. The servant carries the mortal king while the Holy one carries his children, "on the wings of eagles." Servants put shoes on the feet of the mortal king while with the Holy One, it is just the opposite: "I gave you sandals of dolphin leather." (Ez. 16:9) When a mortal king sleeps, his servants stand guard over him. Just the opposite with the Holy One, as it is written, "The guardian of Israel neither slumbers or sleeps." (Ps. 121)
3. There is yet another reason for the first washing. According to Rabbi Elazar, food that is dipped in liquids (such as salt water or vinegar) necessitates the washing of hands. The sages decreed secondary impurity of hands and impurity of the liquid to be primary. The Turei Zahav asks (Siman 473; An important commentary on the Shulchan Aruch by David ha-Levi Segal c. 1586 – 1667) why are we more scrupulous on this night than the rest of the year so that we make a point of purifying ourselves on this night? Just as we are more scrupulous on this night, it is fitting to be no less scrupulous on the Ten Days of Repentance, Sabbaths and Holy Days, in our judgment.
This concern is reflected in the other steps of the seder, Kadesh U'rechatz, etc… They are connected to one another. After one has prepared himself to enter into the sanctity of the day (Kadesh), he must now wash (urechatz) as in the expression, "Wash yourself clean." (Is. 1:16) Thus, we are not like a person who immerses himself in a mikvah while holding an impure reptile in his hand. It is not enough to sanctify himself - he must purify himself also when taking the karpas.
Let Me Explain
1. Like Kadesh, the purpose of the opening 'steps' of the seder is to spiritually prepare ourselves for this evening. We must strive to reach a level of spiritual purity because we are now in the presence of the Holy One.
2. Being a king is not about being served by others. It is also about serving others. Rabbi Bondi suggests that God's greatness is reflected in all the ways that God cares for us rather than in the ways we worship God.
3. Finally, Bondi offers a more halachic reason for the washing of hands before the karpas. But it too relates to the notion of striving to reach a higher level of purity on Passover night. His first explanation is more behavioral, the second theological, and the third draws on the legal sources to explain the status of 'washing.' See BT Pesahim 115a. In temple times, impurity was serious business. Food had to be consumed in a state of purity – this was required not of the kohanim but regular Jews as well. According to the sages, liquid is more susceptible to and is a more potent “carrier” of ritual impurity. Some rabbis see this as a pious flourish required only of the leader of the Seder while others consider this extra precaution to be a serious matter on Seder night even if we do not observe it the rest of the year.
We acknowledge a human being's importance by the way that others serve him. This is not the case with the Holy One who shows His glory by the way he serves His children. We learn this from a passage "Who is like you among the mighty," which is understood to mean there are none that act like You do. (Shemot Rabbah 20,25) "What is the difference between mortal beings and the Holy One? How does a mortal king exhibit his glory? His servant attends to him and serves him. This is not the case with the Holy One who attends to and serves his children. A mortal king is bathed by his servants while the Holy One bathes (and purified) Israel, as is written: "I bathed you in water." (Ez.16:9) God also anoints his children, as is written, "I anointed you with oil." (Ez. 16:9) God dressed them, as it is written: "And I clothed you with embroidered garments." (Ez. 16:9) A road is prepared for a mortal king while the Holy One made a path through the sea for His children. The servant carries the mortal king while the Holy one carries his children, "on the wings of eagles." Servants put shoes on the feet of the mortal king while with the Holy One, it is just the opposite: "I gave you sandals of dolphin leather." (Ez. 16:9) When a mortal king sleeps, his servants stand guard over him. Just the opposite with the Holy One, as it is written, "The guardian of Israel neither slumbers or sleeps." (Ps. 121)
3. There is yet another reason for the first washing. According to Rabbi Elazar, food that is dipped in liquids (such as salt water or vinegar) necessitates the washing of hands. The sages decreed secondary impurity of hands and impurity of the liquid to be primary. The Turei Zahav asks (Siman 473; An important commentary on the Shulchan Aruch by David ha-Levi Segal c. 1586 – 1667) why are we more scrupulous on this night than the rest of the year so that we make a point of purifying ourselves on this night? Just as we are more scrupulous on this night, it is fitting to be no less scrupulous on the Ten Days of Repentance, Sabbaths and Holy Days, in our judgment.
This concern is reflected in the other steps of the seder, Kadesh U'rechatz, etc… They are connected to one another. After one has prepared himself to enter into the sanctity of the day (Kadesh), he must now wash (urechatz) as in the expression, "Wash yourself clean." (Is. 1:16) Thus, we are not like a person who immerses himself in a mikvah while holding an impure reptile in his hand. It is not enough to sanctify himself - he must purify himself also when taking the karpas.
Let Me Explain
1. Like Kadesh, the purpose of the opening 'steps' of the seder is to spiritually prepare ourselves for this evening. We must strive to reach a level of spiritual purity because we are now in the presence of the Holy One.
2. Being a king is not about being served by others. It is also about serving others. Rabbi Bondi suggests that God's greatness is reflected in all the ways that God cares for us rather than in the ways we worship God.
3. Finally, Bondi offers a more halachic reason for the washing of hands before the karpas. But it too relates to the notion of striving to reach a higher level of purity on Passover night. His first explanation is more behavioral, the second theological, and the third draws on the legal sources to explain the status of 'washing.' See BT Pesahim 115a. In temple times, impurity was serious business. Food had to be consumed in a state of purity – this was required not of the kohanim but regular Jews as well. According to the sages, liquid is more susceptible to and is a more potent “carrier” of ritual impurity. Some rabbis see this as a pious flourish required only of the leader of the Seder while others consider this extra precaution to be a serious matter on Seder night even if we do not observe it the rest of the year.