Tonight of course is Yud Aleph Nissan, the 11th day of Nissan, which is the birthday of the Rebbe, and it is certainly appropriate for each and every one of us to remember this day and to reflect on it. As we discussed at length on Shabbos, we must draw strength from it and realize that we are privileged to have a connection to the Rebbe, a special connection, and therefore this day is very meaningful to us.
Very briefly, on a birthday one should study Torah, and especially the Torah of the person whose birthday it is. So as we have been doing over the last few days, we have been reviewing different ideas from the Rebbe’s Haggadah as the Rebbe presents them.
One of the things we do on the Seder night is Korech, the sandwich known as the Hillel sandwich. The idea is that during the time of the Beis HaMikdash things were done differently, because in addition to Matzah and Maror, they also had the Korban Pesach. As we say, “Ba’avur zeh asah Hashem,” referring to the time when Matzah and Maror are placed before you—but in the time of the Beis HaMikdash this also included the Korban Pesach. These three together formed the central experience of the Seder.
After the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, we did not simply abandon these practices. On the contrary, the Chachamim instituted that we continue in a way of zecher laMikdash, following the view of Hillel. There is a machlokes in the Gemara between Hillel and the Chachamim. According to Hillel, the mitzvos were not merely to be present, but had to be fulfilled together—Matzah, Maror, and Korban Pesach eaten as one unit.
Today, although we no longer have the Korban Pesach, we still commemorate it using the Zroa and the Beiyah. This becomes especially interesting in a year like this, when Pesach begins on Motzai Shabbos. In the time of the Beis HaMikdash, they could not bring the Korban Chagigah in such a year, since it does not override Shabbos and could not be brought earlier due to its time limitations.
One might therefore think that in such a year we should only place one item on the Seder plate, corresponding to the Korban Pesach alone. However, the Alter Rebbe writes—and the Rebbe brings this in the Haggadah—that since what we do today is only a zecher, a commemoration, we still maintain both items. Even when the actual Korban Chagigah was not brought, we still commemorate it.
Returning to Korech, according to Hillel, the only way to properly fulfill the mitzvah was to eat everything together. According to the other opinion, one fulfills each mitzvah separately without combining them.
After the destruction, Matzah remains a mitzvah min haTorah, while Maror is miderabbanan. The question then becomes how Maror is fulfilled according to Hillel. This leads to a discussion brought by the Rebbe between the Alter Rebbe and the Pri Megadim.
According to the Alter Rebbe, the first eating of Maror fulfills the mitzvah according to the Chachamim, while the Korech fulfills the mitzvah according to Hillel. According to the Pri Megadim, even according to Hillel the first Maror fulfills the mitzvah, and Korech is an additional zecher laMikdash.
The Rebbe analyzes this at length and shows how every word in the nusach of the Alter Rebbe is exact and precise.
The central lesson that emerges is that even though we are no longer in the time of the Beis HaMikdash, we do not let go of the experience. We recreate it, we commemorate it, and we live with it.
So too, on Yud Aleph Nissan, we must strengthen ourselves, our emunah, and our bitachon, recognizing our connection to the Rebbe and drawing strength from it.
We take this opportunity to give a bracha for Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, that the Eibishter should help him, as we approach Zman Cheiruseinu, that he should merit his personal geulah, going from constraint to expansiveness, from imprisonment to freedom.
And all of us should be zoche to go out from this golus and celebrate together with Mashiach Tzidkeinu this Pesach—hashanah hazeh b’Yerushalayim. The Eibishter should help.