Hah Lach"ma Ahnyah- Prayer before eating chametz in Bergen-Belsen
![](/_ipx/f_webp&q_80/https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/111862/bergenbelsen_0.jpg)
Before eating Chametz [on Passover] say the following with
intent & devotion:
Our Father in Heaven, it is revealed and known to You that it is
our desire to fulfill Your will and to celebrate the festival of
Passover by eating Matzah and by observing the prohibition of
Chametz. But, on this our hearts are pained, that the captivity
which prevents us, and we find ourselves in danger of our lives.
We are hereby prepared and ready to fulfill Your
commandment "And you shall live by them" and not die by
them, and to be careful with the warning of "Guard yourself and
guard your life very much." Therefore, our prayer to You is that
You keep us alive, and sustain us, and redeem us speedily, so
that we may observe Your laws and fulfill Your will and serve
You with a full heart. Amen.
Bergen Belsen 1944, lead by Rabbi Davis
Helping the Poor:
Question:
We invite people to our Seder even though we are already sitting down to eat. Why?
Answer:
We do so because we always need to be in giving mode.
A Story Once just before Pesach someone arrived at the house of Rabbi Josef-Baer from Brisk, to ask a legal question:
The Questioner: Teach me, Rabbi; can one say Kiddush on Pesach over four cups of milk?
The Rabbi: Pray tell, are you perhaps ill?
The Questioner: No! Thank God, I’m physically well, but (he added in a low voice) wine is a little expensive for me this year.
The Rabbi to his wife, the Rebbetzin: Give that man 25 rubles for four cups of wine.
The Questioner: But, Rabbi, I came to ask a question not to request a handout, God forbid.
The Rabbi: This is only a loan until God blesses you with greater prosperity.
The Narrator: After the man had taken the money and gone, the rebbetzin raised a question.
The Rebbetzin: Why did you have to give him 25 rubles? Four cups of wine cannot cost more than two or three rubles.
The Rabbi: You heard his question. He intended to drink four cups of milk at the seder. Surely if he had the funds to eat meat at a complete seder then he could not have drunk milk with his meat meal. I read between the lines of his request and realized that he needed money for all the seder expenses.
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Passover Guide
Hosting your first Passover Seder? Not sure what food to serve? Curious to
know more about the holiday? Explore our Passover 101 Guide for answers
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