מַגִּיד
מגלה את המצות, מגביה את הקערה ואומר בקול רם:
הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִּי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם. כָּל דִכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל, כָּל דִצְרִיךְ יֵיתֵי וְיִפְסַח. הָשַּׁתָּא הָכָא, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּאַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל. הָשַּׁתָּא עַבְדֵי, לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בְּנֵי חוֹרִין.
MAGGID / TELLING
During the recital of this paragraph the seder plate is held up and the middle matza is displayed to the company.
הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא THIS IS THE BREAD OF OPPRESSION
our fathers ate in the land of Egypt.
Let all who are hungry come in and eat;
let all who are in need come and join us for the Pesaḥ.
Now we are here; next year in the land of Israel.
Now – slaves; next year we shall be free.
Question 1: Symbolism
When we say Ha Lachma Anya, the Matzo is held up so that everyone who is gathered can see it. Seeing is not the same as looking. To look is to just move your eyes to a target; to see is to gather meaning from what you are looking at. What are we supposed to see when we look at the Matzo during Ha Lachma Anya? What does the Matzo symbolize; what is its meaning?
"To look at a thing is very different from seeing a thing. One does not see anything until one sees its beauty. Then, and then only, does it comes into existence.” - Oscar Wilde
Question 2: Timing
Why do we say these words at the beginning of Maggid? If we are seeking to invite others to our seder, would it not make more sense to extend the invitation before we say Kiddush? And if we are simply inviting people to eat with us (and skip the ideas and conversations), why don’t we recite these verses closer to the actual seudah?
Question 3: Language
Why is Ha Lachma Anya written in Aramaic, when the rest of Magid is in Hebrew?
Let's start with the first question.
1. Matzo as a symbol of REDEMPTION:
(לט) וַיֹּאפ֨וּ אֶת־הַבָּצֵ֜ק אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצִ֧יאוּ מִמִּצְרַ֛יִם עֻגֹ֥ת מַצּ֖וֹת כִּ֣י לֹ֣א חָמֵ֑ץ כִּֽי־גֹרְשׁ֣וּ מִמִּצְרַ֗יִם וְלֹ֤א יָֽכְלוּ֙ לְהִתְמַהְמֵ֔הַּ וְגַם־צֵדָ֖ה לֹא־עָשׂ֥וּ לָהֶֽם׃
(ג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶל־הָעָ֗ם זָכ֞וֹר אֶת־הַיּ֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְצָאתֶ֤ם מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ מִבֵּ֣ית עֲבָדִ֔ים כִּ֚י בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֔ד הוֹצִ֧יא ה' אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִזֶּ֑ה וְלֹ֥א יֵאָכֵ֖ל חָמֵֽץ׃ (ד) הַיּ֖וֹם אַתֶּ֣ם יֹצְאִ֑ים בְּחֹ֖דֶשׁ הָאָבִֽיב׃ (ה) וְהָיָ֣ה כִֽי־יְבִיאֲךָ֣ ה' אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ הַֽ֠כְּנַעֲנִ֠י וְהַחִתִּ֨י וְהָאֱמֹרִ֜י וְהַחִוִּ֣י וְהַיְבוּסִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֤ע לַאֲבֹתֶ֙יךָ֙ לָ֣תֶת לָ֔ךְ אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָ֑שׁ וְעָבַדְתָּ֛ אֶת־הָעֲבֹדָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַזֶּֽה׃ (ו) שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים תֹּאכַ֣ל מַצֹּ֑ת וּבַיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י חַ֖ג לַה'׃ (ז) מַצּוֹת֙ יֵֽאָכֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת שִׁבְעַ֣ת הַיָּמִ֑ים וְלֹֽא־יֵרָאֶ֨ה לְךָ֜ חָמֵ֗ץ וְלֹֽא־יֵרָאֶ֥ה לְךָ֛ שְׂאֹ֖ר בְּכׇל־גְּבֻלֶֽךָ׃ (ח) וְהִגַּדְתָּ֣ לְבִנְךָ֔ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּעֲב֣וּר זֶ֗ה עָשָׂ֤ה ה' לִ֔י בְּצֵאתִ֖י מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃
(3) And Moses said to the people,“Remember this day, on which you went free from Egypt, the house of bondage, how ה' freed you from it with a mighty hand: no leavened bread shall be eaten. (4) You go free on this day, in the month*in the month Or “on the new moon.” of Abib. (5) So, when ה' has brought you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which was sworn to your fathers to be given you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall observe in this month the following practice: (6) “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a festival of ה'. (7) Throughout the seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten; no leavened bread shall be found with you, and no leaven shall be found in all your territory. (8) And you shall explain to your child on that day, ‘It is because of what ה' did for me when I went free from Egypt.’
Rav Leibtag explains that "בַּעֲב֣וּר זֶ֗ה" refers to Matzo!: "by eating matza (and not owning any chametz) this generation would remember this special experience together with the miraculous events of the Exodus. To preserve this tradition (and its message), the Torah commands all future generations as well to eat matza for seven days, while telling over these events to their children"
(ה) ועוד דע, כי אי אפשר שיצאו ישראל מן השעבוד כי אם על ידי הקב"ה בעצמו, ולא מצד המזל, ולא בשום צד זולת זה, כמו שיתבאר בעזרת השם יתברך. ולפיכך לא יצאו ישראל במדריגה שיש בה זמן, רק במדריגה שאין בה זמן, כי כל הדברים נופלים תחת הזמן, ונבראים בזמן, זולת השם יתברך, שאינו נופל תחת הזמן. ולכך אסר להם החמץ, שהויתו נעשה בזמן, וצוה על המצה שהויתה בלא זמן. ולפיכך היה אכילתם ביציאתם לחירות המצה, שאין לה המשך זמן כלל, ואסר להם החמץ שנעשה בזמן, כי ישראל יצאו לחירות במדריגה אלקית שאין בה זמן.
(ו) ולפיכך נתן הכתוב הסבה באכילת מצה שלא הספיק בצקת אבותינו להחמיץ עד שנגלה עליהם מלך מלכי המלכים וגאלם. זכר "מלך מלכי המלכים" אצל זה, וביאור זה כאשר היו רוצים להכין עצמם אל הדרך לצאת והתחילו לעסוק* בבצק, לא הספיק בצקם להחמיץ, שגאולתם היתה בלא זמן, להודיע כי הגאולה שלהם מדריגה נבדלת, לא מצד המזל, שהוא גשמי פועל בזמן. לכך* היה גואל אותם הקב"ה בלי המשך זמן כלל, כאשר אמרנו, לפי שיצאו לא על ידי מזל, ולא על ידי שאר כח שהם נופלים תחת הזמן, רק על ידי הקב"ה, שאינו נופל תחת הזמן, ולפיכך גאל אותם בלי זמן. ולכך צוה על המצה קודם שיצאו ממצרים, לאכול המצה עם הפסח. ודבר זה אמת ברור כאשר תדע ענין מצה*.
Rav Soloveitchik wrote a similar idea: "Genuine ge'ullah, genuine redemption, always comes suddenly, unexpectedly, at a time when people are ready to give up hope.... when the crisis reaches its maximum and threatens the very existence of the community, when people begin to give up, the ge'ullah suddenly comes and takes them out of the land of affliction. It comes in the middle of the night and knocks on the door when no one expects it, when everybody is skeptical about it, when everybody laughs off the possibility of redemption....
They did not expect the revelation that night. Indeed, this is the most important feature of ge'ullat Mitzrayim... this redemption and the revelation of the Almighty were surprises to them. That is the nature of ge'ullah."
(ד) ולא יאכל חמץ. כדי להשריש הזכירה בלב ע״י איזה פעולה המראה ומזכיר זה הענין צויתי שלא יאכל חמץ. דמצה אין בה יתרון ע״י תחבולות ידי האדם להעלות העיסה יותר מהקמח והמים שנבראים ממנו ית׳. משא״כ חמץ שולט בם תחבולות האדם להעלות העיסה ע״י שאור מש״ה הוא אות שקיום ישראל הוא רק ברוח ה׳. ואפילו בעת שהיינו בא״י ומנהיגים מלוכה ומלחמת תנופה כדרך תחבולות האדם. כל התחבולות לא היו אלא כדי שיהא נראה כמעשה טבע לפי שאין הדור ראוי לנס נגלה אבל העיקר היה תלוי אם ה׳ היה יוצא בצבאותינו בהשגחה פרטית. וכש״כ בעת שישראל מפוזרים בעמים ידוע אשר אך השגחת ה׳ ורוח היהודית שבהם מאחדם ומקיימם בעולם:
(ג) לֹא־תֹאכַ֤ל עָלָיו֙ חָמֵ֔ץ שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֛ים תֹּֽאכַל־עָלָ֥יו מַצּ֖וֹת לֶ֣חֶם עֹ֑נִי כִּ֣י בְחִפָּז֗וֹן יָצָ֙אתָ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לְמַ֣עַן תִּזְכֹּ֗ר אֶת־י֤וֹם צֵֽאתְךָ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ׃
Here the Torah calls Matzo not "עֻגֹ֥ת מַצּ֖וֹת" like in Shemot, but "לֶ֣חֶם עֹ֑נִי" - bread of suffering, or poverty. We see here that Matzo is not only symbolic of the redemptive process, but it is symbolic of the starting point of redemption: suffering.
(ה) רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל הָיָה אוֹמֵר, כָּל שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר שְׁלֹשָׁה דְבָרִים אֵלּוּ בְּפֶסַח, לֹא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן, פֶּסַח, מַצָּה, וּמָרוֹר. פֶּסַח, עַל שׁוּם שֶׁפָּסַח הַמָּקוֹם עַל בָּתֵּי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְמִצְרַיִם. מַצָּה, עַל שׁוּם שֶׁנִּגְאֲלוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְמִצְרַיִם... בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ כְאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יג), וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר, בַּעֲבוּר זֶה עָשָׂה ה' לִי בְּצֵאתִי מִמִּצְרָיִם...
(5) Rabban Gamliel would say: Anyone who did not say these three matters on Passover has not fulfilled his obligation: The Paschal lamb, matza, and bitter herbs. When one mentions these matters, he must elaborate and explain them: The Paschal lamb is brought because the Omnipresent passed over [pasaḥ] the houses of our forefathers in Egypt, as it is stated: “That you shall say: It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Paschal offering for He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses” (Exodus 12:27). Rabban Gamliel continues to explain: The reason for matza is because our forefathers were redeemed from Egypt, as it is stated: “And they baked the dough that they took out of Egypt as cakes of matzot, for it was not leavened, as they were thrust out of Egypt and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual” (Exodus 12:39)...The tanna of the mishna further states: In each and every generation a person must view himself as though he personally left Egypt, as it is stated: “And you shall tell your son on that day, saying: It is because of this which the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt” (Exodus 13:8)....
Matzah is a powerful, physical reminder that God rescued us from slavery in Egypt. It is an eternal symbol of our redemption from Egypt.
This answers a question we didn't even think to ask: The Alter Rebbe asks why we don't say, "K’ha lachma" or "Ha k’lachma" - "this is similar to the bread." Why do we say: "This is the bread"? Chazal teach: "In every generation, we must see ourselves as if we actually left Egypt." Matzo offers that vivid sense of redemption. The message of salvation is embedded in Lechem Oni; this symbol is so powerful that gazing at the Matzo should evoke a visceral, real sense of rescue.
2. Matzo as Rebuttal
Rabbi Norman Lamm agrees that Matzo is a symbol of freedom, but he teaches that it is more than that:
Matzah is called “lehem ‘oni, the poor man’s bread” — a denial of the ability of money or material influence to save us. It is a symbolic refutation of the omnipotence of science and technology by the very fact that matzah must be made from the simplest of substances, flour and water alone, in the most primitive of ways. The matzah is a bread which does not rise, it does not push itself up in boastfulness, and is thus a symbol of humility, a denial of the working of the ego in and of itself. Pleasure too is counted out: by custom we do not salt the matzah which we eat at the Seder as we do with the bread that we eat all year long. And even power is dismissed, symbolized by the fact that the matzah we eat at the Seder, in fulfillment of the special commandment, must be perusah, a broken matzah, a symbol of powerlessness. So the matzah itself is a symbol of iconoclasm or the breaking of the idols of our times, and thus becomes a most appropriate “food of faith,” as some Kabbalists refer to matzah.
- Rabbi Lamm, in his The Royal Table Hagaddah
Similarly, Rav Leibtag points out: "'chametz' itself may have been a symbol of Egyptian culture. It is well-known among historians that the art of making leaven was first developed in Egypt, and it was the Egyptians who perfected the process of 'bread-making'."
Hence, Matzo is a protest against the idols of this age, and of all ages - from the time of Egypt and continuing today.
We now address the second question. Why are we inviting people to eat Matzo with us long before we actually begin to eat?
There is powerful food for thought in the timing of this invitation for food.
We open the narrative of Sipur Yetziat Mitzrayim - the story of leaving Egypt - with a call to feed others because it reflects a turning point in the story that brought us to Egypt: the selling of Yosef.
(יב) וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ אֶחָ֑יו לִרְע֛וֹת אֶׄתׄ־צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶ֖ם בִּשְׁכֶֽם׃ (יג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־יוֹסֵ֗ף הֲל֤וֹא אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ רֹעִ֣ים בִּשְׁכֶ֔ם לְכָ֖ה וְאֶשְׁלָחֲךָ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֖וֹ הִנֵּֽנִי׃ (יד) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ לֶךְ־נָ֨א רְאֵ֜ה אֶת־שְׁל֤וֹם אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ וְאֶת־שְׁל֣וֹם הַצֹּ֔אן וַהֲשִׁבֵ֖נִי דָּבָ֑ר וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֙הוּ֙ מֵעֵ֣מֶק חֶבְר֔וֹן וַיָּבֹ֖א שְׁכֶֽמָה׃ (טו) וַיִּמְצָאֵ֣הוּ אִ֔ישׁ וְהִנֵּ֥ה תֹעֶ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וַיִּשְׁאָלֵ֧הוּ הָאִ֛ישׁ לֵאמֹ֖ר מַה־תְּבַקֵּֽשׁ׃ (טז) וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אֶת־אַחַ֖י אָנֹכִ֣י מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ הַגִּֽידָה־נָּ֣א לִ֔י אֵיפֹ֖ה הֵ֥ם רֹעִֽים׃ (יז) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הָאִישׁ֙ נָסְע֣וּ מִזֶּ֔ה כִּ֤י שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֹֽמְרִ֔ים נֵלְכָ֖ה דֹּתָ֑יְנָה וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ יוֹסֵף֙ אַחַ֣ר אֶחָ֔יו וַיִּמְצָאֵ֖ם בְּדֹתָֽן׃ (יח) וַיִּרְא֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ מֵרָחֹ֑ק וּבְטֶ֙רֶם֙ יִקְרַ֣ב אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּֽתְנַכְּל֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ לַהֲמִיתֽוֹ׃ (יט) וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֑יו הִנֵּ֗ה בַּ֛עַל הַחֲלֹמ֥וֹת הַלָּזֶ֖ה בָּֽא׃ (כ) וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀ לְכ֣וּ וְנַֽהַרְגֵ֗הוּ וְנַשְׁלִכֵ֙הוּ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד הַבֹּר֔וֹת וְאָמַ֕רְנוּ חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֖ה אֲכָלָ֑תְהוּ וְנִרְאֶ֕ה מַה־יִּהְי֖וּ חֲלֹמֹתָֽיו׃ (כא) וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע רְאוּבֵ֔ן וַיַּצִּלֵ֖הוּ מִיָּדָ֑ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א נַכֶּ֖נּוּ נָֽפֶשׁ׃ (כב) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֣ם ׀ רְאוּבֵן֮ אַל־תִּשְׁפְּכוּ־דָם֒ הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּ אֹת֗וֹ אֶל־הַבּ֤וֹר הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְיָ֖ד אַל־תִּשְׁלְחוּ־ב֑וֹ לְמַ֗עַן הַצִּ֤יל אֹתוֹ֙ מִיָּדָ֔ם לַהֲשִׁיב֖וֹ אֶל־אָבִֽיו׃ (כג) וַֽיְהִ֕י כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־בָּ֥א יוֹסֵ֖ף אֶל־אֶחָ֑יו וַיַּפְשִׁ֤יטוּ אֶת־יוֹסֵף֙ אֶת־כֻּתׇּנְתּ֔וֹ אֶת־כְּתֹ֥נֶת הַפַּסִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָלָֽיו׃ (כד) וַיִּ֨קָּחֻ֔הוּ וַיַּשְׁלִ֥כוּ אֹת֖וֹ הַבֹּ֑רָה וְהַבּ֣וֹר רֵ֔ק אֵ֥ין בּ֖וֹ מָֽיִם׃ (כה) וַיֵּשְׁבוּ֮ לֶֽאֱכׇל־לֶ֒חֶם֒ וַיִּשְׂא֤וּ עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙ וַיִּרְא֔וּ וְהִנֵּה֙ אֹרְחַ֣ת יִשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔ים בָּאָ֖ה מִגִּלְעָ֑ד וּגְמַלֵּיהֶ֣ם נֹֽשְׂאִ֗ים נְכֹאת֙ וּצְרִ֣י וָלֹ֔ט הוֹלְכִ֖ים לְהוֹרִ֥יד מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃ (כו) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוּדָ֖ה אֶל־אֶחָ֑יו מַה־בֶּ֗צַע כִּ֤י נַהֲרֹג֙ אֶת־אָחִ֔ינוּ וְכִסִּ֖ינוּ אֶת־דָּמֽוֹ׃ (כז) לְכ֞וּ וְנִמְכְּרֶ֣נּוּ לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֗ים וְיָדֵ֙נוּ֙ אַל־תְּהִי־ב֔וֹ כִּֽי־אָחִ֥ינוּ בְשָׂרֵ֖נוּ ה֑וּא וַֽיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ אֶחָֽיו׃
(12) One time, when his brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flock at Shechem, (13) Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing at Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” He answered, “I am ready.” (14) And he said to him, “Go and see how your brothers are and how the flocks are faring, and bring me back word.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron. When he reached Shechem, (15) a man came upon him wandering in the fields. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?” (16) He answered, “I am looking for my brothers. Could you tell me where they are pasturing?” (17) The man said, “They have gone from here, for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothan.” So Joseph followed his brothers and found them at Dothan. (18) They saw him from afar, and before he came close to them they conspired to kill him. (19) They said to one another, “Here comes that dreamer! (20) Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we can say, ‘A savage beast devoured him.’ We shall see what comes of his dreams!” (21) But when Reuben heard it, he tried to save him from them. He said, “Let us not take his life.” (22) And Reuben went on, “Shed no blood! Cast him into that pit out in the wilderness, but do not touch him yourselves”—intending to save him from them and restore him to his father. (23) When Joseph came up to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the ornamented tunic that he was wearing, (24) and took him and cast him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. (25) Then they sat down to a meal. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels bearing gum, balm, and ladanum to be taken to Egypt. (26) Then Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain by killing our brother and covering up his blood? (27) Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let us not do away with him ourselves. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed.
When Yakov sent Yosef to see how his brothers were faring, Yosef had a lengthy stretch of land to travel across:
"וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֙הוּ֙ מֵעֵ֣מֶק חֶבְר֔וֹן וַיָּבֹ֖א שְׁכֶֽמָה... וַיִּמְצָאֵ֖ם בְּדֹתָֽן" (בראשית 37:14,17)
Looking at ancient maps of Eretz Yisrael, it is clear that these places were far apart from each other. (According to Rabbi Elly Krimsky in a shiur on YU Torah, Yosef had to complete a journey of around 65 miles.)
Nowadays, when we go on a short, several-hour tiyul in Israel, official recommendations are to bring multiple litres of water along.
Yosef was a brilliant individual whose understanding and creativity saved the entire world from famine.
Obviously, he must have taken sufficient provisions, including water, to safely return home after checking up on his brothers.
With this in mind, we can notice something unusual in the description of this tragic story:
(כג) וַֽיְהִ֕י כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־בָּ֥א יוֹסֵ֖ף אֶל־אֶחָ֑יו וַיַּפְשִׁ֤יטוּ אֶת־יוֹסֵף֙ אֶת־כֻּתׇּנְתּ֔וֹ אֶת־כְּתֹ֥נֶת הַפַּסִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָלָֽיו׃ (כד) וַיִּ֨קָּחֻ֔הוּ וַיַּשְׁלִ֥כוּ אֹת֖וֹ הַבֹּ֑רָה וְהַבּ֣וֹר רֵ֔ק אֵ֥ין בּ֖וֹ מָֽיִם׃ (כה) וַיֵּשְׁבוּ֮ לֶֽאֱכׇל־לֶ֒חֶם֒...
(23) When Joseph came up to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the ornamented tunic that he was wearing, (24) and took him and cast him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. (25) Then they sat down to a meal...
Does the Torah juxtapose the brothers’ meal with a seemingly redundant description of the pit’s emptiness and lack of water because it was missing the water Yosef had brought for his journey? Did Yosef bring the bread that his brothers sat down to eat?
Perhaps the pit was empty of water because when the brothers stripped Yosef of his shirt they stripped him of his supplies as well!
Based on the following commentaries, I believe this idea "holds water":
(1) THAT THEY STRIPPED. Va-yafshitu (that they stripped)29Va-yafshitu is a hifil. Hifil is the causative form. Hence I.E. renders it: and they caused him to strip... They told him to take the coat off by himself...Hence they caused him to strip. Ketonet (coat) in Hebrew refers to a garment worn next to the skin. The brothers thus stripped Joseph of his garments and threw him naked into the pit... they stripped Joseph of his coat (ketonet), i.e., of the garment worn next to the skin, and also of the coat of many colors. Joseph was thus left standing naked...
(א) את כתנתו את כתונת הפסים אשר עליו. פי' רש״י כתנתו זה חלוק, ולמה זה הפשיטו כתנתו, ואולי יוסף בלכתו אל אחיו היה מתירא פן יגזלו אחיו ממנו את כתונת הפסים, ע״כ עשה מעשה נערות והלך ותפר וחיבר את כתונת הפסים אל סתם חלוקו כי אמר מסתמא לא יציגוהו ערום וכולי האי לא חשדם, ע״כ הפשיטו המה גם את חלוקו אגב כתונת הפסים, ויהיה את, פירושו כמו עם וי״א שיוסף החליף כתנותיו והלביש כתונת הפסים על גופו ממש וסתם חלוקו הלביש למעלה כדי להעלים מן אחיו הכתונת פסים, לכך נאמר את כתנתו כי מתחלה הפשיטו סתם כתונת של מעלה ואח״כ את כתונת הפסים אשר עליו על גופו ממש ולא מעל דמעל.
(א) ויפשיטו את יוסף וגו'. צ"ל שהפשיטו אותו מלמטה למעלה דאם לא כן היה להם להפשיטו כתנת הפסים שהוא מלבוש עליו קודם כתנתו שהוא חלוקו:
Together, these meforshim indicate that the brothers stripped Yosef completely bare before throwing him into the pit. Which, by the way, was full of serpents and scorpions:
(א) והבור רק אין בו מים. מִמַּשְׁמַע שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהַבּוֹר רֵק, אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מַיִם, מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אֵין בּוֹ מָיִם? מַיִם אֵין בּוֹ, אֲבָל נְחָשִׁים וְעַקְרַבִּים יֵשׁ בּוֹ (בראשית רבה, שבת כ"ב):
(1) והבור רק אין בו מים AND THE PIT WAS EMPTY, THERE WAS NO WATER IN IT — Since it states, “the pit was empty”, do I not know that “there was no water in it”? What then is the force of “there was no water in it”? Water, indeed it did not contain, but there were serpents and scorpions in it (Shabbat 22a).
(א) והבור רק אין בו מים. וימות במהרה בצמא. ולא ירדו גשמים כי היתה אז תקופת הקיץ, שלכן הרחיקו לרעות את צאן אביהם בשכם לחפש מרעה.
According to Rav Yehudah Herzl Henkin זצ"ל, the brothers intended that Yosef would die quickly of dehydration.
Overall, we see that 1) the brothers stripped Yosef naked, 2) threw him into a pit that was “empty and had no water,” full of serious hazards, and 3) sat down to eat a meal. And to top this off, the brothers called for his direct murder only a few verses earlier, in pasuk 20.
So, it’s reasonable to assume that if they were willing to take his life, they were willing to take his lunchbox. Thus, they not only stripped him of his tunic; by robbing him of his provisions they took away his ability to sustain himself in the pit.
Maybe the moment the brothers had the stomach to break bread (either Yosef’s supplies or their provisions) after throwing their brother into a dangerous pit was the moment that they completely broke their family.
Indeed. Midrash Tehillim recounts that God told the shvatim: in response to selling your brother in the midst of a meal, your children will be sold during a meal in Shushan.
(ג)...יתפשו במזמות זו חשבו אלו השבטים. א"ר יודן מאן דאמר רחמנא וותרן הוא ליוותרון מעוהי אלא מאריך אפיה וגבי דיליה. אמר הקדוש ב"ה לשבטים אתם מכרתם אחיכם מתוך מאכל ומשתה שנאמר (בראשית לז כה) וישבו לאכל לחם. הרי בניכם נמכרים בשושן מתוך אכילה ושתיה שנאמר (אסתר ג טו) והמלך והמן ישבו לשתות. אמר ר' יששכר ומה אם יוסף שמחל לאחיו דכתיב (בראשית מה ח) לא אתם שלחתם אותי הנה. ראה עד היכן מתוקנת להם. מי שאינו מוחל לחבירו על אחת כמה וכמה. א"ר חנין אמר הקב"ה לשבטים אתם אמרתם לעבד נמכר יוסף חייכם אתם קורין עצמכם בכל שנה ושנה עבדים היינו. ר' פינחס אמר בשם ר' הושעיה שבטים גרמו לקרע שמלת אביהם ונפרע להם במצרים שנאמר (שם מד יג) ויקרעו שמלותם...
...The tribes thought they had devised a plan, but they were caught in their own schemes. Rabbi Yudan said: The one who says 'the merciful One will forgive' is not forgiven until he appeases his friend. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the tribes: You sold your brother for food and drink, as it says, 'And they sat down to eat bread' (Genesis 37:25). Behold, your children will be sold in Shushan during a feast, as it says, 'And the king and Haman sat down to drink' (Esther 3:15). Rabbi Yissachar said: What if Joseph had not forgiven his brothers, as it says, 'It was not you who sent me here, but God' (Genesis 45:8)? See how this is corrected for them! He who does not forgive his friend, even for a minor offense, is guilty of many sins. Rabbi Chanin said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the tribes: You said, 'Let us sell Joseph as a slave.' By your lives, you will be called slaves every year. Rabbi Pinchas said in the name of Rabbi Hosea: The tribes caused their father's coat to be torn, and they were punished in Egypt, as it says, 'And they tore their clothes' (Genesis 44:13)...
This is reflected in the pshat of Bereshit, when Yehudah commented אָחִ֥ינוּ בְשָׂרֵ֖נוּ ה֑וּא - our brother is our flesh (ibid 37: 27). Truly, when they sold their brother, they sold themselves.
3. Matzo as REPENTANCE:
Hence we open the conversation at the Seder table by fixing the mistake that led us to Egypt. We fix our sin of taking our brother’s bread (or, at the least, indulging while he lacked), and instead of keeping our food for ourselves, we take what we have and share it with others.
Therefore, when we proclaim Ha Lachma Anya, we are not inviting those who are outside our homes. We are issuing the call to those who are already present at our tables.
The fact that the shevatim sold Yosef while they were together in Dotan shows that people can be physically together but emotionally and existentially estranged from one another. People can be in the same place physically, but on different planets existentially.
That is why we open Magid with Ha Lachma Anya. To heal this pain in our past, we must - with God’s help - learn to feel for one another. Let’s try to make sure that everyone who is with us, sitting at our table, has a continuous sense of כָּל דִכְפִין יֵיתֵי וְיֵיכֹל; anyone who is hungry should feel comfortable to partake of what we share, together.
This approach also explains why Ha Lachma Anya is said in Aramaic. It was composed during the Babylonian exile, in the language everyone spoke at the time. To include everyone, it was written in a language that everyone understood, ensuring that we would all know that each of us has a seat at the table.