The Hillel Sandwich: The Food That Holds A Grudge

Art by Mike Cockrill

So tonight

We eat the Hillel Sandwich,
That argumentative amuse bouche,

Made of 
Bitter-juicy horseradish
and

Brick-sweet charoset
and

Mitigating matza.

That's us,
Holding a grudge and releasing it, too.

Remembering that we were once slaves

And that then we were free,
Refusing to enslave others
and
Fighting those who would do so.

You may wish to disagree,
But I think
That without disputation, there is no Judaism.

Without both the pain and the joy,

Without both the strict and the kind,

Without both obligation and flexibility,

We simply cannot exist.

So tonight

We eat and

Delight in God's presence,

We eat and

Ask questions,

We eat and

Study Torah,

We eat

And remember our bitter and sweet stories.

Yum.