It is well known that the basic foods of the Pesah evening in Temple times were the Korban Pesah (Passover sacrifice), matzah (unleavened bread), and maror (bitter herbs):

“The bitter herb (ḥazeret), the matzah, and the pesah on the evening of Pesah are obligatory… Hillel the Elder would combine the three and eat them together.” (Tosefta Pesahim 2:22, Lieberman ed., p. 150)

Yet, in the final chapter of Mishnah Pesahim (10:3), we read:

“They brought before him matzah, ḥazeret, and ḥaroset… although eating ḥaroset is not a mitzvah but merely a custom. Rabbi Eliezer ben Tzadok says: It is a mitzvah.”

Here, the Mishnah introduces ḥaroset, a spiced mixture, into the festive meal, along with a debate regarding its status. The sages regard it as a custom, while Rabbi Eliezer ben Tzadok elevates it to........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)