At the Seder one should eat matzah, maror (bitter herbs) and (in the times of the Temple) the meat of the Passover offering. Should he put them all together and eat as a sandwich? Hillel said that yes, indeed, this is what should be done, since the Torah said, “matzah with maror you shall eat.” However, the Sages disagree and say that the actual commandment is “yochluhu” – meaning, “you shall eat them.” The extra word “them” tells us to eat them separately. In fact, one should not combine them at all, so that the taste of one does not nullify the taste of the other.
Who wins? That is a disagreement, and the law is not stated like either one of them. Because of this, one first eats them separately, and then combines them and eats more, this time, together as a sandwich. Only for this second eating, since the law is not clear, one should not say a blessing.
Art: A Disagreement by Henry Towneley Green
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