Question
Why are there two things at the Passover Seder to symbolize our slavery in Egypt? We have the Karpas (Vegetable dipped in salt water) and the Bitter Herb, not to mention the Haggadah itself which talks about Egypt. Shouldn’t just one thing be used to symbolize our slavery?
Answer
The Karpas is a Rabbinic addition to the Seder, designed to evoke questions. It symbolizes both freedom (the luxury to dip) and slavery (the salt water,) but its main purpose is to get the children to realize that this meal and night is different and inspire them to learn more about it. The Bitter Herb is from the Torah, and it symbolizes slavery. Thus, they have different purposes altogether.