Account of J. A. Joel of the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Regiment
Fayette, West Virginia, 1862
"Horseradish or parsley we could not obtain, but in lieu we found a weed whose bitterness, I apprehend, exceeded anything our forefathers ‘enjoyed.’ …
The necessaries for the choroutzes we could not obtain, so we got a brick which, rather hard to digest, reminded us, by looking at it, for what purpose it was intended . . ."
"We all had a large portion of the herb ready to eat at the moment I said the blessing; each [ate] his portion, when horrors! What a scene ensued . . . The herb was very bitter and very fiery like Cayenne pepper, and excited our thirst to such a degree that we forgot the law authorizing us to drink only four cups, and the consequence was we drank up all the cider. . ."
Published originally in the Jewish Messenger, March 30, 1866.
See more in the Washington Post article: "Jewish Soldiers Held a Makeshift Seder in the Middle of the Civil War," (Gillian Brockell, April 5, 2023)
Interview with Jennifer McLagan, author of Bitter: A Taste of the World’s Most Dangerous Flavor, with Recipes (Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed, 2014)
We have so many more bitter receptors than we do for other tastes since bitter can signal toxicity. There’s a universal response—people grimace, screw up their face, and want to spit out what’s on their tongue.
. . .
One of the most important things is not to try to eliminate [bitterness]. People say, "Oh it's bitter," and they'll put some sugar in ... Try to balance bitterness with something else. Something salty -- salt will often cut the bitterness -- but also something fatty....Fat and bitter are perfect partners.
אָמַר רָבָא: בָּלַע מַצָּה — יָצָא, בָּלַע מָרוֹר — לֹא יָצָא.
Rava said: If one swallowed matza without chewing he has fulfilled his obligation. If one swallowed bitter herbs without chewing, he has not fulfilled his obligation.
As a metaphor, this could mean that even when we "grimace...and want to spit out" the most difficult times, we cannot exempt ourselves from them until we fully "taste" or experience the bitterness. When has confronting bitterness helped you to overcome or move beyond it?
(ה) חַיָּב אָדָם לְבָרֵךְ עַל הָרָעָה כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהוּא מְבָרֵךְ עַל הַטּוֹבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ו) וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ. בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ, בִּשְׁנֵי יְצָרֶיךָ, בְּיֵצֶר טוֹב וּבְיֵצֶר רָע. וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ, אֲפִלּוּ הוּא נוֹטֵל אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ. וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ, בְּכָל מָמוֹנֶךָ. דָּבָר אַחֵר בְּכָל מְאֹדֶךָ, בְּכָל מִדָּה וּמִדָּה שֶׁהוּא מוֹדֵד לְךָ הֱוֵי מוֹדֶה לוֹ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד.
One is obligated to recite a blessing for the bad that befalls him just as he recites a blessing for the good, as it is stated: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). The mishna explains this verse as follows: “With all your heart” means with your two inclinations, with your good inclination and your evil inclination, both of which must be subjugated to the love of God. “With all your soul” means even if God takes your soul. “And with all your might” means with all your money, as money is referred to in the Bible as might. Alternatively, it may be explained that “with all your might” means with every measure that He metes out to you; whether it is good or troublesome, thank Him.
How does thanking God in bitter or difficult times mesh with your personal beliefs or practices?
חייב אדם לברך על הרעה. כשמברך דיין האמת על הרעה, חייב לברך בשמחה ובלב טוב כשם שמברך בשמחה הטוב והמטיב על הטובה:
חייב אדם לברך על הרעה –
When one makes the blessing “The True and Righteous Judge,” (dayan ha-emet) on the bad things [that occur], one is obligated to recite the blessing in joy and with a full-heart, just as one recites with joy the blessing, “Who is Good and Does Good” (ha-tov v'ha-meitiv) on the good things [that happen].
The blessing for thanking God in difficult times is dayan ha-emet/the True and Judge (others: the Judge of truth). What other phrases or descriptions of God that could be helpful or truthful for you to use when thanking God for challenges? How might blessing God during bad times help us to both taste the bitter and cope with it?
Practice: Identify something bitter in your life or the life of the Jewish people. What blessing can you say about it "with a full heart"?
