Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes Monday through Friday at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul.

This class covers Pesachim 39a, which opens with the Mishnah listing the five vegetables that fulfill the mitzvah of Maror on Pesach night. Rabbi Hanon works through the identification of each species — including hazeret (lettuce), tamcha, charvina, ulshin, and maror — noting that the order in the Mishnah reflects their relative halachic quality, with lettuce being the preferred choice. A major discussion centers on the Ashkenazic tradition of using horseradish, which Rabbi Hanon argues was a historical substitution made in Eastern Europe where leafy greens were unavailable, and which fails several of the criteria the Gemara itself will establish for valid Maror. The class also addresses halachic points about fresh versus pickled Maror, combining species to reach a kazayit, using the stalk of romaine, and the demai concerns when purchasing produce from an uneducated seller. The Gemara's attempt to identify the Mishnah's species is then examined, along with a supporting baraita that offers an alternate list of valid Maror vegetables.

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(0:00) Mishnah: Maror species intro

(0:25) Identifying the five species

(1:25) Hazeret = lettuce explained

(1:58) Tamcha, Charvina, Ulshin IDs

(2:27) Fresh vs. dry vs. pickled Maror

(3:05) Mixing species for a kazayit

(3:12) Using the stalk of romaine

(3:29) Demai produce and Maror

(4:22) Mitzvah vs. sin (d'oraita/d'rabbanan)

(5:58) Gemara identifies Mishnah species

(7:05) Horseradish debate begins

(7:25) Rashi text and the horseradish insert

(9:54) Can't eat kazayit of horseradish

(11:25) Horseradish fails Maror criteria

(11:55) Minhag: use lettuce AND endives

(13:33) Baraita: alternate species list

(14:51) Wild vs. garden varieties

(15:20) Why repeat species already taught?

(16:00) Afas, Tudor, Maror identification

(17:26) Chervil, parsley, field eringo

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