28 Mar HALACHICALLY SPEAKING: WHAT TO USE FOR MARROR AT THE PESACH SEDER

Weeks before Pesach
the newspapers are full
of advertisements for
romaine lettuce that does
not need to be inspected
for insects. What is
the ideal item to use
for marror on Pesach?
Horseradish? Lettuce?
Romaine lettuce? Is one
preferred over the other
one? Is hydroponically
grown lettuce permitted for marror? Does the
marror need to be bitter? Is it permitted to mix
different kinds of marror? All these and other
related issues will be addressed in this issue.
Marror – The Mitzvah
The Torah requires us to eat the korbon
Pesach with marror. When there is no Bais
Hamikdosh and no korbon Pesach, there is
an obligation d’rabbanan for both men and
women to eat marror on the seder night(s).
What is Marror?
The Mishnah in Meseches Pesachim lists five
species that may be used for marror: chazeres,
tamcha, charchavina, ulshin and marror. The
Gemorah identifies chazeres as “chasah,”
which is lettuce. The poskim identify tamcha
as horseradish (see below), and ulshin as
endives. The Chayai Adam says that only the
items listed in the Mishnah may be used, even
if another item may be bitter. The Gemorah
adds that marror has to be similar to matzah
(grain), which grows from a seed in the
ground (this will be discussed later as it relates
to hydroponically grown lettuce).
We are not familiar with the other types of
marror; therefore, we will only be focusing
our attention to the two popular species:
lettuce and horseradish.
Why Lettuce
Lettuce does not have a bitter taste to it, but is
still used as marror (see below). Why is this
so? The Gemorah (and this is quoted as well
in the poskim) says that lettuce (generally
assumed to mean romaine lettuce) is used
for marror because it reminds us of the work
done by the Jews in Mitzrayim in the following
manner: When lettuce grows, it is sweet, but at
the end it is hard (and bitter). Similarly, in the
beginning the work was soft, and at the end
it was hard. In addition, lettuce in Hebrew
is “chasah” which serves as a reminder that
Hashem had pity (chas) on the Jews in
Mitzrayim. Others say that lettuce is preferred
because it is the first in the list of acceptable
marrors in the Mishnah. In addition, it is
difficult to eat a kezayis of bitter horseradish,
but this is not so with lettuce.
Which Lettuce
It is reported that Harav Aron Kotler zt”l used
iceberg lettuce for marror at the seder, while
Harav Moshe Feinstein zt”l and Harav Yaakov
Kamenetsky zt”l used romaine lettuce. It is the
opinion of other poskim as well that romaine
lettuce is preferred over iceberg. The Chacham
Tzvi zt”l and the Chasam Sofer zt”l ate lettuce

for marror. Harav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach
zt”l used lettuce, as did Harav Benzion Abba
Shaul zt”l.
The consensus is that romaine lettuce should
be used for the seder.
Lettuce and Insects
There are poskim who maintain that lettuce
should be avoided since it is difficult to check
properly for insects. Therefore, one should
either buy lettuce with a good hechsher that
it was grown in such a way that there is no
concern of infestation, or one should learn
how to check for insects.
Lettuce – Sweet Taste
The Gemorah says that marror must have
a bitter taste. The Chazon Ish zt”l was of the
opinion that if lettuce is not bitter it may not
be used for marror.
Although lettuce does not have a bitter taste,
many use it for the seder. As mentioned before,
most poskim say that even if lettuce is sweet
it is the preferred marror for the seder. This
does not contradict the Gemorah, for there
is no need to actually eat something bitter, as
long as one tastes the food that is defined as
marror. To be sure, one who swallows marror
is not yotzei because he has not tasted any
marror, but there is no requirement to have
a bitter experience when consuming marror.
Furthermore, the comparison to marror and
Mitzrayim does not mention anything about
“bitter,” just that in the beginning the work
there was soft and at the end it was “hard.”
Some suggest that lettuce may have a bitter
taste at the first bite. In reality romaine lettuce
does have a slight bitterness to it.
Others suggest using the stalk of the lettuce
instead of the leaves, since it is bitterer. In
addition, there are those who maintain that
any item identified as marror may be eaten,
even if it is not bitter.
The Torah never mentions eating marror
because it is bitter. In fact the Ibn Ezra says
that the reason why marror was eaten was
because it was served as a side dish to be eaten
at the meal. This would not refer to something
that is so bitter that it is nearly inedible.
Leaves or Stalks
One fulfills the mitzvah of marror with lettuce
leaves or the stalk. However, it is preferable to
use the leaves, because it is easier to eat the
correct shiur (kezayis).
When using romaine lettuce leaves one should
use a size of 8 inches by 10 inches.
Others were afraid of infestation on the leaves
so they ate the stalks.
Lettuce vs. Others
The best way to fulfill the obligation of
marror is with lettuce. Even if lettuce is more
expensive, one should use it for marror as
opposed to other items. In addition, in many
cases horseradish is so bitter that one is not
able to consume the correct shiur and has
not fulfilled the mitzvah of marror properly.
Therefore, one should use lettuce if it is
available.

Berachah of Marror and Lettuce Grown in
Pot / Water / Greenhouse
No berachah of hoadama is recited on marror.
It is not eaten as part of the meal, but rather for
mitzvah purposes. Therefore, it should require
its own berachah. In order to resolve this issue
we make a hoadama on karpas and have the
marror in mind. However, if marror is grown
in a way which would require a shehakol, then
there would be a problem with the berachah.
We will explain the different methods of
planting lettuce below.
Lettuce Grown in a Pot
Lately, it has become the practice to grow
lettuce in a pot above the ground in order to
avoid insect infestation. The question arises if
one is yotzei his obligation of marror by using
such an item.
The Chayai Adam says that one does not
recite hoadama on an item which is planted
in a pot since it is not connected to the
ground. However, there are many poskim
who maintain that the berachah on such an
item is still hoadama. Therefore, one may
use lettuce which grows in a pot for marror
on the night(s) of the seder. Their logic is that
as long as an item is from a class of produce
which is grown in the ground, then even if
one particular specimen is grown in a pot the
berachah status does not change. The Chayai
Adam holds that it is not viewed as a plant
that grows in the ground and the berachah is
shehakol.
Lettuce Grown in Water – Hydroponics
Hydroponics refers to produce that is grown
in water. “Hyrdo” means water and “ponos” is
labor. Today it is common for many vegetables
to be grown hydroponically, such as lettuce,
tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.
What berachah is made on such products?
Are they considered grown from the ground?
This may affect the status of marror as it would
impact the berachah.
The opinion of a few poskim is that the
berachah made on these products is hoadama.
Some explain this with the same reasoning
that applies to produce grown in a pot. Since
the basic item generally grows from the
ground, the fact that this particular specimen
was grown in water does not affect its status.
Others do maintain that the berachah for such
produce is a shehakol. Even according to this
view, if one recited a hoadama he does not
have to recite a new berachah.
Some suggest that one should take lettuce that
grows from the actual ground, and if none are
available then he can use the hydroponically
grown lettuce.
Lettuce Grown in Greenhouses
Today it is very common for lettuce to be
grown in a greenhouse. There are different
methods of growing lettuce in greenhouses.
Some growers put the plant in the ground
and surround the area with a cloth to prevent
insects from attacking the lettuce. On these
products one recites a hoadama. Others grow

the produce on a nylon sheet covering the
ground. This may be considered as growing
a plant in a pot without holes as discussed
above. It would seem that the nylon is botel
to the ground, and the lettuce is considered
grown in the ground. Therefore, the berachah
is hoadama.
Romaine Lettuce and Cleaning for Insects
Romaine lettuce is known as an open leaf
lettuce. This means that it grows in the ground
like a flower and then closes up toward the
end of its growth. Since the lettuce grow
open it is more common to find insects in
this lettuce, as opposed to other lettuce which
grows closed like a ball. Aphids and thrips
often infest the lettuce, and their green color
creates an excellent camouflage. These bugs
can be present on the inner layers of the
lettuce as well. One can use a light box to
check for infestation. The poskim speak about
the importance of checking lettuce for bugs.
This is the manner for checking that is advised
by the KOF-K Vegetable Guide:
Separate leaves from head and open all folds.
Fill basin with water and enough liquid soap
to make the water feel soapy. Place the leaves
in the water but do not overload the basin. The
leaves must float freely in the water. Allow to
soak for 3-5 minutes.
First rinse – Place the leaves in another basin
of fresh water. Agitate vigorously for several
minutes and then allow them to soak for three
minutes.
Second rinse – Hold each leaf and spray with
strong stream of water, making sure that entire
surface of every leaf is hit. Remember, both
sides of each must be washed.
Those who do not wish to check for insects
may purchase romaine lettuce which have a
good hechsher and that come from a company
which either grows it in a way that there are
no insects, or has a very rigorous cleaning
process.
Using Horseradish
Many people use ground horseradish for
marror. If one has a custom to use horseradish,
but is concerned that ingesting it will damage
him (because of the sharpness), he may use
lettuce.
A case against using horseradish can be made
based on the fact that we use the root, and the
halacha clearly says that one should fulfill the
mitzvah of marror with the leaf or the stem
of the plant and “not the root.” Others explain
that this only applies to a small root, but large
roots are permitted since they are considered
extensions of the stem.
Is Horseradish Really Tamcha?
Many Gedolim say that “tamcha” is not
horseradish. Rashi identifies it as horehound.
The Rif says it is el shalim. Early literature does

not categorize tamcha as horseradish, and it
was not used until many years later.
One issue with horseradish is that it seems
to be sharp rather than bitter, which is not
mentioned in the poskim as an issue. It
is possible that the sharpness masks the
bitterness.
Why Horseradish Was Used
Many poskim mention that the only reason
why horseradish was used was that the other
kinds of marror were not available. One has
to understand that in colder climates it was
uncommon to find lettuce; therefore, the
only item that was available in those locales
was horseradish. In addition, those who
were concerned about insects on lettuce used
horseradish for marror.
Custom of Those Who Used Horseradish
Many had the custom to use horseradish
for marror, including Rav Akiva Eiger zt”l.
It appears that the Chofetz Chaim zt”l used
horseradish for marror at the seder.
Ground Horseradish
Whole horseradish is too strong to ingest,
and it is dangerous to do so. In addition,
eating it whole is not the normal way to eat
it. Therefore, we grind it and let it sit open
to lose some of its sharpness. Others had
the custom to eat it whole, but this is not the
overwhelming custom.

Some take issue with the fact that if it is
ground it does not look like horseradish, in
which case it would be a shehakol. However,
since no berachah is recited on the marror, it
is good enough to consider it a hoadama and
have it in mind during karpas.
When to Grind the Horseradish
Some have the custom to grind the horseradish
after coming home from shul on the seder
night and cover it until the seder begins. Once
the seder begins, one removes the cover so
that the horseradish lose some of its sharpness
(this does not apply
when Pesach falls out
on Shabbos). Others
say that this is not
practical, for it would
be too sharp to eat.
Therefore, it should
be ground earlier in
the day. There is no
need for marror to be
so strong that it causes vomiting, as long as it
has some bitterness.
Why is a Horseradish Hoadama
As mentioned above, there is no berachah of
hoadama made on marror since the berachah
of hoadama made on karpas exempts it. One
might argue, however, horseradish should be
a shehakol, since it is not normally eaten raw.
It is possible that it is defined as an important

food since it is used for a mitzvah; therefore,
one recites the berachah for food which grows
from the ground (hoadama), regardless of
whether it is the normal manner to eat it raw.
This is especially true since our custom is to
grind it.
Different Items
As mentioned before, the Chayai Adam says
that one may not use any item for marror
other than those mentioned in the Mishnah.
One may use a different bitter item, but no
berachah is recited on it.

Eating Horseradish
Against a Doctor’s
Orders
If one usually uses
horseradish, and his
doctor advises him
to avoid it for health
reasons, he should
discuss this matter

with his local halachic authority.
Soaking the Marror
Regardless of which item one uses for marror,

it should not be soaked for a period of twenty-
four hours, since it will make the marror less

sharp. If nothing else is available, one can
use it. One should lechatchilah not soak the
marror in vinegar. It is questionable whether
one may soak lettuce in vinegar to cleanse it

from insects. However, those who use the
stalks can soak them or even use dry stalks,
since their thickness will prevent them from
losing their bitterness.
Cooked marror may not be used, as it loses the
bitterness.
Commercially Made Horseradish (Marror)
Commercially made horseradish with vinegar
may not be used, since the vinegar removes
the bitterness of the marror.
Using Different Marror Together
One may mix and match the different types of
marror and end up with a kezayis of marror
for the seder.
Some poskim frown on this practice, as we are
not sure which is the correct marror, and the
improper type might nullify the bitterness of
the true marror.
Based on the above, some have the custom
to take some lettuce and some horseradish
for their marror obligation at the same time,
while others have the custom to take lettuce
for marror and horseradish for korach.
Sick Person
One who is sick and cannot have a specific
kind of marror should try to take another kind,
For example, if he cannot eat horseradish he
should take lettuce. If he can’t eat any marror
at all, he should take a drop. He should see to
it that he is not mevatel a mitzvah.