Darkness as a conduit for light

. Only by going through hard times, times of pain and sorrow can we come to a place of light, that is how God planned it,

The גמרא in מסכת פסחים דף קטז says that one of the reasons to eat the מרור with חרוסת, is to remember the cement that the charoses symbolizes (which is made of a think texture similar to cement).
Surprisingly enough the חרוסת is meant to be made sweet, from fruits mentioned in Shir Hashirim; apple, grapes, cinnomon, wine, dates walnuts and almonds.


If it is suppose to remind us of the cement shouldn't it be sour, adding to the bitterness of the מרור?
Further it seems contradictory, to use the fruit mentioned in Shir Hashirim; which speaks about Hashem's love for Am Yisrael, to represent their exile and persuecution.


There is a well known story in the end of מסכת מכות, where Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, Rebbi Yehoshua and Rebbi Akiva entered Jerusalem to the place where the בית המקדש stood before it was destroyed and they saw a fox come out of the holy of the holies. The place where only once a year, on yom kippur, the כהן גדול entered. Rabban Gamliel, Rebbi Elazar and Rebbi Yehoshua staryed crying. But Rebbi Akiva started laughing!!
They turn to him in suprise and asked "why are you laughing"??


(Just try to imagine the scene where three of the greatest scholars of the generation are crying and one great scholar is laughing….🤔).


Rebbi Akiva responses "why are you crying"? (As if it's not obvious. We Jews before answering always respond with a question…)


They respond, "the place where you would only enter once a year, on the holiest day, now a fox is coming through and we shall not cry"??!


Rebbi Akiva explains as follows, the Navi Yeshaya names two prophets to be witnesses אוריה הכהן and זכריה בן יברכיהו to testify about the future. I'm sure you are aware that witnesses are required to see at the same time but these witnesses did not live at the same time so how could they testify as witnesses?
This is not the Navim testifing together rather a testimony. The reason they are brought together is to demonstrate that if the prophecy of אוריה הכהן comes true; that the temple will be destroyed, so the prophecy of זכריה will also come true; Jerusalem is going to be rebuilt.


This is to teach us that the dark times that Klal Yisrael goes through are part of the process of redemption. Only by going through hard times, times of pain and sorrow can we come to a place of light, that is how God planned it, the darkness is a conduit for light. The darkness is necessary for the full redemption.


The rabbis responded:
עקיבא נחמתנו עקיבא נחמתנו!!
You have a comfort us!

When Avraham Avinu was told about his children's exile in Egypt, God told him about the pain and slavery they were going to go through and only after they would be redeemed and returned to the holy Land.


We learn from Rebbi Akiva that even in the hard work, the slavery and pain; Hashem loves us and this pain is part of our becoming of a Nation. Specifically in the hard times, we use the fruit that are mentioned in שיר השירים in the charoses, to remind us that in all exiles Hakadosh Baruchu still loves us and the persecution which seems destructive is a means of building us into a nation.
We go with that smile of Rabbi akiva and put some sweet flavor in the חרוסת!
Chag Kasher Vesameach,
Asher Channen

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