Even a small child can understand this idea (that we will treat tasty food like maror)—he sees himself how it works: He is all tied up in some game, and then his mother calls to him, “Come and eat!”
He cries, “I don’t want to eat, I just want to continue playing!” because he loves the game and wants it more than he wants to eat.
But he grudgingly goes to eat because his mother says, “Because I said so!” or “If you don’t eat you won’t have strength to play.”…
But (when he sits down to eat) the (yummy) food seems to be like maror, because he would rather be playing now.
וְעִנְיָן זֶה מֵבִין גַּם יֶלֶד קָטָן – כְּפִי שֶׁרוֹאֶה בְעַצְמוֹ שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא עָסוּק בְּאֵיזֶה מִשְׂחָק, וְאִמּוֹ קוֹרֵאת לוֹ לָבוֹא וְלֶאֱכֹל, צוֹעֵק, שֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לֶאֱכֹל, אֶלָּא לְהַמְשִׁיךְ לְשַׂחֵק, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהַמִּשְׂחָק הוּא יָקָר וְעָרֵב אֶצְלוֹ יוֹתֵר מֵאֲשֶׁר הָאֲכִילָה, אֶלָּא שֶׁמְּכָרְחָה לֶאֱכֹל – אִם בִּגְלַל שֶׁמְּצַוִּים עָלָיו, אוֹ בִּגְלַל שֶׁאוֹמְרִים לוֹ שֶׁאִם לֹא יֹאכַל, לֹא יִהְיֶה לוֹ כֹּחַ לְשַׂחֵק… אֲבָל הָאֲכִילָה כְּשֶׁלְּעַצְמָה נֶחְשֶׁבֶת אֶצְלוֹ לְ”מָרוֹר”, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָיָה מַעֲדִיף לְשַׂחֵק בְּאוֹתוֹ זְמַן.
Why can’t Shmaryahu enjoy his favorite supper? Well, he used to love it, but now there is something on his mind that is way more important. What about you? Do you love candies and chocolate (and secretly would like to eat it for dinner every night)?
Well, when Moshiach comes, they will be unimportant and “feh”, because everyone will be into Lego Torah learning! Candy, anyone?
What can we learn from a child who likes playing more than his yummy supper?
A. When Moshiach comes, Torah learning will be our only occupation.
B. He only cares about it more because we don’t yet have candy growing on trees.
C. Moshiach will teach us how to get rid of our appetites.
D. His older sister is not a very good cook.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 42.