There are many ways to tell a story. The obvious way is with words. Yet there is another, non-verbal, method of telling the same story. The items of food on the Seder table tell their story too, for they are not only things to be eaten.
You say, "...and a roasted bone (usually the neck of a chicken) on our Seder plate..."
Aw, come on now! It's usually a lamb shank bone. It symbolizes the korban Pesach (Pesach sacrifice), which was a lamb that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem, then roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Of course, since the destruction of the Temple, it is not eaten or handled during the Seder. it just serves as a visual reminder of the Pesach sacrifice.
Please don't say to use a chicken neck! A lamb shank is not that difficult to get.
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While you may be correct that it is not hard for you to get a lambs leg, it was much harder for our impoverished Eastern-European ancestors. There were many families who were not able to afford a lamb for the holiday meal. For this reason, chicken necks and legs came into vogue.
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In all the meals at the Seder I have ever attended the bone was a chicken neck. If there is any way possible, get the lamb shank. I am not sure how hard this is but I know it is worth the extra effort and I also know that people will notice and be thankful. Come on , step up to the plate, so to speak. Get the shank!.
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The only time we've ever considered anything other than a lamb shank was when we've 'dropped the ball' and didn't prepare. A lamb shank is not terribly difficult to get.
I agree that it may have been hard for 'impoverished Eastern-European ancestors', (although I don't think I ever had any). BUT, you talked about "...a roasted bone (usually the neck of a chicken) on our Seder plate...". on OUR seder plate. That is OUR seder plates TODAY.
Please encourage everyone to get a lamb bone. They're often given away or are very inexpensive. Probably anywhere in the world for your target audience.
Have a good Passover!
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I think the reason to using the chicken neck (and specifically not the lamb shank) can be best explained from another article on this site (see "The-Shank-Bone" under "Seder Preparations"):
"Since we can't offer the Paschal sacrifice in the absence of the Holy Temple, we take care to use something that is relatively dissimilar to the actual offering. Accordingly, many communities have the custom to use a roasted chicken neck or the like."
Have a happy holiday!
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Aw, come on now! We're talking Chabad!
I know some people don't care to find a real lamb shank bone, and there are some who don't look for kosher for passover wine for the four cups. There are also some who really don't get the whole four cups thing as they never finish up the Seder after the meal!
All you have to do is ask at any supermarket with a meat counter and they will be glad to supply you with a lamb shank bone. Around this time of year they anticipate the need and stock up on them. Sometimes they're free or just a dollar.
Lets all do the best we can. It takes so little thinking ahead to get one of the most important symbols to the Seder that I can't imagine someone not wanting to bother with it.
A chicken neck is almost a throw away part of the chicken. Find a lamb shank bone. It's really not that hard. I bet if you call your local Chabad they'll tell you where to get one!
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My father used to have a deli (nonkosher) in a nonreligious Jewish area. A desperate housewife who didn't plan well ran in to his deli to get the lamb bone erev Pesach. When my dad informed her there were no lamb bones left, she thought for a moment and said, "OK, so give me a HAM bone!"
Better to stick with the chicken neck!
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Since the destruction of the Holy Temple, Jews have not offered animal sacrifices. Someone with a limited knowledge of Pesach might see the lamb bone and think that this IS the Pascal sacrifice, not just a reminder of it. That person may then wrongly conclude that we conduct animal sacrifices and spread misinformation, or worse, attempt their own sacrifice. For the same reason, we don't serve lamb at the Seder.
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