A. Although any food that you recite the Ha’adamah blessing on it and is not suitable for maror, is in principle fit for karpas use, the Arizal (Shaar Hakavonos – Pesach, drush 6) exhorts the use of the vegetable named Karpas, to maintain the importance and meaning of the minhagim instituted by our sages. (see also Kaf Hachaim 473: 49, Haggada Moadim Uzmanim p. 46.)

Rashi (Sukkah 39b) says that Karpas could be translated as cress (Artscroll translation) which is similar to parsley. However, he heard (from his rabbis) that Karpas is translated as Apio. Rashi seems to prefer the first interpretation. Yerushalmi (Shviis 9:1) and many Poskim (Mogen Avrohom 473: 4 et. al.) also mention the name “petrosilia,” (Petrishke or petrushil in Yidish) which is parsley (perejil in Spanish)

However, Chasam Sofer 132 quoting his teacher Rabbi Nosson Adler asserts that the Apio vegetable quoted by Rashi, is celery (corresponds to the modern Spanish translation.) An anecdote relates that the Chasam Sofer in year 5545 spent an early Pesach with his Rebbi in Vienna, that year the rivers and ground were still frozen. He paid an exorbitant price for some very hard to find greenhouse grown celery leafs. (Moriah. Shvat 5750: p. 227 – An acronym quoted in his name for Apio is E-l Poel Yeshuos Ato)

Machazit HaShekel (473:4) in name of medical books, and Beis Sheorim 213 concur that Karpas is celery. Halichos Shlomo writes that Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach when he was younger ate celery and in his later years had cucumber as Karpas.

Jastrow and modern Hebrew dictionaries translate Karpas as parsley, some mention also celery

In regards to the brocho on parsley, Poskim disagree. Halachos of Brochos (p. 66) maintains that when eaten with other foods, since parsley is used to enhance them, it does not require its own bracha. Other Poskim mention Shehakol since it is not usually eaten raw by itself (see Mogen Avraham ibid.)

Poskim warn extensively on eating raw parsley as it is usually infested with small insects. Avnei Yoshfe ( 7:65: 1) addresses the question of what brocho one recites on Karpas or Maror grown hydroponically in greenhouses to keep the produce insect free.

Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that if indeed the parsley leafs were thoroughly cleaned, inspected and .found insect free, one can use them for Karpas and recite Ha'adama

Q. What is the reason for placing small stones on the matzeiva after the unveiling ceremony? If you can't find any stones, is it permitted to take some from another kever or is that stealing?

A. The S'hloh, (Rosh Hashana) Eliahu Rabba (224: 7). Be'er Heitev (O.H. ibid. 8) mention the tradition and explain that the reason is honouring the niftar by leaving a mark that shows one visited the kever. They also mention that even leaving some grass leaves is acceptable.

Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit'a opinion is that even if one may not transgress the prohibition of stealing by removing a small stone left on another matzeiva, as the one who placed it there may not have had the intention of acquiring it when he pick it up and he is also leaving it in a place that is open and hefker, it is still improper to do so.

Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a