סימן קיח סעיף ד
הַחֲרֹסֶת צָרִיךְ שֶׁתִּהְיֶה עָבָה זֵכֶר לַטִּיט. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהוּא צָרִיךְ לְטַבֵּל אֶת הַמָּרוֹר, יִשְׁפֹּךְ לְתוֹכָהּ יַיִן אוֹ חֹמֶץ, שֶׁתִּהְיֶה רַכָּה, זֵכֶר לַדָּם, וְגַם שֶׁתְּהֵא רְאוּיָה לְטַבֵּל בָּהּ. יֵשׁ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת הַחֲרֹסֶת מִפֵּרוֹת שֶׁנִּמְשְׁלָה בָּהֶם כְּנֶסֶת יִשְֹרָאֵל, כְּגוֹן תְּאֵנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, הַתְּאֵנָה חָנְטָה פַּגֶּיהָ. וֶאֱגוֹזִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, אֶל גִּנַּת אֱגוֹז. וּתְמָרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, אֶעֱלֶה בְתָמָר. וְרִמּוֹנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, כְּפֶלַח הָרִמּוֹן. וְתַפּוּחִים, זֵכֶר לְמַה שֶׁכָּתוּב, תַּחַת הַתַּפּוּחַ עוֹרַרְתִּיךָ, שֶׁהָיוּ הַנָּשִׁים יוֹלְדוֹת שָׁם בְּנֵיהֶן בְּלֹא עֶצֶב. וּשְׁקֵדִים עַל שֵׁם שֶׁשָּׁקַד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל הַקֵּץ לַעֲשׂוֹת. וְצָרִיךְ לִתֵּן בְּתוֹכָהּ תְּבָלִין הַדּוֹמִין לְתֶבֶן, כְּגוֹן קִנָּמוֹן וְזַנְגְּבִיל, שֶׁאֵינָן נִדּוֹכִין הָדֵק הֵיטֵב. וְיֵשׁ בָּהֶן חוּטִין כְּמוֹ תֶבֶן, זֵכֶר לַתֶּבֶן שֶׁהָיוּ מְגַבְּלִין בְּתוֹךְ הַטִּיט. בַּשַׁבָּת, לֹא יִשְׁפּוֹךְ אֶת הַיַּיִן אוֹ הַחֹמֶץ לְתוֹךְ הַחֲרֹסֶת, כִּי צָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּשִׁנּוּי, וְיִתֵּן אֲת הַחֲרֹסֶת לְתוֹךְ הַיַּיִן וְהַחֹמֶץ. וְאֶת מֵּי הַמֶלַח (אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁלֹּא חָל יוֹם טוֹב בַּשַׁבָּת) יַעֲשֶׂה מֵעֶרֶב יוֹם טוֹב וְאִם עוֹשֵׂהוּ בְּיוֹם טוֹב צָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ בְּשִׁנּוּי, שֶׁיִּתֵּן תְּחִלָּה אֶת הַמַּיִם וְאַחַר כָּךְ הַמֶּלַח.
The charoses must have a thick consistency6The charoses should be prepared erev Yom Tov. If, however, you forgot, it may then be made on Yom Tov (Ibid. 473:47) to recall the mortar from which our forefathers had to make bricks. When you are ready to dip the maror into it, you should add a little wine or vinegar to make it soft to represent the blood, and for the additional reason that it should become fit to dip something into it. The charoses should be made from fruits that symbolize the Jewish people; for example: figs, for it is said, "The fig tree has produced its green figs," (Song of Songs 2:13); nuts, because it is said, "I went down to the garden of nuts" (ibid. 6:11); dates, because it is said, "I will ascend the palm tree" (ibid. 7:9); pomegranates, because it is said, "Like a slice of pomegranate" (ibid. 6:7); apples, to commemorate what is written, "Beneath the apple tree I aroused you," (ibid. 8:5) where the women gave birth to their children without pain; and almonds, (shekeidim, singular shakeid), because the Holy One, blessed is He, watched diligently (shakad) to end our bondage. You should put spices in it, that look like straw, such as cinnamon and ginger, that are not finely ground,7According to Maharil, they should not be ground at all, but should be left in long pieces. and have straw-like strands in them, to recall the straw, the Jews used to knead into the mortar. On Shabbos, you should not pour the wine and the vinegar into the charoses, for it must be done in an unusual manner, by putting the charoses into the wine or the vinegar. The salt water, (even when Yom Tov does not occur on Shabbos)8If, however, it does occur on Shabbos, the salt water should be prepared before Shabbos, and not on Shabbos. (Ibid. 473:21, 42) should be prepared on erev Yom Tov). If you do prepare it on Yom Tov, you should do it in an unusual way,9Mishnah Berurah makes no mention of preparing the salt water in an unusual manner on Yom Tov, when it does not occur on Shabbos. It would seem that he maintains that it is permitted to prepare it on Yom Tov in the usual manner. by pouring the water first, and adding the salt later.
תנא דבי אליהו כל השונה הלכות בכל יום מובטח לו שהוא בן העולם הבא שנאמר הליכות עולם לו אל תקרי הליכות אלא הלכות (נדה ע"ג.)