Summary: Chida offers a few different explanations for karpas that are connected to aspects of the story of the Exodus Karpas: One says Borei Peri HaAdamah and then eats (karpas) without leaning. This is explained by the Shibolei HaLeket²³ and the Mateh Moshe²⁴ work by Rabbi Moshe ben Avraham of Przemyśl but it is not according to Beit David.²⁵, and its popular analogue, the Shulchan Arukh. To this end he is often referred to as HaMechaber (Hebrew: הַמְחַבֵּר, "The Author") and as Mara. (wikipedia) The Beit Yosef is a commentary on the Tur. There are a number of reasons given for karpas. Rabbeinu Manoah,²⁶ in his commentary on Rambam, writes that it is a reminder of Joseph’s coat of many colors through which the exile to Egypt came about. Also, karpas is useful for assuaging pains and injuries. The Israelites ate it as a medicine in Egypt. It was also used as an herb that was waved to celebrate a victory in war. Further, there are those who write that karpas is spelled the letter samech פרך (parekh) to teach us that 60 (samekh) times ten thousands (600,000) Israelites were subjugated harshly…. The reasons for karpas that I have written are taken from Rabbeinu Manoach, and also appear in the book Orchot Chaim.

footnotes: ²³ A compilation of ritual laws by Zedekiah ben Abraham Anav (13th century). He lived in Rome and received his Talmudic training not only in Rome but also in Germany where he was the pupil of Jacob of Würzburg and possibly also of Abigdor Cohen of Vienna. ²⁴ "Tribe/Staff of Moses"; published in Kraków in 1591 is a highly cited halakhic ²⁵ Joseph ben Ephraim Karo; 1488 - 1575] was the author of the last great codification of Jewish law, the Beit Yosef ²⁶ Hezekiah ben Manoah was a French rabbi and Bible commentator of the 13th century. He is generally known by the title of his commentary, Chizkuni.