The Most Important Things

(5) Rabban Gamaliel used to say: whoever does not make mention of these three things on Pesah does not fulfill his duty. And these are they: the pesah, matzah, and bitter herbs. The pesah because the Omnipresent passed over the houses of our fathers in Egypt. The matzah because our fathers were redeemed from Egypt. The bitter herb because the Egyptians embittered the lives of our fathers in Egypt. In every generation a man is obligated to regard himself as though he personally had gone forth from Egypt, because it is said, “And you shall tell your son on that day, saying: ‘It is because of that which the Lord did for me when I came forth out of Egypt” (Exodus 13:8). Therefore it is our duty to thank, praise, laud, glorify, raise up, beautify, bless, extol, and adore Him who made all these miracles for our fathers and ourselves; He brought us forth from slavery into freedom, from sorrow into joy, from mourning into festivity, from darkness into great light, and from servitude into redemption. Let us say before him, Hallelujah!

(4) And he brings the table back in front of him and says, "This Passover sacrifice that we are eating is for the sake of (to commemorate) that the Omnipresent passed over the homes of our ancestors in Egypt; as it is stated (Exodus 12:27), 'And you shall say, '"It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, etc."'" And [then] he lifts the bitter herbs in his hand and says, "These bitter herbs that we are eating are [to commemorate] that the Egyptians embittered the lives of our ancestors in Egypt; as it is stated (Exodus 1:14), 'And they embittered their lives.'" And [then] he lifts the matsa in his hand and says, "This matsa that we are eating is [to commemorate] that the dough of our ancestors did not have enough time to become leavened before the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself and redeemed them immediately; as it is stated (Exodus 12:39), 'And they baked the dough that they had taken out of Egypt, etc.'" And at this time, he says, "The Passover sacrifice that our ancestors were eating at the time when the Temple existed is [to commemorate] that the Omnipresent passed over the homes of our ancestors, etc."

(6) In every generation, one must show himself as if he personally had come out from the subjugation of Egypt; as it is stated (Deuteronomy 6:23), "And He took us out from there, etc." And regarding this, the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded in the Torah (Deut. 5:15, 15:15, 24:22), "Remember that you were a slave" - meaning to say, as if you yourself had been a slave, came out to freedom, and were redeemed.