(ד) וְצָרִיךְ לְהַתְחִיל בִּגְנוּת וּלְסַיֵּם בְּשֶׁבַח. כֵּיצַד. מַתְחִיל וּמְסַפֵּר שֶׁבַּתְּחִלָּה הָיוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בִּימֵי תֶּרַח וּמִלְּפָנָיו כּוֹפְרִים וְטוֹעִין אַחַר הַהֶבֶל וְרוֹדְפִין אַחַר עֲבוֹדַת אֱלִילִים. וּמְסַיֵּם בְּדַת הָאֱמֶת שֶׁקֵּרְבָנוּ הַמָּקוֹם לוֹ וְהִבְדִּילָנוּ מֵהָאֻמּוֹת וְקֵרְבָנוּ לְיִחוּדוֹ. וְכֵן מַתְחִיל וּמוֹדִיעַ שֶׁעֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרַיִם וְכָל הָרָעָה שֶׁגְּמָלָנוּ וּמְסַיֵּם בַּנִּסִּים וּבַנִּפְלָאוֹת שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ לָנוּ וּבְחֵרוּתֵנוּ. וְהוּא שֶׁיִּדְרשׁ מֵ"אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי" (דברים כו ה) עַד שֶׁיִּגְמֹר כָּל הַפָּרָשָׁה. וְכָל הַמּוֹסִיף וּמַאֲרִיךְ בִּדְרַשׁ פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח:
(4) One must begin [the narrative describing our ancestors'] base [roots] and conclude with [their] praise.1This principle is taken from the Mishnah, Pesachim 116a. The commentaries offer several rationales in its explanation. Among them:
a) The contrast between our nation's humble roots and the majestic level they reached through the Exodus make us more conscious of God's great kindness (Tosefot Rid).
b) Mention of our roots prevents us from becoming overly haughty (Maharshah). What does this imply? One begins relating how originally, in the age of Terach,2Abraham's father our ancestors denied [God's existence]3The Rambam is alluding to the passage "Originally, our ancestors were idol-worshipers." and strayed after vanity, pursuing idol worship.4See Hilchot Avodat Kochavim 1:1-3. One concludes with the true faith:5The redemption from Egypt representing the birth of the Jews as a nation and the beginning of their service of God as a people. how the Omnipresent has drawn us close to Him, separated us from the gentiles, and drawn us near to His Oneness.6by giving us the Torah.
Similarly, one begins by stating that we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and [describing] all the evil done to us,7The Rambam's statements are based on Pesachim 116a, which mentions a debate between Rav and Shmuel concerning the interpretation of "One must begin [the narrative describing our ancestors'] base [roots] and conclude with [their] praise."
Rav maintains that it is proper to begin from "Originally, our ancestors were worshipers of idols," placing the emphasis on our degrading spiritual roots. Shmuel (according to the Maggid Mishneh, Ravvah) maintains that we should begin from "We were slaves to Pharaoh, stressing the humble material origins from which our people stem. Customarily, we follow both opinions in our recitation of the Haggadah (Rav Yitzchak Alfasi), and hence the Rambam includes both opinions in this halachah.
There is, nonetheless, a certain difficulty with the Rambam's statements. All texts of the Haggadah begin with "We were slaves," and then relate the passage "Originally, our ancestors were idol worshipers." Here, the Rambam reverses that order. Perhaps he made this choice because the Talmud uses this order when mentioning these two opinions. Alternatively, chronologically, our ancestors' worship of idols preceded the Egyptian exile. and concludes with the miracles and wonders that were wrought upon us, and our freedom.8relating the story of the Exodus.
This [implies] that one should extrapolate9bringing other verses to explain and clarify the statements of this passage as found in the Haggadah. [the passage beginning] from [Deuteronomy 26:5]: "An Aramean sought to destroy my ancestor..."10This passage served as the statement of thanksgiving recited by the farmers bringing bikkurim (the first fruits) to the Temple. The Mishnah (Pesachim 116a) mentions that it was instituted as the basis of the Haggadah. until one concludes the entire passage.11i.e., until Deuteronomy 26:8. Whoever adds and extends his extrapolation12beyond the accepted text of this passage is praiseworthy.