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In the year 70 בית שני was destroyed leaving a huge vacuum. To fill this void, the הגדה was composed and the requirement to tell the story of יציאת מצרים on the Seder night established. Yet, the הגדה is a confusing text that does not coherently present the story of יציאת מצרים , for example not telling the story from שמות but indirectly from דברים. Something else must be going on. Maybe, the Quartodeciman can help solve this mystery.
Four questions:
1. On all other nights we invite guests in advance, on this night we “invite” them once the meal has begun; So what’s up with הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא? Why isn’t it at the very beginning?
2. On all other nights we don’t point at our food, on this night why was Rabban Gamliel so insistent about pointing and saying why we eat what we eat?
3. On all other nights we could tell the whole story of יציאת מצרים and of the prominent role of Moshe and Aaron, why not on this night?
4. On all other nights the Quartodeciman’s are not relevant, why are they relevant tonight?
Overview: (Page numbers refer to the attached document)
(1) Surprisingly the Haggadah does not tell the story of the Exodus.
(2) Haggadah and the obligation to tell the story of יציאת מצרים on the Seder night developed after the destruction of בית שני.
(3) According to Prof. Y.Y. Yuval (1995):
a. The purpose of the Haggadah is to preserve Jewish identity in response to the challenge posed by early Christianity.
b. The Haggadah helped transition from biblical holiday of עליה לרגל and bringing a sacrifice, to a family home-based holiday focused on remembering the redemption from Egypt and to the future redemption.
c. During the time of the Haggadah's formulation, Christian Quartodeciman’s (proponents of the 14th day of Nissan as Easter day) offered their own new interpretation of the Passover / Easter Symbolism as the resurrection of Jesus as a new redemption.
d. Jews and Christians shared the same approach to the typological meaning of the redemption from Egypt as a model for the final redemption.
e. The Haggadah should be read not only as an internal, Jewish response to the destruction of the Temple, but also as a refutation of the challenge posed by early Christianity through its alternative interpretation of Passover.
f. While implicitly rejecting the Christian interpretation, the explicit purpose of the rabbinic ritualization of the Seder was to create a narrative of remembrance and self-identity.
g. The following sections of the Haggadah appear to be indirect attacks on the Christian interpretation of פסח.
I. הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא- Declaration to differentiate between the Jewish-Christian neighbors who are also celebrating or to cause those present not to “go off the derech”. הָא לַחְמָא עַנְיָא דִּי אֲכָלוּ אַבְהָתָנָא בְּאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם , this is the bread affliction that our ancestors ate in Egypt (and not the body of Jesus) (page 3)
II. ארבע בנים רָשָׁע מָה הוּא אומֵר – רשע=Jewish-Christian (page 4)
III. Choice of דברים -פסוקים צֵא וּלְמַד מַה בִּקֵּש לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת לְיַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ
Jewish-Christians told the story from שמות, highlighting Gods use of emissary and the need for a sacrifice. (pages 5-6)
IV. דיינו response to allegations made in Christian “Haggadah” that preceded debut of דיינו (page 7)
V. רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל הָיָה אוֹמֵר, כָּל שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר שְׁלֹשָׁה דְבָרִים אֵלּוּ בַפֶּסַח, לֹא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ
Demanding allegiance to the Jewish interpretation of the holiday מַצָּה, עַל שׁוּם שֶׁנִּגְאֲלוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם, while denying the alternative interpretation of the Christians. (page 8)