Maggid: An Anatomy

This is the Bread of Affliction that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Anyone who is famished should come and eat, anyone in need should come and partake of the Pesach sacrifice. Now we are here, next year we will be in the land of Israel. This year we are slaves, next year we will be free people.

Why is this night different from all other nights? For on all other nights we eat both leavened and unleavened breads - but tonight, only matzah? For on all other nights we eat a range of vegetables - but tonight, bitter herbs? For on all other nights, we don't dip at all - but tonight, we dip twice? For on all other nights, we eat either sitting or reclining - but tonight, we all recline?

It happened once [on Pesach] that Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarfon were reclining in Bnei Brak and were telling the story of the exodus from Egypt that whole night, until their students came and said to them, "Rabbis, the time for reciting the morning prayers (Shema) has arrived."

The Torah spoke addressing Four Sons: one wise, one wicked, one simple and one who doesn't know to ask.

"...And I took your father, Avraham from over the river and I made him walk in all the land of Canaan and I increased his seed and I gave him Yitzchak. And I gave to Yitzchak, Ya'akov and Esav, and I gave to Esav, Mount Seir [in order that he] inherit it; and Yaakov and his sons went down to Egypt..."

"And the Egyptians did bad to us and afflicted us and put upon us hard work" (Deuteronomy 26:6)...

"And the Lord took us out of Egypt with a strong hand and with an outstretched forearm and with great awe and with signs and with wonders" (Deuteronomy 26:8).

If He had brought us to Mount Sinai and had not given us the Torah - it would have been enough for us.

If He had given us the Torah and had not brought us into the land of Israel - it would have been enough for us.

If He had brought us into the land of Israel and had not built us the 'Chosen House' (the Temple) - it would have been enough for us.

Rabban Gamliel was accustomed to say: Anyone who has not said these three things on Passover has not fulfilled his obligation, and these are they: Pesach, Matzah and Marror.

The Pesach [Passover] sacrifice that our ancestors used to eat when the Temple existed - what was it for? To commemorate that God passed over the homes of our ancestors in Egypt...

The Matzah that we are eating - what is it for? It commemorates that our ancestors' dough was not able to rise...because they were expelled from Egypt and could not tarry...

The Maror (bitter herbs) that we are eating - what is it for? It commemorates that the Egyptians embittered the lives of our ancestors in Egypt...

In every generation, each person is obligated to see himself as if he [personally] left Egypt, as it is stated (Exodus 13:8); "And you shall tell your child on that day, this is done because of what God did for me when I left Egypt." God did not only redeem our ancestors - instead, He redeemed us with them, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 6:23); "And He took us out from there, in order to bring us to and give us the Land which He promised unto our fathers."