The haggadah suggests that denying the meaning of the Seder is tantamount to excluding oneself from the community, an act the Sages condemned in the strongest terms. By contrast, a medieval midrash (imaginative interpretation) cites the young Moses as the exemplar of human engagement. “‘When Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and witnessed their labors.’ Even though raised in Pharaoh’s palace, Moses went out to see the suffering of Israel. This is what Hillel taught when he said, ‘Do not separate yourself from the community.’ If you see the community in distress, do not say, ‘I will go home, eat and drink, and feel at peace.’ Instead, shoulder the burden with your comrade.”

-- David Arnow


haggadah Section: -- Four Children