Host: The Haggadah doesn’t tell the story of Passover in a linear fashion. Instead, we get an impressionistic collection of songs, images, and stories from the Exodus story and from Passover celebrations through the centuries. Some say that minimizing the roles of Moses and Aaron and Miriam keep us focused on the miracles the Jewish people were witness to. Others say that we keep the focus on the role that every member of our community has in bringing about change we want to see in the world.

We begin with questions. Free people ask questions. We will start retelling our story from slavery to freedom with questions. The children, starting with the youngest, will ask our questions.

Child: So why is this night different from all other nights?

On this night we are celebrating the most important time in Jewish history, when we went forth from slavery to freedom through the great power of our God.

Child: On all nights we eat bread or matzoh, why do we eat only matzoh tonight?

We eat matzoh to remember the bread of affliction we had to eat when we were slaves. We should remember that we can never truly be free until all people everywhere can share in our freedom.

Child: On all nights we eat any kind of vegetables, why do we eat bitter herbs tonight?

We eat them to remind ourselves of the bitterness of being enslaved in Egypt. We remember that, fortunate as we may be, there are still many people who have no choice but to live with poverty and persecution.

Child: On all nights we do not dip our herbs even once, why do we dip our hers twice tonight?

We dip first in salt water, because on this night, we recognize that there are people whose tears still drench their food. Then we dip again in the charosset to remember that we must all build a better community and a sweeter world.

Child: On all nights we eat sitting upright or reclining, why do we recline tonight?

In a traditional seder, we recline as a symbol of our freedom, for when we were slaves we could never recline in comfort. Tonight we sit uprigh, challenging ourselves to understand that we cannot simply recline! There is still much work to do to impact the lives of those who are not free.

Host: Asking questions is an important part of the Seder. Everyone should ask the questions that come to mind tonight during the Seder. The Seder is designed for distraction, digression, and discussion. So, even if we don’t finish the whole thing tonight. . . there’s always next year!


haggadah Section: -- Four Questions
Source: Moishe House Munich, Julie Harman, VBS Haggadah, Ariana Silverman