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Introduction - An interfaith commentary
Contributed by Cara Bloom

  • TOP HAGGADAHS FOR 2023

You don't have to be Jewish to celebrate freedom. Passover is a time of inclusion.

Jewish and non- Jewish brothers and sisters gather to celebrate of liberation and freedom. Liberation from oppression is always a deep concern of Jews, because of our history.

On seder night, there are two moments where we metaphorically open our doors and invite others in. One is at the opening of the Magid portion of the seder, when we say, “All who are hungry come and eat.” There is a beautiful message here: we were once slaves; poor and hungry, and we remember our redemption by sharing what we have with others.

Jews are not the only people who suffer under the yoke of oppression. On this night, Jews and non-Jews all over the world take this opportunity to celebrate freedom and pray for the freedom of all those who suffer, wherever and whoever they may be.

In celebrating freedom, Jews hold out to the world a historical event and model that captured the imagination and vigor of a people. It is by the power of our reenactment of this event and the power of our visualizations of freedom that we can pray for this exodus to occur for all of us, and for all those who suffer, wherever and whoever they may be.

Using the language of our day to explain the Exodus, the challenge for us is and will continue to be to create new interpretations, new meaning, merging the old and new into a coherent story that can be passed onto our children.

Central to an understanding of Pesach is the commandment of "vehigadeta le-vinkha" - you should tell your child about the Exodus. Matzah itself symbolizes the need for a dialogue between one generation and the next. And it is the children who are obligated as well, to ask questions according to their understanding. And all of this conversation must take place on the level of "emet"-truth. For if we have not spoken to our children on this night then we have not fulfilled the mitzvah of "maggid"-telling.

Some of us may think that we know all the details of the story and thus do not need to tell the story, but we must retell it to remind ourselves not only that freedom is possible but that in an unredeemed world we must continue to strive for liberation in both personal and national ways. And by our elaboration on the story--that it is not just about a Pharaoh way back when or even about the modern Pharaohs of our day, but about all the different ways we can be enslaved--we may all be deserving of praise.
haggadah Section: Introduction

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