Rabban Gamliel used to say: Whoever does not discuss the following three things on Passover has not fulfilled his duty, namely:

Pesach (the Passover-sacrifice),
Matzah (the unleavened bread)
and
Maror (the bitter herbs).

Pesach - the Passover-lamb that our fathers ate during the time of the Beit Hamikdash, the Temple - why did they do so?

Because the Omnipresent passed over our fathers' houses in Egypt, as it is said:

"You shall say, It is a Passover-offering to the L‑rd, because He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians with a plague, and He saved our houses. And the people bowed and prostrated themselves."

Take the broken Matzah into your hand and say:

This Matzah that we eat for what reason? Because the dough of our fathers did not have time to become leavened before the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to them and redeemed them.

Thus it is said: "They baked Matzah-cakes from the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, because it was not leavened; for they had been driven out of Egypt and could not delay, and they had also not prepared any [other] provisions."

Take the maror into your hand and say:

This maror that we eat for what reason? Because the Egyptians embittered our fathers' lives in Egypt, as it is said:

"They made their lives bitter with hard service, with mortar and with bricks, and with all manner of service in the field; all their service which they made them serve with rigor."


haggadah Section: -- Cup #2 & Dayenu