The Pesach story begins in a broken world, amidst slavery and oppression. The sound of the breaking matzah sends us into that fractured existence, only to become whole again when we find the broken half, the afikomen, at the end of the Seder.

This brokeness is not merely physical; it reminds us of all the broken places within ourselves, and of the narrow places from which we want to break free. In hebrew, Egypt is called 'Mitzrayim,' which means, 'the narrow straits.' It also symbolizes the inner straits and narrow places within ourselves. Through reciting our story among family and friends- the story of exodus, or our own personal stories of strife- we begin to ascribe meaning to our struggles, and can find ourselves whole again.


haggadah Section: Yachatz