יָכוֹל מֵרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר בַּיוֹם הַהוּא, אִי בַּיוֹם הַהוּא יָכוֹל מִבְּעוֹד יוֹם, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר בַּעֲבוּר זֶה - בַּעֲבוּר זֶה לֹא אָמַרְתִּי אֶלָא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיֵשׁ מַצָה וּמָרוֹר מֻנָּחִים לְפָנֶיךָ.

Yachol meirosh chodesh, talmud lomar bayom hahu. Iy bayom hahu, yachol mib'od yom. Talmud lomar ba-avur zeh. Ba-avur zeh lo amarti, ela b'sha-ah sheyeish matzah u-maror munachim l'fanecha.

Now, you might think that the Haggadah should be recited on the first day of the month of Nisan, but the Torah says: "You shall tell your child on that day " [that is, the first day of Passover]. But, then you might think that the phrase "on that day" means that the story of the Exodus should be recited in the daytime; but the Torah says: " This is on account of what the Lord did for me." The word "this" refers to the time when this matzo and this bitter herb are placed before you. [That is, only on Passover night, when you are obliged to eat them.]


haggadah Section: -- Exodus Story