Pesach - Mapping a Course to Freedom

Nitzotzos: Thoughts to keep your spark alive

As the beginning of Maggid, Ha Lachma Anya contains within it all of Maggid. And yet it is a section of the Haggadah that makes very little sense.

1. In contrast to the rest of the Haggadah it is written in Aramaic. Why?

2. Ha Lachma Anya does not seem to have anything to do with Maggid. Why is it placed there?

3. This is not the bread that our forefathers ate in Mitzrayim, it's the food that they ate when they left Mitzrayim?

4. The Magen Avraham says that we ought to say "This is "like" the food that they ate..." but the Mogen Avraham says lo hifsid if we say it according to our current girsa. Why doesn't the Magen Avraham mandate that we say "like"? Why does he allow the current girsa? He even makes it sound like it is correct and that we have lost nothing by saying the current girsa?

5. This is obviously not an invitation - that should have happened in Shul. At the very least before Kiddush so that the person being invited could have had the first cup of wine. The door is not even opened!

6. What's the difference between those who are hungry and those who are needy?

7. What does it mean to invite some to celebrate Pesach with us? They can't join us in the Korban Pesach, it's too late! They have to be included before the Korban was shechted.

8. What's the difference between now we are here and now we are slaves?

9. What's the connection between all three of these things?

   In this shiur, delivered in Monsey, Rav Burg explains how we are still in Egypt and the process of leaving Mitzrayim is the story of our entire history. Ha Lachma Anya is a road map for how we leave Mitzrayim. 1 - We recognize our state of being in Mitzrayim. 2 - We realize that we are part of something larger than ourselves. We contribute to those who are in need. We recognize how we are needed in the world. 3 - We hold on to the hope and vision of redemption being both physical and essential.