Maggid
This is the section of the Seder where we fulfill the mitzvah ( commandment ) of telling the story of Exodus – a beautifully woven compilation of song , rabbinic discourse , hymns , and praise . This is the heart of the Seder .
According to Jewish tradition , every person in every generation is obligated to see him or herself as though he / she personally has gone forth from slavery to freedom . By telling the same story , year after year , we attempt to step into the shoes of our forebears and take a journey into liberation . Reenacting the Exodus is also a vivid reminder of the fact that there are many people in the world who are still enslaved , and who continue to yearn for freedom . We recite the following as if we were the ancient Israelites :
We were slaves unto Pharaoh in Egypt and God brought us forth with a mighty hand . Had not the Holy One , blessed is He , delivered our people from Egypt , then we , our children , and our children ’ s children would still be enslaved . Pharaoh set taskmasters over us with forced labor , and we built garrison cities for Pharaoh : Pithom and Ramses . The Egyptians embittered our lives with harsh labor with mortar and bricks . But the more we were oppressed , the more we increased and spread out , so that the Egyptians came to despise and dread the Israelites .
Pharaoh charged all his people , saying “ Every boy that is born shall be thrown into the Nile , but let every girl live .” We cried out to our Lord , the God of our ancestors , and God heeded our plights , our misery , and our oppression . As we recall God ’ s promise of redemption , we remember that in every generation and in every age some rise up to plot our destruction , even in our own time .
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