Appendix B: The Main Text of the Haggadah in English

With footnotes to connect each section of Haggadah text with its corresponding chapter in this Guide.

Throughout these footnotes, you will see references to the ideas of both Shmuel and Rav, who provide frameworks for understanding the concepts of slavery and freedom, which I discuss in Chapters 3-5. Shmuel’s framework is focused on physical slavery and physical redemption, which reflects one’s ability to surmount negative circumstances and achieve autonomy through one’s own agency. However, within Shmuel’s framework, freedom is not specifically focused on our relationship with God, so in that sense it is incomplete. In contrast, Rav’s framework is focused on the slavery of idol worship and the freedom attained by entering a relationship with God, so it builds on Shmuel’s concept of freedom and brings it to completion: The independence derived from freedom becomes the foundation for a meaningful relationship.

As I explain in Chapter 3, we perform many of our obligations twice during the main section of the Haggadah – first, to represent Shmuel’s conceptual framework for slavery and freedom, and the second time, to represent Rav’s framework.  Moreover, we are also told to move from the negative to the positive during the seder (matchil begenut umesayem beshevach). The movement from the first time we perform each obligation, which is in the context of the foundational form of freedom of Shmuel, to the completion provided by the framework of Rav, is another transition the seder highlights to encourage the change we hope will occur within us on a night that is different from all others – a night that, for each of us, can make all the difference.

Kadesh - Kiddush^{1 2 3 4}

Pour the first cup of wine and recite the Kiddush.

Drink the first cup of wine while seated, leaning to the left side (known as the “reclining position”) to symbolize freedom.

1. Urchatz - Washing Hands for the Vegetable

Wash hands but do not recite the blessing.⁵

1. Karpas - Vegetable

Take a piece of the karpas, smaller than a kezayit (olive sized amount),⁶ and dip it into salt-water. Recite the following blessing:

Boruch ata adonai eloheyniu melech haolam borei pri haadama.

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the earth.

As you recite this blessing, have in mind that it is also recited to exempt the bitter herbs (of maror and korech), which you will eat later.

1. Yachatz - Breaking the Middle Matzah⁷

Break the middle matzah into 2 pieces, one larger than the other. Set aside the larger piece to serve as afikoman.⁸ Return the smaller piece, placed between the two unbroken matzot.

1. Maggid - Retelling the Passover Story

Raise the tray with the matzot and say:

This is the bread of affliction⁹ which our fathers ate in the land of Egypt.¹⁰ Whoever is hungry, let him come and eat; whoever is in need, let him come and participate in the Passover seder.¹¹ This year [we are] here; next year in the land of Israel.¹² This year [we are] slaves; next year [we will be] free people.¹³

Move aside the tray with the matzot¹⁴ and pour the second cup of wine.

"Mah Nishtana?"¹⁵ is asked by a child.¹⁶

What makes this night different from all [other] nights?¹⁷

On all nights we eat chametz or matzah, and on this night only matzah.

On all nights we eat any kind of vegetables, and on this night maror!

On all nights we need not dip even once, on this night we do so twice!

On all nights we eat sitting upright or reclining, and on this night we all recline!

Return the tray with the matzot to its initial place, keeping the matzah only partially covered.¹⁸ Recite "We were slaves. . ."

We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the Lord, our God, took us out from there with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm.¹⁹ If the Holy One, blessed be He, had not taken our fathers out of Egypt, then we, our children and our children's children would have remained enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt.²⁰ Even if all of us were wise, all of us understanding, all of us knowing the Torah, we would still be obligated to discuss the exodus from Egypt;²¹ and everyone who discusses the exodus from Egypt at length is praiseworthy.²²

It happened that Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah, Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Tarphon were reclining [at a seder] in B'nei Berak. They were discussing the exodus from Egypt all that night, until their students came and told them: "Our Masters! The time has come for reciting the morning Shema!"²³

Rabbi Eleazar ben Azaryah said: "I am like a man of seventy years old, but I was unable to prove that the Exodus from Egypt must be mentioned at night, until Ben Zoma explained: "It is said, `That you may remember the day you left Egypt all the days of your life;' now `the days of your life' refers to the days, [and the additional word] `all' indicates the inclusion of the nights!"²⁴

The sages, however, said: "`The days of your life' refers to our present-day world; and `all' indicates that the days of Mashiach are included."²⁵

Blessed is the Omnipresent One, blessed be He!²⁶ Blessed is He who gave the Torah to His people Israel,²⁷ blessed be He! The Torah speaks of four children:²⁸ One is wise, one is wicked, one is simple, and one does not know how to ask.²⁹

The wise one, what does he say? "What are the testimonies, the statutes, and the laws which the Lord, our God, has commanded you?" You, in turn, shall instruct him in the laws of Passover, [up to] `one is not to eat any dessert after the Passover-lamb.'³⁰

The wicked one, what does he say? "What is this service to you?!" He says `to you,' but not to him! By thus excluding himself from the community he has denied that which is fundamental.<sup>31</sup> You, therefore, blunt his teeth and say to him:<sup>32</sup> "It is because of this that the Lord did for me when I left Egypt"; `for me' - but not for him! If he had been there, he would not have been redeemed!"

The simpleton,³³ what does he say? "What is this?" Thus you shall say to him: "With a strong hand the Lord took us out of Egypt, from the house of slaves."

As for the one who does not know how to ask,³⁴ you must initiate him, as it is said: "You shall tell your child on that day, `It is because of this that the Lord did for me when I left Egypt.'"

One may think that [the discussion of the exodus] must be from the first of the month.³⁵ The Torah therefore says, `On that day.' `On that day,' however, could mean while it is yet daytime; the Torah therefore says, `It is because of this.' The expression `because of this' can only be said when matzah and maror are placed before you.

In the beginning our fathers served idols; but now the Omnipresent One has brought us close to His service,³⁶ as it is said: "Joshua said to all the people:³⁷ Thus said the Lord, the God of Israel, `Your fathers used to live on the other side of the river - Terach, the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor, and they served other gods.³⁸

"And I took your father Abraham from beyond the river,³⁹ and I led him throughout the whole land of Canaan. I increased his seed and gave him Isaac, and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it, and Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt."⁴⁰

Blessed is He who keeps His promise to Israel, blessed be He!⁴¹ For the Holy One, blessed be He, calculated the end [of the bondage], in order to do as He had said to our father Abraham at the "Covenant between the Portions,"⁴² as it is said: "And He said to Abraham, `You will surely know⁴³ that your seed will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will enslave them and make them suffer for four hundred years.⁴⁴ But I shall also judge the nation whom they shall serve, and after that they will come out with great wealth.'"

Raise the wine cup, cover the Matzot, and say:

This⁴⁵ is what has stood by our fathers and us! For not just one alone has risen against us to destroy us, but in every generation, they rise against us to destroy us; and the Holy One, blessed be He, saves us from their hand!⁴⁶

Put down the wine cup and uncover the Matzot.

Go forth and learn what Laban the Aramean wanted to do to our father Jacob. Pharaoh had issued a decree against the male children only, but Laban wanted to uproot everyone⁴⁷ - as it is said: "An Aramean wished to destroy my father;⁴⁸ (Arami oved avi) and he went down to Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation - great and mighty and numerous."⁴⁹

"And he went down to Egypt" forced by Divine decree.⁵⁰ "And he sojourned there" - this teaches that our father Jacob did not go down to Egypt to settle, but only to live there temporarily. Thus it is said, "They said to Pharaoh, We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks because the hunger is severe in the land of Canaan; and now, please, let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen."⁵¹

"Few in number" as it is said: "Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now, the Lord, your God, has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven."⁵²

"And he became there a nation" this teaches that Israel was distinctive there.⁵³

"Great, mighty," as it is said: "And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, and multiplied and became very, very mighty, and the land became filled with them."

"And numerous," as it is said: "I passed over you and saw you wallowing in your bloods, and I said to you `By your blood you shall live,' and I said to you `By your blood you shall live!'⁵⁴ I caused you to thrive like the plants of the field, and you increased and grew and became very beautiful your bosom fashioned and your hair grown long, but you were naked and bare."⁵⁵

"The Egyptians treated us badly and they made us suffer, and they put hard work upon us."

"The Egyptians treated us badly," as it is said: Come, let us act cunningly with [the people] lest they multiply and, if there should be a war against us, they will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the land."⁵⁶

"And they made us suffer," as it is said: "They set taskmasters over [the people of Israel] to make them suffer with their burdens, and they built storage cities for Pharaoh, Pitom and Ramses."

"And they put hard work upon us," as it is said: "The Egyptians made the children of Israel work with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard work, with mortar and with bricks and all manner of service in the field, all their work which they made them work with rigor."⁵⁷

And we cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our suffering, our labor and our oppression.

"And we cried out to the Lord, the God of our fathers," as it is said: "During that long period, the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel groaned because of the servitude, and they cried out. And their cry for help from their servitude rose up to God."⁵⁸

"And the Lord heard our voice" as it said: "And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."⁵⁹

"And he saw our suffering," this refers to the separation of husband and wife, as it is said: "God saw the children of Israel and God took note."⁶⁰

"Our labor," this refers to the "children," as it is said: "Every boy that is born, you shall throw into the river and every girl you shall keep alive."⁶¹

"And our oppression," this refers to the pressure, as it is said: "I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them."⁶²

"The Lord took us out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with a great manifestation, and with signs and wonders."

"The Lord took us out of Egypt," not through an angel, not through a seraph and not through a messenger. The Holy One, blessed be He, did it in His glory by Himself!

Thus, it is said: "In that night I will pass through the land of Egypt, and I will smite every first-born in the land of Egypt, from man to beast, and I will carry out judgments against all the gods of Egypt, I the Lord."⁶³

"I will pass through the land of Egypt," I and not an angel;

"And I will smite every first-born in the land of Egypt," I and not a seraph;

"And I will carry out judgments against all the gods of Egypt," I and not a messenger;

"I- the Lord," it is I, and none other!

"With a strong hand," this refers to the dever (pestilence) as it is said: "Behold, the hand of the Lord will be upon your livestock in the field, upon the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds and the flocks, a very severe pestilence." ⁶⁴

"And with an outstretched arm," this refers to the sword, as it is said: "His sword was drawn, in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem."

"And with a great manifestation," this refers to the revelation of the Shechinah (Divine Presence), as it is said: "Has any god ever tried to take for himself a nation from the midst of another nation, with trials, signs, and wonders, with war and with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great manifestations, like all that the Lord your God, did for you in Egypt before your eyes!"

"And with signs," this refers to the staff, as it is said: "Take into your hand this staff with which you shall perform the signs."

"And wonders," this refers to the blood, as it is said: "And I shall show wonders in heaven and on earth.

As you say the words "blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke," spill three drops of wine.

Blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke!

Another explanation: "Strong hand" refers to two [plagues]; "Outstretched arm," another two; "Great manifestation," another two; "Signs," another two; and "Wonders," another two.

These are the Ten Plagues⁶⁵ which the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians, namely as follows:

As you recite each of the ten plagues, spill a drop from the cup ten times, once for each plague.

Blood.

Frogs.

Lice.

Wild Beasts.

Pestilence.

Boils.

Hail.

Locust.

Darkness.

Slaying of the First-born.

Rabbi Yehuda created the following acronyms to refer to the plagues:

DeTzaCh (blood, frogs, lice);

ADaSh (beasts, pestilence, boils);⁶⁶

BeAChaV (hail, locust, darkness, first-born).⁶⁷

Rabbi Yosi the Gallilean said: How do you know that the Egyptians were stricken by ten plagues in Egypt, and then were struck by fifty plagues at the sea?

In Egypt it says of them, "The magicians said to Pharaoh `This is the finger of God.' At the sea it says, "Israel saw the great hand that the Lord laid against Egypt; and the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses."

Now, how often were they smitten by `the finger'? Ten plagues!

Thus, you must conclude that in Egypt they were smitten by ten plagues, at the sea they were smitten by fifty plagues!

Rabbi Eliezer said: How do we know that each individual plague which the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt, consisted of four plagues?

For it is said: "He sent against them His fierce anger, fury, and indignation, and trouble, a discharge of messengers of evil": `Fury,' is one; `Indignation,' makes two; `Trouble,' makes three; `Discharge of messengers of evil,' makes four.

Thus, you must now say that in Egypt they were struck by forty plagues, and at the sea they were stricken by two hundred plagues.

Rabbi Akiva said: How do we know that each individual plague which the Holy One, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt consisted of five plagues?

For it is said: "He sent against them his fierce anger, fury, and indignation, and trouble, a discharge of messengers of evil": "His fierce anger," is one; "fury," makes two; "indignation," makes three; "trouble," makes four; "discharge of messengers of evil," makes five. Thus, you must now say that in Egypt they were struck by fifty plagues, and at the sea they were stricken by two hundred and fifty plagues.⁶⁸

How many levels of favors has the Omnipresent One bestowed upon us:

If He had brought us out from Egypt, and had not carried out judgments against them Dayeinu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had carried out judgments against them, and not against their idols Dayeinu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had destroyed their idols, and had not smitten their first-born Dayeinu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had smitten their first-born, and had not given us their wealth Dayeinu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had given us their wealth, and had not split the sea for us Dayeinu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had split the sea for us and had not taken us through it on dry land Dayeinu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had taken us through the sea on dry land, and had not drowned our oppressors in it Dayeinu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had drowned our oppressors in it and had not supplied our needs in the desert for forty years Dayeinu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, and had not fed us the manna Dayeinu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had fed us the manna, and had not given us the Shabbat Dayeinu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had given us the Shabbat, and had not brought us before Mount Sinai Dayeinu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had brought us before Mount Sinai, and had not given us the Torah Dayeinu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had given us the Torah and had not brought us into the land of Israel Dayeinu, it would have sufficed us!

If He had brought us into the land of Israel and had not built for us the Beit Habechirah (Chosen House; the Beit Hamikdash) Dayeinu, it would have sufficed us!

Thus how much more so should we be grateful to the Omnipresent One for the doubled and redoubled goodness that He has bestowed upon us; for He has brought us out of Egypt, and carried out judgments against them, and against their idols, and smote their first-born, and gave us their wealth, and split the sea for us, and took us through it on dry land, and drowned our oppressors in it, and supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, and fed us the manna, and gave us the Shabbat, and brought us before Mount Sinai, and gave us the Torah, and brought us into the land of Israel and built for us the Beit Habechirah to atone for all our sins.⁶⁹

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

Passover (the Passover-sacrifice),

Matzah (the unleavened bread)

and

Maror (the bitter herbs).⁷⁰

Passover - the Passover-lamb that our fathers ate during the time of the Beit Hamikdash - for what reason [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 Lord, 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."

Pick up a piece of the broken Matzah 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."

Pick up the maror 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."

In every generation a person is obligated to regard himself as if he had come out of Egypt, as it is said: "You shall tell your child on that day, it is because of this that the Lord did for me when I left Egypt."⁷¹

The Holy One, blessed be He, redeemed not only our fathers from Egypt, but He also redeemed us with them, as it is said: "It was us that He brought out from there, so that He might bring us to give us the land that He swore to our fathers."⁷²

Cover the Matzot and raise the wine cup, holding it until you have recited the blessing:

Thus, it is our duty to thank, to laud, to praise, to glorify, to exalt, to adore, to bless, to elevate and to honor the One who did all these miracles for our fathers and for us. He took us from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to festivity, and from deep darkness to great light and from bondage to redemption. Let us therefore recite before Him Halleluyah, Praise God!⁷³

Halleluyah - Praise God! Offer praise, you servants of the Lord; praise the Name of the Lord. May the Lord's Name be blessed from now and to all eternity. From the rising of the sun to its setting, the Lord's Name is praised. The Lord is high above all nations, His glory is over the heavens. Who is like the Lord, our God, who dwells on high yet looks down so low upon heaven and earth! He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the dunghill, to seat them with nobles, with the nobles of His people. He restores the barren woman to the house, into a joyful mother of children. Halleluyah - praise God.

When Israel went out of Egypt, the House of Jacob from a people of a foreign language, Judah became His holy one, Israel His dominion. The sea saw and fled, the Jordan turned backward. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like young sheep. What is with you, O sea, that you flee; Jordan, that you turn backward? Mountains, why do you skip like rams; hills, like a pool of water, the flint-stone into a spring of water.

Blessed are You, God, our God, King of the universe, who has redeemed us and redeemed our fathers from Egypt and enabled us to attain this night to eat matzah and maror. So too, God, our God and God of our fathers, enable us to attain other holidays and festivals that will come to us in peace with happiness in the rebuilding of Your city, and with rejoicing in Your service [in the Bet Hamikdash]. Then we shall eat

(Note: if the festival is on any day except Saturday night say:) of the sacrifices and of the Passover-offerings (if the seder occurs on Saturday Night say: of the Passover-offerings and of the sacrifices) whose blood shall be sprinkled on the wall of Your altar for acceptance; and we shall thank You with a new song for our redemption and for the deliverance of our souls. Blessed are You, God, who redeemed Israel.

Recite the following blessing, and drink the cup while you are in a reclining position:

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.⁷⁴

1. Rachtza⁷⁵

Wash your hands as you recite this blessing:

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the washing of the hands.

1. Motzi Matzah⁷⁶

Pick up the Matzot together, in the order that they are lying on the tray - the broken piece between the two whole Matzot -- and recite the following blessing:

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

Do not break anything off the Matzot. First put down the third Matzah (the bottom one) and recite the following blessing over the broken Matzah and the top one.

When reciting the following blessing, have in mind that it refers also to the eating of the "Sandwich" of Korech - which will be made with the third Matzah - and also the eating of the Afikoman.

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the eating of Matzah.

Eat a kezayit (the volume of one olive) while you are in a reclining position.

1. Maror⁷⁷

Now pick up a kezayit (the volume of one olive) of the Maror, dip it into the Charoset and then shake off the Charoset that stuck to it, so that the bitter taste remains. Recite the following blessing:

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning the eating of Maror.

Now eat the Maror, without reclining.

1. Korech⁷⁸

Pick up the third Matzah, along with a kezayit (the volume of one olive) of the Maror - which you dip into the Charoset. Combine the two [like a sandwich], and say the following:

Thus, did Hillel do at the time of the Bet HaMikdash: He would combine Passover — lamb, Matzah and Maror and eat them together, as it said: "They shall eat it with Matzah and bitter herbs."

Now eat them together — in the reclining position.

1. Shulchan Orech

Now eat and drink and enjoy. Between the second and third cups of wine, you are permitted to drink additional wine.

1. Tzafun

After the meal, divide the Afikoman into enough pieces the size of kezayit (the volume of one olive), and give one to each person at the table.

Everyone should eat the Afikomen in a reclining position.

Take care not to eat or drink after the Afikoman. Water is allowed.

1. Bareich

Pour the third cup of wine and recite Birkat Hamazon (Blessing after the Meal) over it.

Recite the blessing for the wine, and drink in a reclining position.

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Pour the fourth cup of wine and open the door. Recite the following:

Pour out Your wrath upon the nations that do not acknowledge You, and upon the kingdoms that do not call upon Your Name. For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation. Pour out Your indignation upon them and let the wrath of Your anger overtake them. Pursue them with anger and destroy them from beneath the heavens of the Lord.⁷⁹

1. Hallel: Second half of songs of praise to God concluding with fourth cup of wine.

Drink in a reclining position, then recite the after blessing for the wine.

Afterwards say: NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!⁸⁰

1. Nirtzah: Concluding hymns.