The text that we read at the Pesach seder, as we all know, is commonly referred to as the Haggadah. What is the origin of this term, and what exactly does it mean?
One simple answer, perhaps, is that this word stems from the Biblical origin of the obligation of sippur Yetziat Mitzrayim – telling the story of the Exodus on the night of the seder. The Torah introduces this obligation in the Book of Shemot (13:8) with the words, “Vehigadeta levincha bayom hahu…” (“You shall tell your son on that day…”). The word Haggadah means “telling,” and is the noun form of the verb “vehigadeta,” and this might be why we refer to the text of the seder with this word.
However, the Maharal of Prague (1512-1609), one of the great giants of Jewish thought, offered a deeper explanation, one which goes to the heart of the essential nature of the seder experience.
Too Much Praise?
The Maharal begins by drawing our attention to a story told in the Gemara (Berachot 33b) of a hazzan who, we might say, went a bit too far. He stood up in front of the congregation and began singing Gd’s praises, using as many adjectives as He could to describe Gd’s unparalleled greatness. He exclaimed, “HaKel hagadol hagibor vehanora veha’adir veha’izuz vehayar’ui hehazak veha’amitz vehavadai vehanichbad…”
When he finally finished extolling Gd’s might and power, Rabbi Hanina turned to him and sarcastically asked, “You completed all of your Master’s praises?!”
By using so many descriptions to express Gd’s greatness, the hazzan implicitly conveyed the message that this is all there is to say, that he successfully exhausted all the praise that could be said about Gd.
Rabbi Hanina explained that when we give praise to Gd in the shemonah esreh prayer, we are to describe Him simply as “HaKel hagadol hagibor vehanora – The great, mighty, awesome Gd.” We are permitted to use these three adjectives only because Moshe Rabbenu used them in describing Gd (Devarim 10:17). In principle, it should be forbidden to praise Gd with any adjectives, because this would imply a limit to Gd’s praises. But since Moshe praised Gd with these three adjectives, we are allowed to, as well. Any additional praises, however, are improper. When it comes to praising Gd, more is less. As Gd is infinite, and His greatness and power are infinite, we must avoid giving the impression of comprehensively expressing His might.
The Maharal notes that when it comes to the Pesach seder, we are to follow the opposite policy. Toward the beginning of the maggid section, when we discuss the basics of the sippur Yetziat Mitzrayim obligation, we announce: “Vechol hamarbeh lesaper biytziat Mitzrayim hareh zeh meshubah” – the more one speaks about the miracles of the Exodus on the night of the seder, the more praiseworthy he is. The text of the Haggadah is not all that we can or should say at the seder. We are encouraged to extend well beyond this text, and spend as much time as reasonably possible describing the wonders and miracles of Yetziat Mitzrayim. To illustrate this point, the Haggadah tells the story of the five great sages who joined together in Bnei-Brak for the seder, and spent the entire night discussing the Exodus. They stopped only when their students entered to inform them that morning had arrived and it was time to read the morning shema.
Whereas we are normally discouraged from speaking at length of Gd’s praises, at the seder, we are specifically encouraged to devote as much time and attention as we can to discussing the miracles of Yetziat Mitzrayim. Why?
The Jews’ “Thanksgiving Dinner”
The Maharal explains by drawing a critical distinction between praise and gratitude. When it comes to praising Gd, describing His greatness, more is less. As Rabbi Hanina said, expressing praise gives the mistaken – and in fact heretical – impression that His power and capabilities can be quantified, and accurately expressed through the spoken word. But when it comes to expressing gratitude, the guiding principle is “kol hamarbeh hareh zeh meshubah” – more is more. We can never say “thank you” enough for the blessings we have received.
The Pesach seder, the Maharal writes, is less about praise than about gratitude. The idea of the seder is not to give Hashem praise for the miracles of the Exodus, but rather to express our gratitude for them.
As we know, halachah requires reciting a special berachah –birkat hagomel – upon emerging from any of four situations of danger: captivity, illness, desert travel, and a sea voyage. Our ancestors who left Egypt experienced all four situations. They were held captive as slaves, unable to leave; they were beaten and tortured, thus becoming dangerously frail; and after leaving, they crossed the sea and the desert. Now in the times of the Bet Hamikdash, a person who emerged from one of these situations would bring a special sacrifice called the korban todah – the thanksgiving offering. The Pesach seder, which, when the Mikdash stood, was centered around the special pesach sacrifice – could thus be seen as a korban todah – or, what we might call the Jewish version of a “thanksgiving dinner.” Indeed, some commentators suggested that the four cups of wine that we drink at the seder correspond to the four deliverances listed above. The entire seder revolves around the notion of todah – expressing gratitude to Gd. And for this reason, “kol hamarbeh hareh zeh meshubah” – the more the better.
The Pesach Seder&Bikkurim
This theme comes into sharper focus when we examine more closely the heart of the maggid section.
After a number of introductory paragraphs, in which we present some basic information about the mitzvah to speak of the Exodus on this night, we proceed to perform this mitzvah, which we do by analyzing four verses in the Book of Devarim (26:5-8). This series of verses (which begins, “Arami oved avi vayered Mitzrayema…”) is taken from a declaration known as mikra bikkurim, which a farmer would recite when he brought his first fruits (bikkurim) to the Bet Hamikdash each year. After presenting his first fruits to a kohen, he would made this pronouncement briefly recounting the story of his ancestors’ enslavement in Egypt, and ultimate miraculous redemption. At the seder, we go through this brief text, one phrase at a time, and analyze it based on earlier verses in the Torah. At first glance, we might wonder why this specific text was chosen for the purpose of telling the story of the Exodus. Why do we study these verses, instead of simply reading the actual narrative of the Yetziat Mitzrayim story, which is told in the Book of Shemot? Why was the mikra bikkurim proclamation deemed the most suitable text for the seder?
The answer is found in an earlier verse regarding the procedure of bikkurim. The Torah (Devarim 26:3) commands that when the farmer arrives at the Mikdash with his first fruits, he should say to the kohen, “Higadeti hayom l’Hashem Elokecha.” The Aramaic Targum Yonatan Ben Uziel translation renders this to mean, “I give thanks on this day to Hashem your Gd.” And Rashi, commenting on this verse, writes that the person says this to the kohen to avow that he is “not ungrateful.” The bikkurim obligation is all about gratitude, expressing to Gd one’s appreciation for the new fruits that he successfully produced, acknowledging the journey his people have undergone from the depths of Egyptian bondage to the heights of prosperity in their homeland.
Appropriately, then, this is the text chosen for our “thanksgiving dinner,” our Pesach seder, which is all about expressing our gratitude to Hashem for all He has done for us.
In light of all this, the Maharal answers our original question, of why we refer to the text recited at the seder with the term “Haggadah.” The word “higadeti,” as we saw, denotes expressing gratitude. As this constitutes the primary theme of the seder, it is fitting that we refer to the text read on this evening as the “Haggadah,” the text through which we express our gratitude to the Almighty.
The More the Better
In closing, let us all honestly compare the amount of time we spend complaining with the amount of time we spend giving thanks. Many of us, I’m afraid, are guilty of expressing dissatisfaction more frequently and more passionately than we express satisfaction and gratitude. Whether it’s toward Gd, toward our world, or toward the people around us, many of us have lots of criticism and complaints, but precious few words of appreciation. This common tendency is detrimental to our own emotional wellbeing, and also creates an aura of negativity which is destructive to our relationships, to our environment, and even to our souls.
One of the lessons we can take from the seder experience is that “kol hamarbeh hareh zeh meshubah” – we can never say “thank you” enough. Gratitude should not be reserved for rare moments or special occasions; it should be a constant presence in our lives. Feeling and expressing gratitude elevates us, strengthens our relationships, and brings us and those around us a sense of joy and fulfillment. By accustoming ourselves to see the good in the world, to appreciate the kindness of others, and to recognize the countless hidden gifts we receive each day, we live joyfully and contentedly. A grateful heart is a happy heart, and those who make gratitude a habit will find themselves leading richer, more meaningful lives.
May we all strive to increase our expressions of thanks – not just in moments of joy, but as a daily practice, shaping the way we interact with others and how we view our own lives. Because when it comes to gratitude, more is truly more.