{"id":5203002,"date":"2026-01-21T10:24:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T07:24:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breslev.co.il\/?p=5203002"},"modified":"2026-01-21T11:17:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T08:17:13","slug":"the-very-first-haggadah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/5203002\/","title":{"rendered":"The Very First Haggadah"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Translated from Rabbi Arush\u2019s feature article in the weekly Chut\u00a0shel\u00a0Chessed newsletter. The articles focus on his main message: “Loving others as yourself” and emuna.<\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Putting the\u00a0Pieces Together\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are a few types of\u00a0chiddushim<\/i>\u00a0(novel Torah ideas). The most amazing\u00a0chiddush<\/i> is when you simply start to put together the things that you know as separate facts and begin to see reality as a whole. Such a chiddush<\/em> comes from a desire to understand what actually happened.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of the most talked-about periods in history is\u00a0Yetziat Mitzrayim<\/i> (the Exodus from Egypt). We are\u00a0 virtually surrounded by it. Many mitzvot are in remembrance of Yetziat Mitzrayim<\/i>, and we are\u00a0 obligated to remember it at least twice a day. In the prayers, as well, Yetziat Mitzrayim\u00a0<\/i>is awarded\u00a0a place of honor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0parashot<\/i>\u00a0(weekly Torah portions)\u00a0that tell of\u00a0Yetziat Mitzrayim<\/i> accompany us for\u00a0 approximately\u00a0a\u00a0month every year.\u00a0We find endless\u00a0midrashim<\/i>, drashot<\/i>, and commentaries and\u00a0about it. But the most significant factor that turns\u00a0Yetziat Mitzrayim<\/i>\u00a0with everything\u00a0connected to it,\u00a0into the most talked-about topic in the Torah is, without a doubt, the Pesach Seder.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Pesach\u00a0Haggadah<\/i> is the book that has been published in the greatest number of editions. Generations upon generations of Jews were raised on the rule: \u201cThe more one tells\u00a0 about\u00a0 \u00a0Yetziat\u00a0 Mitzrayim<\/i>, the more praiseworthy he is.\u201d This sentence made all Jewish sages, together with good G-d fearing Jews, do their utmost, to produce an endless number of descriptions and ideas. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Is there anything that we can add to all this?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What\u2019s\u00a0amazing in the holy Torah is that\u00a0it\u00a0is truly\u00a0limitless, and there is always something new to add. Sometimes the biggest\u00a0chiddushim<\/i>\u00a0are\u00a0the result of a simple\u00a0examination\u00a0of the text, followed by\u00a0putting together\u00a0some\u00a0facts\u00a0familiar to all of us.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Explicit\u00a0psukim<\/i>\u00a0(verses)\u00a0describe that first night when we left Egypt.1<\/sup><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0We all know\u00a0about this, having learned it in\u00a0kindergarten.\u00a0Bnei Yisrael<\/i>\u00a0are sitting in their homes; they are forbidden to go outside. They are all\u00a0belted,\u00a0ready to leave, eating the meat of the Pesach\u00a0korban<\/i>\u00a0(offering).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many\u00a0psukim<\/i>\u00a0describe also\u00a0the terrible\u00a0disaster\u00a0that comes upon the Egyptians\u00a0at the very same time<\/b>, and\u00a0the great scream that rang out\u00a0throughout Egypt.1<\/sup><\/strong><\/span> This, too, we\u00a0probably know\u00a0from our early years in kindergarten. We are also familiar with the tremendous pressure that Pharaoh and all the Egyptians placed\u00a0on the Jewish nation to leave Egypt\u00a0quickly, and there is no child who does not know the song, \u201cPharaoh in pajamas in the middle of the night\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

But when you put it all together, you get a very interesting picture of this night; it may even be called\u00a0 weird. And this picture i<\/span>llustrates the emotional <\/span><\/span>state of the Jews that night. But most of all, it provides us with amazing messages about serving Hashem.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Night Within\u00a0and\u00a0the Night Without\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

So, let us begin to draw this picture…<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Am Yisrael<\/i>\u00a0experiences\u00a0more than one hundred years of back-breaking slavery. They have a tradition that they will eventually be redeemed from this slavery.\u00a0We can easily assume that they are\u00a0longing\u00a0for this redemption. Then, the redemption process begins, but it\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0happen quickly and smoothly, like the Jews\u00a0probably thought\u00a0it would.\u00a0In spite of\u00a0incredible\u00a0and unprecedented\u00a0miracles\u00a0that force even the greatest non-believers\u00a0to see Hashem \u2013 still, it takes many months to\u00a0humble\u00a0stubborn Pharaoh.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The big night arrives. On the one hand,\u00a0Bnei Yisrael<\/i>\u00a0are\u00a0commanded to be \u2018on the ready\u2019,\u00a0ready to move. On the other hand, they are forbidden to leave their homes. If someone would\u00a0have asked\u00a0us what\u00a0we should\u00a0have\u00a0been\u00a0doing on the last night,\u00a0probably\u00a0there\u00a0wouldn\u2019t\u00a0have\u00a0been\u00a0even one who would\u00a0have said\u00a0that on such a night we should\u00a0sit down and\u00a0make a\u00a0barbeque\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bnei Yisrael<\/i> are sitting at home, in groups, \u201clet him and a close neighbor take a lamb\u201d1<\/sup><\/strong><\/span>, and they may not go outside. What are they told to do? To slaughter the lamb, roast it on a fire, and then to sit and eat a good meal of meat, serenely and happily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And here is where we start putting things together:\u00a0At that\u00a0same\u00a0time, all of Egypt\u00a0is\u00a0in an uproar! In every home there is at least one dead person.2<\/b><\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Shouts and screams everywhere.\u00a0Bnei Yisrael<\/i>\u00a0are sitting at home\u00a0and can hear all this, and are asking each other: \u201cWhat\u2019s happening out there?\u201d\u00a0But\u00a0what\u00a0are\u00a0Bnei Yisrael<\/i>\u00a0doing?\u00a0They\u00a0continue\u00a0to eat and celebrate, and no one goes out to see\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0happening\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Besides that, the Egyptians are well aware of Moshe\u2019s prophecy, and they know exactly why they are being punished and are suffering. What they do first is to run to the Jews\u2019 homes and beg them to get up and leave, as it says explicitly, \u201cThe Egyptians too urged the people to make haste and leave the land. \u2018All of us will die,\u2019 they said.\u201d3<\/b><\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Pharaoh himself is running through the streets\u00a0like one\u00a0possessed, searching for Moshe and Aharon.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

So\u00a0we see\u00a0Bnei Yisrael<\/i>\u00a0sitting in their homes and eating, not only when there are shrieks and sirens outside, but\u00a0also while the Egyptians are knocking on the door and begging them to get\u00a0up and leave. But the Jews continue to sit calmly, smiling.\u00a0They\u2019re\u00a0in no rush. They are in the middle of a festive meal. After all, do you want us to set out on\u00a0a journey when we are hungry? Why all this pressure? Everything is okay. We are calm, we have time, we have no reason to leave at night like\u00a0common\u00a0burglars\u2026\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even when morning comes,\u00a0they are not in a hurry. They have a holiday. They\u00a0have to\u00a0adorn themselves and borrow from the broken and\u00a0mourning Egyptians beautiful clothes and much jewelry\u20264<\/b><\/sup><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Being\u00a0Redeemed on a\u00a0Full\u00a0Stomach\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The picture we get is that the Jewish people are\u00a0obligated\u00a0to operate\u00a0in complete subjugation to\u00a0Hashem\u2019s instructions, and in complete contradiction to common sense, reality,\u00a0and their own inner urge. They\u00a0so much want to leave, but\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0not allowed to do so yet. They hear screams from outside, Egyptians are\u00a0knocking on their doors, begging them\u00a0to leave, but they are eating peacefully. True, they want to get out of Egypt, but they\u00a0remain\u00a0there\u00a0for a\u00a0family\u00a0barbeque. They\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0want to see these Egyptians anymore, but they are commanded to go from house to house and ask for the Egyptians\u2019 valuables.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The most interesting thing is that this entire ceremony goes against common sense as well as against what Moshe\u00a0Rabbeinu<\/i>\u00a0himself said. For Moshe never asked to leave Egypt for good, but rather only to leave for a few days to serve Hashem in the desert5<\/b><\/sup><\/span>, and Pharaoh, after\u00a0the plague of\u00a0arov<\/i> (the fourth plague of wild beasts), offered the Jews the possibility of worshiping Hashem in Egypt itself to their hearts\u2019 desire.6<\/b><\/sup><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Moshe\u00a0Rabbeinu<\/i>\u00a0answers him with a very logical argument: \u201cThat would not be right for us to do; our sacrifice to Hashem our G-d is an abomination to the Egyptians.\u00a0If, before the Egyptians\u2019 eyes we offer the sacrifice they consider an\u00a0abomination, will they not stone us to death?\u201d7<\/b><\/sup><\/span>\u00a0The sheep was an Egyptian god; such a provocative action in which thousands of sheep and goats are slaughtered would\u00a0cause an uproar\u00a0\u2013\u00a0and a pogrom.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And here,\u00a0just before leaving,\u00a0Bnei Yisrael<\/i> are doing exactly that: They tie up the sheep for a few days. All the Egyptians understand where this is going and are on alert. And indeed, one fine day the Jews all slaughter the sheep at once. And as if that\u2019s not enough, they also barbeque it, so that the scent of the roasting meat spreads throughout the land. This is a declaration of war! And it is also the opposite of what Moshe Rabbeinu\u00a0<\/i>said all along.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Torah tells us that Hashem took us out of Egypt at night.\u00a0Chazal<\/i>\u00a0ask: But they left only\u00a0on the following day! And they answer: This teaches us that\u00a0the Redemption\u00a0started at night.\u00a0In other words,\u00a0the Redemption is not the actual leaving, but rather that night with all its\u00a0contradictions and confusions \u2013 that itself\u00a0was the\u00a0Geula<\/i>\u00a0(Redemption).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

So\u00a0we must search for hints in this event as presented here and try to understand\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0happening here.\u00a0What should the Jews\u00a0have learned from this back then,\u00a0and for all generations?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nullification, Wholeness,\u00a0and\u00a0Trust\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

All\u00a0Yetziat Mitzrayim<\/i>\u00a0is a\u00a0process\u00a0that goes against\u00a0common sense.\u00a0\u201c… how\u00a0you followed\u00a0Me into the wilderness,\u00a0in\u00a0a\u00a0land unsown.\u201d8<\/b><\/sup><\/span>\u00a0Bnei Yisrael<\/i>\u00a0needed\u00a0to\u00a0learn from the very first moment to follow Hashem\u00a0blindly, nullifying themselves and\u00a0believing wholeheartedly, without seeing the reality\u00a0that is screaming for attention\u00a0\u2013 just\u00a0being at one with Hashem\u2019s will.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bnei Yisrael<\/i>\u00a0also placed\u00a0all their personal wishes and urges\u00a0aside, and they learned\u00a0to calm down and eat\u00a0serenely\u00a0even when the\u00a0whole world\u00a0is\u00a0in turmoil. That is the height of level-headedness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And\u00a0above all, it\u00a0is complete trust\u00a0in Hashem\u00a0yitbarach<\/i>. Outside, catastrophic things are happening, but we eat serenely. I wondered: What sort of conversations were there that Seder night? We tell our children what happened in the past, but the Jews then had not yet left Egypt, so what did they talk about? What stories did they tell?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I would think that when the children and the other people in the household heard the screams, their parents said to them:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Dear children,\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0be afraid. Hashem loves us. Hashem protects\u00a0us,\u00a0Hashem\u00a0is compassionate towards us. Hashem\u00a0passes over\u00a0our doorways and strikes our enemies.\u00a0We are Hashem\u2019s beloved children, and everything that you are hearing is just the punishment that Hashem gives to\u00a0those\u00a0who cause distress to\u00a0His children.\u00a0But we will have only good, and we will be redeemed and saved, and we will be\u00a0very rich, and we will leave this land with miracles and with a strong hand, and we will always have only good.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And that was the first Haggadah of Pesach in history!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Editor\u2019s Notes<\/b>:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1<\/sup><\/strong><\/span> Shemot (Exodus) Chapter 12\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2<\/sup><\/strong><\/span> Shemot 12:30, see also Rashi\u2019s commentary\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3<\/sup><\/strong><\/span> Shemot 12:33\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4<\/sup><\/strong><\/span> Shemot 11:2-3 (Hashem commands Jews to ask for gifts from Egyptians) and Shemot 12:35-36 (Jews actually request gifts from Egyptians)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5<\/sup><\/strong><\/span> Shemot 3:18, 5:3, 8:27\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

6<\/sup><\/strong><\/span> Shemot 8:21\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

7<\/sup><\/strong><\/span> Shemot Chapter 22\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Translated from Rabbi Arush\u2019s feature article in the weekly Chut\u00a0shel\u00a0Chessed newsletter. The articles focus on his main message: “Loving others as yourself” and emuna.\u00a0 \u00a0 Putting the\u00a0Pieces Together\u00a0 There are a few types of\u00a0chiddushim\u00a0(novel Torah ideas). The most amazing\u00a0chiddush is when you simply start to put together the things that you know as separate facts … Continue reading “The Very First Haggadah”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62109,"featured_media":5203159,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[15144,15308],"tags":[52231,41875,16369,26162,61711,20230,16465,24775],"author_post":[14273],"new_serie":[],"class_list":["post-5203002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-jewish-outlook","category-passover","tag-ten-plagues","tag-egyptian-exile","tag-emuna","tag-exodus","tag-korban-pesach","tag-passover","tag-redemption","tag-bitachon","author_post-rabbi-shalom-arush"],"acf":{"paragraph_first":"This picture of Leil Pesach illustrates the emotional state of the Jews that night. But most of all, it provides us with amazing messages about serving Hashem. ","paragraph_second":"The Redemption is not the actual leaving Egypt. Rather, it is that first Seder night with all its contradictions and confusions \u2013 that itself was the Redemption.","meta_title":"The Very First Haggadah","meta_description":" Outside, catastrophic things were happening throughout Egypt, but the Jews ate serenely. What sort of conversations were there that Seder night? The Jews then hadn\u2019t yet left Egypt, so what did they talk about? Rabbi Arush gives amazing insight into serving Hashem! ","special_content_in_the_post":"none","youtube":"","intro_text":"

Outside, catastrophic things were happening throughout Egypt, but the Jews ate\u00a0 <\/span>serenely. What<\/span> sort of conversations were there at that first Seder? <\/span>T<\/span>he Jews then\u00a0 <\/span>had not <\/span>yet left Egypt, so what did they talk about? <\/span>Rabbi Arush gives amazing insight into serving Hashem!<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5203002","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62109"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5203002"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5203002\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5203166,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5203002\/revisions\/5203166"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5203159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5203002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5203002"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5203002"},{"taxonomy":"author_post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/author_post?post=5203002"},{"taxonomy":"new_serie","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/breslev.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/new_serie?post=5203002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}