Passover is coming. What story do you want to tell at your seder?
It’s not too early to start planning your Passover seder. Beyond what you’ll serve and who you’ll invite, the question that I’d like to contemplate this week is: What story do you want to tell? The beauty of the seder is that, out of all Jewish holidays, it is the only one in which the central observance is primarily in the home and led by “non-professionals.” It’s notable that even the traditional Haggadah doesn’t recount the Exodus story as it’s written in the Torah. Instead, it elaborated on the story in a way that reflected the ancient rabbis’ version of how they wanted the story told. But once the Haggadah and its story were placed in the hands of the people, it opened itself up to modifications and interpretations reflecting the milieu of whomever was (or is) telling the story.
This is the reason that there are hundreds—if not thousands—of versions of the Haggadah available. On Haggadot.com, there seems to be a Haggadah for every interest and agenda. Some are tongue-in-cheek, while others are quite serious about the message that they want to impart. While each may have at its core the story of the Israelite exodus from Egypt, the elaboration and interpretation of the story reflects the vision of the author.
You, too, have a story to tell at your seder. Is it one that focuses on your own family’s immigration which becomes, in essence, your own exodus story? Is it a story of your connection to Israel (after all, for centuries, the last words of the seder were “Next Year in Jerusalem”)? Perhaps there’s another message that you want to draw from the Exodus story that reflects values you find in the ancient tale. Will you have young children at the seder table? What lesson do you seek to impart to them and how can you craft the story so that it will bring them meaning? The beauty of the Haggadah is that it’s placed in your hands; the story and its personal meaning are yours to create.
—Rabbi Ron Stern