The core text of the Haggadah is the Biblical passage of Arami oved avi, which tells the story of the Exodus in a few brief verses, which we then interpret and expound on at length. Why were these verses chosen as the core of the Haggadah, rather than the more extensive passages from the Book of Shemot, where the events of the Exodus appear in much greater detail? Rav Soloveitchik explained that Chazal chose the brief version specifically because understanding it requires us to expound and interpret — because the mitzvah of retelling the story of the Exodus must encompass the interpretive effort of Torah study.
Perhaps we can suggest another approach to answer this question based on the nature of the verses of Arami oved avi. The Torah prescribes that a pilgrim brings his first fruits (bikkurim) to the Temple, he expresses gratitude for his bounty by recalling the Exodus from Egypt, reciting these words. Using these words in the Haggadah thus highlights that the mitzvah is not merely retelling the story of the Exodus, but expressing our gratitude toward Hashem and acknowledging that our own successes stem from the Exodus. In fact, Abudraham suggests that the very word Haggadah is derived from the pilgrim’s declaration “higgadti hayom”, which, as he explains, means “I give thanks on this day.” The Haggadah is not merely a story but a means of giving thanks. I would like to thank the devoted staff of the OU who work tirelessly to ensure that we have kosher food and kosher information, both year-round and for Pesach, and to the editors of the Passover Guide for their indefatigable efforts in producing it each year.
Wishing you all a chag kasher vesame’ach,
Rabbi Menachem Genack
CEO
OU Kosher
