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On Pesach, we are commanded to tell the story of the exodus from Egypt to our children. However, there are different ways that people choose to do this, depending on their focus and perspective. Here are three common approaches that I have encountered:

  1. The Story of Exodus This approach follows the halacha and the passukim that instruct us to recount the events of how Hashem took us out of Egypt with signs and wonders. This approach emphasizes the miracles and wonders that Hashem performed for us, and how He chose us as His nation at Sinai.

  2. The Story of the Jewish People This approach broadens the scope of the seder night to include other historical events that have shaped our identity and destiny as a people. This approach relates the exodus to other times of oppression and redemption, such as the Holocaust, pogroms, Zionism and Israel. This approach also connects the seder night to current issues and challenges that we face as Jews in different parts of the world.

  3. The Lomdus of Seder This approach delves into the deeper meanings and implications of the seder night, by analyzing its laws and customs from various sources and perspectives. This approach explores questions such as why we break the middle matzah, and is it a din Gavra or Cheftaza (do I need to break it or it must be broken). This approach also compares different opinions and practices among different authorities and communities.

Each of these approaches has its merits. I would love to find sources for point two and three. Also If there are other themes that people have (and adult geared seder) I would love to hear them.

fulltimekollelguy
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    I believe some mefarshim explain the answer to the chacham as approach #3, and vehi sheamdah would look like answer #2. So long as one fulfills sippur yetzias mitzrayim kipshuto at some point, either of the remaining options seem appropriate. Great question, btw. – רבות מחשבות Mar 22 '23 at 11:05
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    YMMV, but approach #1 seems to me to obviously be the main mitzvah of the night, and the others may be fun but aren't part of the mitzvah. "This approach also follows the structure and order of the Haggadah, which is based on sources from Tanach and Chazal." - maybe you could clarify what you mean by this? – MichoelR Mar 22 '23 at 12:20
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    The last tosefta in psachim (perhaps in contrast to the מעשה in the hagada) is clearly alligned with #3 חייב אדם [לעסוק בהלכות הפסח] כל הלילה אפילו בינו לבין בנו אפילו בינו לבין עצמו אפילו בינו לבין תלמידו מעשה ברבן גמליאל וזקנים שהיו מסובין בבית ביתוס בן זונין בלוד והיו [עסוקין בהלכות הפסח] כל הלילה עד קרות הגבר הגביהו מלפניהם ונועדו והלכו [להן] לבית המדרש – Double AA Mar 22 '23 at 13:01
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    More to the point, do we need a source outside the haggada for this? The haggada has two main parts. The first part (from ואפילו כולנו חכמים until מתחילה) is about the laws of the seder and the second half (מתחילה until לפיכך) is the story. If we weren't supposed to do both, why are they both there? – Double AA Mar 22 '23 at 13:04
  • From the world of Brisk ,Nesivos Hamishpat ,and others the main theme of pesach night is to tell over the taking us out from Mitzrayim on a ruchniyas level and the day is to recount the actual physical yetziah which happened by day. The night is when we became free from the Mitzrayim and became a nation onto HaShem . Many haggadahs and seforim explain this at length... – sam Mar 22 '23 at 15:11
  • These are brilliant answers (most for the lomdous questions) please set them as answers with Mekoros @DoubleAA that throws the question under the bus. Great point abouth the lomdous in the Hagaddah – fulltimekollelguy Mar 22 '23 at 15:18
  • @DoubleAA The Gra's girsa in that Tosefta is aligned with 1. See the Chasdei Dovid ad loc. at length. – N.T. Mar 23 '23 at 05:37
  • The first part of the haggadah is not necessarily laws of seder, but instructions for sippur yetzias mitzrayim, with an emphasis on how to tailor the sippur to the individual needs of one's children. So if your child is a chacham, tell him hilchos Pesach. Most children probably gain more from telling the story at their level. – N.T. Mar 23 '23 at 05:39
  • @N.T. I'm not aware of any manuscript basis for the Gra's emendation there. (Not seeing anything in Chasdei David?) What you call "instructions" I call "laws": how, who, to whom, when, etc. I.e. Halachot. – Double AA Mar 23 '23 at 05:58
  • The mechilta also says laws ר' אליעזר אומר מנין אתה אומר שאם היתה חבורה של חכמים או של תלמידים שצריכים לעסוק בהלכות פסח עד חצות – Double AA Mar 23 '23 at 06:11
  • I'm leaving my comment up for fairness, but DoubleAA's Tosefta is amazing. – MichoelR Mar 24 '23 at 16:57
  • @MichoelR as i wrote on the question I see the benefit of all these systems. Each family does what works for them. – fulltimekollelguy Mar 25 '23 at 20:07

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