{ "clip_details": { "clip": { "is_admin": 0, "is_owner": 0, "handle": "exodus-extraordinary-passage", "title": "Exodus: An Extraordinary Passage", "author": "The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "author_handle": "info167711", "author_initials": "TG", "covertext": "The holiday of Passover is about a journey. Experiencing the holiday is a journey in and of itself. What are the journey...", "user_image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/users/133066/conversions/gdjl%20transp%20higer%20res-thumb.jpg", "user_image_original": "https://assets.haggadot.com/users/133066/gdjl%20transp%20higer%20res.png", "body": "<p>The holiday of Passover is about a journey. Experiencing the holiday is a journey in and of itself. What are the journeys that matter most to us, and what can we learn about ourselves through these experiences? Here at the Global Day of Jewish Learning, we're focusing on <strong>Extraordinary Passages: Text and Travels </strong>in 2018, and the most extraordinary is the passage out of Egypt. This journey to – and from – the past is still relevant today for so many reasons. The holiday of Passover celebrates the communal and the personal voyages we made in the past and will make today.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Clip Text #1 – <em>Exodus</em> 13:8,14</strong></p>\n\n<p><strong>Source:</strong> <em>The Steinsaltz Bible</em> (Hebrew-English), with commentary [plain text] on the Hebrew <strong>[bold text]</strong> by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz. 2018, Koren Publishers, Jerusalem.</p>\n\n<p>וְהִגַּדְתָּ֣ לְבִנְךָ֔ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַה֖וּא לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּעֲב֣וּר זֶ֗ה עָשָׂ֤ה ה' לִ֔י בְּצֵאתִ֖י מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃</p>\n\n<p><strong>13:8 You shall tell your son* on that day,</strong> when you commemorate the exodus, <strong>saying: It is because of this,</strong> so that I will preserve the memory of these events and perform the commandments, <strong>that the Lord did this, </strong>all the signs and wonders, f<strong>or me upon my exodus from Egypt.<br />\n...</strong></p>\n\n<p>וְהָיָ֞ה כִּֽי־יִשְׁאָלְךָ֥ בִנְךָ֛ מָחָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֣ר מַה־זֹּ֑את וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֔יו בְּחֹ֣זֶק יָ֗ד הוֹצִיאָ֧נוּ ה' מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִֽים׃</p>\n\n<p><strong>13:14 It shall be when your son asks you tomorrow, saying: What is this? </strong>Why do you redeem the human firstborn and the firstborn of a donkey, and consecrate the firstborn of sheep, goats and cattle? <strong>You shall say to him: With strength of hand, </strong>power and force,<strong> the Lord took us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage.</strong></p>\n\n<p> <em>Discussion Notes:</em> <br />\n<strong>*You shall tell your son:</strong> This obligation, to preserve the memory of the exodus and to pass it on to the next generation by relating the story of the redemption to one’s children, is the basis of the Passover Haggada.</p>\n\n<p>Discussion Questions for Text #1</p>\n\n<ol>\n\t<li>Why is it important to make the Exodus a personal experience? Are there experiences in your life or your family’s that help you relate to the feelings and challenges of slavery or fleeing? How do the paths you have taken in life help you understand the journey out of Egypt?</li>\n\t<li>Read <em>Exodus</em> 13:8 and 13:14 closely and compare how the departure from Egypt is described. Who is taking action in each verse? How do those differences in the way the verses are phrased change what you understand to be the key meaning of each verse? How might this help you understand the Haggada?</li>\n\t<li>There are two types of journeys in these verses: one is the physical passage out of Egypt, and the other is how the story of the Exodus is carried through time by passing down the generations. In what ways are those journeys still happening? What steps might you take to continue or contribute to these journeys?</li>\n</ol>\n", "cliptype": "image", "clipsource": "The Exodus: An Extraordinary Passage", "featured": 0, "featuredIn": null, "is_public": 1, "is_published": 1, "media": { "image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/166058/Exodus-image-for-eJP.png", "audio": null, "video": null }, "thumbnail": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/166058/conversions/Exodus-image-for-eJP-cover.jpg", "clip_section": [ { "haggadah_section": "Commentary / Readings", "slug": "commentary-readings" } ], "likes": 0, "downloads": 169, "tags": [], "themes": [], "language": "0", "is_bookmarked": "0", "is_liked": 0, "meta_tags": { "title": "Exodus: An Extraordinary Passage | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "keywords": "", "og:type": "article", "og:url": "https://www.haggadot.com/clip/exodus-extraordinary-passage", "og:title": "Exodus: An Extraordinary Passage | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "og:description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "og:image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/166058/conversions/Exodus-image-for-eJP-cover.jpg" } } }, "contributed_by": { "author": "The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "handle": "info167711", "author_initials": "TG", "total_books": 0, "total_clips": 7, "total_followers": 0, "is_following": 0 }, "user_book": null, "clips_by_author": [ { "clip": { "is_admin": 0, "is_owner": 0, "handle": "journey-freedom", "title": "Journey to Freedom", "author": "The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "author_handle": "info167711", "author_initials": "TG", "covertext": "Rabbi Pinchas Allouche takes us on a journey through the Exodus, a truly extraordinary passage. This video was broadcast...", "user_image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/users/133066/conversions/gdjl%20transp%20higer%20res-thumb.jpg", "user_image_original": "https://assets.haggadot.com/users/133066/gdjl%20transp%20higer%20res.png", "body": "<p>Rabbi Pinchas Allouche takes us on a journey through the Exodus, a truly extraordinary passage. This video was broadcast as part of the 2018 Global Day of Jewish Learning ON AIR, a monthly series of live video lessons leading to our annual celebration of Jewish Texts.</p>\n\n<p>The 2018 Global Day of Jewish Learning theme is \"Extraordinary Passages: Texts and Travels\". What are the journeys that matter most to us? This November 11, 500+ communities in 40+ countries worldwide ask big questions at local events on the same day. Learn year-round at <a href=\"https://theglobalday.org\">theGlobalDay.org</a>.</p>\n", "cliptype": "video", "clipsource": "The Exodus: An Extraordinary passage", "featured": 0, "featuredIn": null, "is_public": 1, "is_published": 1, "media": { "image": null, "audio": null, "video": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHqbALX0Qag" }, "thumbnail": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/392098/conversions/hqdefault-cover.jpg", "clip_section": [ { "haggadah_section": "Commentary / Readings", "slug": "commentary-readings" } ], "likes": 0, "downloads": 236, "tags": [], "themes": [], "language": "0", "is_bookmarked": "0", "is_liked": 0, "meta_tags": { "title": "Journey to Freedom | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "keywords": "", "og:type": "article", "og:url": "https://www.haggadot.com/clip/journey-freedom", "og:title": "Journey to Freedom | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "og:description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "og:image": "" } } }, { "clip": { "is_admin": 0, "is_owner": 0, "handle": "four-sons-68", "title": "From \"The Four Sons\"", "author": "The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "author_handle": "info167711", "author_initials": "TG", "covertext": "Clip Text #2 – From “The Four Sons” Source: The Steinsaltz Haggada (Hebrew-English), with expanded commentary and not...", "user_image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/users/133066/conversions/gdjl%20transp%20higer%20res-thumb.jpg", "user_image_original": "https://assets.haggadot.com/users/133066/gdjl%20transp%20higer%20res.png", "body": "<p><strong>Clip Text #2 – From “The Four Sons”</strong></p>\n\n<p><strong>Source: </strong> <em>The Steinsaltz Haggada</em> (Hebrew-English), with expanded commentary and notes by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz. 2016, Koren Publishers Jerusalem. Pages 78-79.</p>\n\n<p><strong>The simple-natured son</strong> who does not know how to explain the details of his question poses his query in a general way: “And when, in time to come, your son asks you, saying, <strong>‘What is this?’</strong>” ( <em>Exodus</em> 13:14). <strong>And you must tell him, “With a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the grip of slavery” </strong>(13:14-17). <strong> And the one who does not know how to ask, </strong>who sees everything transpiring, and to him it all appears simple and normal, <strong>you must open [the story] for him.</strong> Explain everything to him, so that he understands what is happening, and why. <strong> As it is said, “And you shall tell your child on that day, ‘Because of this the Lord acted for me when I came out of Egypt’”</strong> ( <em>Exodus</em> 13:8). This entire section of the Torah deals with the commandments that were intended to serve as a remembrance of the Exodus – especially the Paschal offering.</p>\n\n<p>Discussion questions for Text #2</p>\n\n<ol>\n\t<li>When you share your personal journey, do you tell that story in different ways to different people? Why or why not?</li>\n\t<li>The two sons receive different explanations for why we celebrate Passover, and each explanation is a verse from the Book of Exodus. What are the similarities and differences between those explanations? What do those explanations tell us about those two children and their ways of understanding?</li>\n\t<li>The sons are told the story in different ways. How is storytelling an act of remembering? What is the role of memory in the building of Jewish culture and society?</li>\n</ol>\n", "cliptype": "image", "clipsource": "The Exodus: An Extraordinary passage", "featured": 0, "featuredIn": null, "is_public": 1, "is_published": 1, "media": { "image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/133582/steinsaltz-haggada2_1.png", "audio": null, "video": null }, "thumbnail": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/133582/conversions/steinsaltz-haggada2_1-cover.jpg", "clip_section": [ { "haggadah_section": "-- Four Children", "slug": "four-children" } ], "likes": 0, "downloads": 193, "tags": [], "themes": [], "language": "0", "is_bookmarked": "0", "is_liked": 0, "meta_tags": { "title": "From \"The Four Sons\" | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "keywords": "", "og:type": "article", "og:url": "https://www.haggadot.com/clip/four-sons-68", "og:title": "From \"The Four Sons\" | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "og:description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "og:image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/133582/conversions/steinsaltz-haggada2_1-cover.jpg" } } }, { "clip": { "is_admin": 0, "is_owner": 0, "handle": "generation-generation-1", "title": "From Generation to Generation", "author": "The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "author_handle": "info167711", "author_initials": "TG", "covertext": "Clip Text #3 – “Generation by Generation” Source: The Steinsaltz Haggada (Hebrew-English), with expanded commentary an...", "user_image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/users/133066/conversions/gdjl%20transp%20higer%20res-thumb.jpg", "user_image_original": "https://assets.haggadot.com/users/133066/gdjl%20transp%20higer%20res.png", "body": "<p><strong>Clip Text #3 – “Generation by Generation”</strong></p>\n\n<p><strong>Source:</strong> <em>The Steinsaltz Haggada</em> (Hebrew-English), with expanded commentary and notes by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz. 2016, Koren Publishers Jerusalem. Pages 134-137.</p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Declarations of Praise: <strong>Generation by generation, each person must see himself as if he himself had come out of Egypt,</strong> and this was not merely an episode that occurred many long years ago, but an event that transpires anew each Passover, in the life of both the individual and the nation. <strong>As it is said: “You shall tell your child on that day, ‘Because of this the lord acted for me when I came out of Egypt’”</strong> ( <em>Exodus</em> 13:8). The intention here is that each person should relate to the Exodus as if he had experienced it personally, because after all, <strong>it was not only our ancestors whom the Holy One redeemed; He redeemed us too along with them</strong>, as it was then that we became a distinct and independent nation. <strong>As it is said: “He took us out of there, to bring us to the land He promised our ancestors and to give it to us”</strong> ( <em>Deuteronomy</em> 6:23). The redemption from Egypt and the entrance into and settlement of the land are one continuous process.</p>\n\n<p>Since it is customary to raise the cup of wine at this point, we first cover the <em>matzot</em> and recite: <strong>Therefore</strong>, in light of all these praiseworthy, benevolent acts that we have enumerated here, <strong>it is our duty to thank, praise, laud, glorify, exalt, honor, bless, raise high and acclaim the One who has performed all these miracles for our ancestors and for us.</strong> We now enumerate the different aspects of the miracles that occurred at the Exodus, corresponding to the various types of praise listed here. <strong>Who has brought us out from slavery to freedom, from sorrow to joy, from </strong>the<strong> grief</strong> of hard labor <strong>to</strong> the<strong> celebration </strong>of redemption, <strong>from </strong>the <strong>darkness </strong>of slaves who dwell in dungeons <strong>to great light, and from enslavement to redemption; and so we shall sing a new song before Him </strong>to mark this joy and goodness, i.e., the song of Hallel – <strong>Halleluya!</strong></p>\n\n\n\n<p> <em>Discussion Notes</em> </p>\n\n<p><strong>Generation by Generation: </strong>Even though Israel may be in the midst of another difficult exile, nevertheless, when God freed us from Egypt, He liberated something inside of us, so that on the spiritual level we will never again be subservient to the Pharaohs of every era and their cronies. Thus, not only did God free our ancestors in this redemption. But we, too, experience a spiritual redemption today as a result of the Exodus. It is our obligation to give thanks for this (See <em>Zevah Pesah</em> ).</p>\n\n<p><strong>Each Person Must See Himself: </strong>Some have written that each and every year, the same sort of Supernal Light that was revealed when Israel left Egypt is revealed again on the seder night. One who merits experiencing this illumination can truly “see himself” return and experience the process of redemption, with the aid of this celestial lights. ( <em>Haflaah</em> )</p>\n\n<p><strong>To Thank, Praise...and Acclaim: </strong>There are many different variations of this prayer. Some versions list seven distinct expressions of praise; others list eight. In accordance with the most prevalent custom, nine declarations of praise are listed here, and a tenth (for the sake of reaching a total of ten, considered a complete number) with the concluding words “And so we shall sing a new song before Him. Halleluya!”</p>\n\n<p><strong>“Lekalles”: To Acclaim: </strong>The root of the word <em>lekalles</em>, in the sense of glory and praise, is not native to the Hebrew language (indeed, the original Hebrew root has opposite connotations). It is borrowed from the Greek ( <em>kalos</em>, meaning “beautiful”) and was utilized to form a new Hebrew root, whose implied meaning is to ascribe beauty to something – to extol and praise.</p>\n\n<p><strong>From Slavery to Freedom: </strong>Here, too, the Haggada lists five separate word pairs – ten expressions in all – corresponding to the ten declarations praise listed above. Some explain that each of these expressions conveys a separate idea: From the Egyptian slavery to freedom; from the enslavement in Babylon to redemption; from the sorrow of Persia to joy; from the grief of Greece to celebration; and from the darkness of the Roman exile – the last exile – to the great light of the final redemption ( <em>Zevah Pesah</em> ).</p>\n\n<p><strong>Discussion Questions for Text #3</strong></p>\n\n<ol>\n\t<li>Which of those experiences of leaving Egypt described in the Haggada – “...from sorrow to joy, from grief to celebration; from darkness to great light,” etc… – have you had in your life? How might these personal experiences help you appreciate and commemorate the Exodus?</li>\n\t<li>What are some of the obligations listed in this text? How are they described? How do you connect the obligation to experience leaving Egypt personally with the duty to express gratitude?</li>\n\t<li>What does “from Generation to Generation” mean to you? How might a journey through time, rather than across distance, be part of the Exodus itself? What steps might you take to continue that journey?</li>\n</ol>\n", "cliptype": "image", "clipsource": "The Exodus: An Extraordinary passage", "featured": 0, "featuredIn": null, "is_public": 1, "is_published": 1, "media": { "image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/133587/steinsaltz-haggada3_0.png", "audio": null, "video": null }, "thumbnail": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/133587/conversions/steinsaltz-haggada3_0-cover.jpg", "clip_section": [ { "haggadah_section": "-- Cup #2 & Dayenu", "slug": "cup-2-amp-dayenu" } ], "likes": 0, "downloads": 186, "tags": [], "themes": [], "language": "0", "is_bookmarked": "0", "is_liked": 0, "meta_tags": { "title": "From Generation to Generation | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "keywords": "", "og:type": "article", "og:url": "https://www.haggadot.com/clip/generation-generation-1", "og:title": "From Generation to Generation | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "og:description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "og:image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/133587/conversions/steinsaltz-haggada3_0-cover.jpg" } } }, { "clip": { "is_admin": 0, "is_owner": 0, "handle": "talmud-passover-tractate-pesahim-116b", "title": "Talmud on Passover: Tractate Pesahim 116b", "author": "The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "author_handle": "info167711", "author_initials": "TG", "covertext": "Clip Text #4 – Pesaḥim 116b Source: The Koren Talmud Bavli (Hebrew-English), translated [bold text] and with comment...", "user_image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/users/133066/conversions/gdjl%20transp%20higer%20res-thumb.jpg", "user_image_original": "https://assets.haggadot.com/users/133066/gdjl%20transp%20higer%20res.png", "body": "<p><strong>Clip Text #4 – <em>Pesaḥim</em> 116b</strong></p>\n\n<p><strong>Source:</strong> <em>The Koren Talmud Bavli</em> (Hebrew-English), translated [<strong>bold text</strong>] and with commentary [plain text] by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz. 2013, Koren Publishers Jerusalem.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Discussion Questions for Text #4</strong></p>\n\n<ol>\n\t<li>The Talmud describes the reasons for including the Paschal Lamb, <em>Matza</em> and Bitter herbs in the seder. They are reminders of different aspects of slavery and our flight to freedom. How do these foods help immerse you in the feeling of escaping Egypt? How do these foods remind you of your family’s journey?</li>\n\t<li>The commentary says, “The LORD did this for me...not: This which the LORD did for my forefathers.” How is it different to think of things as happening to someone else, a long time ago, rather than to yourself, now?</li>\n\t<li>In what ways have you made a personal connection to the Exodus? How has that changed the ways you understand or empathize with other people? How does the Exodus inform the kinds of actions and decisions you take?</li>\n</ol>\n", "cliptype": "image", "clipsource": "The Exodus: An Extraordinary Passage", "featured": 0, "featuredIn": null, "is_public": 1, "is_published": 1, "media": { "image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/166062/Massekhet-Pesahim-116b-for-Passover-Packet.png", "audio": null, "video": null }, "thumbnail": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/166062/conversions/Massekhet-Pesahim-116b-for-Passover-Packet-cover.jpg", "clip_section": [ { "haggadah_section": "Commentary / Readings", "slug": "commentary-readings" } ], "likes": 0, "downloads": 254, "tags": [], "themes": [], "language": "0", "is_bookmarked": "0", "is_liked": 0, "meta_tags": { "title": "Talmud on Passover: Tractate Pesahim 116b | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "keywords": "", "og:type": "article", "og:url": "https://www.haggadot.com/clip/talmud-passover-tractate-pesahim-116b", "og:title": "Talmud on Passover: Tractate Pesahim 116b | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "og:description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "og:image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/166062/conversions/Massekhet-Pesahim-116b-for-Passover-Packet-cover.jpg" } } }, { "clip": { "is_admin": 0, "is_owner": 0, "handle": "first-step-passover-personal-journey", "title": "The First Step: Passover as a Personal Journey", "author": "The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "author_handle": "info167711", "author_initials": "TG", "covertext": "Clip Text #5 – “The First Step” Source: On Being Free, by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz. 1995, Jason Aronson Inc....", "user_image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/users/133066/conversions/gdjl%20transp%20higer%20res-thumb.jpg", "user_image_original": "https://assets.haggadot.com/users/133066/gdjl%20transp%20higer%20res.png", "body": "<p><strong>Clip Text #5 – “The First Step”</strong></p>\n\n<p><strong>Source:</strong> <em>On Being Free</em>, by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz. 1995, Jason Aronson Inc.</p>\n\n<p>Passover, the festival of the Exodus from Egypt, is imprinted on all the days of the year. Moreover, the \"memory of the Exodus from Egypt\" is mentioned on almost every festive occasion.</p>\n\n<p>What makes the Exodus from Egypt so important?</p>\n\n<p>The Jewish festivals are first and foremost historical festivals: each one is a remembrance of a certain event in Jewish history. But their essence goes far beyond that. Whenever we remember a historical event, we connect ourselves not so much with the facts, but rather with their psychological and emotional significance. If we want to understand the personal, inner meaning of a festival, we should look to its intrinsic spiritual essence. And what is more, we should see the festivals as internal events in the life of the individual, which are reflections of the collective life of the nation. This approach will open a door for us toward a wider, albeit not immediately apparent, understanding.</p>\n\n<p>Our sages say: \"In every generation, each person must regard himself as if he came out of Egypt.\" This is the key to a new understanding of the festivals: in order to relive things, we must participate spiritually in the process of our people's birth.</p>\n\n<p>At first glance, it seems that the Exodus from Egypt is not nearly as important as the giving of the Torah. The Exodus is the mere deliverance of the people of Israel from slavery, whereas the giving of the Torah is the event that shaped the character of our people. In other words, the giving of the Torah is the beginning of Jewish history, whereas the Exodus from Egypt – like the stories about the patriarchs – is, in this sense, prehistory.</p>\n\n<p>If we translate historical events into terms pertaining to each individual's pilgrimage toward his true goal in life – the Promised Land – then the three festivals, together with their natural/agricultural symbolism of spring (Passover), reaping (Shavuot), and harvest (Sukkot), can be seen as landmarks along that path.</p>\n\n<p>The individual journey begins when a person tears himself away from the state of aimlessness. This is the first step. At this point everything is still in the embryonic stage, incomplete and undefined – the festival of spring. Clearly, at this stage one does not fully understand the significance and future consequences of the spontaneous first step into the unknown. Only later does one reach a degree of maturity and self-knowledge that gives an understanding of the road taken. This is the time of the receiving of Torah, the feast of reaping. And only long after, possibly many years later, does one reach full awareness and the ability to enjoy the good fruits. This is the tranquil hour of \"the season of our joy\" – the feast of harvest.</p>\n\n<p>These three stages of spiritual development can be found, in various forms, in the life of every individual, as well as in the spiritual and historical course of the nation as a whole. The Exodus from Egypt is the departure from material and spiritual nothingness in the direction of a new and as yet unknown destination. The spiritual baggage at the moment of this crucial decision is almost nonexistent. At most, it is \"the bread of affliction.\"</p>\n\n<p>Only later, farther along the path chosen without knowledge, does one reach full understanding; only then are goals and aspirations formulated in fixed laws. Then a person can see things in their entirety and evolve a bird's-eye view of his way in life and what it entails. This is the hour of the giving of Torah to the entire nation, and the hour of the receiving of Torah by the individual. The time of receiving the Torah is a time of turmoil and inner strife, despite the newly acquired spiritual and intellectual maturity. Things are forced upon us – \"God forced the Mount [of Sinai] over the people of Israel like a pail\" ( <em>Shabbat</em> 88a) – and we find it difficult to absorb all of this novelty, which, however close to the heart, is as yet foreign to the spirit.</p>\n\n<p>Only after a lengthy period of digestion and adjustment does one attain a sense of inner integrity, wholeness, and peace. It is then that one feels capable of harvesting the crops that have grown in the course of time, and of enjoying them in calm and happiness.</p>\n\n<p>There are three points, then, in a man's path: the decision, the understanding, and the rejoicing. All are essential and important, but not equally important. Which one bears the greatest significance?</p>\n\n<p>At the point of departure, the people of Israel were a nation of slaves in body, mind, and spirit. They had no spiritual content or any real goal in life. The only thing they did have was a vague sense of continuity, an obscure link with their forefathers. This is what prevented them from assimilating completely with the Egyptians, and what prepared them for what they were about to be given.</p>\n\n<p>Then came the call to depart from Egypt. The very desire for freedom was a tremendous revolution in the soul of this nation of slaves; it was the awakening of the need for inner freedom that exists in the soul of every individual. And although they did not yet know God, and had no idea as to how the Exodus would in fact occur – they believed. The slaves had neither knowledge nor understanding, and yet they went out into an unknown and unmapped desert.</p>\n\n<p>Such a spark of faith can enable those who possess it to overcome all dangers and obstacles. True, this path of faith is almost bereft of profound intellectual content, but it creates a link that goes much deeper than that of any other kind. It is a relationship of devotion, of inner oneness beyond perception, with the Divine.</p>\n\n<p>This lightning decision, this inexplicable faith, conceals within itself the seeds of all that will in due course be revealed. This is where the relationship begins and where its character is shaped. The overt, external revelation occurs at a later stage; but the inner, essential relationship is there from the very beginning, from the very first act of faith. This is why the people of Israel were able to say, prior to the giving of Torah, \"We shall do and we shall hearken\" ( <em>Exodus</em> 24:7), because their essential link with the Torah, albeit hidden, was there from the first.</p>\n\n<p>The prophet Jeremiah says, \"I remember in thy favor the devotion of thy youth, thy love as a bride, when thou didst go after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown\" ( <em>Jeremiah</em> 2:2). The memory of the basic relationship of the people with God is the memory of the decision to depart from Egypt: The young nation of Israel, inexperienced and ignorant, followed God without knowing anything about Him, about the commandments He was about to give, or about the path they were destined to take.</p>\n\n<p>The essence of the Exodus, then, is in the initial, faith-motivated decision to leave the ordinary, the routine life, and to follow God. This is that all-inclusive point of departure. Prior to that there is nothing. All the rest is elaboration. This is what gives Passover – the festival of spring – its prominence among the festivals. And this is also why the month of <em>Nisan</em>, the month of spring, is the first month – the starting point, the beginning.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Discussion Questions for Text #5</strong></p>\n\n<ol>\n\t<li>Think of a life experience in which you are at the first stage. How does experiencing the Exodus help you take a step forward?</li>\n\t<li>We are meant to experience the Exodus individually and personally, but it is still a story about a group of people, and the birth of a nation. What does it mean to experience coming out of Egypt with a group of people? How is your sense of belonging in a community tied to experiencing challenges together?</li>\n\t<li>Why do you think Rabbi Steinsaltz describes going out of Egypt and “into an unknown and unmapped desert” as a “path of faith”? Think of a time when you went into the unknown. What can the Exodus teach us about how to handle such a situation?</li>\n</ol>\n", "cliptype": "text", "clipsource": "The Exodus: An Extraordinary Passage", "featured": 0, "featuredIn": null, "is_public": 1, "is_published": 1, "media": { "image": null, "audio": null, "video": null }, "thumbnail": null, "clip_section": [ { "haggadah_section": "Commentary / Readings", "slug": "commentary-readings" } ], "likes": 0, "downloads": 225, "tags": [], "themes": [], "language": "0", "is_bookmarked": "0", "is_liked": 0, "meta_tags": { "title": "The First Step: Passover as a Personal Journey | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "keywords": "", "og:type": "article", "og:url": "https://www.haggadot.com/clip/first-step-passover-personal-journey", "og:title": "The First Step: Passover as a Personal Journey | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "og:description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "og:image": "" } } }, { "clip": { "is_admin": 0, "is_owner": 0, "handle": "and-you-shall-ask-the-power-of-questioning-1", "title": "\"And You Shall Ask\": The Power of Questioning", "author": "The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "author_handle": "info167711", "author_initials": "TG", "covertext": "Source: The Steinsaltz Haggada (Hebrew-English), with expanded commentary and notes by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsal...", "user_image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/users/133066/conversions/gdjl%20transp%20higer%20res-thumb.jpg", "user_image_original": "https://assets.haggadot.com/users/133066/gdjl%20transp%20higer%20res.png", "body": "<p> <em><strong>Source:</strong> </em> The Steinsaltz Haggada <em> (Hebrew-English), with expanded commentary and notes by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz. 2016, Koren Publishers Jerusalem. Page 58-61.</em> </p>\n\n<p>The four questions, which are traditionally posted before beginning the \"answer\" portion of Maggid, are exceedingly ancient in origin. Although the wording has undergone slight changes over the generations, the central aspects of this liturgy remain unaltered since the days of the Second Temple. The format of its central theme has likewise remained as it was in the very beginning, reflecting its identity as a children's query. Ideally, the children should ask questions about the customs of the seder on their own initiative, because the whole point of the seder is to expand upon the Torah's declaration, \"And when your son asks you...you shall say to him:\" (Exodus 13:14). Ultimately, in order to preserve the question-and-answer format, the earlier generations enacted that children should be taught to ask these four standardized questions.</p>\n\n<p><b><img src=\"https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/4UgUM5iPPHMSiqPBG-hJrJoQ2Eg1MVLcKUU7zXkSrERIGLRO3B9lssYUOVU6yQ3flI_JEnnnxx311dOJuST3golWHfX_a9mJmn6BRy7glfjkBYVJxV1L5l6H28058nejbUZS5vtd\" alt=\"4UgUM5iPPHMSiqPBG-hJrJoQ2Eg1MVLcKUU7zXkSrERIGLRO3B9lssYUOVU6yQ3flI_JEnnnxx311dOJuST3golWHfX_a9mJmn6BRy7glfjkBYVJxV1L5l6H28058nejbUZS5vtd\" /></b></p>\n\n<p>There was a custom in some communities for the child to preface his remarks with the statement, in his own words, \"Father, if you please, I will now ask you four questions.\" Some even had the custom to ask leave of a father who was no longer living before asking the four questions. They explained that this is because these questions also contain a hidden aspect of meaning, an allusion to our Father in heaven. Thus on a deeper level, we pose other questions to God, imploring Him: Why have we not yet merited the complete redemption? Why do we have cause to celebrate such a festive meal as this only once a year?</p>\n\n<p><strong>What Makes This Night Unlike All Other Nights?</strong> All of the festive meals that are held for Shabbat and festivals are regularly conducted at night. Besides, in the time of the Talmud the main meal would always take place at night, even on ordinary days. <strong>Bread or <em>matza</em> :</strong> This means that on every other night, we eat either bread or <em>matza</em> ; it does not matter (and indeed one version of this question reflects this notion). Obviously, on any other night we may eat a <em>mixture</em> of bread and <em>matza</em> as well. <strong>Tonight we will eat bitter herbs</strong>: Although we do eat other vegetables tonight, it is only on the seder night that we are actually obligated to eat bitter herbs. <strong>We do not dip [our food] at all:</strong> Some versions featured the words \"we are not required to dip at all\"; people certainly dip their food occasionally during the course of any meal throughout the year. Our question relates to the outright obligation to dip tonight, and the unusual manner in which it is done.</p>\n\n<h2>Discussion Notes</h2>\n\n<p><strong>The Four Questions:</strong> When the Holy Temple still existed, the format of these questions was somewhat different. In those days one of the questions was: \"That every other night we eat roasted or cooked meat, but tonight we only eat roasted meat?\" This question became irrelevant and was struck from the service during the generations that followed the Destruction of the Temple, since the Paschal offering was no longer eaten. Thus in order to preserve the formula of four distinct questions (as the Vilna Gaon points out, every aspect of the seder observance is based on elements of four), the additional question about reclining was later added. This practice was not difficult to understand in earlier times, and would not have merited a question, as people were accustomed to recline at every important meal.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Tonight We Will Dip It Twice: </strong>The commentators have pointed out that the children asking this question have only seen one act of dipping by the time their turn comes to ask. So how can they ask why we dip twice? Some have explained that since by this time they have observed that only the karpas was dipped, they can assume that the ḥazeret would be dipped later (Rashbatz and others). But in reality there is a simpler solution. It is understood that these are not necessarily the children's own questions. Indeed, if they were to ask questions based on their own initiative, they might ask about other changes and differences that they may notice during the course of the evening. The obligation of \"And you shall tell your child\" is equally fulfilled if one answers their questions about other things as well. But these questions were prepared and designed to capture the attention of all the seder participants, and to arouse their interest in the seder's significance and purpose. Therefore, the children now raise questions about things that will come up later, during the course of the evening.</p>\n\n<h2>Discussion Questions</h2>\n\n<ol>\n\t<li>Each of the Four Questions compares everyday practice to something unusual about the seder; our awareness of difference prompts us to ask how and why that is. What about the Exodus makes you curious? In what ways does questioning help you to better understand the story of the Exodus? What questions might you ask in addition to The Four?</li>\n\t<li>Is there actually a fifth question in this text? Could “What makes this night different?” be a separate question that deserves its own answer?</li>\n\t<li>The words of the Four Questions themselves are ancient in origin. Rabbi Steinsaltz points out that these questions are almost exactly as they were asked in the time of the Second Temple. Why is that significant? Does asking questions that were asked thousands of years ago change how you think about these words?</li>\n\t<li>Why does this part of the telling of the story begin with asking pre-determined questions? If the questions are proscribed and the answers are known, how do the questions stay relevant? What happens when we hear a question repeated many times – are we really listening to it? How does having the youngest person at the Seder (e.g. a child) ask the questions make the whole process feel new?</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>For more texts about the power of questioning, visit <a href=\"https://theglobalday.org/passover\">theGlobalDay.org/Passover</a> to download our FREE supplemental guide to enrich your seder - <strong>\"And You Shall Ask\": The Power of Questioning</strong>.</p>", "cliptype": "image", "clipsource": "The Steinsaltz Haggada", "featured": 0, "featuredIn": null, "is_public": 1, "is_published": 1, "media": { "image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/172111/FINAL-2019-Packet-promo-image-FB-and-eJP.png", "audio": null, "video": null }, "thumbnail": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/172111/conversions/FINAL-2019-Packet-promo-image-FB-and-eJP-cover.jpg", "clip_section": [ { "haggadah_section": "-- Four Questions", "slug": "four-questions" } ], "likes": 0, "downloads": 212, "tags": [], "themes": [], "language": "0", "is_bookmarked": "0", "is_liked": 0, "meta_tags": { "title": "\"And You Shall Ask\": The Power of Questioning | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "keywords": "", "og:type": "article", "og:url": "https://www.haggadot.com/clip/and-you-shall-ask-the-power-of-questioning-1", "og:title": "\"And You Shall Ask\": The Power of Questioning | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "og:description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "og:image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/172111/conversions/FINAL-2019-Packet-promo-image-FB-and-eJP-cover.jpg" } } } ], "clip_remake_history": 0, "meta_tags": { "title": "Exodus: An Extraordinary Passage | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "keywords": "", "og:type": "article", "og:url": "https://www.haggadot.com/clip/exodus-extraordinary-passage", "og:title": "Exodus: An Extraordinary Passage | Passover haggadah by The Global Day of Jewish Learning", "og:description": "Our simple platform allows you to create a custom Passover Haggadah, with access to unique content contributed by our community. Find artwork, family", "og:image": "https://assets.haggadot.com/clips/166058/conversions/Exodus-image-for-eJP-cover.jpg" } }