Order and Spontaneity
The word seder means "order," and it is central to the Jewish concept of freedom. We become God's "partners in the work of creation" when we create order in society – an order that honors all persons as the image of God. If God's presence is to be found not just in rare moments of ecstasy, but in the daily transactions of society as a whole, then it must have a seder, a set of rules we all honor. Order turns individuals into a community and communities into a people. The seder night reflects the order that binds us to other Jews throughout the world and in previous generations.
At the same time, the seder leaves room for spontaneity. No two seder nights are the same. Ideally, each family, each year, adds new insights as we reflect on our birth as a people and relate it to the present. "The more one tells...the more admirable it is." Pesach is a fine example of the Jewish counterpoint between structure and spontaneity. We all tell the same story in the same words, but we each add something uniquely ours. The rules are the same, but the commentaries and interpretations are always different. That is how an ancient story stays young.
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Passover Guide
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