The Lessons of a Stained Haggadah
Mar 29th, 2011 by Rabbi Simcha Weinberg in Holidays, Relationships
Haggadah
“The Waves,” Virginia Woolf, 1931
Reminds me of the Seder!
When we set the table for the Seder, we would place a huge comfortable chair for my grandfather zt”l in front of his own table as the top of a T, placed against the table around which the rest of us would sit. Why did he need his own table? He wanted us to gather his hundreds of commentaries on the Haggadah and pile them on his table for him NOT to use!
“Why does Zaidy not look at his Haggadahs if they’re in front of him?”
“I want you to see that I’m more interested in what my grandchildren will say than I am in what is in all these Haggadahs!”
You may not know, but Weinbergs are opinionated! (Shocking, I know!) Each of us had our own ideas, and had to practice patience in front of our grandfather, not interrupt, and listen carefully to what everyone had to say (yes, even That sister!) because our Zaidy would often ask us to repeat what someone else said.
The Seder became an exercise in self-control, patience, and listening with respect.
I decided that I would emulate my grandfather and use the same simple Maxwell House Haggadah every year. No commentaries. Its pages are stained with wine and filled with bits and pieces of Marror and Matzah crumbs. I look at my simple Haggadah and remember my grandfather’s lesson of listening to what everyone else has to say.
The Seder becomes an exercise in listening; or, as my grandfather would say: “How does the parent know which of the Four Sons is asking? By listening.
Author Info:
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[...] in Reflections & Observations No Comments I was sharing a memory of my grandfather zt”l (Lessons From a Stained Haggadah) with a friend, and he reminded me of a story I told almost twenty years ago: My grandfather was [...]
Sometimes the Hagaddah is all about listening to what the Haggadah is saying.
And what is the Haggadah saying?
We all know ChaZL instruct “In each generation each person in Israel should view themselves as if they left Mitzrayim”. At the same time we know, based on their instruction, that when the Moshiakh arrives heralding in the Final Redemption -the holidays related to the Redemption from Mitzrayim will be annulled. Surely that redemption will pale before the Final redemption.
So, until the Final Redemption we listen to what the Haggadah is telling us – my generation, at THIS moment is closest to the Final Redemption, but we haven’t attained it.
Each generation before us, was at THAT time closest to the Final Redemption, yet didn’t merit attaining it.
When yidn world over, each person in their own niche, is sitting at the Seder, reading the Haggadah – Ahm Yisrael achieves a certain level of unity.
When reading the Haggadah we are listening for all the voices of all the yidn from all generations since the Redemption from Mitzrayim. While recounting the miracles of the First Redemption they looked toward and prayed for the Final Redemption and we add our layer of hopes and prayers to theirs.