Post by Akiva on Apr 16, 2016 22:45:24 GMT -5
Maybe the thing I love most about the Seder night is that it's made for observant Jews. Not in the religious sense, but for Jews who are actually paying careful attention to what they're doing, saying, and reading. Small nuances in the text, if noticed, can lead to new insights.
For example, why does the Haggadah tell us that "Afilu Kulanu Chachamim, Kulanu N'vonim, Kulanu z'Kainim, mitzvah aleinu l'saper b'yetziat mitzrayim" (typically translated as: Even if we were all wise people, all had deep understanding, and all elderly, we would still be required to tell the story of the Exodus)? Forget, for a moment, the substantive questions this phrase raises (why would anyone think that wisdom, understanding, or age would exempt you from fulfilling the commandment to tell the story of the exodus?) and focus in on the grammar (which I've oh-so-helpfully highlighted). As a matter of Hebrew language, the prefix "b'" means "in", "by", or "with." If the Haggadah wanted to say "to tell the story of the exodus" - the way that phrase is usually translated - it should have said "et" - "L'saper et yetziat mitzrayim."
Instead, the Haggadah chooses "b'" - what can that possibly mean in this context?
Here's my thought. The reason why the mitzvah is l'saper b'yetziat mitzrayim instead of et yetziat mitzrayim is because being m'saper et yetziat mitzrayim on the seder night - telling the story of the exodus - is completely impossible. There is simply too much there to cover it all in one sitting - too much depth, too much detail, too much insight to be gained from the lessons of the story, too many nuances to explore. All that we can do - even if we are the wisest of men, the most understanding, and so old that we've been engaging in sippur for decades - is to cover part of the Exodus.
That understanding would also explain why you might have thought the rule would be different for the wise/understanding/old sages among us - not that they would be exempt from telling the story, but that they would be capable of telling it. The Haggadah is telling us that simply isn't so - no matter how much we learn, how much we understand, and how long we've been at it, there will always be greater depths to explore.
For example, why does the Haggadah tell us that "Afilu Kulanu Chachamim, Kulanu N'vonim, Kulanu z'Kainim, mitzvah aleinu l'saper b'yetziat mitzrayim" (typically translated as: Even if we were all wise people, all had deep understanding, and all elderly, we would still be required to tell the story of the Exodus)? Forget, for a moment, the substantive questions this phrase raises (why would anyone think that wisdom, understanding, or age would exempt you from fulfilling the commandment to tell the story of the exodus?) and focus in on the grammar (which I've oh-so-helpfully highlighted). As a matter of Hebrew language, the prefix "b'" means "in", "by", or "with." If the Haggadah wanted to say "to tell the story of the exodus" - the way that phrase is usually translated - it should have said "et" - "L'saper et yetziat mitzrayim."
Instead, the Haggadah chooses "b'" - what can that possibly mean in this context?
Here's my thought. The reason why the mitzvah is l'saper b'yetziat mitzrayim instead of et yetziat mitzrayim is because being m'saper et yetziat mitzrayim on the seder night - telling the story of the exodus - is completely impossible. There is simply too much there to cover it all in one sitting - too much depth, too much detail, too much insight to be gained from the lessons of the story, too many nuances to explore. All that we can do - even if we are the wisest of men, the most understanding, and so old that we've been engaging in sippur for decades - is to cover part of the Exodus.
That understanding would also explain why you might have thought the rule would be different for the wise/understanding/old sages among us - not that they would be exempt from telling the story, but that they would be capable of telling it. The Haggadah is telling us that simply isn't so - no matter how much we learn, how much we understand, and how long we've been at it, there will always be greater depths to explore.
