Bab. Talmud Pesachim 116b says that during the Seder, one begins with shame / humility and ends with praise. Meaning, that during the Magid section of the Seder, we begin with the "mood" of our humble history as slaves in Egypt, and end with praising G-d for our Exodus and Redemption.
The Mishnah states that we use the section from Deuteronomy (I lost part of my web connection, so would appreciate of someone can edit in the location.) beginning with the words ארמי אובד אבי
Questions:
If the mitzvah on Pesach night is just to tell the story of the Exodus, why do we need any "theme" at all? What do the concepts of humility vs. praise have to do with telling the story of the Exodus?
If this theme is important or critical, aren't there other sections in the Torah that might accomplish the same job? (See next question, as an example)
The mitzvah is to tell the story of the Exodus. The section the Mishnah suggests seems like a round-about way to do this. ("Round-about in the method that we do it in the Haggadah. We recite verses then explain this by using proofs from other verses, the majority which are in Exodus. Why not just read those Exodus verses directly?) Why not read selected verses that talk about the 10 plagues (We do a bit of that in Maggid, anyway) from parshat Va'era and Bo, and perhaps some verses about the commandments of matzah and marror (like we recite in the Rabban Gamli'el part) and, maybe end with some verses surrounding the story of the Splitting of the Sea (more than the 1 or 2 verses that we recite related to Rav Akiva's sayings. etc.)?
Answer
We should not miss the chance to say ARAMI OVED AVI
First we see a similarity between 3 Mishnayot
- the first is in Arvey psachimquoted in the question.
Psachim 10, 4
...מַתְחִיל בִּגְנוּת וּמְסַיֵּם בְּשֶׁבַח, וְדוֹרֵשׁ מֵאֲרַמִּי אוֹבֵד אָבִי, עַד שֶׁיִּגְמֹר כֹּל הַפָּרָשָׁה כֻלָּהּ:
- The second is about Mikra Bikurim
Bikurim 3, 6
וְקוֹרֵא מֵאֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי עַד שֶׁהוּא גוֹמֵר כָּל הַפָּרָשָׁה,
- The third related to an other Regel, Succot, does not remember Laban the Aramean but an offence toward our ancester in the time of the first Beit Hamikdash (not linked to our topic).
Succa 5, 4
הִגִּיעוּ לַשַּׁעַר הַיּוֹצֵא מִמִּזְרָח, הָפְכוּ פְנֵיהֶן לַמַּעֲרָב, וְאָמְרוּ, אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁהָיוּ בַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה אֲחוֹרֵיהֶם אֶל הֵיכַל ה' וּפְנֵיהֶם קֵדְמָה, וְהֵמָּה מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים קֵדְמָה לַשָּׁמֶשׁ, וְאָנוּ לְיָהּ עֵינֵינוּ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, הָיוּ שׁוֹנִין וְאוֹמְרִין, אָנוּ לְיָהּ, וּלְיָהּ עֵינֵינוּ:
When they reached the gate which leads out to the east, they turned their faces from east to west and proclaimed, our fathers who were in this place [stood] with their backs toward the temple of the lord, and their faces toward the east, and they worshipped the sun toward the east, but as for us, our eyes are turned to the lord'. R' Judah stated, they used to repeat [the last words] and say we are the lords and our eyes are turned to the lord.
- the first is in Arvey psachimquoted in the question.
On what principle are these ceremonies built?
Gemara following the Mishna in Succa above cited explains.גמרא דף נ"ג עמוד ב'
תנו רבנן: ממשמע שנאמר (יחזקאל ח) ופניהם קדמה איני יודע שאחוריהם אל היכל ה'? אלא מה תלמוד לומר אחוריהם אל היכל ה' - מלמד שהיו פורעין עצמן, ומתריזין כלפי מטה. אנו ליה וליה עינינו כו'. איני? והאמר רבי זירא: כל האומר שמע שמע כאילו אמר מודים מודים - אלא הכי אמרי: המה משתחוים קדמה, ואנו ליה (אנחנו מודים), ועינינו ליה מיחלות.
Our Rabbis taught, Since it is said, And their faces toward the east, is it not obvious that their backs were toward the Temple of the Lord? What then is the import of the statement, 'their backs were toward the Temple of the Lord'? It teaches that they uncovered themselves and committed there a nuisance. WE ARE THE LORD'S AND OUR EYES ARE TURNED TO THE LORD etc. But can it be so? Did not R`Zera in fact rule, He who repeats Shema', Shema'(10) is as though he said Modim, Modim [and he is silenced]? - The fact is that it was this that they used to say, "They worshipped the sun toward the east" but as for us we give thanks unto the Lord, and to the Lord do our eyes hope'.
The last statement of this length quotes shows the principle:
Devaluating beginning is an introduction to a praise. The Pyut Dayenu is a whole devlopment of this idea. The first step was to know Hashem. When we get the top (see the beautiful picture on the mishna in Succa), we turn around and look behind us (see again the beautiful picture in the mishna in Succa)- The mitsva is not just to tell, but as all occurences of Zechira, has a constructive aim (here Shevach, Hodaya (see the wort of Abrabanel here))
- The chronologic and genealogic presentation of the the numerous benefits we have enjoyed, from the first time up to Beith Hamikdash
- The story is from the conception to the birth of Am Israel, Yetsiat Mitsraym is the birth. There is no birth without conception. The beginning is a critical factor.
A very basic Remark on the verse ARAMI OVED AVI
An important Gemara-Rashi in massechet Sota (32b). The Gemara says:It has been taught: R`Simeon B`Yohai said: A man should recount what is to his discredit in a loud voice.
Rashi
וגנותו. כגון ארמי אובד אבי היינו גנותו שמתודין שאביהן לבן הארמי היה רשע :
His discredits, as "My father was an Aramean in perdition". Since their father, Laban the Aramean, was miscreant. (See Ibn Ezra on the word oved "מלת אובד מהפעלים שאינם יוצאים")
The Drasha of the Hagada is not the literal lecture of this verse.
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