The Telling - Magid

The central part of the is called Magid, the telling. Beginning with Avadim Hayyinu - We were Slaves, it extends to the meal. The purpose of this  section is to recount the story of the Exodus and encourage a discussion of its meaning for our lives. The Haggadah tells the story exodus by presenting a series of Midrashim or Rabbinic interpretations of Deuteronomy 26:5 - 8. This section can be confusing. It can also inspire some interesting table discussions. In a rush to get to the meal, any families skip the section of the Haggadah beginning with, “My father was a wandering Aramean” until the plagues. In the interest of encouraging people not to leave Magid out I have rewritten it in simple language to be used either along with, or in place of, this section of the Haggadah.

Come and hear the story of our people,

The story we relive on Seder night:

How our ancestors went forth

From the straights of Mitzraim

To the open places of rejoicing and faith.

This story belongs to you and me.

An age-old story, it becomes our own

when we tell it on Seder night.

" A wandering Aramean was my father.

he went down to Mitzraim few in number.

There he became a great nation,

mighty and numerous.”  (Deut. 26:5)  

In Egypt we discovered our distinctiveness.

Few in number, we learned

that greatness is more than numbers.

"The Egyptians treated us harshly and oppressed us,

they imposed hard labor on us.”   (Deut. 26:6)  

Their harshness wounded us with false accusations.

with venom and hate and distrust.

" W e cried out to Adonai,

the God of our ancestors,

He heard our voice

and saw our affliction,

our toil, and our oppression. ”  (Deut. 26:7)

What did Adonai see in Mitzraim?

He saw families torn asunder,

and children made to suffer. 

God saw the cruelty of Egypt

and the helplessness of Israel.

"So Adonai brought us out of Egypt

with a mighty hand, with an out-stretched arm

with awe and signs and wonders.”  (Deut. 26:8) 

Egypt and Israel felt God’s presence

In every corner of the land.

His signs filled the earth and the sky

His wonders could be seen in every Israelite’s eye.

With a mighty hand He demanded

Justice for the oppressed.

With plagues and wonders the Egyptians learned

The lesson of God's power.

So may God’s signs be present today

To teach us of Your justice

and Your mighty acts.

We continue with the Ten Plagues:

All of us live in a ship called Exodus

Overcrowded and stuffed with lost memories

On the verge of sinking into hidden depths.

We hold on and to each other 

And hope for the Promised Land ahead.

All of us have passed through the straits,

Have fought the terror that holds us down.

We feel the press of prison walls,

Of mind and metal, of dark emotions

And some can say, I’ve passed this way before.”

All of us have felt the coldness of the Nile,

The bitterness of mortar

Made without appreciation.

The harshness of human demands

We’ve built a world for someone else,

All of us have been there and some remain…