Pesach: A Collective Voyage

by Chana Borrow '26

Growing up, I thought I understood the Passover seder. It was simple: tell the story, eat dinner, find the afikoman. Maggid was always the central part; the storytelling seemed like the heart of our experience. I imagined it as a powerful narrative of suffering and liberation, a historical accounting of our people’s journey from slavery to freedom. 

But recently, a profound teaching from Rav Avi Weiss’s new Haggadah, Yehi Ohr, transformed my understanding. The haggadah, he teaches, is not just a linear story, but a complex tapestry of Jewish experience divided into two sections. First, we sit with our pain acknowledging the deep struggles of oppression, without any caveats. Then, after the meal, we remind ourselves about the importance of hope, of a vision of the future redemption. 

This perspective reveals itself beautifully in the ritual of yachatz, the breaking of the matzah. One half remains on the table, representing our redemption from Egypt, while the other half is hidden away as the afikoman, symbolizing our future salvation. As Rav Weiss teaches, it is impossible to break a matzah evenly, so we hide the bigger piece away to show our hope for the future, larger geulah. Our past redemption gives us hope for the greatest redemption yet to come. 

The Ramban offers another profound insight into the nature of redemption. He teaches that leaving Egypt was not enough for true freedom. When the Jewish people left Egypt, even though they came forth from the house of bondage, they were still considered exiles. Complete redemption only came when they finished building the Mishkan together. When Bnei Yisrael completed a large project as a community and God’s presence dwelled among them, then they were freed from the bonds of slavery. 

This teaches us something essential about Passover: redemption happens in stages. The Exodus from Egypt was just the beginning. True freedom came through collective effort, through building something meaningful together as a community. The Ramban called the book of  Shemot “Sefer HaGeulah,” the Book of Redemption, precisely because it chronicles this complete journey from slavery to freedom in the presence of the Divine.The Maharal of Prague deepens this idea in his work Gevurot Hashem. He explains that the four cups of wine at the seder correspond to the four expressions of redemption mentioned in Shemot, chapter 6. 

“‘V’Hotzeiti’, ‘V’Hitzalti’, ‘V’Ga’alti’, ‘V’Lakakhti’, v’chol davar v’davar inyan meyukhad b’geulah”

Therefore, the expressions of redemption, which comes from the upper world, are four: “I will bring you out” (Exodus 6:6), “I will deliver you” (ibid.), “I will redeem you” (ibid.), “I will take you” (ibid., verse 7), and each matter has a special significance in the redemption. Therefore, one should drink with this meal, which commemorates the redemption, four cups also for the redemption; two cups before the meal, and two after it. Because the cups are more elevated, and therefore encompass the entire meal, so that there are two before it, and two after it, with the meal in between them (Gevurot Hashem 62:7).

Each expression represents a distinct stage in the redemption process, teaching us that liberation unfolds gradually, not instantaneously. The Maharal explains that true freedom isn’t just about physical liberation but also about spiritual transformation.

In our world today, it is easy to feel that redemption is distant. Our world is broken, divided, and challenged. But the lessons of Passover remind us that teamwork and cooperation pave the path towards redemption. The seder itself demonstrates this. It is not a solitary experience but a collective one, where we gather to retell, discuss, and engage with our story together.

During maggid, we are commanded to elaborate, to discuss the Exodus at length. We transform from passive listeners to active participants in an ongoing redemptive narrative. We tell the story together, whoever is around the table. 

Like the broken matzah, our lives are never perfectly whole. We hold one piece in the present, another hidden away in hope, always reaching towards something greater. The Passover seder invites us to recognize both our past redemption and our hope for a more complete liberation.

As we prepare for Pesach, we might ask ourselves: what can we build together? How can we collaborate to bring divine presence into our communities? Perhaps we can invite someone to our seder who has nowhere else to go, prepare thoughtful questions that bridge divides, or gather extra items for those in need during our Pesach shopping.

Our redemption is not waiting for us—it is waiting within us, ready to be awakened through connection, compassion, and the courage to collaborate. The Passover seder reminds us that true liberation is not a solitary path but a collective voyage.

Chag kasher v'sameach!

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Chana Borow is a third year rabbinical student at Yeshivat Maharat. With a Master’s in Jewish Education and a BA in History, she currently serves as a Pulpit Intern at Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel in Chicago and Program Assistant at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale. Her experience includes teaching Middle School and High School Tanakh, Talmud and Jewish history at multiple institutions including the Abraham Joshua Heschel School. Chana specializes in making traditional Jewish texts accessible while fostering inclusive community spaces.