B’chol dor vador, In every generation: It has always been difficult for me to explain what the Maggid had in mind in composing this passage. First, what proof is there in the verse that is quoted here: “You shall tell your child on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I went out of Egypt.’” This verse addresses those who actually left Egypt and not future generations. Even more difficult is that the passage goes on to bring a second proof text when one should have been enough. To answer this question we must go back and analyze who left Egypt and who were the people in the wilderness. There were three groups among the Israelites: Those who left Egypt but were condemned to die in the wilderness and those who left Egypt but were under the age of 20. The third group was made up of those who were born in the wilderness but were not among those who left Egypt. One might conclude that those who were born in the wilderness, and certainly those who were born after them, were not obligated ‘to see themselves’ as the ones who left Egypt. This latter group was neither among those who actually left Egypt or those who entered the land. Therefore the Maggid states that every generation is obligated to see itself as if it went forth from Egypt. The proof text which the Maggid brings here is especially appropriate because of the verse which precedes it: “So when the Lord has brought you to the land of the Canaanites…and you perform this rite…”. The mention of the Passover rite in this passage is superfluous since we have already mentioned it above. From that verse we might conclude it applies to those who left Egypt and were allowed to enter the land as well. This verse comes to teach us that it applies even to those who did not leave Egypt but either entered the land after being born in the wilderness or those who were born after the sojourn in the wilderness. Having concluded from the verse, “You shall tell your child on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I went out of Egypt’” applies to those who didn’t go forth from Egypt, how can they say that God did these miracles for them when they weren’t even there? That is why we instruct them to see themselves as if they were among those who actually went forth from Egypt since God performed all these miracles for their sake. But how about those who would come later – whose parents or grandparents were not among those who left Egypt, and who were not even among those who entered the Land since they had already settled there. To them we say, “The Holy One did not redeem our ancestors alone but even we were redeemed with them…” For this statement we bring a separate proof text. “He brought us out from there so that He might take us to the Land which He had promised to our ancestors.” Just before this verse we say, “We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and the Lord freed us from Egypt with a mighty hand.” Our proof text seems superfluous after this verse. It comes to teach us that that even our generation who were not among those who left Egypt or those who entered the Promised Land are obligated to see ourselves as the recipients of God’s redemption from Egypt.

There seems to be a contradiction in this passage. First we say that we must see ourselves “as if” we went forth from Egypt (implying that we didn’t really go forth from Egypt). And then we say “He brought us forth from there…” implying that we really did go forth from Egypt! Also why does the passage say “We, too, were redeemed with them?” The word eemahem, “with them” seems unnecessary! The Mishnah, however only includes the first of the two proof texts: “You shall tell your child on that day, saying, It is because of what the Lord did for me when I went out of Egypt.” Rava felt the need to add the second verse: “He brought us out from there so that He might take us to the land which He had promised to our ancestors.” He added this verse because the first verse suggests that this obligation only applies to those who were brought forth from Egypt and not the people of later generations. Had the Israelites remained in Egypt even one more hour they would have be subjugated forever; therefore, by taking our ancestors out of Egypt just when he did, in a sense God made sure that we would not be slaves either. Therefore Rava felt it was important to emphasize that not only were ancestors redeemed but we were redeemed as well. This is similar to what we already said at the beginning of the Haggadah in the Avadim Hayeenu passage. The first, then, teaches us that we were really redeemed, and the second that the redemption applies as much to us as it did to our ancestors. The passage as it appears in the Haggadah is actually a product of the Amora’im , or those scholars who came after them, and not the original text by the Tana’im.