Avadim Hayeenu, We were slaves: The two halves of the opening statement in this passage are taken from two different biblical verses; the first half of this statement is taken from Deuteronomy 6:21 – “And you shall say to your child, ‘We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt…’” This verse concludes“…And the Lord took us out from Egypt with a mighty hand.” However the Maggid did not use the second part of this statement. Instead the second half of the passage, Avadim Hayeenu is taken from a different verse Deuteronomy 5:15 – “And you shall remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.” The reason the Maggid uses a different verse for the second part of this passage is because this passage provides an answer to each of the four questions. We begin with Deuteronomy 6:12 to fulfill the dictum that in telling the story of the Exodus, one begins with disgrace (and ends with exaltation.) Deuteronomy 5:15 contains not only a statement of exaltation but it also answers the four questions in the way it is worded. Adonai took you out, (1) your God, from there (2), with a mighty hand (3), and an outstretched arm (4)

1. V’yotzee’acha adonai – “Adonai took you out.” This statement explains why we dip twice during the Seder. The two dippings represent the two blessings which God bestowed upon Israel in Egypt: first, they were redeemed from slavery to freedom, and second that it was God Himself who redeemed them. These two blessing are alluded to by these words: V’yotzee’aynu “He took us out” and adonai “Adonai.”
2. Elohaynu misham – “Our God from there.” This is an allusion to the matzah. When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt they were not much better than the Egyptians; like them they worshipped false gods. When they were about to leave Egypt, they renewed their faith in one God and repented of their former ways. We find reference to this in the verse: “Draw out and take your lambs according to your families.” The sages interpret this to mean draw yourselves away from idolatry and bring obligatory lambs. It is known that chametz is a symbol for the evil of idolatry while matzah is a symbol of the aspect of holiness. Therefore when the Israelites ate matzah, they affirmed that their God, Elohaynu, never ceased to be their God and that they were rejecting idolatry, symbolized by chametz. That is why we eat only matzah on Passover – it is an affirmation of acceptance of God and rejection of idolatry.
3. B’yad chazakah – “With a mighty hand.” This expression is a reference to the tenth plague since it is the mightiest of all the plagues. Through it Israel escaped from Egypt. Regarding this plague the Torah says, “There was no house in which there weren’t dead,” As a result, there was bitterness and sorrow in every Egyptian household. We eat bitter herbs as a reminder of the bitterness we caused the Egyptians through the hand of God. Later in the Haggadah a different explanation is given for the bitter herbs, and both are correct.
4. U’v’zroah netuyah – “And an outstretched arm.” Because God took us out of Egypt with “an upraised hand,” without fear or anxiety, we lean at the Seder as a sign of our leisureliness and comfort.

We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt: The Maggid should have said, “Our fathers were slaves to Pharaoh and He took us out.” Why do we say that ‘WE were slaves?’ The Maggid qualifies this statement by saying: If He had not taken us out, then we, our children and our children’s children (would still be subjugated in Egypt). The mention of three generations is meant to be a hazakah, a presumption. If Israel had remained enslaved for four hundred years they would have gained the presumed status of slaves. That is why God moved up the time of redemption from the original prediction of four hundred years, and took them out of Egypt sooner. Had they remained in Egypt, they would have been subjugated for all time. After three generations the Israelites would have sunk into the fiftieth degree of idolatry and impurity and never would have been able to escape from this impurity. That is why we say ‘we would have been subjugated’ and not “we would have been slaves,” even though the second expression is closer to the language of the Torah. It is possible for a person to be a slave but to serve his master freely. To be subjugated is to serve one’s master against one’s will.

Even if we were all wise, all of us were knowledgeable: This is a reference to knowledge of the world and not necessarily knowledge of the Torah. It is the way of people of knowledge and discernment to inquire into the ways of the world and to analyze the events happening about them. Even a simple Jew knows matters dealt with in the Torah as well as the story of the Exodus of Egypt. What the Maggid is saying here is whether we are knowledgeable in matters of the world or in the ways of Torah we would still be obligated to tell the story of the Exodus at great length.

Another way of understanding this passage is: even if we are familiar with the written as well as the oral Torah, we are still obligated to tell the story of the Exodus of Egypt at length. Even sages and people of great knowledge must tell the story. A person should not think that one is only obligated to tell the story of the Exodus to young children or to women because they are not familiar with the story of the Exodus. Even if a group of Torah scholars are together, and there are no women or children present they should not presume that they are not obligated to tell the story of the Exodus. The colleague should not say to him, “Who doesn’t know all this?” Therefore we say, ‘even if we are all sages and discerning, and even if everyone in our circle is great in the performance of commandments, we are still obligated to tell the story of the Exodus.’ Such a group can reveal the deepest secrets of Torah and not just tell the story in a general way. That is why we say, “One who tells the story of the Exodus at length is praiseworthy.” The Haggadah goes on to give examples of scholars who did not skimp in the telling of the story of the Exodus - the sages at B’nai Brak and Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah.