|
The Haggadah of Maimonides was included in his magnum opus, the Mishneh Torah. It is striking that this 800 year old Haggadah is virtually identical to the one we use today. What is absent are the latter paragraphs describing the Splitting of the Sea. For some reason, Maimonides omitted the Splitting of the Sea from the core Exodus story. Why would this crescendo moment of liberation not be included in the Seder?
In truth, the Splitting of the Sea is celebrated with its own holiday on the seventh day of the festival. The message is potent, even if God intercedes in the most glorious of ways, life will still present challenges tomorrow. We left Egypt amid ten miraculous plagues, but one week later we needed to rise to the moment again. While the Seder celebrates Jewish liberation, the Seventh Day marks our march into the future and the need for continued faith and
resilience
. The Exodus has earned its rightful place in world history, but the miracles of the sea deserve to stand alone.
To share comments, or to read more Short Vorts click here.
|
