The Haggadah: Your 2,000-Year-Old Guide to Freedom

What is the most popular and  most observed Jewish holiday?  I'd probably say Pesach, also known as Passover.  Look, even if you're not that religious,  you're probably going to family for the Seder. Hi, my name is Rabbi Mendel Winner and today  we are going to explore the Passover Haggadah. We are getting ready to celebrate the very   first Jewish holiday that the  Jews celebrated in history, the holiday of Pesach,  commemorating the exodus of Egypt, marking the birth of the Jewish nation. After 210 years of forced labor, the Jewish people  were miraculously freed from Egyptian bondage. We commemorate this miracle  on the day that it occurred,   the 15th of Nisan, by having a Seder,  or two Seders if outside of Israel. Now, it's important to remember we  don't just commemorate the past,   rather we take inspiration from the  past for our lives today in the present. What is freedom? Well, what is slavery? Is it about being in prison, subjugated,   or shackled in chains? Or is  freedom something much deeper? You see, freedom is a mindset.  A person can be physically free,   yet still have a slave mentality, or a slave  to his bad habits, fear, and social pressure. Does money give you freedom? What about health? While these could give someone more freedom,  someone can be a billionaire but still be trapped. True freedom is when we are free  from our limitations and are able   to fulfill our God-given purpose on this earth. Like the famous psychiatrist Viktor Frankl  wrote, even when suffering tremendously,   people still have one freedom  that no one can take away—  the freedom to choose their attitude  and meaning and purpose in life. On Pesach, we have the ability  to tap into that great energy   and blessings of freedom. We are  able to break out of our personal   limitations and experience what it means  to truly do what is best for us as Jews. The Haggadah is the roadmap  to experience this freedom,   showing us how each one of the 15 steps of  the Seder are steps towards personal liberty. First, we have the Classic  Kehos Haggadah by Rabbi Shochet. This Haggadah has the full Hebrew text,  followed by a literal English translation. Before each paragraph, you have directions  instructing the reader what to do.   Every page has beautiful artwork  by the famous Chassidic artist   Zalman Kleiman depicting the  scenes of the Passover story. In the beginning, there's a helpful guide for  the exact measurements necessary for the wine,   matzah, etc., and other important details. In the back, you have the essential prayers   transliterated so you can  read the original Hebrew. Next up, we have the Chabad.org   Haggadah by Rabbi Tzvi Freidman. Have you been going to the Passover   Seder hosted by your grandparents  and been getting really bored? You feel like the story of the Exodus is  sort of ancient and irrelevant to your life? Then this Haggadah is perfect for you. Because it's so important to apply  the practical life lessons the story   has to share, this modern Haggadah is  very relatable. It makes it easier to   find yourself in the Exodus story so you  can have a meaningful Seder experience. It has the full Hebrew text  on one side, then a modern,   very readable English translation on the other,  filled with down-to-earth idioms and analogies. It also has a transliteration  of the essential parts so you   can say them in the original Hebrew if you'd like. Each section is clearly color-coded and  peppered with illustrations to keep you engaged. There are clear instructions before  each paragraph guiding the reader how   to perform the Seder as well as when  different readers should switch off. You have the light bulb icon with deep  insights and pearls of wisdom from our sages. The arrow icon has a link to  Chabad.org's vast website to   access more information before the holiday. We now have the Kehos Haggadah with  extensive commentary by Rabbi Marcus. Taking inspiration from the four  different sons of the Seder night,   the author wrote this Haggadah with  many different types of people in mind. One person may be interested in  the details of the Exodus story   while another wants to learn about the  Kabbalistic meaning behind eating matzah. Therefore, this Haggadah is divided into sections.   First, you have the full Hebrew  text and English translation. Then you have the notes and insights section  with extensive commentary, halachic analysis   of the laws of the Seder, as well as the  history of the Haggadah and its rituals. You then have a Medresh section  peeking behind the scenes of the story.  Then a Chassidus section making the Pesach  lessons personally relatable and the Kabbalah   section providing a glimpse into the more  esoteric and abstract dimensions of the Seder. This Haggadah also includes a terms  and measurements section covering   the technical essential details of how  to perform the mitzvahs of the night. We now have the Living Haggadah by JLI. Like we mentioned in the introduction,   the Exodus story is your personal liberation  and the Haggadah is your breakout script. This Haggadah is designed  to be personally relevant.  Gathering from a diverse range of  rabbinical authors and commentators,   they selected insights focused on personal growth. You have the full Hebrew text  and English translation on top,   then nuggets of relevant inspiration on bottom. For the section of Maggid, which is  a significant chunk of the Haggadah,   there is a great overview to keep the reader  oriented as it's quite easy to get lost. Since it's supposed to be an evening  discussing the Exodus of Egypt,   you have many discussion starters. That's 22 thought-provoking questions—a  great way to keep the conversation flowing. We now have the Gutnick Haggadah by Rabbi Miller. This classy Haggadah is primarily focused on the   original Haggadah with the commentary  and notes of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. You first have the Hebrew and English text.  Then the classic questions section, where a   question is posed and multiple answers  are given from different commentators. Then you have the Toras Menachem section, drawn  from the vast teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. It can either be in-depth analysis  of a specific law or custom,   or it could be life lessons and inspiration. Finally, we have the Weiss edition Youth Haggadah. This cute Haggadah is geared towards youngsters,  with its colorful pages and engaging graphics. It's based on the Lubavitcher  Rebbe's commentary on the Haggadah. You first have the full Hebrew text, then the  English text with literal translation in boldface,   then basic elucidation in the lighter font,  so you can read the text in one smooth flow. You then have the Tidbit section. These are eight color-coded  categories with fascinating insights. To summarize, we have the classic  Kehos Haggadah with great artwork. Then the Chabad.org Haggadah,  modern, hip with-it Haggadah. Kehos Haggadah with extensive  commentary from a wide range of sources. The JLI Haggadah,   very user-friendly and relatable, with great  discussion questions for your Seder table. The Gutnick Haggadah, primarily focused on the   teachings of the Lubavitcher  Rebbe and other commentaries. And the Weiss edition Youth Haggadah. Thank you so much for watching. Share  your comments and insights below,   and we want to know what  is your favorite Haggadah. If you want to take your Jewish  identity to a whole new level and   learn what it means to be  a Jew, check out JNet.org. You can sign up to be matched with a  personal mentor to study one-on-one weekly. Learn a lot of Torah and learn  what it means to be a Jew.