The Haggadah begins with the words:-HEI LACHMA ANYA DI ACHOLU AVOSONO B-ARO D-MITZRAIM- this is the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt.

Question 1. In the time of Jeremiah the prophet, when he chastised the people to learn Torah, they complained, "what will be with our livelihood?", Jeremiah brought out to them the basket of manna, and said "with THIS your fathers were sustained" (in the wilderness when going out of Egypt). He said "THIS" because, it was the actual manna from the time of the Exodus, but how can we say THIS IS the bread of affliction that our fathers ate in the land of Egypt, when this matzah was probably bought in Boro Park, or Crown Heights?

Question 2. Surely, men, women, and children, also ate the matzoh, so why does it say “our fathers’ and not “our people” in general? This question can also be asked on the statement of Jeremiah, as above, why mention only the “fathers”?

Question 3. The rule in the Torah is, that the first indicative word in a Torah portion, becomes  the underlying theme of that portion.. It would therefore be appropriate to assume, that the same intention was invested into the beginning of the Haggadah, that the words “hei lachma”, should serve as it’s underlying theme. The question then is, it speaks only of bread (matzo), so how can it be the underlying theme of the other aspects mentioned, for example- the miracles etc.? Also, why is “hei lachmo” not mentioned in the Haggada, where it deals with matzoh, why is it mentioned separately, at the beginning?

Question 4. We eat morror, the bitter herbs, to remember how bitter was the lot of our fathers in Egypt, But why did they have to eat the morror, they actually lived through that bitterness?.

Question 5. Why was the portion of “hei lachmo”, written specifically in Aramaic, different than the other Parts of the Haggadah?..

Question 6. The “hei lachma” statement is immediately followed by specifically, a small child asking the “mah nishtana”, which we translate as :-“why” is this night different etc. but the word “mah” means “what” and not “why”, so what is “what”?.

To understand all the above, first we have to understand the concept of what the exodus from Egypt.entails, on a physical level, and on a spiritual level. The spiritual level, being the foundation of it’s physical existence as it is in everything in creation.

The Hebrew word for Egypt is Mitzraim, which has the meaning of “borders and limitations”, it signifies an imposed limitation on the full expression of ones potential, both on a spiritual level, and followed automatically by the physical level, as mentioned above. On the spiritual level, the limitation is, that it is the slavery to one’s ego, (by considering oneself as someone of substance, one feels that he has to live up to his self imposed imaginary status) which brings about the slavery to the physicality of this world,-“Egypt”.

In order to become a vessel, suitable to receive G-D’s Torah which in essence is G-Dliness itself beyond any limitation, it is the light to the world on what is the will of G-D, and how to serve HIM, one first of all, has to make the spiritual exodus from serving “oneself”. This was effected by our fathers in Egypt.

The plagues, demonstrated, that only HASHEM, was the Master of everything, since, the plagues were effective in all the four general stages, which are the spectrum of the entire creation, namely, the inanimate (including time and space) – the vegetable – animal – and human kingdoms.  This experience, implanted in them the feeling of humility and selflessness, the prerequisite to truly serving HASHEM. This is indicated  by the matzah, whose shape is flat and lowly, indicating humility. (“and you are what you eat”)  They had to eat the matzah which possessed this content, in order to digest and absorb it’s spirituality, till it became one with them.(The lesson from it’s round shape,-since hand baked matzah is round,-indicates the eternal value of a Jew, as, something round has no end, also telling us, that even though the ride is rough, like the edge of the matzah, but in the end, there is no end.) That is why the matzo is called the food of faith, which brings the cure.

Having inculcated humility, they began to regret their past with a feeling of bitterness, which is represented by the morror-the bitter herbs. This they also had to eat, in order to internalize this feeling, which leads to repentance, in order that it become part of their nature. They were now ready for the refining process of their character, through the counting of the Omer, also ready for the physical exodus from Egypt, and ultimately, the receiving of G-D’s Torah on Mount Sinai, the mountain which signified the trait of humility, since it was the smallest mountain. There is a Mishna in Pirkei Avos-the Chapters of the Fathers, that states, “when two people sit and study Torah together The Divine Presence is between them”, a question can be asked, why specifically to be learning while “sitting”?  answer,-sitting, signifies being lowly and humble, therefore, The Divine Presence is also there, as it was demonstrated at Mount Sinai.

Now to answer question 1.  When a deed is performed with the intention, “for the sake of heaven” a deed that we were commanded to do, in the Torah, it transforms the identity of the item used in the deed, from being mundane, to become Holy. So it is with the matzah which we eat on the Seder night, this matzah is a Mitzvah-a commandment to eat. Question. Since that is so, then, what is added to this Mitzvah by the Haggodoh telling us “that our fathers ate”?.    Answer. It is, as was mentioned above,- that our fathers ate the matza with the feeling of faith etc., knowing, that there is none beside HASHEM, as mentioned earlier. Therefore, when we eat the matzah with this feeling, we can truly say “this is the matzah that our fathers ate.                                       

Answer to question 2. After seeing wonders and miracles and the power of our fathers, to INTERNALISE this knowledge, that only G-D is Master of everything, this we inherited from our FATHERS in Egypt. That’s why “fathers” specifically is said, and also why Jeremiah the prophet used the word “fathers”, to indicate, that we as their childen, have inherited this beliefe, that since Hashem is The Master of everything, He can always give us our livelihood, even in a desert..

Answer to Question 3.  As mentioned earlier, the eating of the “hei lachmo” the matzo and morror brought our fathers to a state of being ready for the liberation, this, therefore, is the underlying theme of the entire Haggodoh, showing to the “children” of these “fathers”-that’s us, the things that our fathers saw, in order that THE CHILDREN should similarly be effected, to be able to bring about our own liberation, the same way as our fathers did.
Question 4 has been answered.

As for the fifth question, “why the title paragraph is written in Aramaic”, this is for the fifth son who is not  present at the Seder  ceremony, and who is obviously unlettered in the Jewish way of life, telling him in the language that he understands, that even from your present situation “hashato hocho” ( a life of self service-serving oneself, a form of subservience,) “lshono habo”, -in a single moment, you could find yourself  in the situation of freedom, and in the category of “Yisroel” that is a Jew on the highest level. One could ask, what is the point of making this statement directed to the fifth son, if he is not present to hear it?. And also to answer the question, why this statement is not said later in the Hagodo, in truth, the fact that this statement is said at the very beginning even before our own service, is a lesson  for us, that our own liberation depends on the liberation of the fifth son. Even though the fifth son, be a grown up in years, he is still a young child regarding Torah and mitzvos. So one can ask, how is such a person expected and able to turn himself around, in just a moment of time? The Hagodo itself is giving us the answer, which is found in the MAH NISHTANA, the next paragraph, which, according to custom, is specifically asked by a SMALL child. ( Question. If this lesson is for us, why does it not say this lesson in Hebrew, like the rest of the Hagodo? Answer, this fact is also a lesson for us, that in order to deal with the fifth son, we have to begin to deal with him on his level.)
In Hebrew the word “mah” signifies the state of humility and subjugation, the opposite of “self service”, and it is telling us, that as a person reaches this state of “mah”, (to do first and then to learn) that this  is “nishtana”-it changes over, in one moment, the “halailo” the night, the darkness, of subservience, to become “hazeh”, the meaning of which is – light, (“zeh hayoim”) revelation and liberation, when specifically our “small” children  will point with their finger and proclaim “ZEH” Keily ve-anveihu, - this is my G-D and I will glorify Him, and just as in the days of the exodus from Egypt, we will now also sing a new song “AL GE-ULOSEINU” our physical liberation, “ VE-AL PDUS NAFSHEINU” (the word “nefesh” also has the meaning of “will”) -our personal-spiritual liberation, together with MOSHIACH TZIDKEINU – with our righteous anointed KING MOSHIACH, very very soon.           PS.. The reason that it states “the physical liberation” before the spiritual liberation” this is a request and a blessing, that G-D should show the world such miracles, that all mankind will realize that only HASHEM is The Master, and we, as Jews will be relieved from all our present sufferings, as the case was in Egypt,  which will, awaken in us our spiritual inheritance of our fathers-the knowledge that only Hashem is master over all, as mentioned above, then, this will enable us to go out just as our fathers did then, “with our young, and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, etc. till not a hoof will remain, now and forever.      A kosher and happy Passover.                 From Hirschel Pekkar.  Please passover this letter to others.