Reference only:

We drink four cups of wine at the seder to invoke the four promises God made to the people of Israel:

I will bring you out...

I will deliver you...

I will redeem you...

I will take you to be my people...

Read aloud:

Pesach celebrates the freedom and redemption, yet it reminds us that we are neither truly free nor fully redeemed. While the Kiddush refers to the season of our "freedom," when we uncover the matzah we say, "Now we are slaves, next year may we be truly free."

A slave's time is not his own. In contrast, freedom is the control of our time. Controlling and crafting our time is the first critical act of freedom.

Today, we often feel short of time; that time controls us. On Pesach we remember that true freedom and self-respect is to master and control time for ourselves, to shape our life in accordance with our values.


haggadah Section: Kadesh