Maggid, the Hebrew word for “story,” is at the root of the word haggadah. In re-telling thestory of the Exodus, we speak ourselves into our communal past.

Poem "Maggid" by Marge Piercy - (Scotia & Vinayak & Aurora)

The courage to let go of the door, the handle.

The courage to walk out of the pain that is known

into the pain that cannot be imagined,

mapless, walking into the wilderness, going

barefoot with a canteen into the desert;

stuffed in the stinking hold of a rotting ship

sailing off the map into dragons’ mouths,

 

Cathay, India, Siberia, goldeneh medina

leaving bodies by the way like abandoned treasure.

So they walked out of Egypt. So they bribed their way

out of Russia under loads of straw; so they steamed

out of the bloody smoking charnelhouse of Europe

on overloaded freighters forbidden all ports—


 We honor those who changed

tonight, those who chose the desert over bondage,

who walked into the strange and became strangers

and gave birth to children who could look down

on them standing on their shoulders for having

been slaves. We honor those who let go of every-

thing but freedom, who ran, who revolted, who fought,

who became other by saving themselves.

 

haggadah Section: Maggid - Beginning