A Name And A Detailed Life

I want to write about Pesach, want at least to link to last year's Haggadah helper. Please G-d, soon I'll link.

Bought two Pesach related books tonight on an impulse at B&N. One is called Seder Stories and the other is The Four Questions Around The World. I'm thinking alot about the seder - wish there was more space to discuss things during the seder in my situation.

A student of mine told me that her mother requires everyone to bring something to the table relating to a theme. This year's assignment is to speak about someone inspirational who's worked toward freedom in the world. i told her about Frances Bok and that's who she's going with.

What does G-d repeat over and over that he wants Egypt to do? (It seems to me that the most repeated point is to know that there's a G-d.)

Why is it then that even after they let the Jews go, G-d's still pushing for that knowledge with the same words?

Why is it that when The Jews finally do get out and really see what's happened it says that they believe? Is believing higher or lower than knowing?

And what's the point of the blood on the doorposts? And who or what is the Mashchit?

And why do they have to ask for the jewels, etc.

And why isn't Moshe's name in the Hagadda? (On a good year I find the one place where he actually is mentioned in the Hagaddah - where is that again?)

Lamdus aside,doesn't it sound like we're supposed to see ourselves like we went out of Egypt all the time - in every generation - not just on the Seder night? Could it be that this means that we're supposed to always be learning lessons from the story, appreciating our own process of redemption by applying the metaphor of Mitzrayim?

Why are children in the center of the seder? Could it be (as my friend Donny Besser suggests) (and as one of my mentor/hero's Rabbi Pesach Oratz plans to quote in Donny's name at his seder) that they are better than adults at imagining. They get it. They see the frogs and the splitting of the sea. And we play along. Maybe while we think we're teaching them, what's happening is that they're leading us to a place where we normally don't go?

What does it mean that if G-d didn't take us out we'd still be slaves to Paroh in Egypt? Is that a fact?

Why did Pesach stick with the less affiliated more than Sukkot? Do you feel bad for Sukkot?

Pick a character from the story and see it from his or her side (Paroh, Moshe, Miriam, Aharon, a simple Egyptian, a simple Jew).

Make up a story for an Egyptian or Jew at the time. Give them a name and a detailed life.