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Maggid tells the Exodus story by starting with the negative and progressing to the positive. That is, we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, after which God redeemed us. Additionally, our ancestors (such as Terach and Laban) started out as idol worshipers. Only through a long process of refinement did we become a nation of monotheists. At first, it might seem better to tell only good, uplifting stories. However, the more we contemplate the tragedy of being slaves and the shame of our ancestors’ idol worship, the more we appreciate the magnitude of the redemption. The contrast is comforting and encouraging as well, because it teaches us that growth and redemption can emerge from suffering and failure.
Someone who cannot recite all of Maggid should minimally recite the parts that explain the significance of eating the Paschal offering, matza, and maror, as these express the Seder's most essential ideas. In short, the Paschal offering represents the uniqueness of the Jewish people; the matza represents faith and freedom, and the maror represents the enslavement, which purified and prepared our hearts for faith and Torah.
Maggid also addresses the subject of the ten plagues. The Torah provides an extensive description of the ten plagues to teach us there is a Judge who metes out justice in this world, and that the wicked are eventually punished. People as evil as the Egyptians – who brutally enslaved an entire nation and cruelly drowned their children – deserve to be punished accordingly. This lesson will stand for all time.
