Mishneh Torah, Leavened and Unleavened Bread 7

Hook

"In every generation, a person must present himself as if he, himself, has now left the slavery of Egypt."

Context

• Source: Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Chametz U’Matzah (Laws of Leavened and Unleavened Bread), Chapter 7.
• Era: 12th Century, written by the Rambam (Maimonides) during his time in Egypt.
• Community: The Sephardi and Mizrahi tradition, which holds the Rambam’s codification as a foundational pillar for halachic practice.

Text Snapshot

"It is a positive commandment of the Torah to relate the miracles and wonders wrought for our ancestors in Egypt on the night of the fifteenth of Nisan, as Exodus 13:3 states: 'Remember this day, on which you left Egypt.'... Even great Sages are obligated to tell about the Exodus... A father should teach his son according to the son's knowledge... He should make changes on this night so that the children will see and be motivated to ask: 'Why is this night different?'"

Minhag/Melody

The Rambam emphasizes that the Seder is not a passive reading but an active performance. He codifies the "snatching of matzah" and moving the table to pique curiosity. Many Sephardi and Mizrahi families continue the beautiful custom of the hachraza (proclamation), where the Seder plate is lifted or moved above the heads of the participants to reenact the haste of the exodus, ensuring the children stay engaged through physical movement.

Contrast

While many Ashkenazi traditions focus on the Afikoman as a singular hidden piece, the Rambam’s framework highlights the entire Seder as a dynamic, interactive dialogue. In many Mizrahi homes, the tradition of "stealing" the matzah is less about a game and more about the vivid, physical reenactment of the urgency described in the Rambam’s text—making the narrative visceral rather than merely intellectual.

Home Practice

The "Question-First" Seder: Following the Rambam’s instruction that even if you are alone, you must ask yourself "Why is this night different?", try starting your Seder by having every guest—regardless of age—write down one "Why" question about the evening before the formal reading begins. The goal is to ensure the narrative is a response to curiosity, not just a recitation of a book.

Takeaway

The Exodus is not a historical event to be remembered; it is an internal state of liberation to be experienced. The Rambam teaches us that if we do not feel the "slavery" and the "freedom" in our own bodies, we have not yet fulfilled the mitzvah.