Why is this night different from
all other nights?
מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת?
(1) שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלּוֹ מַצָּה
(2) שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה (כֻּלּוֹ) מָרוֹר
(3) שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָנוּ מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה שְׁתֵּי פְּעָמִים
(4) שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה כֻּלָּנוּ מְסֻבִּין"
Why is this night different from all other nights?
(1) On all other nights we eat leavened products and matzah, and on this night only matzah.
(2) On all other nights we eat all vegetables, and on this night only bitter herbs.
(3) On all other nights we don't dip our food even ones, and on this night we dip twice.
(4) On all other nights we eat sitting or reclining, and on this night we only recline.
Four unique changes take place on this night, making it different from all other nights in the year, including Shabbat and holidays. These four questions appear almost at the beginning of the Haggadah and are meant to peak the young boy's interest so that he will want to hear the story of Exodus. Without these questions, the Mitzvah (commandment) of telling the story of that day may not be possible.
This year slaves, next year free
There is only one answer to all of these questions and it appears immediately after the questions themselves:
"We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt. And God took us out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm."
”עבדים היינו לפרעה במצרים. ויוציאנו ה’ אלהינו משם ביד חזקה ובזרוע נטויה”
We were slaves. And that is why "we are commanded to tell the story of Exodus". This night is in memory of us being freed from Egypt, in memory of us being slaves, and the decisions to be slaves no more and not to enslave others either. It is in memory of the decision to start a journey of freedom, one that is not yet over. Every year we say, "this year slaves, next year free". This year we are slaves and next year we hope to be free. We do not say that we "will" be free, but that we hope and that we’ll try to be free. That is why next year we will say the same exact phrase and the journey to true freedom is ongoing.
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