Madlik Haggadah: Freedom Begins With Letting GoThe hidden symmetry between Pesach and Yom Kippur—and why Judaism starts redemption with an act of nullification
[Youtube video to follow] Open almost any traditional Haggadah and you’ll find something strange. Before Kadesh. you’ll often see the text of bitul chametz:
There’s just one problem. We don’t say it. At least—not at the Seder. The Ritual That DisappearedThe actual practice of bitul chametz happens earlier:
By the time we sit down at the Seder, the ritual is over. So why is it still printed in the Haggadah? Unless— it isn’t over at all. A Clue Hidden in the CalendarExodus 12:15
Mishnah Pesachim 1:1
The Torah places removal on the first day. Our practice follows the Mishnah. But the Haggadah? It quietly remembers the Torah. What If the Haggadah Is Remembering Something?By including bitul chametz at the very beginning—even though we don’t say it— it suggests:
Matzah and Chametz: Two Halves of One IdeaTalmud Bavli Pesachim 36a
Matzah is:
Zohar II:40b
Chametz is:
Torah Or
Bitul Is Not Just About BreadTalmud Bavli Pesachim 6b
And the declaration:
This is not symbolic. It is a legal act. You take something that appears substantial— and declare it:
The Two Obstacles to FreedomAnd then the Rabbis go one step further. Talmud Bavli Pesachim 3b
There are always two forms of slavery:
Chametz is not just food. It is the part of us that rises— inflates— insists on its own importance. And redemption requires confronting both. Mussar: Becoming Like DustOrchot Tzadikim
And in prayer:
Dust is not nothing. It is freedom from needing to be something. Tanya: The Inner Work of BitulTanya
The work is not to destroy the self— but to remove its illusion of independence. So Why Include It in the Haggadah?Because without it, the story is incomplete. We like to think the Seder is about telling a story. But maybe it’s about doing something far more radical:
The Deeper Pattern: Pesach and Yom KippurNow zoom out. Twice a year, Judaism asks us to begin with an act of formal nullification. Pesach
Yom Kippur — Kol Nidrei
And both are framed by the same root: Deuteronomy 16:3
Leviticus 16:29
Poverty. Freedom Begins With LessWe usually think freedom means:
Pesach suggests the opposite. Freedom begins when you can say:
The Freedom of Letting GoThere’s a line from Bob Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone:
It sounds modern. Almost rebellious. It might also be the essence of the message of the matzah And maybe that’s why the Haggadah insists on including this ritual which we no longer perform at the seder. Because you can’t leave Egypt without it. Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/307019
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Sunday, 29 March 2026
Madlik Haggadah: Freedom Begins With Letting Go
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