The hidden symmetry between Pesach and Yom Kippur—and why Judaism starts redemption with an act of nullification

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	Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Madlik Haggadah: Freedom Begins With Letting Go The hidden symmetry between Pesach and Yom Kippur—and why Judaism starts redemption with an act of nullification Madlik Disruptive Torah Mar 29   READ IN APP   [Youtube video to follow] Open almost any traditional Haggadah and you’ll find something strange. Before Kadesh. Before Ha Lachma Anya. Before the story even begins— you’ll often see the text of bitul chametz: ״כל חמירא וחמיעא דאיכא ברשותי… ליבטל ולהוי כעפרא דארעא״ “All leaven in my possession… shall be nullified and become like the dust of the earth.” There’s just one problem. We don’t say it. At least—not at the Seder. The Ritual That Disappeared The actual practice of bitul chametz happens earlier: After the search for chametz on the night of the 14th And again the next morning after burning it 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 Calendar Exodus 12:15 ״שבעת ימים מצות תאכלו אך ביום הראשון תשביתו שאור מבתיכם״ “Seven days you shall eat matzah, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your homes.” Mishnah Pesachim 1:1 ״אור לארבעה עשר בודקין את החמץ לאור הנר״ “On the night of the fourteenth, one searches for chametz by candlelight.” The Torah places removal on the first day. The Mishnah moves it to the night before. 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: The elimination of chametz is not preparation for the Seder. It is part of the Seder’s message. Matzah and Chametz: Two Halves of One Idea Talmud Bavli Pesachim 36a ״לחם עני״ “Bread of affliction (or poverty).” Matzah is: simple flat uninflated Zohar II:40b ״חמץ… דא יצר הרע״ “Chametz… this is the evil inclination.” Chametz is: expansion inflation ego Torah Or ״חמץ הוא בחינת ישות… ומצה היא בחינת ביטול״ “Chametz represents selfhood… and matzah represents self-nullification.” Bitul Is Not Just About Bread Talmud Bavli Pesachim 6b ״ביטול בעלמא סגי״ “Simple nullification alone is sufficient.” And the declaration: ״לבטיל ולהוי כעפרא דארעא״ “Let it be nullified and become like the dust of the earth.” This is not symbolic. It is a legal act. You take something that appears substantial— and declare it: dust The Two Obstacles to Freedom And then the Rabbis go one step further. Talmud Bavli Pesachim 3b רבון העולמים, גלוי וידוע לפניך שרצוננו לעשות רצונך, ומי מעכב? שאור שבעיסה ושעבוד מלכויות. יהי רצון… שנשוב לעשות חוקי רצונך בלבב שלם “Master of the Universe, it is revealed and known before You that our will is to do Your will. What prevents us? The leaven in the dough and the subjugation to the nations. May it be Your will to save us from them so that we may return to fulfilling Your will with a complete heart.” There are always two forms of slavery: The external → oppression, exile, history The internal → שאור שבעיסה (the “leaven in the dough”) 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 Dust Orchot Tzadikim ״העניו יחשוב עצמו כאין״ “The humble person considers themselves as nothing.” And in prayer: ״ונפשי כעפר לכל תהיה״ “May my soul be like dust to all.” Dust is not nothing. It is freedom from needing to be something. Tanya: The Inner Work of Bitul Tanya ״כולא קמיה כלא חשיב״ “All is considered as nothing before Him.” 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: Reframing reality. The Deeper Pattern: Pesach and Yom Kippur Now zoom out. Twice a year, Judaism asks us to begin with an act of formal nullification. Pesach Bitul chametz Nullifying physical substance Yom Kippur — Kol Nidrei ״כל נדרי… דנדרנא ודאישתבענא ודאחרימנא… כולהון יהון שרן, שביקין, בטלין ומבוטלין… “All vows… that we have vowed, sworn, or declared… all of them shall be permitted, forgiven, nullified and annulled… Nullifying verbal commitments Dissolving identity structures we’ve built And both are framed by the same root: Deuteronomy 16:3 ״לחם עֹני״ “Bread of affliction (or poverty).” Leviticus 16:29 ״ועניתם את נפשתיכם״ “You shall afflict (or humble) your souls.” Poverty. Affliction. Self-reduction. Freedom Begins With Less We usually think freedom means: more options more resources more control Pesach suggests the opposite. Freedom begins when you can say: I don’t need this. The Freedom of Letting Go There’s a line from Bob Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone: “When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose.” 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   Like Comment Restack   © 2026 Geoffrey Stern 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104 Unsubscribe