Many of the commentators wonder why the paragraph of Avadim Hayinu follows Mah Nishtana; we ask four distinct questions but the continuation of the text doesn’t seem to relate to any of them. If so much focus is put on the children to ask, then presumably there is an assumption that the parents will answer— and not avoid — these questions. But in what way does Avadim Hayinu answer the questions of Mah Nishtana?

A number of the early commentators (see Haggadat Torat Chayim, pp. 30-31) answer, in essence, that Mah Nishtana focuses on two themes, slavery and freedom: the first two questions focus on slavery —matzah is the “bread of affliction” and maror represents the bitterness of the servitude. The final questions — about dipping and leaning — focus on the actions that are characteristic of free men. In response, we explain to the children that the rituals of the Seder are meant to mirror the duality of Jewish experience in Egypt: “Avadim hayinu le’Pharaoh be’Mitzrayim,” we eat matzah and maror because we were slaves, and then, “va’yotzienu Hashem Elokenu misham,” we dip and we lean on the Seder night because God liberated us from Egypt and gave us our freedom.

Perhaps we can suggest another answer that touches on the essential purpose of the Seder and, in fact, a core principle of Judaism. 

In addition to the special obligation of sippur yetziat Mitzrayim, retelling the story of the Exodus at the Seder, there is actually a regular obligation of zechirat yetziat Mitzrayim, remembering these events twice every day. Moreover, numerous other mitzvot — tefillin, mezuza, and more — focus on this theme. The Ramban (Shemos 13:16) famously explains that the reason for our repeated and intense focus on yetziat Mitzrayim is that these events express the most basic foundations of our faith. The existence of God, His active involvement in the events of this world, the notion of reward and punishment — all of these yesodei emunah are demonstrated through the story of yetziat Mitzrayim.

In other words, while we subtly nurture our faith throughout the year by remembering yetziat Mitzrayim, on the anniversary of those events we intensify those efforts through the specific mitzvah of sippur. It is no surprise, therefore, that many commentators refer to Pesach as the “Chag Ha-Emunah,” the Holiday of Faith. 

Thus understood, the prominent role of questions at the Seder testifies to the fact that questions are not a threat or the opposite of faith but, on the contrary, questions are a key ingredient to faith. In Judaism, we have never shied away from or suppressed questions. On the contrary, only people with emunah need to ask. We may not always receive answers but we should continue asking because asking Hashem questions — wrestling with God — is itself an act of avodat Hashem.

Perhaps this is why Avadim Hayinu follows Mah Nishtana even though it is not really an answer to the question — because that’s the point! The Haggadah is teaching us that the real value of the question is in the question itself. There may be answers, often there are answers, but that’s not the ikkar and that shouldn’t be the focus, and therefore there is no immediate answer to our question. The question of Mah Nishtana — and all questions — has intrinsic value and therefore it can “stand on its own” without the need for an immediate explanation.

The Seder is the annual incubator of our faith and the prominent role of questions — even without obvious answers — eloquently expresses our belief that questions play a vital role in nurturing belief. (I thank R. Yaakov Robinson for pointing out a similar idea in Haggadat Emunat Itecha.)