A Unique Category of Blessing

The Magid section of the Haggadah is truly the heart of the entire evening, where the riveting story of the miracles and redemption is told in a unique format. After completing the story from degradation of our people to the exalted status brought about through redemption, we are required to recite the first two paragraphs of Hallel. The Magid section then comes to an end with the following blessing:

“Blessed are You, G‑d, our G‑d, King of the universe, who has redeemed us and redeemed our fathers from Egypt…. Blessed are You, G‑d, who redeemed Israel.”

The question raised by many is what is the classification of this blessing? As we know, the blessings enacted by the Sages have specific categorical assignments. There are blessings for enjoyment, such as those recited prior to food. There are blessings for commandments and blessings of praise and gratitude. What would be the cataloguing here?

The Orchot Chaim (Hilchot Leil Pesach 21) lays out what would seem to be the easiest categorization. The blessing enacted by the Sages has the same character as that of “sheasa nisim”, the blessing we recite on Chanukah (when lighting candles) and Purim. (Why we do not actually recite the text of that blessing at the Seder is taken up elsewhere)

Shibolei Leket offers a different, and more problematic, explanation (Kineged Arba). He claims this blessing should be classified as a blessing for a commandment; in this case, the commandment is the telling of the story of the Exodus. There happens to be a far-reaching debate among many important Jewish thinkers as to why the Sages did not require us to recite a blessing prior to the beginning of the Haggadah (or at least the Magid section). Per Shibolei Leket, the requirement for this blessing is fulfilled at the end of the section recounting the Exodus.

We must ask how this blessing can operate in its predesigned function? Why is it such a big deal to have the blessing not take place in the beginning? We must raise the concern of how this blessing’s position seems to violate a rule that applies to blessings set up for commandments. These blessings must be recited prior to whatever action is to be performed. For example, one recites the blessing concerning the picking up of the Lula, and then picks it up. In this instance, the blessing is being recited after the commandment has been completed. How is this acceptable?

Finally, when we turn to the words of Rambam, we see a very strange conception of the blessing. In Hilchot Chametz U’Matza (8:5), he reviews the order of the Seder night. After completing the review of the…, he explains how we recite “leficach”, followed by the first two chapters of Hallel. We then end with the blessing of redemption as noted above.

Thus, in reading Rambam carefully, the blessing is not directly related to the section of Magid. Rather, the blessing was created as a conclusion to the Hallel. This is certainly an odd conception of how this blessing is being categorized. We only recite the initial two chapters of Hallel, saving the majority for after the meal. Why would the “mere” recitation of these two paragraphs require its own blessing?

The first opinion offered by Orchot Chayim is quite intuitive, and a precedent of sorts exists with the recitation of “she’asa nisim” during the lighting of the candles on Chanukah. The common practice is to recite all the blessings associated with the lighting of the candles prior to the action of lighting. However, when we look to Masechet Sofrim, we see a subtle difference in practice. One should make the blessing concerning lighting the candles prior to the action of lighting. However, once one has completed the act of lighting, only then does someone recite “she’asa nisim”.

This formulation indicates the need for something experiential to precipitate the requirement for the blessing of “she’asa nisim”. Seeing the candles, where a person has a chance to reflect on the great victory over our enemies, demands a formal response. In a similar vein, Orchot Chayim is pointing to the experiential aspect of the recounting of the Exodus as the basis for reciting the blessing at the end of the Magid. Learning about the miracles and subsequent redemption, to the point where one is “obligated to see himself as if he had left Egypt”, raises the entire Magid to a unique experiential process. The completion of this process must end with a blessing of praise, and this is achieved through the final blessing.

How do we answer the above questions if, in fact, this blessing is for a commandment? One of the critical ideas of the Seder experience is the notion of spontaneity and discovery. The words of the Haggadah serve as a guide for those exploring the unique ideas and concepts of the story of the Exodus. The night is filled with back and forth between the participants, and the story follows a general thematic process, carrying us from the darkest times to the redemption from Egypt. Throughout it all, a sense of an informal exploration should be internalized by all present. As such, a blessing before or during the learning (and not recitation) of the story would create a formal structure that would take away from its expected informal nature. Thus, placing the blessing at any place prior or during the story would create an environment not conducive to the overall objective. However, it would be inappropriate to fail to acknowledge this experience as a Torah based commandment, as the blessing for commandments was instituted as part and parcel of all commandments. We therefore wait until the completion of the story part to now recite the blessing.

Finally, there is the blessing, per Rambam, functioning as the completion of Hallel. One could ask why is there any Hallel at all at the end of Magid? Why not just wait and recite the complete Hallel during its “normal” placement in the Seder night? After learning about the incredible story of the Exodus, one should be naturally moved to offer tremendous praise and gratitude to God. Hallel was the prayer set up as the vehicle for this objective. It would be inappropriate to not offer this avenue for the participant. In other words, while the entire Seder experience requires a Hallel (as said later), this particular part of the Haggadah has its own separate requirement for (some) Hallel. Yet the Hallel is incomplete, a recitation of just the first two paragraphs. Rather than a person relate to the recitation as paragraphs of Psalms, one must see them as fulfilling the institutional requirement for Hallel. Therefore, according to Rambam, the blessing must come at the end of the recitation. The indication to the participant is that he has recited the Hallel prayer as instituted by the Sages.

May we merit to experience the Final Redemption speedily in our days. Chag Kasher V’Sameach