The celebration of Pesach, and particularly the Seder night as described in Parshas Bo, is marked by stark contrasts. In the days of the Beis Hamikdash, the night of Pesach centered around the eating of the korban Pesach. There are two seemingly contradictory themes that emerge from how the korban Pesach is eaten. Its meat must be roasted rather than cooked since roasted meat was a sign of wealth and royalty. Similarly, the meat must not be left over as such a practice would resemble one who can't afford fresh meat the following day. Bones of the korban Pesach may not be broken since this is something one who lacks enough meat would usually do. The Sefer Hachinuch (in mitzvos 7,8, and 16) elaborates upon how observing these intricacies of halacha creates the mindset of our state of royalty as the nation of Hashem.
Even as we celebrate our exalted status on Pesach night, we perform mitzvos that invoke a very different image of ourselves. Accompanying the korban Pesach we partake of matza and marror. Matza is referred to as lechem oni - a poor man's bread. We highlight an existence of poverty and suffering even as we celebrate our newfound freedom. This aspect of matza is so essential that we introduce the matza at the seder by declaring "Ha lachma anya"- this is a poor man's bread. Completing the mitzvos of eating on Pesach night is the obligation to partake of marror, which is the ultimate reminder of the bitterness of our lives as slaves prior to being redeemed on this very night.
Freedom and slavery, wealth and poverty, not only permeate the mitzvos of Pesach, Matza, and Marror, but the mitzva of sippur yetzias Mitzrayim revolves around these very themes as well. We are taught by Chazal that the Torah commandment of telling the story of yetzias Mitzrayim at the seder must include beginning with how lowly we were, both physically and spiritually, as slaves, and culminating in the glory bestowed upon us. The actual mitzvos as well as our entire discussion on this night encompass this theme of transformation.
Such a change in our existence, from those who survived on mere matza and tasted the bitterness of slavery to becoming a royal nation, should mentally take a great deal of time; perhaps generations would have to pass before a glorious nation could emerge. Yet, Hashem performed this transformation in literally the blink of an eye.
The symbolism of a downtrodden suffering people all of a sudden celebrating as the beloved royal nation of Hashem has great meaning for us both personally and nationally. Situations that appear bleak and hopeless can turn around in a moment. Personal suffering and pain can be transformed instantaneously to joy. Over the course of generations Jews have often sat down to the Seder in the most difficult circumstances. What gave our people the strength to celebrate the first Pesach after the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed? From where did Jews get the inspiration to perform a Seder knowing that the dangers of a blood libel could be upon them at any moment? How were Jews able to find the faith to commemorate the night of redemption from Mitzrayim even as they were suffering during the horrors of the Holocaust?
It was the Seder night that kept alive the dream of nobility of the Jewish people. Just as matza and marror gave way to korban Pesach over three thousand years ago, so too Klal Yisrael will emerge from galus and once again return to the Beis Hamikdash to partake of the korban Pesach and celebrate its glorious destiny.
As we read Parshas Bo, although still several months away from Pesach, let us focus on the dream of geula that we eagerly wait for at any moment.
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