At the Seder, You’re Free and Not Free at the Same Time | Unlocking the Haggadah #13 | 10@9 | 2026.03.29

There is a clear chronological arc to the Haggadah. We begin as slaves. We end as free people. But beneath that story lies something far more unsettling - and far more powerful. At every single moment of the Seder, from Karpas to Hallel, we are experiencing both slavery and freedom at the same time. Not sequentially. Simultaneously. Why would the Haggadah be structured this way? And what does it mean for how we understand freedom - not just then, but now? In this episode, we explore this hidden layer through two familiar moments: Charoses and the Hillel sandwich - and uncover a deeper emotional truth at the heart of the Seder. Because real freedom is more complicated—and more fragile—than we like to admit. In this series, Unlocking the Haggadah, we reveal the underlying structure of the Haggadah so that each part flows into the next—transforming the Seder into a meaningful conversation rather than a disconnected collection of texts. In the next episode, we explore a historic disagreement within the Haggadah that still shapes how we see the world today. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman ([email protected]) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.