The Moment the Seder Becomes Yours | Unlocking the Haggadah #15 (Finale) | 10@9 | 2026.03.31

At first glance, Sh’foch Chamatcha—“Pour out Your wrath”—feels like a jarring note near the end of the Seder. Why introduce anger at the very moment we should be moving toward redemption and joy? But in its deeper context, this is not a call to vengeance—it is a declaration of vision. We open the door not in fear, but in hope. It is an invitation: a call to all peace-seeking people and nations to join us. As God says, “My house shall be a house of prayer for all nations.” Those who choose peace are welcome. Only those who cling to violence exclude themselves. And that clarity leads us to the true climax of the Seder: Hallel. After everything we’ve experienced—slavery and freedom, questions and struggles, memory and meaning—we arrive at a place where praise is no longer scripted. It is real. We are ready for it. We want it. The Seder is no longer something we are observing. It has become something we are living. And in the final words—so often sung with a beautiful melody—we are reminded: this is possible. The Seder can be understood. It can be felt. It can change us. That is my hope—for myself, and for you. When the Haggadot are closed, something vital remains open. 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.