Passover is as precious and troublesome as an heirloom. The Haggadah, whether read in Hebrew or English, is hard to understand: Four Questions, vague and non sequitur responses, countings and recountings of plagues that some doubt ever happened, stories of ancient sages staying up all night deliberating over what?

In truth, the Passover Seder is a dramatic production with script and props. The Haggadah is the script. The matzah, salt water, and Seder plate are the props. (Many families embellish the drama by dressing up in costumes or acting out skits of bondage, etc.) We are the actors. Unlike most drama, whose purpose is vicarious, the Seder's goal is to change us. Here are some program notes.

Every Jewish holiday is an opportunity for growth and self-discovery. Passover is the time to experience the freedom which comes from being in a relationship with God. On Seder night, "every Jew must feel that he himself has gone out of Egypt." Freedom is not acquired once. It needs to be continually learned and reacquired.

The essence of slavery is self-concern. Preoccupation with myself, my success or failure, my comfort, and others' opinion of me rob me of my essential freedom. I become a slave to anxiety, fear, compulsion, and insecurity.

Bruno Bettelheim reports that in World War II, the rich suffered most in the concentration camps because they were devastated by the sudden loss of social position and respect. Their precarious sense of self could not withstand the loss of other people's esteem.

How can we achieve inner freedom? The Haggadah, our evening's script, recounts God's redemption of the Jews from Egypt. The Haggadah repeatedly affirms: "We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, but God brought us out of there with a strong hand and an out-stretched arm." The first ingredient of true freedom is the recognition of God's action in our lives.

Implicit in this recognition is the acknowledgment of God's immediate care and involvement with us. The Haggadah states: "The Lord brought us out of Mitzraim-not by an angel, nor by a Seraf, nor by a messenger, but the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself." God is directly involved in our lives, an expression of His love and caring.

Recognition of this yields the courage we need to risk freedom. When the Jews stood at the sea with the Egyptians at their backs, many of them thought the end had come. God told Moses to instruct the people to go forward and that He would split the sea for them. One man, Nachshon ben Aminadav, had the courage to jump into the sea. Only when the water reached Nachshon's nose, did the sea split.

From where did Nachshon get the courage to jump into the sea? The miracles of the plagues and the Exodus had convinced Nachshon that God intervenes for their welfare. It was not a theological point for him, but an immediate experience, which he could trust and rely on. His faith in God's love for him gave Nachshon the daring to take the plunge.

A significant and often skipped part of the Haggadah is the recitation of Hallel. Hallel is a series of psalms praising and thanking God. Hallel, which begins before the meal and continues afterward, is preceded by the statement: "Therefore, it is our duty to thank, to praise, to glorify, to exalt . . . the One who did all these miracles for our fathers and for us."

A relationship must be two-sided. Once we have experienced the flush and thrill of all God did/does for us, we must respond with acknowledgment, appreciation, joy, and love.

The introduction to Hallel ends: "We will sing before Him a new song." God is not interested in old songs, rehearsals of the last generation's sentiments, recitations of last year's thanks. Hallel is meant to be an outpouring of our own fresh enthusiasm once we have re-experienced God's love and intervention in our lives:

As Hallel proclaims: "How can I repay God for all His benefits toward me?"

The effect the Seder should produce is encapsulated in one phrase of Hallel: "Because His lovingkindness has overwhelmed us." The Seder should leave us with the feeling of being overwhelmed by God's love and salvation:

"If our mouths were as full of song as the sea and our tongues could sing joyously like the endless waves . . . we still would not be able to give You sufficient thanks, O God, . . . for even one of the thousand thousands and myriad myriads of favors which You have done for our Fathers and for us."

From the confidence of God's love, we gain the courage to be free.