Why is the Seder So Long?

By Rabbi Roy Feld man

about the Exodus makes us better suited to practice Judaism. “Just as the Exodus served as preparation for the Israelites to receive the Torah, telling the story of the Exodus prepares us for the Torah.” And the more we tell it, the better prepared we are. Science has caught up to the Sefat Emet’s idea more than a century later.

Unlike lists of facts, ideas, or rules, stories stimulate our brains in ways that change our perspectives and can even change the way we act.

In his research, Princeton neuroscientist Uri Hasson has shown that telling stories causes listeners’ brains to synchronize with each other in a process he calls “alignment.” Moreover, the brains of the listeners also align with those of the speakers. The greater the alignment—the more similarly the brains are processing information—the better the communication is between the speaker and the listeners. They become more likely to understand each other and to be moved by what the other is saying.

Finally, hearing a story yields almost the same brain activity as actually experiencing the event. The more families tell each other the story of the Exodus, the more likely they are to share similar perspectives on it, to identify with those who experienced it, and to be receptive to the messages contained within the story. Or in the words of the Sefat Emet:

The more people tell each other about the story of the Exodus, the better prepared they are for Torah.

Ideas shared throughout the Seder by children, dramatic presentations by grandparents, and annual schtick from uncles can make the Seder last into the night; that one’s Seder lasted longest is a source of pride for some. It’s not for naught: Early on the Haggadah notes, “The more one tells about the Exodus, the more he is praiseworthy.” But why? There are a plethora of actions that can reveal a person’s merit; one who gives tzeddakah, performs mitzvot, or studies Torah certainly shows that he is praiseworthy. How long or how many times one tells about the Exodus seems inconsequential when compared with those truly praiseworthy acts.

The Sefat Emet (Rabbi Yehuda Leib Alter of Ger) sharpens our reading of the phrase and, in doing so, offers an interpretation that is characteristically ahead of his time. It’s not that praiseworthy people tend to tell more about the Exodus; how long someone spends telling the story does not shed light on that individual’s merits. Rather, the very act of telling about the Exodus serves to improve us. One becomes praiseworthy through it because telling

So encourage words of Torah, dramatic scenes, and activities that add depth to the Seder experience (though perhaps inform participants in advance that they may want to grab an afternoon snack). Telling our story develops deep connections between members of our family and between our family and the rest of our people going back thousands of years.