Lead Tidbit
Eliyahu HaNavi
This prophet, who, according to our Tradition, is the one who will announce the imminent arrival of the Mashiach, shows up twice, so to speak, at Pesach time. The first is in the haftara of Shabbat HaGadol, when we hear that G-d will send Eliya (he's Eliyahu with a VAV dropped from his name; this is not the only time) beforethe coming of G-d's Great and Awe-filled Day. And then, of course, at the Seder table, we are all aware of the Cup of Eliyahu that is filled, but left un-drunk until the Complete Redemption. It seems important for us to be reminded that the redemption from Mitzrayim set into motion many great things in our Nationhood, but that there is more to come (to say the least). Mention of Eliyahu at Pesach time reminds us of the whole package deal: We get out of Egypt, we commit ourselves to G-d at Sinai and accept the Torah, we proceed to Eretz Yisrael, the intended venue of Jewish Life, we build the Beit HaMikdash... AND we live our lives- as individuals and as a People - in such a way that the we will neither lose the Mikdash ever again, nor ever be exiled. This aspect of "the whole picture" shows itself in different ways on Leil Pesach. At the Seder table, we focus on the Exodus, of course, but occasionally we look beyond it. The initial statement of the Seder - HA LACHMA ANYA - sets the tone of including the future redemption as part of the evening’s foci. Now, we are here; next year, in Eretz Yisrael.

In the Mishnaic discussion of the place of remembering the Exodus at night, we find the additional comment of the Sages dealing with remembering the Exodus even at the time of Mashiach.

The DAYEINU poem begins with the accounts of Y’TZI’AT MITZRAYIM, but then goes into the Midbar, through the split sea, to Sinai and the Torah, and into Eretz Yisrael and the building of the Beit HaMikdash.

And then there is the concluding statement of the Seder (we’ve added more, but it was the original ending) - Next Year in Rebuilt Jerusalem.

But all of the above says to us: Tonight we remember the Egyptian Experience and we also look further into the future to the Complete Geula.

However, when we contemplate the message of the Haftara of Shabbat HaGadol, we see that the the Complete Redemption is being presented “right up front”, and it will remain in our consciousness throughout the Seder.