The Four Names of Passover

We were slaves to Pharaoh in the land of Egypt. And the Lord, our God, took us out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched forearm. And if the Holy One, blessed be He, had not taken our ancestors from Egypt, behold we and our children and our children's children would [all] be enslaved to Pharaoh in Egypt.

It was taught in the mishna that the father begins his answer with disgrace and concludes with glory... And Shmuel said: The disgrace with which one should begin his answer is: We were slaves.

As the Sages taught with regard to the verse: “And if the household be too little for a lamb, then he and his neighbor who is close to his house shall take one according to the number of the souls; according to every man’s eating you shall make your count for the lamb” (Exodus 12:4). “According to the number of” teaches that the Paschal lamb is slaughtered only for those who have registered for it. Everything is done according to the number of people who have registered before the slaughtering.

This is the bread of destitution that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. Anyone who is famished should come and eat, anyone who is in need should come and partake of the Pesach sacrifice. Now we are here, next year we will be in the land of Israel; this year we are slaves, next year we will be free people.

(1) Matzah: A Remembrance of History and a Symbol of Hope:
This is like the bread of poverty which our ancestors ate: As we begin the Haggadah, we do so by emphasizing the power of God. Matzah serves as a symbol of memory. When we refer to the bread of affliction we are reminded that despite the fact that Pharaoh was so powerful that no slave ever escaped from Egypt, we were able to do so with the help of God. Matzah teaches us that we could not have escaped from Egypt on our own. Other people would have taken credit for their escape, but the bread of affliction is a reminder that we were powerless on our own.

How many degrees of good did the Place [of all bestow] upon us!

If He had taken us out of Egypt and not made judgements on them; [it would have been] enough for us.

If He had brought us close to Mount Sinai and had not given us the Torah; [it would have been] enough for us.

If He had given us the Torah and had not brought us into the land of Israel; [it would have been] enough for us.

(1) Preface to Dayyenu
How many are the good things God has done for us: Maimonides, in his Guide for the Perplexed, Part III, chapter 59, explains that there are four types of perfection which a person can strive for. 1) One can strive for material perfection by acquiring wealth and other property. 2) One can gain physical perfection by working to improve one's body. 3) Personal perfection is reflected in developing virtues and character. 4) Human perfection is reflected in the development of the mind and attaining knowledge of Torah and wisdom. Such forms of perfection are only possible for those who are not enslaved by others.