[Avodah] Ikar Chaser Min HaSippur

[Akiva Miller]

.
At the Seder, I noticed that the Haggada's version of Sippur Yetzias
Mitzraim goes directly from Makas Bechoros to the miracles at the Yam Suf.
Why does it skip the events in Shemos 12:31-41?

The Haggada tells us Sippur Yetzias Mitzraim, and it goes in chronological
sequence: Terach and Avraham, Lavan and Yaakov, the famine and the slavery,
and it goes into detail about the ten makkos also. And then, we suddenly
learn about the many makkos which happened at the Yam Suf, without a single
word regarding the actual Exodus itself.

Yes, I'm quite aware that Dayenu mentions the Egyptian money which G-d gave
us on our way out. But that is more of a thankful song, and not really part
of The Story proper.

I also concede that the Rabban Gamliel section mentions how we rushed out
so quickly that the dough couldn't rise. But that too is not really part of
The Story proper, but more of a halachic addendum to the Story.

Why aren't these things mentioned in the chronological, detailed narration
of The Story?

The fact that we left Mitzraim also appears several times in the beginning
of Maggid, including in Avadim Hayinu and in the answers to the Four Sons.
But in my opinion, although those citations are adequate to fulfill the
bare minimum for the d'Oraisa of V'higadta L'vincha, they don't contribute
much to Sippur Yetzias Mitzraim.

Chazal want us to tell a Sippur, a Story. I don't think we need to dwell on
the definition of a story, but it seems to me that at some point, the
narrative needs to transition from telling us about everything that led up
to The Event, and finally tell us that The Event did in fact occur.

At the risk of entering into "Kol Hamarbeh Gorea" territory...

The author of the Haggada chose to build his version of The Story around
the Torah's version of it, as found in Parshas Bikkurim. He chose four of
those pesukim, and amplified them with supplementary material, phrase by
phrase. The last of those four pesukim begins with "Vayotziaynu Hashem
MiMitzrayim -- Hashem took us out of Mitzraim". It seems to me that this
would have been the perfect time to tell us about the actual Taking Out,
but instead, the Haggada backs up, and tells us about Makkas Bechoros and
the other nine makkos.

Does anyone besides me find all this incongruous? We read at length about
everything that led up to the Exodus, and we have an interesting debate
about counting the miracles after the Exodus, but the Exodus itself seems
to get short shrift.

I hope I've explained myself adequately. Any comments? advTHANKSance

Akiva Miller

Postscript: There is but one answer that came to my mind. One could argue
that the drama of the story is enhanced by leaving the main point unsaid.
(Is there a term for such a literary device?) Given that the actual Exodus
*IS* mentioned numerous times elsewhere in the Haggada (albeit in passing),
perhaps the author of the Haggada wanted us to pause here and insert a few
words of our own? "And then Paro finally gave up and sent us out!", or
something like that (which is exactly what I do at my Seder). If so, it
would be nice to see it in print somewhere.
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