אֲ֭דֹנָי שְׂפָתַ֣י תִּפְתָּ֑ח וּ֝פִ֗י יַגִּ֥יד תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃
Ya Tuhan, bukalah bibirku, maka mulutku akan memberitakan puji-pujian bagi-Mu.
Rabbeinu Yonah
"on the service": As the Holy One, blessed be He, chose Israel from all of the nations and the Land of Israel from all of the lands, and He chose Jerusalem from all of the Land of Israel and He chose Zion from Jerusalem, as it is stated (Psalms 132:13), "As the Lord chose Zion, He desired it for His habitation." And He chose the House of Choice from everything for the sake of the service, about which it is written, "desire" - as it states (Leviticus 1:3), "desirous in front of God." Behold that because of the service the whole world was created. Then, due to our sins, the Temple was destroyed and the service was annulled. And prayer is now for us in its place, as the sages, may their memory be blessed, said (Taanit 2a), "'And to serve him with all your hearts' (Deuteronomy 11:13) - what service is there in the heart, one should say this is prayer." And this is what it states (Psalms 51:17), "Lord, open my lips," as King David said this verse about the sin of Batsheva which was volitional, and one cannot bring a sacrifice for volitional sins. And about this he stated (Psalms 51:18), "Since You do not want me to bring sacrifices; You do not desire burnt offerings." Had I been able to bring a sacrifice to atone for myself, I would have brought [it]. Now that I cannot, 'Lord, open my lips and let my mouth say your praise,' and accept my prayer in place of a sacrifice and let it atone me for my sin. Also for us that do not have a sacrifice to atone for us - not accidental sins and not volitional sins - 'Lord, open my lips' and accept our prayers in place of the sacrifices.
Kli Yakar
“It is the burnt offering.” There are those who say this means that the study of Torah, which is called tushiyah because it weakens [mateshet] a person’s strength, is considered as if one has offered oneself as a burnt offering. And do not say that Torah study is merely metaphorically similar to offering a burnt offering, for in truth there is neither a fireplace nor an altar here. [That is why] scripture teaches us: on its firewood upon the altar — because the fire of Torah within a person is similar to the fire of the altar.
The verse informs us that the time for the burnt offering is all night until morning, and furthermore, the phrase until morning is superfluous. This teaches wisdom to the people by way allusion: just as the time for the burnt offering is all night until morning, so too the appropriate time for one who engages in the Torah of the burnt offering [which is comparable to actually offering a burnt offering] is during the exile, which is compared to night. For it is then that Israel needs to pay “the bulls of their lips.”
Until morning — but not including morning itself. For in the time when the morning of Israel dawns, then they will offer actual bulls on God’s altar. As it is written, O Lord, open my lips (Psalms 51:17). And when do I ask that You accept the utterance of my lips? For [Ki] You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it (Psalms 51:18). The word ki indicates a specific time, meaning there will be a time when You will not desire sacrifice, and regarding that time I ask that You accept the speech of my lips in place of sacrifice. For through engaging in the laws of sacrifices, a person will also come to a “broken spirit.” This is what is meant by The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise (Psalms 51:19).
And from the fact that it says You will not despise, we can deduce that the actual sacrifice itself is more favored by God than engagement in the Torah of the burnt offering. And what is meant by This is the law of the burnt offering; it is the burnt offering applies specifically all night — during exile when there is no sacrifice or meal offering. And that is why afterward it says, Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion… Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness… then bulls shall be offered upon Your altar (Psalms 51:20-21).
The verse informs us that the time for the burnt offering is all night until morning, and furthermore, the phrase until morning is superfluous. This teaches wisdom to the people by way allusion: just as the time for the burnt offering is all night until morning, so too the appropriate time for one who engages in the Torah of the burnt offering [which is comparable to actually offering a burnt offering] is during the exile, which is compared to night. For it is then that Israel needs to pay “the bulls of their lips.”
Until morning — but not including morning itself. For in the time when the morning of Israel dawns, then they will offer actual bulls on God’s altar. As it is written, O Lord, open my lips (Psalms 51:17). And when do I ask that You accept the utterance of my lips? For [Ki] You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it (Psalms 51:18). The word ki indicates a specific time, meaning there will be a time when You will not desire sacrifice, and regarding that time I ask that You accept the speech of my lips in place of sacrifice. For through engaging in the laws of sacrifices, a person will also come to a “broken spirit.” This is what is meant by The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise (Psalms 51:19).
And from the fact that it says You will not despise, we can deduce that the actual sacrifice itself is more favored by God than engagement in the Torah of the burnt offering. And what is meant by This is the law of the burnt offering; it is the burnt offering applies specifically all night — during exile when there is no sacrifice or meal offering. And that is why afterward it says, Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion… Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness… then bulls shall be offered upon Your altar (Psalms 51:20-21).
Kimcha Davshuna
One begins the reading of the Haggadah. The Rif wonders why one doesn’t recite a blessing for the reading of the Haggadah just as one recites a blessing for the reading of the Megillah. Surely the telling of the story of Passover is a positive commandment as we learn: "You shall tell your child on that day etc." (Exodus 12:8)
He explains that a blessing for telling the story is unnecessary since by saying in the Kiddush, "A remembrance for the exodus from Egypt," he fulfills his obligation of saying a special blessing. The Rashba offers another explanation for why a special blessing is not said for the telling of the Passover story. One does not need to say a blessing for a mitzvah for which there is no minimum in its performance. A simple statement ("God took us out of Egypt") would suffice in the telling of the story of the Exodus, though we do say "whoever tells the story at length is praiseworthy."
This text is called the Haggadah because of the verse, "You shall tell (v'higadita) your child on that day etc." (Exodus 12:8). Some say that the name comes from the Hebrew word for drawing the heart, or inspiring, and this seems correct to me, as in the verse, "O Lord, open up my lips; that my mouth may declare (yagid) your praise." (Ps. 51:17) The sages interpreted yagid to mean, "my mouth shall draw your praise." That is, everything derives from the intention of the heart. In human books, wonders and awesome acts arise from the natural order of the world, inspiring love, joy and spiritual pleasure. Yet who has heard such things as the Exodus without trembling? The author of the Kuzari writes:
"The facts are yet more startling! The Israelites lived in Egypt as slaves, 600,000 men above the age of twenty, the descendents of the twelve tribes. Not one of them had separated or emigrated to another country, nor was there a stranger among them. They looked forward to the promise given to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that the land of Israel should be their inheritance. At that time it was in the power of seven mighty and prosperous nations, while the Israelites groaned in the depths of misery under the bondage of Pharaoh, who caused the Israelites to be put to death, lest they should increase in number. But God sent Moses and Aaron, two weak men, and they advanced before the mighty Pharaoh, with signs and miracles and changed the course of nature. Pharaoh did not get away from them, nor harm them, neither could he protect himself from the ten plagues which befell the Egyptians, affecting the streams, land, air, plants, animals, bodies and even their souls; for in one moment at midnight, died the most precious and most beloved members of their houses, the first-born males. There was no dwelling without dead, except the houses of the Israelites. All these plagues were preceded by warnings and menaces, and their cessation was signaled in the same manner, proving that they were ordained by God, who does what He wills and when He wills it, and they were not ordinary natural phenomena, nor were they wrought by constellations or accidents. The Israelites left the country of Pharaoh's bondage by the command of God, the same night at the same moment as the first born died…"
Whoever allows such matters to enter their heart with full intentionality will be inspired, not like someone who reads ordinary history books, which have no intention of bringing us closer to the Creator. This is the meaning of the word Haggadah, it is that which draws the heart of those who hear these matters to complete faith.
He explains that a blessing for telling the story is unnecessary since by saying in the Kiddush, "A remembrance for the exodus from Egypt," he fulfills his obligation of saying a special blessing. The Rashba offers another explanation for why a special blessing is not said for the telling of the Passover story. One does not need to say a blessing for a mitzvah for which there is no minimum in its performance. A simple statement ("God took us out of Egypt") would suffice in the telling of the story of the Exodus, though we do say "whoever tells the story at length is praiseworthy."
This text is called the Haggadah because of the verse, "You shall tell (v'higadita) your child on that day etc." (Exodus 12:8). Some say that the name comes from the Hebrew word for drawing the heart, or inspiring, and this seems correct to me, as in the verse, "O Lord, open up my lips; that my mouth may declare (yagid) your praise." (Ps. 51:17) The sages interpreted yagid to mean, "my mouth shall draw your praise." That is, everything derives from the intention of the heart. In human books, wonders and awesome acts arise from the natural order of the world, inspiring love, joy and spiritual pleasure. Yet who has heard such things as the Exodus without trembling? The author of the Kuzari writes:
"The facts are yet more startling! The Israelites lived in Egypt as slaves, 600,000 men above the age of twenty, the descendents of the twelve tribes. Not one of them had separated or emigrated to another country, nor was there a stranger among them. They looked forward to the promise given to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that the land of Israel should be their inheritance. At that time it was in the power of seven mighty and prosperous nations, while the Israelites groaned in the depths of misery under the bondage of Pharaoh, who caused the Israelites to be put to death, lest they should increase in number. But God sent Moses and Aaron, two weak men, and they advanced before the mighty Pharaoh, with signs and miracles and changed the course of nature. Pharaoh did not get away from them, nor harm them, neither could he protect himself from the ten plagues which befell the Egyptians, affecting the streams, land, air, plants, animals, bodies and even their souls; for in one moment at midnight, died the most precious and most beloved members of their houses, the first-born males. There was no dwelling without dead, except the houses of the Israelites. All these plagues were preceded by warnings and menaces, and their cessation was signaled in the same manner, proving that they were ordained by God, who does what He wills and when He wills it, and they were not ordinary natural phenomena, nor were they wrought by constellations or accidents. The Israelites left the country of Pharaoh's bondage by the command of God, the same night at the same moment as the first born died…"
Whoever allows such matters to enter their heart with full intentionality will be inspired, not like someone who reads ordinary history books, which have no intention of bringing us closer to the Creator. This is the meaning of the word Haggadah, it is that which draws the heart of those who hear these matters to complete faith.