Several Seder customs recall earlier events in Jewish history: כרפס reminds us of the כתונת פסים of Yosef that was dipped into blood; the dipping associated with redemption recalls the אזוב used when the Jews placed blood on their doorposts in Egypt; and the egg on the Seder plate parallels the egg eaten by mourners on תשעה באב, highlighting the connection between redemption and exile. When Yosef’s brothers later came before him seeking forgiveness, Yosef explained that everything ultimately came from Hashem. Yet Rabbeinu Bachya suggests that some lingering resentment remained, which, according to certain traditions, later contributed to the episode of the עשרה הרוגי מלכות. This teaches that the exile associated with Tisha B’Av came through שנאת חינם, and the Seder night works to repair that failing through unity and kindness.

The Mishnah teaches, “לא מצא הקב״ה כלי מחזיק ברכה לישראל אלא השלום,” meaning that Hashem found no vessel capable of holding blessing for Israel other than peace, which is not only the absence of conflict but the active choice to avoid unnecessary confrontation, particularly when a person is embarrassed or provoked. Rav Shmuel Wosner, who lived to the age of 120, once explained that the merit for his long life was that he was always careful not to answer back when someone embarrassed him and avoided disputes and politics. A similar lesson appears in a story about Rav Moshe Feinstein during a Din Torah between two friends; after the case was decided, Rav Moshe insisted that the one who had won ask forgiveness from the other, teaching that even when a person is technically correct, preserving peace and friendship is more important than being right. In this way, the Seder reminds us that redemption comes through faith in Hashem, unity among Jews, acts of charity, and the willingness to choose peace and humility over conflict.

There is a well-known minhag before Pesach to give מעות חיטים (Maos Chittim), money to the poor so they can properly prepare for the Yom Tov. In Yerushalayim, a rabbi took responsibility each year to collect and distribute this money so that needy families could celebrate Pesach with dignity. One year, the task became too difficult for him to manage alone, so he divided the responsibility: he continued collecting the money, while another person was asked to distribute it. On the night of Leil HaSeder, the rabbi and his family sat at the Seder table, but suddenly his daughter became very ill. The next morning, when the rabbi came to shul, he met a young boy from a poor family and asked him how their Pesach had gone. The boy replied sadly that his mother had cried during the Seder because they had not received the money they were supposed to get to prepare for Pesach. The rabbi immediately realized that some families had mistakenly not received their Maos Chittim. He noticed that the time when the woman had been crying coincided with the moment his daughter had fallen ill. At that moment he understood the powerful message: when a poor Jew cries because he cannot properly celebrate Yom Tov, the pain reaches Heaven. The rabbi quickly corrected the mistake and made sure the families received the help they needed so that they too could celebrate Pesach with dignity.

In this way, the Seder teaches that redemption is achieved not only through ritual observance but also through faith in Hashem, acts of charity, humility, and the repair of שנאת חינם—choosing unity, peace, and love over conflict and division.