In Chapter 6 of the Navi Shoftim, we find the story of Gideon:
He was out threshing in his field on Hol Hamoed Pesach during a time when Bnei Yisrael was under attack by the Midianites and had to hide out in fear for their safety. An angel of G-d appeared before Gideon and told him “G-d should be with you and give you strength.”
(The Mishna in Masechet Berachot says we learn from this angel’s greeting the practice of greeting others with the name of Hashem. Shalom is a name of Hashem, hence the common practice of greeting people with Shalom Alechem)
Gideon asked the angel, “Please my Master, is G-d really with us? Why is all this happening? Why are we being attacked? Where are all the wonders that our parents told us about...How G-d took us out of Egypt? If that’s the case, God has forsaken us and given us into the grip of Midyan.”
He wondered where Hashem was, and why He hadn’t been saving the Jews as he had done in Mitzrayim.
As this point, G-d Himself appeared to Gideon and said “Go with the strength that you have. You will save the Jewish people from Midyan. I have sent you”. And Hashem elevated his status to that of a Shofet ( Judge) . He would go on to save the Jewish people.
What was his great claim?
How did he earn this upgrade? Rashi notes that it was Pesach. Gideon had mentioned specifically that his father had read the Hallel to him, and said Hashem took them out. He said, if our forefathers were righteous, let us benefit from their merit. And if they were wicked, then they got miracles for free- so give us too.
We see from here how much Gideon was impacted by the Seder.
Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz says this is the power of the Seder- sometimes you have an epiphany. That particular night’s Seder aroused him to the extent that he was expecting the miracles as well. He had these feeling from the previous night’s Seder, when his father told him not just the story of Pesach, the Maggid, but the Hallel as well- the joy and the gratitude. And Gideon took it to heart. He was wondering -where are the miracles now? He did it in Egypt, where is Hashem now?
That is supposed to be our feeling as well. Wherever we find ourselves today, tomorrow, whenever, whether on a Hol Hamoed trip with the children or at work (only if necessary to prevent a loss), should a problem arise, we should wonder- where’s Hashem? What’s going on? Why aren’t we being saved?
Imagine being on a giant line with the kids waiting to get into some amusement park and wondering-Why isn’t Hashem saving us like He saved our forefathers? Suddenly you’re whisked to the front of the line and awarded season passes to the park.
Who knows?
The Seder is supposed to stay with us and impact our everyday life. It’s not just a story. It’s real. It all really happened and continues to happen. Rashi says Gideon started with angel then Hashem came to him. We can suggest that just as it says in the Haggadah how Hashem saved them Himself- not with an angel or a messenger.
אני ולא מלאך, אני ולא שליח,
When a person connects, G-d Himself supervises. There’s no middleman anymore. The more we are impacted, the more Hashgacha (Divine Supervision) we merit to.
BeH we should all take the Seder with us all year and merit that Hashem will deal directly with us and take us out of all our problems.