One who thinks this way is fooling himself. The Ba’al Shem Tov’s intention was not merely to tell people how to attain the loftiest levels (although he also intended this); primarily, the Ba’al Shem Tov came to teach us how to be ehrliche Yidden! Our great masters, the talmidim of the Ba’al Shem Tov whose sefarim we study, teach us how to perform mitzvos in the simplest sense! They have taught us that the more we prepare for a mitzvah, the more we will be able to perform the mitzvah properly.
The Seder Night Requires a Special Hachanah
When we talk about the mitzvah of לבנך והגדת, everyone knows that it’s important to prepare warm words to relate at our Seder. Before Yom Tov begins, an ehrlicher Yid has already prepared what he will tell his children on the Seder night.
But when we expand on this mitzvah and on the power the Ribbono shel Olam gave us so that we can fulfill this mitzvah, we will see that to fulfill the mitzvah of לבנך והגדת it isn’t enough to prepare one day before Yom Tov. It’s a great avodah that must take place long before.
Let us broaden this inyan. First, we will introduce the teachings of chassidishe sefarim with regard to this special and unique mitzvah, and later, we will speak in our own practical language about how we can apply it in our own lives—for although these yesodos are important not only for this mitzvah but also to many other mitzvos, it very strongly pertains especially to the mitzvah of מצרים יציאת סיפור on Pesach night.
A Mitzvah Performed with Our Mouths
We begin with the observation that the organ with which we perform this mitzvah is the mouth.
