It says in the MishnahThe first layer of Jewish oral law, written down in Palestine around 200 CE. The Mishna consists of six books or sedarim (orders), each of which contains seven to twelve tractates or masechtot (singular masechet). The books are Zeraim (Seeds), Moed (Festival), Nashim (Women), Nezikin (Damages), Kodashim (Holy Things), and Tehorot (Purities)., in Pesakhim, that it is incumbent on each person gathered at a sederLit. Order. The festive meal conducted on Passover night, in a specific order with specific rituals to symbolize aspects of the Exodus from Egypt. It is conducted following the haggadah, a book for this purpose. Additionally, there an ancient tradition to have a seder on Rosh Hashanah, which has been practiced in particular by Sephardi communities. This seder involves the blessing and eating of simanim, or symbolic foods. The mystics of Sefat also created a seder for Tu B'shvat, the new year of the trees. to recite: B’chol dor vador chayav adamAdam is the first human being created by God. Symbolizes: Creation, humankind. lir’ot et atzmo k’ilu hu hatza mimitzrayim. “In all generations it is the duty of man to consider himself as if he had come forth from Egypt.”
This sentence is a stumbling block for any woman who wishes to fully understand what it means to be “free” as a Jew. Jewish freedom means being able to respond as a mature practicing adult to any issues which arise in the Jewish community. How can a woman recite “atzmo”—“himself”—and still feel she is an adult decision-maker? If she does this, she has not yet gone out from slavery to freedom. She is still second class.
Freedom can only be gained by a woman when she herself becomes fully knowledgeable and fully capable of speaking and acting for herself. This means, whenever necessary, actively—not passively—extracting herself from Pharaoh’s grip, in whatever guise or form that hold takes place. And if, in the process, she finds that she is in part Pharaoh to herself, she must renew the struggle yearly until such time when she can stand at a seder and recite for herself:
בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּבִים אָנוּ לִרְאוֹת אֶת עַצְמֵנוּ כְּאִלּוּ יָצָאנוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם
For a woman or man (group): B’khol dor vador khayavim anu lir’ot et atzmeynu k’ilu yatzanu mimitzrayim.
In every generation, it is our duty to consider ourselves as if we had come forth from Egypt.
For a woman (individual):
בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיֶּבֶת אִיְּשָׁהּ לִרְאוֹת אֶת עָצְמָה כְּאִלּוּ הִיא יִצְּאָה מִמִּצְרַיִם
B’לhol dor vador לhayavet ishah lir’ot et atzma k’ilu hee yatz’ah mimitzrayim.
In every generation, it is the duty of a woman to consider herself as if she herself had come forth from Egypt.
