The Order of Maggid

Hi,


Why does the Haggadah start from "Our ancestors were idolaters" in recounting the story of leaving Egypt?

The Talmud explains that מתחיל בגנות ומסיים בשבח, we start with our original degradation and conclude with praise, and one aspect of that degradation was our original spiritual state.

Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik added that this also demonstrates how we achieve גאולה, redemption. It's a process of תשובה, of repentance, in which we acknowledge our errors (וידוי), change our ways and declare that we will never revert. Thus we begin with the acknowledgement that we were once idolaters, and then declare that we have now come close to Gd, and that this will be our future.

Have a great day,
Mordechai