When we think about the vista of Jewish History it seems like an impossibly large canvas for us to relate to. It seems so remote. The events seem so distant from us. But we can relate to Jewish History in a way which makes it very real.

We can connect to our heritage without feeling that it's obscured by the mists of time.

How?

Watch!

Take the average Seder. At a typical seder there will be three generations at the table: A grandfather, a father, and a son.

Let's say that the average generation gap is 30 years. So a typical seder represents a span of 60 years of Jewish History.

But really if you think about it, there are really not 3 generations at the table, but 7. Because the grandfather sitting at our table was possibly a grandson at his grandfather's seder.

And similarly, our grandson will probably be a grandfather at his grandson's seder.

So our seder could contain in it as much as 7 x 30 = 210 years!

If you divide 210 years into the time elapsed since the first Seder (approx. 3300 years ago), you come out with the following calculation:

3,300 ÷ 210 ~ 14.

In other words, we just shrank the vast expanse of 3,300 years of history into just over 14 sedarim. That's all that separates us from the experience of leaving Egypt - as little as

14 sedarim!

The whole of Judaism is founded on 14 fathers passing-over the truth of the Exodus to 14 sons, witnessed by those 7 generations which each seder spans. Tradition is only 14 seders long.