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“I’m a new person – I don’t even want to think about what used to be. I’ve ‘turned over a new leaf’ and I’ve totally severed myself from my past. Don’t even bring it up!”
We would expect that such an attitude would be healthy, when one has undergone a major positive change in his spiritual lifestyle. However, the Haggadah seems to differ.
Chazal tell us that when we relate the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim, we must open by discussing the negative aspects of our past. It is for this reason that in the beginning of the Maggid section we recall, “Originally, our forefathers worshiped idols,” and then proceed to relate our connection, through Avraham, to Terach.
Rav Moshe Feinstein derived from this a powerful lesson. Even when a person has grown beyond his default spiritual upbringing, he should remain cognizant of his humble beginnings. In this way, if he experiences a setback, he will not give up and consider himself a failure. Rather, he will be able to “zoom out” and say, “Wow, look how far I’ve come. Yes, I made a mistake this time – but I’ve accomplished a great deal, and I can still accomplish even more.” (The Haggadah of the Roshei Yeshivah, Artscroll, pg. 122)
So, let us continue to turn over new spiritual leaves, but remain ever cognizant of the tree from which we have sprouted.