The mishna[1] lists texts that may be recited in any language, including Kri’at Shema, tefilla, and Birkat HaMazon, while others may only be recited in Lashon HaKodesh (i.e., the original language of the sacred texts). The Haggada is not mentioned at all. If there were required Torah texts at the Seder, we would compare them to the list of Torah texts that the Rabbis derived must be recited in Lashon HaKodesh.[2] However, there are no specifically required Torah texts, and it is therefore obviously permitted to recite the texts in any language. In fact, most of the Haggada text is not even formally Rabbinically-instituted.[3] The Maggid and Nirtza sections are a post-Talmudic compilation of passages from different periods that were bound together. The Rama[4] confirms that one may, and indeed sometimes should, fulfill the mitzva of telling about the Exodus in a language other than Hebrew that the participants understand.
Acharonim who argue vehemently against tefilla in another language (despite the aforementioned mishna) raise no reservation regarding the Haggada. What is the difference? The Mishna Berura[5] presents the following objections to tefilla in other languages: 1) It is possible that tefilla in other languages is permitted only on an occasional basis. 2) It is difficult to translate the tefillot precisely and in a manner that captures the many secrets included in the holy words. 3) Praying in the vernacular is a capitulation to the dangerous changes the Reform Movement attempted to insert into Jewish life.
Reviewing each issue, we can conjecture about the lack of objection to the practice of reciting the Haggada in translation: 1) Permitted only occasionally: The Seder is held only once a year, and the group dynamics in this regard may change from year to year. 2) Difficult to translate secrets: The texts of the Haggada, which were composed/compiled centuries after the standard tefilla, likely contain fewer secrets. 3) Capitulation to Reform: Sedarim, which are usually carried out in families’ private homes, were never a flashpoint in the struggle with the Reform Movement.
There is a further reason to view translating the Haggada favorably, which explains why the Rama[6] sometimes requires translation (whereas earlier sources concerning tefilla merely permit it[7]). One can fulfill the mitzva of tefilla recited in Hebrew even if one does not understand the words,[8] whereas the Rama indicates that participants in the Seder are required to understand the Haggada in order to fulfill the mitzva of retelling the story of yetzi’at Mitzrayim.
For how much of the Haggada is comprehension crucial? Generally, all of it should be recited and understood;[9] it is, after all, a basic Jewish text, even if written later than most. However, the base obligation is the three statements of Rabban Gamliel about the significance of the Korban Pesach, matza, and maror.[10] Other pieces of prominent importance include “Avadim Hayinu,”[11] Ma Nishtana,[12] and the ten plagues.[13] These passages should be translated or explained for those who do not understand the language in which it is recited. If this is done, it is halachically valid to read all of the Haggada in Hebrew.
Let us now discuss basic best strategies. (There are too many permutations of factors to cover all of them in this forum.) The Rama cites a Rishon who would read the whole Haggada in the local language, and this is a fully legitimate option when called for. However, we have a luxury that Rishon presumably lacked – to provide everyone at the Seder with a Haggada that has a clear translation. Thus, the majority of the Haggada text can be read in the original, and those who cannot read or understand the Hebrew can read along in the translation. We recommend frequent stops to discuss the past or upcoming texts. Reading along only with one’s eyes is insufficient for the critical sections,[14] so participants who are reading the translation should either read with their lips or hear that which someone else is reading aloud in a language they understand.[15]
Personally, I, like many Jews, have been attached to and love the original Haggada text from a young age, and I believe that it is a central part of a Jew’s heritage. Growing up as a frum American Jewish kid, key Haggada passages and phrases, specifically in Hebrew, were as familiar to me as “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” In order for this desired impact on our children to continue in future generations, a typical observant home, even one that opens its doors to Jews of different levels of Jewish knowledge, should find a healthy balance between a classical Hebrew Seder and using vernacular to meet the needs of those who require or benefit from it. (Unique situations deserve unique consideration.)