Minimum halachic requirements for Maggid section of seder? [closed]

Question

I will be leading the seder this year, and I know I'm running down to the last minute, but I want to know what are the paragraphs that I can skip, and what I absolutely need to do. It will be just my mom, my sister, and me, and none of us like to stay up late; at all. If I follow the "Bare Bones Basic Seder" from the "A Different Night" Haggadah, is that enough? Is there an outline that I can follow somewhere?

Answer 1

Rav Modechai Kamenetzsky, Rabbi Avigdor Miller and others just read through the hagaddah with no embellishments or additions. That should be quick enough.

I checked the reference CHECKLIST FOR YOUR PASSOVER The source has proven reliable in the past. You appear to be correct as to the reference to the hagaddah that you would want to use.

Here is the summary list for those who do not have that haggadah

For those who would prefer "a Bare Bones Basic Seder" we can thank Noam Zion for the following suggestion built into The Shalom Hartman Institute Haggadah A Different Night. He suggests that sections 1-17 which take place before the meal should take about an hour. However, it often occurs that once people "get into" a Seder, it can take longer; don’t cut off the discussion and readings too early!

Signposts of the Seder: Kadesh Urchatz
First Cup: Kiddush
Dips: Karpas
Breaking the Matza: Yachatz
The Story of the Matza: Ha Lachma
Four Questions: Ma Nishtana
Storytelling – "We were slaves": Avadeem Hayeenu
Four Children
The Promise: V’hee She-am-da
The Tale of the Wandering Jew
Ten Plagues
Dayeinu
Explaining Pesach, Matza and Maror
"In Every generation"
Psalm 114: Hallel
Second Cup of Wine
Eating Matza, Maror and Korech

After the Meal
Afikoman
Blessing after eating: Barech
Third Cup of Wine
Elijah’s Cup and opening the door
Fourth Cup of Wine
Seder Songs traditional and new
Next Year in Jerusalem: La-Shana Haba-a

TRADITIONAL JEWISH LAW: Legal Minimums of the Seder

The following is taken from A Different Night, pp. 22-23 written by Noam Zion and David Dishon and published by The Shalom Hartman Institute: "Reading every paragraph of the traditional Haggadah is not legally obligatory. . . . The halachic minimum suggested below is an invitation to add more, not to shorten the Seder. . . . In case of doubt consult your rabbi. As we all know there are many views in Jewish law. . . . We are grateful to Rabbi Yaacov Warhaftig, director of the Ariel Institute, Orthodox Rabbinical Seminary in Jerusalem, who gave us his advice and approval for this section."

Candle-lighting
Optional: reading/chanting of poem Kadesh Urchatz
Kiddush and She-he-chee-yanu
Urchatz, Karpas, Yachatz
Ha Lachma Anya
Shmuel’s story:Avadeem Hayeenu
Optional: rabbis of B’nei Brak and Ben Zoma
Optional: but very important: the Midrash of the Four Children
Rav’s Story: Mee-Tchee-law, "Our Ancestors Were Idol Worshippers"
Optional but customary: V’hee She-amda
Arami Oved Avi: The obligation is to read and comment on this entire section from Deuteronomy 26; but if the group has a creative discussion on these verses rather than reading the entire midrash word for word, this may be a wholly appropriate fulfillment of the mitzvah.

Optional: Midrash on the 50, 200, 250 plagues
Optional and very traditional: Da-yeinu
Rabban Gamliel: Pesach, Matza, Maror
"In Every Generation" B’Chol Dor Va’Dor
Hallel, Psalms 113-114
Second Cup of Wine
Washing Hands and eating Matza with Maror, and then Korech
Meal
Afikoman
Birkat Ha-Mazone, "Grace After Meals"
Third Cup of Wine
Sh’foch Cha-mat-cha
Hallel and its Blessings
Fourth Cup of Wine and the Blessings after this cup of wine
Sefirat Ha-Omer is obligatory on the Second Seder Night
Optional but customary: Seder poems and songs
Optional but customary: Nirtza and "Next Year in Jerusalem"