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A PASSOVER MESSAGE FROM OUR RABBI
My dear, dear readers. Two weeks ago, I requested that you share a Passover memory with me. The response to my request has been less than overwhelming. The paucity of responses could mean one of two things. The first possibility is that you did not feel compelled to share a memory, which is certainly your prerogative.
The second possibility is much more concerning to me. Is it possible that you do not have a Passover memory to share? If this is the case, then I would ask you to do one of two things. First, stretch your memory muscles to find a Passover moment. Secondly, if you have stretched and still have drawn a blank, then make a promise to yourself that this year you will create a Passover memory that will stick with you, and with others at your Seder table, so in years to come you will have something to share!
I have faith in you!!!
This year, Passover is going to be tough. How are we to celebrate our “Feast of Freedom”, when we know that since October 7th, so many of our brothers and sisters are not free.
During the Seder, at the beginning of the Maggid section, that part where we tell the Passover story, we hold up the Matzah and say:
This is the bread of affliction which our ancestors ate in the land o Egypt.
All who are hungry come and eat.
All who are needy come celebrate Pesach with us.
Now we are here. Next year may we be in the land of Israel.
Now we are slaves. Next year may be free people.
Knowing that Jews are being held captives means that, in fact, we are not free. Knowing that we Jews are responsible to, and for, each other, what are we to do?
We can start by saying the prayer that was sent earlier this week. Open your door and recite the following:
We hold in our hearts
every hostage and their families, who are not celebrating freedom.
We pray fervently
for their urgent redemption, and afterwards, their families’ healing.
We grieve
for the fallen hostages, including those whose bodies are still captive.
We yearn
for the end of Hamas’ terror.
We believe
that Israelis and Palestinians will find a path to a better future.
We rededicate
ourselves to the cause of freedom, without regard for religion, nationality, or identity.
When we recite “Next Year in Jerusalem”
we will imagine the day, speedily, that all hostages are free.
What I remember most about the Seders of my childhood, what sticks with me more than anything else, was the simple joy of being with family and friends and sharing time together.
I loved the songs, the food, the symbols of the holiday, and the annually repeated bad jokes but, in truth, it was the people around the table that made the evenings special. There were Grandparents, Parents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Friends, and, sometimes, mere acquaintances. We were not so much there to celebrate the holiday, as the holiday provided the perfect excuse for us to get together and enjoy each other’s company.
It was, and always has been, about creating the ability to spend time together.
When sitting on the beach, or watching a sunrise or sunset, I often will say: “It’s the simple things”. This is a message of Matzah. Matzah is the simplest of items. It is only flour and water and, yet it’s importance to our tradition cannot be overestimated.
This is a lesson of Passover and how we observe it. It is the simple moments in life that should be getting our attention. With as complicated as the world has become, this is a good year to keep it simple. Look around your Seder table and take note of who is there. Then consider the participants of Seders past. The best thing to give the Seder attendees of the future are the memories of the people with whom we share the Seders of today.
If you have not already done so, please sell your chametz. The form to do so can be found here: FORM
Shabbat Shalom and Zissin Pesach – Rabbi Michael S. Jay
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