Time to go. Tenth plague. Slavery is finally over. Or is it?
Is it truly possible to shed 200+ years of suffering at a midnight moment's notice? Can we just shift into a mindset of freedom? Transition from the Hebrews, slaves of Pharaoh, to the Jewish Nation, chosen to receive the Torah?
Truth be told, it was not so simple. In fact, leaving Egypt was just the beginning. It was followed by 49 days of prep, each day a step away from the past, and into the future. Ascending out of the depths and up to spiritual and mental heights, ultimately reaching the summit: Mount Sinai.
Most notable during this period of time was the splitting of the Red Sea. Regretting his decision to set them free, Pharaoh and his army, in the ultimate 'just kidding' scenario, gave chase. Trapped at the crossroads of "Drowning" and "More Slavery", what were they to do? What would you do?
But this is what it's all about. On the Seder night, the Jews were freed, but it was G-d's decision, it was His Outstretched Arm that had brought Ten Plagues against Egypt. Now at the Sea, it was up to the Jews. Would they revert to servitude and fear, or would they take their own first step of Faith, into the water, and across to Freedom.
It was at this moment that they truly began the journey from Emancipation to Freedom.
Join us on Shabbat, 6pm for Yizkor, as we remember our dearly departed loved ones, and at 7pm as we explore and experience Freedom today - with a Feast of Moshiach, saying farewell to Passover, internalize its eternal messages, and look to an ever brighter future, a time of kindness, wellness, and peace.
From the Rabbi's Desk
From Emancipation to Freedom
Happy Passover!
Passover. Not a perfect translation. The word Pesach is more accurately translated as Jumpover. It's named for Hashem jumping over the Jewish homes during the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn.
Jumping is totally different than walking. When walking, even as you proceed forward, taking steps to the future, one foot always remains behind, connected to the past, limiting one's advancement by the rules that we are used to playing by.
When you leap, both feet come along for the journey. The past is left firmly behind, with a totally new vista of opportunity opening before us, an altogether new experience, unimaginable from our prior vantage point. It's not simply a level up. It is a different ballgame.
This Passover, wherever you may be celebrating (you can still join us at the Community Seder!), may whatever limitations may be keeping you from achieving the impossible melt away as you leap into freedom.
Challenge: Think of a friend or acquaintance who may not have a Seder to go to and invite them to the Community Seder. Everyone should have a seat at the Seder table.
To the Moon?
Passover. Celebrating freedom. The birth of our Nation. A Nation that dreams big, defies the odds, sticks to their guns (figuratively), and reaches the moon.
Well, almost... Yesterday, Israel came so very close to landing a spacecraft on the moon. Mere moments before touchdown, the main engine malfunctioned, and b
y the time it was reset, it was too late. The craft was traveling at too high a velocity to be stopped. The control team and millions of worldwide viewers looked on in shock, as it was confirmed that the mission had not been completed. But had it failed?
In a matter of seconds, the Team had refocused, promising to try again. "Today, we did reach the moon. Next time we will try to reach it more gently".
And with this, the name of the spacecraft, Beresheet - in the beginning - (the first word of the Torah, fitting for such cosmic achievements) took on new meaning. Failure is when we give up on trying. When we don't fight back. When we don't rise to the challenge.
The world was created with plenty of "failures", slavery in Egypt comes to mind as an example. There is no smooth sailing. It's not paradise. And the way we are ultimately successful is realizing that this stage is "Bresheet" - it is just the beginning of the journey.
In the words of Former Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks: "Even more than the strength to win, we need the courage to try, the willingness to fail, the readiness to learn, and the faith to persist".
As the selfie that Bereishit took from a few km up says " Am Yisrael Chai. Small Country, Big Dreams". Don't stop dreaming!
~ ~ ~
We'd like to invite you to join us for an elegant Community Seder with a warm atmosphere, great company, and delicious food.
Whether you are Seder veteran with answers to all four of the questions or a curious explorer with 400 questions of your own, this Seder will provide a stimulating and satisfying experience.
We would love to have you join us. Everyone has a spot at the Seder table.
Sensitivity
In this week's Torah portion it discusses a skin condition that would render the person impure and needed to leave the Jewish camp for a specified period of time or until the condition improves.
The Talmud tells us that this affliction would occur if someone were to gossip, steal, or was arrogant. In other words, this was a heavenly punishment for someone who was not exactly considerate of others.
It required an expert in this field of Jewish law to diagnose whether it was the exact color, size, and type that fit the bill. But interestingly the diagnosis was not pronounced by the expert, but rather by a Kohen - even if the Kohen himself was not familiar with the laws.
Why? Because one job that the Kohen had - and still has to this very day - was to bless the nation. The Kohen's whole identity was kind and loving. So while someone else might have enjoyed giving a snide remark to this character, or taken pleasure of sending him into "time-out", the Kohen would be able to sensitively inform this person that their behavior is not ideal and that they should improve. The kohen would build him up instead of tearing him down. The Kohen would ensure that the message of the leprosy was taken the right way, and would not rest until he helped this individual improve and become pure.
In our own lives, when we have something to critique about a friend, colleague, neighbor, or family member, let us make sure that we are doing it like a Kohen; with love, compassion, and care.