Two weeks until Seder night. And it's not looking great. School closures. Businesses struggling. Stock market flipping faster than I can type this. Cases of the coronavirus continuing to rise, locally, nationally, and globally. Can we ever get out of this? Well, if we rewind 3,332 years ago, there was a crown wearing virus named Pharaoh. All the Jews in Egypt had contracted it, experiencing symptoms of slavery, hardship, and brick and mortar laying. The "enough thermometer" was red hot. No slave had ever escaped, there was no vaccine. The mortality rate was all newborn boys should be thrown into the Nile. All the supermarkets had left in stock was the bread of affliction. How could they survive? The transformative moment was "Vanitzak" - and we cried out. We turned to Hashem and said we need your help! We may be shackled in Egyptian chains, but you can give us immunity. Our caregivers are stretched too thin, but You can infuse them with energy and healing powers. We can't see the invisible separations of society (or a microscopic virus), but You can see Pharaoh's hardened heart and eliminate evil and sickness from this world. You can take us from the darkest night of Egypt to a glorious morning at Mount Sinai. You can get us past this virus, and keep us, our loved ones, friends, and the healthcare workers on the front lines safe and healthy. Matzah might represent the bread of affliction, but it also represents (remember the dough not having time to rise?) the speed at which the Jewish people suddenly and miraculously found themselves free. Passover happened once. It can, and will, happen again! In the meantime, stay safe, take all the recommended precautions, say an extra prayer to our Divine Healthcare Provider, and may all those who need, be blessed with a complete recovery.
ב"ה