(C) Copyright 2008 by Washington Hebrew Congregation. All rights reserved.

Washington Hebrew Congregation

Is Passover Relevant to our Lives?

A father who was driving car pool for religious school asked his son what they had studied that day. It was close to Passover so the father was interested to hear what his son had learned about the Exodus story. “Well, Dad, we talked about the crossing of the Sea of Reeds,” said his son. “So,” the father asked, “what happened?” “Well,” said the son, “first this guy Pharaoh and his army were chasing Moses and all the children of Israel… and they got really close to the Sea of Reeds and had nowhere to go, they were doomed. At the very moment when they got to the edge of the sea with nowhere to go the Israeli Air Force showed up. They air dropped some amphibious vehicles with some pontoon bridges and some engineers on them, and, in a short time, they had the bridges set up! They crossed the Sea of Reeds, and when they got to the other side, the Israeli Air Force blew up the bridges as Pharaoh and his army stepped on to them and we escaped and they drowned.” The father, dumbfounded, asked “Is that what they really taught you?” His son responded, “No but if I told you what they told us you would never believe me!”

We laugh, but we all want our history, our faith to be relevant to our lives.

As we prepare to gather with our families around the Seder table, speak ancient words and share in rituals that have spanned the centuries, we ask—what relevance has Passover to our day and time? Such a question is the essence of the Four Questions which each one of us learned to recite with pride and trepidation: Why is this night different from all other nights? In the answer to that simple question we retell one of history’s oldest and most powerful stories—the story of our people’s journey form degradation to liberation. The Exodus is a story of a slave people who found freedom, redemption and a commitment to helping forever the disenfranchised, the oppressed and the persecuted.

So does that story hold any relevance for us today?

In the streets of London and Paris, protesters attempted to extinguish the flame of the Olympic Torch, in the hopes they would compel the government of China to extinguish what they feel are the humanitarian rights violations of that nation. Tibetan Monks protest worldwide, hoping to regain their rights and freedoms. We will read of Moses who asked Pharaoh to “Let my people go” so that they may worship as they please. Will we join in the fight to end such violations?

In Darfur, mothers and children die daily in a modern day genocide, with, by some accounts, 400,000 dead and 2.5 million displaced. We will read that Pharaoh ordered the killing of the first born male and the people cried out to God. Will we utter a word in our day?

In many countries children are unable to get a good education. In war zones it is not safe for them to go to school and in other places, girls cannot pursue an education because of their gender. We sometimes take education for granted, while it is a treasure in certain countries. Will we let those children remain in the plague of darkness or will we work to help all children get the education they deserve?

The call of the Passover Seder is to remember “Avadim Hayinu,” for we were once slaves. On the night before we were delivered, the text tells us, each household was asked to mark their door post with the paschal lamb’s blood so the angel of death would be able to pass over their homes. Did the angel of God really need a symbol on the doorpost to know where Jews lived? Rather, the Jews were asked to make a bold statement, for the animal sacrificed was sacred to the Egyptians. The Hebrews had to be willing to risk standing up for what they believed in order to be redeemed. They had to act to be redeemed. And so too in our day: if we are to liberate those in need of political and religious freedom, if we are to save those who are at risk of genocide, we must be willing to act, to stand for what we believe.

Seder is the most celebrated ritual among Jews; we love being with family and friends, we love the food and the festivities. But it will only be the festival of our redemption if we act in order to safeguard freedom. We will all remain slaves until justice is meted out.

Is Passover relevant in our day? Only by our action will that be answered. May you have a Seder that is filled with gratitude for the lives we live in such glorious freedom and may we have the strength, God, to realize the relevance and responsibility of our festival of Passover to this day and time. Let us not forget that we were once slaves and let us remember our history by helping to take care of those who are still in need.

May your Passover be blessed by your deeds!

Shalom,

Rabbi M. Bruce Lustig