CLERGY CORNER: Pass it over – pass it on

Posted on 19 March 2015 by LeslieM

This Friday is the first day of Spring and this Saturday is the first day of the Hebrew month of Nissan. Now is the time that we start our spring cleaning as we begin to prepare our homes for the Festival of Passover.

As we sit at our Seder tables, we will retell the story of our Exodus from slavery to freedom. Notice that I did not say that we will retell the story of our ancestors being slaves in Egypt, but rather that we will remember when we were slaves, as each of us is obligated on Pesach to talk about our personal deliverance from whatever has enslaved or oppressed us.

During the Seder, there is a moment when we follow a practice of the great Sage, Hillel, who was known to combine a piece of Matzah, the flat unleavened bread that we had to eat in our haste to leave Egypt, with Charoset and Maror.

This matzah was known as the bread of poverty. But as we got a taste of the freedom to observe our faith, that very same bread became the bread of freedom. And just as we shared that bread with each other in ancient days, we continue to share it to this very day.

But there is something else that we share during the Seder. We share the Maror, the bitter herbs that represent the bitterness of slavery. So why on earth did Hillel combine the two together? Why put the bitterness of slavery and the joy of freedom into one bite?

Perhaps we find the answer in the Haggadah itself. Each of us has tasted from the cup of bitterness and from the cup of freedom. And, since we have known both, there are a couple things we need to remember right off the bat.

First, in times of freedom, we must do what we can to help those who are enslaved or oppressed, as we know all too well what that horror is like. And second, in the times that we feel enslaved or oppressed, we must do whatever we are able to do in order to achieve freedom again. We must not give into despair; we must not give up hope. Indeed, the National Anthem of the Holy Land of Eretz Yisrael is “Hatikvah” which means “The Hope.”

Spring is a time of great hope. And, as it approaches, people often pray to get a little Spring back into their step. Even when death is approaching, faith and hope can most certainly make a difference.

Take for example Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame. Let me share with you two of his final tweets and, remember, he knew that he was nearing the end of his days as he wrote these messages.

The first said, “A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory;” and then there was what I believe was his final tweet, which read, “So grateful for blessings, Wish the same to all.”

And then there was the recent Op-Ed by Oliver Sacks in The New York Times as he reflected on his most recent bout with cancer, which is so advanced that there is little if anything that can be done. He wrote, “…my predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved. I have been given much and I have given something in return … above all, I have been a sentient being … on this beautiful planet, and that, in itself, has been an enormous privilege and adventure.”

Spring is here. Be grateful for the many freedoms you have and make your life a loving adventure. And, while you are at it, be sure to give something back.

Passover is coming. May all who are enslaved hold onto their hope and may we do whatever we are able to bring them to freedom. With G-d’s help, speedily in our day … and let us all say, Amen.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach (201 S. Military Tr., Deerfield Beach, FL 33442). Regular Shabbat services are open to everyone on Saturday mornings from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

Comments are closed.

Advertise Here
Advertise Here