"[I]f I were standing at the beginning of time...and the Almighty said to me, "Martin Luther King, which age would you like to live in?" I would take my mental flight by Egypt and I would watch God's children in their magnificent trek from the dark dungeons of Egypt through...the Red Sea, through the wilderness on toward the promised land." Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, April 3, 1968
Passover begins this week, Wednesday, April 8 at sundown and continues through Thursday, April 16. On Wednesday night Jews all over the world will gather around Seder tables to commemorate our people's release from generations of bondage in Egypt.
The Passover Seder is a solemn celebration. A retelling of the story of Exodus. A reminder of the high price paid by the oppressor as well as the oppressed. A pledge to understand and remember the suffering and sacrifice that brought freedom to an entire race.
It seems fitting that this year Passover falls so close to the anniversary of the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King. Passover, after all, is about mankind's original battle against, and release from slavery.
Make no mistake about the central theme: Jews. Were. Slaves.
If you've read your bible or watched The Ten Commandments on TV --the kitschy old Charlton Heston movie-- you know the story.
It's a fascinating tale of conflict, drama and belief. Of hubris, anger and weakness ... in the end, of hope, faith and salvation. The power of God.
Every year we tell the story to each other and to our children. We display and eat special foods, we ask certain questions, we recite age- old prayers to remind us of the Israelites' bitter enslavement and their mighty struggle to be free.
We do all this to make sure we will never forget the importance of freedom. And of God.
The Basic Back Story
In the ancient days of the Pharaohs in Egypt, Jews (then called Israelites) were slaves. In fact, historians believe theirs were the backs broken building the great pyramids.
The Israelites were monotheistic, which angered their slave-masters, who worshiped a whole panoply of gods. Another reason the two groups regarded each other with fear and suspicion.
The Egyptian king Ramesses worried that the Israelites' growing population might someday stage a revolt, so he ordered the firstborn male of every Hebrew family killed. (This evil act would come back to haunt his own son, Ramesses II.)
One male Hebrew child, destined to lead his people out of slavery, survived the massacre -- Moses.
Moses was raised as an Egyptian in Pharaoh's own household. When he reached manhood he learned of his true heritage, embraced it and determined to help all Israelites out of slavery, free to worship one God.
"Moses and Aaron went in, and said to Pharao: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Let my people go." Exodus 5:1
Moses tried to convice the new Pharaoh, Ramesses II that it was God's command to release the Israelites from bondage. Ramesses would not relent.
Each time Pharaoh refused, Moses brought God's wrath down on Egypt in the form of plagues. (In retrospect, all can be explained as natural events and disasters. But to true believers, only God could have created those plagues in that specific order at the time).
As the plagues hammered the Egyptian people, they clamored for Pharaoh to release the Hebrews. He refused to waver.
To show him the awesome power of The Almighty, Moses proclaimed that the final and most heinous plague would come from the mouth of the oppressor king himself.
Frustrated and angry with Moses and his demands, Ramesses II invoked his father's old command: the firstborn male of every household would be killed.
And so the die was cast.
The Hebrew leaders knew that by daybreak, every firstborn Egyptian male would be dead. They spread the word that all Hebrews should place lamb's blood on the doorposts of their houses so God's messenger, the Angel of Death, would pass over the Hebrew homes.
Pass. Over. Passover. Right.
Pharaoh Ramesses, his own son dead, his soldiers turning against him, was beaten.
Ramesses sent the Israelites out into the desert. And so began the Exodus. A long involved story in itself. Which ultimately led to Moses receiving God's 10 Commandments.
Some Highlights You'll Recognize:
* Ramesses changed his mind and went after the Israelites. God parted the Red Sea to let them pass, then closed it over Pharaoh's army, drowning them all.
* When the Israelites got to Mount Sinai, Moses went up the mountain, communed with God for 40 days and 40 nights and returned with the Ten Commandments.
* While Moses was gone, the Israelites, unused to freedom, fearful of a long journey into the unknown and uncertain about a God they could not see, reverted to Egyptian ways and created idols to worship.
* On his return, Moses expressed God's anger with His Children for their faithlessness. He decreed they would wander the desert at least 40 years, until a new, untainted generation had grown and would be ready to accept God's laws.
The rationale is clear: those who have been enslaved cannot understand or accept the responsibilities of freedom ... until they are truly free.
The message is equally clear: Slavery. Is. Wrong.
It happened thousands of years ago to the Jews. It happened hundreds of years ago to the Africans. It's still happening today to people around the world.
The Passover celebration of the Israelites' release from bondage has become an abiding Jewish symbol of the power of faith in God, even in the face of overwhelming evil.
The continuing struggle against slavery and evil belongs to all of us.
A Rabbi Explains Passover in Easy, Modern, Personal Terms
TIP:
Enter the amount, and click "Tip" to submit!
Max Rivlin-Nadler
drlaura2
Kristina Lakes
mhold
L in the Southeast
Jane Brogan
Salon.com
Comments
Bill, you're right and Passover is the ultimate object lesson.
Dorella, we have a great family story of the time the hmm, houseman (sorry, my parent's house, not mine) found it and brought it to my father at the table, having no clue he'd screwed up the hunt.
Do I believe Moses went up the mountain, spoke directly to God and came down with stone tablets? Not so much. I believe Moses believed he communed with an Almighty God, shared his visions with his people and a religion of sorts evolved.
Did you watch the video? Is very down to earth. We know much of this happened, slavery, pyramids, various tribes.
Do you believe Jesus is the son of God? Or rather a prophet much like Moses who rose to leadership under adversity and led people toward a path of freedom and faith.
[AND BTW, WHOEVER IS NOT RATING WILL BE DOOMED TO MATZO CONSTIPATION FOR ONE MONTH.]
Shalom.
next year in Jerusalem.
And we have been saying that for two thousand years, which can explain the territorial attachment we have to Jerusalem.
Money-ism is the new slavery and liberals the new Jews. The fight never ends.
I think the tribe called Americans may well be about to wander 40 years in the desert because "geniuses" on Wall Street struck the rock real hard a few too many trillion times.
God bless,
Monte
The story is universal really. My husband Chaim wrote a magnificent haggadah, the book used to guide the Passover service. His theme was freedom, and he quotes passages from both secular and religious text. It's a reminder to all about the preciousness of being free and being with family. And that is what you're emphasizing, too.
Mah nishtanah ha-lahylah ha-zeh mi-kol ha-layloht, mi-kol ha-layloht?
(of course, spelled phonetically for those not well-versed ;-D).
Gut Yontif, Sally. :-D
Passover follows the Standard Template for Jewish Holidays:
o) They tried to kill us
o) We won
o) Let's eat!
(Purim has a minor variation: "Let's get drunk!")
~~~Cap'n, my late father-in-law used to refer to prunes as "matzo remover."
~~~Rich, I don't know, I think there's logic in the idea of allowing a new generation to start fresh. Think of all the baggage we carry around from our pasts. Glad you enjoyed a Seder, it's retelling of history, with lots of wine, what could be bad?
~~~Owl, thank you and Shalom to you too.
~~~Barry, you just blew me away. How'd you know that? And same to you.
~~~oddpotter, since a big group of my family lives in Israel, many in Jerusalem, it has a special meaning to us. I've been there for Passover, it's incredibly moving. And you're right, it was originally the home of our people.
~~~Harry, I honestly don't know if you're supporting me or insulting me. But I wish for you a Happy and Healthy celebration of whatever faith you follow, or just because you're alive.
~~~Cart, love your sentiment! See what I told the Cap'n about matzo.
~~~Tom, hey, it's a serious religious holiday, I'm always pleased to discuss anything with you. I certainly agree we should send most of Wall Street to the desert for a course in humility.
~~~Monte, thank you. I wish you and yours a very Happy and Healthy and joyous Easter as well.
~~~thesage, I can't say I'm altogether comfortable with messianic Jews, but we're all God's children, so I wish you health and happines in this season.
~~~Cathy, thank you so much forexpressing exactly what I wanted people of all faiths to take away from this post. The more we learn from each other, the less we have to drive us apart. I wish you and yours a joyous Easter.
~~~bobbit, I never knew the Irish were first sold as slaves. Thank you for teaching me something new.
~~~ Lea, what can I say. I looked at our Haggadahs and yes, they were written by Chaim. It made me cry to see his name. But it also made me happy that we are even more joined. To you and your family, a "Ziesen Pesach." (PS We are going to the Stern family Seder tonight, NY and Phl families together).
~~~Kaysong, glad you enjoyed.
~~~Bill, thank you too. Are you doing a Seder tonight? Regardless, a Ziesen Pesach to you and yours too.
~~~David, we are related, how wonderful! And how incredible that the Obamas are holding a Seder. People tend to overlook that it's the beginning of us all... culminating in the 10 Commandments. Happy Pesach to you and your family!
ALL religions have basically the same stories and same symbolic meaning. Unfortunately, when religious books and stories were/are taken literally, negative, unproductive attitudes causing discord, killing, discrimination, etc. were/are the result. In other words, if it wasn't "the chosen ones", then it was the superiority of Europeans and their "Christianity"...Fascism is the usual result when religious types try to be literal. Symbolism avoids such.
"The White House says the Seder meal will be traditional, including matzo, bitter herbs, a roasted egg and greens in the family dining room in the executive mansion. The evening will feature the reading of the Haggadah, the religious text of the holiday."