Every year at this time, Jews gather to remember our deliverance from Egypt and the giving of God’s Laws at Sinai. We are told to identify, as though we were slaves in Egypt. We are given tools to help us: the Haggadah and various symbols. I don’t know about any of you, but past Seders hardly felt like hardship.
Each Seder is unique. I remember the one where Dori brought a guest who asked, “Does anyone believe any of this really happened?” or the 1 st one without my parents, or the 1 st one with my grandson, or the one where I taught my children the 4 questions to surprise their grandpa Harry.
“Why is this night different from all other nights?”
Welcome to the 1 st and I hope the last Coronavirus Seder. This plague we are experiencing may help us understand other Passovers when our people suffered inquisitions, pogroms, Holocausts. Or maybe the 1 st Passover when Moses told the people to stay in their homes, lock their doors, stay in small groups to avoid a horrible plague. They were scared, unsure and worried about their future. So…..as Jews have for 3300 years, we find a way. Passover will happen tonight with its symbols and lessons we teach our children.
Passover has many messages, many lessons…if you know where to look. Our story didn’t happen once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away. Passover has relevance for every generation. We learned tonite that Passover can happen, if we want it too; that the only way to the promised land is through the wilderness. Passover provides us with the opportunity to reaffirm all that makes us whole: health, family, friends, love, tradition, culture, and heritage.
At Passover we celebrate our hope for everyone to be free. But no one is free this Passover. There is an Egypt here called Covid-19. The Seder usually ends with “next year in Jerusalem” which means we hope that next year may we all be free and have what we need. However, this Zoom Coronavirus Seder I pray for something more, that next month may we be free from fear and sickness. Amen
