A PRAYER FOR PASSOVER - 5772/2012
This is what it means to celebrate Passover:
It is to see ourselves as part of a bigger story,
A drama that begins in degradation and ends in praise;
That begins in slavery and ends in liberation;
That begins with our ancestors and ends with us;
That begins in the Bible and evolves through the Rabbis;
That begins with Pharaoh and encompasses every tyrant, every Haman and Hitler and historical demagogue;
That begins with us opening the door to our dear ones, invites us to open the door to our heritage, and leads us to open the door for Elijah, prophet of hope and healing;
That begins in Egypt and passes through all time and space;
That begins with four little questions and ends with many great questions:
Why are human beings still languishing in slavery, and what will we do about it?
Who are today’s Pharaohs and how will we destroy their power?
Where is hope found in a hurting world?
What can we do to help Israel continue to become a land of promise?
When will we overcome what divides us and embrace what unites us--as Jews, as Americans, as members of the human family?
This is what it means to celebrate Passover:
It is to see ourselves as part of a bigger story.
It is to understand
with heart and soul and might
that by embracing one another
by embracing the holy, the just, the true, the good
by embracing that great power that binds the universe
do we, frail human beings, become free.
Chag Sameach!
Rabbi Jonathan E. Blake
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