Passover: A Night of Expectation |
It is a night of safeguarding (shimurim) for God, to bring them out from the land of Egypt; this same night is God’s, a safeguarding (shimurim) for all of the Children of Israel, throughout their generations. (Ex.12:42)
I am writing these words during difficult times. As we sit down to seders, our thoughts might wander to our brothers and sisters in Israel, who celebrate Passover under skies full of missiles and drones, agents of death and destruction. Families will come together, only to be hurried into their safe rooms or shelters. Children (and parents) may shudder at the muffled sounds of bombs in the distance, the subtle vibrations of explosions on the house. Perhaps a child may utter a cry in fear, or perhaps even a parent. A child will sing the mah nishtana, and our people will tell the story of freedom from the confines of their own narrow spaces, restricted to only small groups. Here in the United States, more and more of our budgets are devoted to protection, as we see the alarming and rising tide of Jewish hatred. We are aware that each school, Jewish institution or synagogue is a possible target. There is absolutely no doubt that as a Jewish people, we enter these days with not a little anxiety, and perhaps even dread. How do we tell a story of freedom this year, in a year so dominated by threats and upheavals. What story should we tell?
May I suggest we look to the first seder of Jewish history. Like our Israeli brethren, they celebrated that first Passover not from a home of luxury and security, but anxious awaiting. Knowing that the destroying angel of death plagued the land of Egypt, the whole population took precautions, placing the blood on the doorpost and the lintels, an ancient version of ‘homefront command.’ As evening arrived, they too sequestered themselves into a shelter, and behind the ‘locked doors of blood’ our ancestors were instructed not to exit until morning, until they received the ‘all clear sign’. As they partook of the Passover offering inside, outside they heard the terrifying cries and screams of destruction. While in their small ‘safe room’ they were promised life, all around them was death. Would death enter their houses as well? Probably some propped open the doors and peeked outside, sharing the terrifying sights they saw. The children must have been afraid; they too might have recited a version of mah nishtanah– why is this night different? In the eyes of their elders and parents, they knew something was happening, that something was unfolding at that moment.
What instructions did God give the people during that first Passover, and how might that instruction resonate with us today? God through Moses declared:
And thus, shall you eat it [the Paschal offering]: your hips belted, your sandals on your feet, and your staffs in your hand. You shall eat in a hurry; it is a Pesach for Hashem (Ex.........