B"H
The Jewish world is getting ready for tomorrow night, the Pessach (Passover) Seder night. However, at the moment, in a more materialistic sense because everyone is running around to get the groceries done.
But what about "Freedom" ?
The Israelites left Egypt on the seventh day of Pessach. Did they really escape slavery by walking through the Red Sea? In a physical way "yes" because they were free to decide about their actions in life. The question comes up if this new physical freedom at the same times means "spiritual freedom" ? Kabbalistic literature considers the 40 years in the desert as a "spiritual cleansing" as well as a Tikun (soul rectification). The Israelites were free but still stuck in their slavery mentality.
Can you imagine that, for generations, your family including yourself have been told what to do ? There was no free life and for anything you had to ask for permission. Suddenly you are free. So, what do you do with your life ? Do you realize that there is a life at all and not only the whip of an Egyptian guard ?
And how about us today ? Are we free ?
We read the Haggadah in order to re - live the miracle of the Splitting of the Red Sea and that G – d took the Jews out of Egypt. How do Jews in the Diaspora (Galut) feel ? Are they ready to leave their Egypt and go to Israel ? While going through the Haggadah, we should ask ourselves how we live today and how does the Pessach event apply to us.
The Gemara (rabbinic discussions) in Talmud Pesachim 88a teaches us a saying of Rabbi Yochanan:
"The day of the ingathering of the exiles will be as momentous as the day when heaven and earth were created".
The Talmudic commentators Rashi and Maharsha explain:
G – d created heaven and earth out of NOTHING. Before the entire creation process there was nothing but Him. This is one of the great miracles of the creation of the entire universe and us. A creation out of nothing. The miracle of the final redemption will be so wondrous that it will be analogous to creation.
"Pessach Samech & Kascher" – A happy, healthy and kosher Passover !"
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