Tonight begins Pesach, the festival of freedom. After finishing all the cleaning, after we have eaten the last leavened bread, after the cooking is done, the table is set, the silver shines and the house fills with guests, we remember the exodus from Egypt.
Avadim hayinu, ata b'nai chorin --Once we were slaves, now we are free.
Let all who are hungry come and eat.
And my favorite:
Bechol dor vador chayav adam lirot et atzmo k'ilu hu yatza mi'Mitzrayim.
In every generation each person should imagine as though he himself left slavery in Egypt.
Use your imagination this year and put yourself into the footsteps of those slaves. What must it have been like to leave with only the food you could carry, a few possessions, and go off into the unknown?
It's a path Jews have been forced to follow over and over again for thousands of years. Small wonder we hold firmly to the reborn land of Israel, so that we will never have to wander homeless again.
Next year in Jerusalem!
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Thank-you for posting about Pesach. Last night, during an errand, I saw a house with lots of children playing outside and they were dressed nicely. Then I noticed a few boys with the head caps. As we left the area, I caught a glimpse of the inside of the home; a large table with people dining and I could see the men with the caps. I thought, it's not the Sabbath, I wonder what the special occasion is. And today, my question is answered. I ran across your blog just scrolling through blogs and interesting, I used to a an oncology nurse before I became 'the Painter's wife'. I probably understand on a level that others cannot fathom, what it is like to survive treatment, much less cancer. I commend you and I'm glad I found this blog. Julie
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