In this modern, complex, noisy world, all of us are slaves to destructive habits, toxic thoughts, and unkind and frightening influences. How do we break free?
The Seder is a tale of spiritual journey- the story of going from spiritual slavery to spiritual freedom, from darkness to light.
We left Egypt and headed to The Promised Land. Out of wandering in a dry desolate desert, God planted in our hearts The Tree of Life.
As Tolkien said so beautifully- “Not all those who wander are lost.”
This Passover, as you set on a journey with loved ones, ask yourself these questions:
What is my Egypt? What enslaves you? Is it social media addiction? Envy? Food? Does someone exert control over you? Hachna’ah or Submission asks “To what am I a slave?”
Who is my Moses? Choose a mentor to guide you through the liberation. Seek what Robert Frost called “I am not a teacher, but an awakener.” Havdalah or Separation says “Step away from what enslaves you.” Find a coach to help you exercise, diet, or awaken your soul. If you can’t find a Moses, then be one to another. In a world desperate for mending, you can be the savior.
What am I willing to sacrifice? Freedom carries a price. As J.M.Barrie of Peter Pan declared “Dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it.” In Persian, we say “Ghorboonet Beram!” as an outpouring of love, which translates to “I want to sacrifice myself for you.” In Hebrew the word “Korban” is used for sacrifice, which also means to draw close. When we sacrifice our time for a loved one or toward a desired goal, we draw near, pull closer.
Where am I headed? Distancing from enslavement requires movement toward empowerment. Maimonides heeded that it is not enough to move away from negative, but you must also step toward positive. Hamtaka or Sweetening requires us to be present in the moment and being aware of the already present sweet blessings in our lives, as well as travelling to a place better than yesterday.
Exodus was not The Great Escape; it was leaving for the sake of arriving.
As you answer these questions, you write your own Hagaddah. The purpose of Maggid is to tell your own story, from harsh beginnings, to failed struggles in the middles, and eventually to a place of Holiness. Ultimately the journey is what brings us happiness, not the destination.
To recall the African proverb from where we started, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
Chag Sameach.
