Preaching Goes Viral

Rabbis share Passover advice, messages

Unity of religious community

As parents, we should not be afraid to let our children express how they might understand the story of Passover in relation to the current pandemic. The Passover story is about life as a journey from Egypt – Mi mitzrayim (from a narrow place) – a place of confinement, to learning how to live in freedom on the way to the Promised Land. This year may be the year to face to darkness of the plagues. Instead of a bag of toy plagues or games, or activities during this section of the seder, I invite you to consider the powerful lesson that emanates from this part of our ritual. Our tradition requires us, even and especially in moments of celebration, to remember the suffering of other people. If others are suffering, we suffer too. This might be the year to have tissues on your table because there may be real tears flowing, not just symbolic ones. Our job is to acknowledge where we are now, to care for each other, our families and our larger communities. When we do, I am confident together, our journey will take us from this narrow place of fear to a place of promise – of hope, understanding and love.

2022-12-13

Noah Leavitt

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