In a bit over 24 hours we’ll be sitting at the Seder table. The night which is perhaps the most symbolic of all nights. It’s the night of all nights which comes after weeks of preparation on every level.
It’s during this night that we do everything to feel free. To feel like we’re part of the redemption of back then. We reminisce, discuss, and celebrate the fact that we left the brutal slavery of Egypt. Even more so, we are obligated to feel as though we are actually the ones leaving Egypt.
I’m sitting here and trying to wrap my head around this all. Freedom feels so distant. Rejoicing freedom feels so off, so untrue and perhaps even selfish.
How can I feel freedom while there are over 100 hostages suffering and trapped in the dark Gazan tunnels.
How can I rejoice when their mothers, fathers, siblings and friends have not had a decent nights sleep in the six months since that horrific day?
How can I rejoice when there are tens of thousands of soldiers fighting for the very basics of freedom, not knowing if they will be ambushed at any given moment?
How can I rejoice when there are hundreds of our brothers and sisters in cancer centers all across the globe.
How can I rejoice while knowing that there are so many bound and shackled in the slavery of mental illness and abuse?
How can I rejoice when there are hostages of all sorts, physical, emotional or spiritual all across the globe?
I look at the Seder table which will soon host the celebration of this special night, while looking out at the nearby window, looking out into the world of pain and slavery on every level. It just doesn’t feel right. The stark contrast, is hitting me in the face, almost making me feel guilty doing this.
Thinking and grappling, trying to figure this out, my mind wanders back to that very first Seder ever celebrated. It was actually celebrated while we were still in Egypt. We were still under the leadership of the Egyptian government. We were still enslaved. We were still hostage to the cruel and evil Egyptian regime.
So I ask, how did they celebrate freedom while still being enslaved?
How did they rejoice while being in the throes of pain and suffering?
The answer may be that it was after God appeared to them. God showed them His presence. He promised to take them out of Egypt. He promised to be their savior, their father and husband.
Feeling alone and dejected is the most awful experience but the new knowledge that there’s a God up in heaven, watching us, loving us, taking care of us was the greatest feeling of freedom.
Perhaps this year, more so than every other year, we need to look back at the source of this Seder night. We need to draw a parallel from then to now.
They were hostages and so are we.
They were deep in the darkness of slavery and pain and so are we.
They were beaten, bruised and tormented on every level and so are we-in different ways and circumstances.
Perhaps we can tune into the original Seder. Perhaps we need to look out and feel God’s hand despite being in the midst of an extremely dark time.
Perhaps this year more than ever, we need to dig just a bit deeper and realize the beauty in our nation. We as a nation can rejoice and celebrate freedom even while being in slavery. This is because we know that God is right there. But more then being up there, He’s also right here.
The fact that there were no fatalities and very minimal injury from Iran’s attack is a modern day “splitting of the sea.” Statistically, it doesn’t make sense but God isn’t just “there”, he’s also “here”.
The hundreds of miraculous stories flying around everywhere from the soldiers to survivors of the initial attack and so much more, are all living testimony of God’s presence.
We don’t see God’s hand as clearly as back then, but if we peal away the very thin barrier, we’ll see Him everywhere.
Looking back at the Seder table sitting in front of the window to the world, I do think I can celebrate freedom this year.
The freedom in knowing that God is here with us.
The freedom in knowing that we are not alone.
The freedom in knowing that despite living in the darkness of today’s world, God is right beside us, steering us, guiding us and waiting for us for that special time when we can reunite as one, once again!
TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to [email protected]
Beautiful!!! So super inspiring!
Beautiful!!! So inspiring and really gave me the proper mindset to bring to the table tomorrow night! Thank you
Beautiful heartfelt message:
You wrote: perhaps if we opened our eyes we can start openly seeing tHe work of Hashem running the world.
Every tragedy has a wake up call message directly from Hashem that you’re not going to find in any sefer in the world or read in any newspaper from a Gadol Hador or speaker saying about the tragedy. And neither is it from me a Internet businessman writer.
The Shocking message DIRECTLY FROM HASHEM of the Israeli-Hamas war currently still going on for over 6 months already.
Parshas Vayaitzai which talks about Yaakov Avinu traveling from one city to a different city was one of the weeks that was in the midst of The Israel-Gaza war against Hamas terrorists that started on the Yom tov of Shemini Atzeres which is Together with Simchas Torah when in Eretz Yisroel and happened on October 7 2023. When you put the numbers of the date it happened on together you get 107 the word Vayeitzei is Gematria 107. Do you think it’s just a coincidence? We all know the truth that “ there’s no such a thing as coincidence” so what does this have to do in relation to this tragedy happening to klal yisroel? The Hamas terrorists were supposed to on their plans go to Shuls to shoot on C”V and Hashem did a miracle and sent them to a different city-just like Yaakov Avinu-which happened to be a non frum Simchas Torah festival in a different town. Do you think this is just coincidence or does it come directly from Hashem?, at 6:30am Israel standard time (which means it was the Hebrew date of 1/22 and in America 7 hours earlier it was still 11:30pm on the Hebrew date of 1/21) when the Hamas terrorists secretly snuck into the South border of Israel and Shot over 5000 people and also broke into hundreds of homes and took over a hundred young women and children as innocent captives into Gaza. What was the shocking message from Hashem directly to klal yisroel? Why did Hashem make this happen to klal yisroel Rachmana litzlan? And on such a happy Yom tov of Simchas Torah when klal yisroel is in the middle of the Yom tov of Zman Simchaseinu and Hashem gave an extra day of Shemini atzeres to be attached to Hashem? When this war started-as mentioned earlier it was still כא תשרי that’s makes 121 when you put them together and gives you the chapter of תהלים said in times of Tragedies and repentance begging Hashem to forgive Klal yisroel and to please accept klal yisroel’s serious Teshuva that Hashem is waiting for us to do together as one loving nation so Hashem can send Mashiach already b’karov. Do YOU think this is just a coincidence? Do you think it was just an accident that just happened to come out on this date and also on such a holy Yom Tov of Simcha? And then in a split second to be changed over to a time of instant fear, anxiety and aggravation without even knowing what the next minute will bring?
Let us hope that we finally accept Hashem’s wake up call for serious Teshuva and Achdus together as one loving nation so Hashem can send Mashiach already b’karov.
May we all be able to bring the Korban Pesach this year in Yerushalayim.
Beautiful answer. Profound essay.
Not sure it answers all the questions, tho.
A LOT of ppl are still in a LOT of pain.
100%
Rabbi yechiel spero has something very very similar in his Haggadah sefer. We all need to feel freedom even when you are in pain. Why? Because Hashem said to celebrate the freedom. Everyone has personal struggles but on pesach night we let it go and we are Free! That had a very meaningful and very pertinent message to me this pesach.