Passover deconstructed

Rabbi Howard S. Herman DD

It is interesting to hear the reactions of Jews to the celebration of Passover in this third decade of the 21st century. For some, it is their favorite Jewish holiday of the year. If you ask them why, they might tell you it is a holiday that gathers the entire family together to celebrate; it’s a reminder that the long, cold winter is over; a time to do spring cleaning and everything smells so good after that; or they kvell at seeing their kids doing the same thing they did when they were kids. It is the kind of holiday where they pass the torch, so to speak, in the hope that their children will continue those same traditions and pass them onto the next generation as well.

Then there are those who tell me that of all the Jewish holidays in the cycle of celebrations, Passover is their least favorite. Why? Too much work to organize and execute a seder, they simply can’t abide the food restrictions, or eight days is just too long to remove themselves from the comfort zone of their daily routine.

I am here to tell you that no matter what your reasons for liking or disliking the Passover holiday, your focus is on the wrong place. Passover is not really a holiday to like or distain; it is the holiday that

gave rise to our glorification of the ethic of “justice,” as well as “righteousness” and “moral compassion.” It is a holiday where the rituals, if you read into their meaning a bit, enliven the meaning and bring it up to date in real time. It is only when the rituals of the seder are simply done by rote, devoid of any substance or connection to the present, that seders and the Passover rituals become perfunctory.

The Exodus that was undertaken under the leadership of Moses is a consistent refrain in the seder of today. It is done so with the admonition to treat others with compassion and justice, to help the strangers (foreigners) among us because we were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.

We are also reminded that the quest remains ongoing for those who seek a better life of safety, security and prosperity. The idea here, is that we have the compassion to recognize that we were once strangers, too; that there are those who seek freedom and are a part of the foundation of our community and strengthen our resolve.

We also open our doors during our Passover celebrations with the idea of letting all who are hungry come and eat. This reflects the mandate that we invite everyone, not just Jews, to come and eat.

Commenting on this line, Rabbi Isaiah diTrani (13th-century Italy) said, “It is the obligation of every person to eat the first night of Passover, so we invite anyone who doesn’t have the means.”

The encompassing idea is that no one in our midst should go hungry. Our Jewish sources make very clear the importance of the blessings of food. Passover is teaching us that it is our responsibility to see to it that no one goes without; that no one starves and no one suffers the indignity of hunger. Once again, this is what justice looks like in our society. It is “just” that everyone has nutrition in order to live healthily.

If there was ever a Jewish holiday that oozed the theme of social justice, it is Passover. Hopefully, some of these ideas will spark meaningful conversations at your seder and connect you to our shared story of liberation, fighting for the dignity and redemption of all human beings.

A Zissen Pesach to you.

Rabbi Howard S. Herman DD serves at Naples Jewish Congregation.