The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, once reflected about Passover: “Pesach tells us that the strength of a nation does not lie in horses and chariots, armies and arms or in colossal statues and monumental buildings and overt demonstrations of power and wealth. It depends on simpler things: humility in the presence of the God of creation, trust in the God of redemption and history, and a sense of the non-negotiable sanctity of human life, created by God in His image: even the life of a slave or a child too young to ask questions.”

These are not just nice words. Rabbi Sacks here speaks a truth that we often fail to remember or carry in our daily lives. Although we know the ancient story all too well – the journey of our people from slavery to freedom, we too often overlook the deeper message it’s meant to teach us.

Passover is not just about the past, about a people who lived long ago. 

It is about the present. It is about us now. 

It is about the ongoing struggle for freedom – for ourselves, for our families, for our country, and for our people. 

History has shown us that the words of the Passover Haggadah have indeed played out. That is, in every generation, we as a Jewish people have faced existential threats from our enemies. Today this threat of annihilation is perhaps more visible than in any time in recent history. In the words Vehi She’amda, which we sing at the Passover........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)