From Rabbi Craig Mayers
April / May 2022
Pesach is upon us, and for many it will be the first time in three years we’ve been able to gather safely in groups for seder meals, services and the like.
The main theme of Passover is liberation and redemption, and perhaps we feel those things a bit more keenly this year, having been “freed” from our quarantines and lockdowns, and emerged alive and (Baruch Hashem) healthy from our “captivity”.
All is not quite back to normal, however. Supply chain, labor and materials issues have driven prices on everything up – and matzah is no exception! Still, we’re counting our blessings this year as most of us will be able to tell the tale of Passover to our children, loved ones, friends and guests in person and not over Zoom!
What have we learned from our time in “exile”? The irony of Passover seders being conducted online and families unable to gather due to an actual PLAGUE was not lost on most. The ancient Israelites were traumatized by their experience in Egypt, and even escaping it was a bit scary too, trapped as they were by the Sea of Reeds with the army of Egypt fast approaching. We were also traumatized by our time spent in isolation.
Happily, though, our ancestors moved from slavery to freedom to receiving the Torah in just a few weeks. And we, too, have this to look forward to on our horizon. Just 7 weeks after Pesach we will celebrate Shavuot by inaugurating our brand-new Torah that YOU helped write. 2022/5782 is shaping up to be a good year so far, and a wonderful turnaround from the prior 2 years!
This year as we return to more normalcy, how will this Passover be different from all other Passovers? Do we now have a renewed appreciation now for our gatherings and sacred occasions? As we said at the end of our seders in the past two years, “next year in person!” Not on Zoom, not “hybrid”, but really together in the same space. Now that we’ve arrived there, how do we express our gratitude and relief? Our ancestors sang at the shore of the Sea after they were freed once and for all – so perhaps we, too, should sing out loudly at our seder tables this Pesach, rejoicing not only in the freedom our ancestors gained, but also the freedom we now enjoy to celebrate together safely once again. Dayenu!
From my family to yours, chag kasher v’sameach! Happy Passover!
L’shalom,
Rabbi Craig Mayers, Terry, Julian, Zachary and Ryan
The main theme of Passover is liberation and redemption, and perhaps we feel those things a bit more keenly this year, having been “freed” from our quarantines and lockdowns, and emerged alive and (Baruch Hashem) healthy from our “captivity”.
All is not quite back to normal, however. Supply chain, labor and materials issues have driven prices on everything up – and matzah is no exception! Still, we’re counting our blessings this year as most of us will be able to tell the tale of Passover to our children, loved ones, friends and guests in person and not over Zoom!
What have we learned from our time in “exile”? The irony of Passover seders being conducted online and families unable to gather due to an actual PLAGUE was not lost on most. The ancient Israelites were traumatized by their experience in Egypt, and even escaping it was a bit scary too, trapped as they were by the Sea of Reeds with the army of Egypt fast approaching. We were also traumatized by our time spent in isolation.
Happily, though, our ancestors moved from slavery to freedom to receiving the Torah in just a few weeks. And we, too, have this to look forward to on our horizon. Just 7 weeks after Pesach we will celebrate Shavuot by inaugurating our brand-new Torah that YOU helped write. 2022/5782 is shaping up to be a good year so far, and a wonderful turnaround from the prior 2 years!
This year as we return to more normalcy, how will this Passover be different from all other Passovers? Do we now have a renewed appreciation now for our gatherings and sacred occasions? As we said at the end of our seders in the past two years, “next year in person!” Not on Zoom, not “hybrid”, but really together in the same space. Now that we’ve arrived there, how do we express our gratitude and relief? Our ancestors sang at the shore of the Sea after they were freed once and for all – so perhaps we, too, should sing out loudly at our seder tables this Pesach, rejoicing not only in the freedom our ancestors gained, but also the freedom we now enjoy to celebrate together safely once again. Dayenu!
From my family to yours, chag kasher v’sameach! Happy Passover!
L’shalom,
Rabbi Craig Mayers, Terry, Julian, Zachary and Ryan