A group cannot be called
am [nation] if there is no solidarity says
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik.
Am
is indicative of a readiness to share, a sense of compassion. The Jews
were taken out of
Egypt and were freed not because of their spiritual
grandeur, but simply because they were charitable to one another; there
was a feeling of solidarity among them, and they were prepared to follow the instructions of the God of Mozes.
Soon the Jews will be celebrating the
Festival of Freedom. For us Christians that is also an important occasion to remember.
We have to remember all the wonders God brought unto the earth to show His Greatness. Though even today the Wonders of God on this earth can be seen every day, not many people do want to see them or do not believe in the Hand who is behind all those blessings.
Today we are confronted with a lot of wars going on all over the world. When we hear and see how many earthquakes and natural disasters are coming over the world where children oppose their parents and religions fight against other religions, than we have the free choice to either see the signs God is giving to the universe or to ignore what is happening as a prophesied element in the history of the creation.
The climax of the Exodus story is the construction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem:
If He had brought us into the land of Israel, and had not built for
us the Beit Habechirah (Chosen House; the Beit Hamikdash) Dayenu, it
would have sufficed us!
The central importance of Holy Temple in the Passover story and in Judaism must never be forgotten:
Thus did Hillel do at the time of the Beit HaMikdash: He would
combine Passover — lamb, Matzah and Maror and eat them together, as it
said: “They shall eat it with Matzah and bitter herbs.”
The nexus of the City of Jerusalem, the Holy Temple and the Kingdom of Israel in Judaism must never be forgotten:
Have mercy, L-rd, our G-d, upon Israel Your people, upon Jerusalem
Your city, upon Zion the abode of Your glory, upon the kingship of the
house of David Your anointed, and upon the great and holy House which is
called by Your Name.
Jerusalem will be fully rebuilt:
Rebuild Jerusalem the holy city speedily in our days. Blessed are You, L-rd, who in His mercy rebuilds Jerusalem. Amen.
Lots of Europeans recoil the way “
Israel” the country is setting up a wall and is discriminating other people. Often they forget that those secular Jews and the fundamentalist Jews are not presenting a proper picture of the active believing
Jewish people, the People of God.
In Belgium we are confronted enough with real religious Jews, who act totally different from those we see battling in Israel. Though some Jews over here also may take on an attitude of considering themselves a more important and 'clean' people than the heathen population.Because many cut themselves off from the civil world they often have like many Muslims a wrong idea about Christians and Christendom. They should not forget how it where many Christian believers in the 1930ies and 1940ies saw what was happening in Europe and tried to save those who also believed in the God of Israel.
At the same time it where their own brethren in the
New World who perhaps where not so interested in those Jewish brethren of the
Old World. If in the 1940s those American Jews had responded to the call for help that came across
the ocean from the
ghettos in Poland, Lithuania, and the Baltic lands, they might have saved hundreds of thousands of Jews.
Rabbi Soloveitchik also thinks that the
Jewish community did not respond to
that call. "I thought at the time that the Jewish community was falling
apart," he says," that there was no sense of solidarity, of being together, of
suffering together." Today he agrees: "It was a terrible crime on our part…and we have not
purged ourselves from the great crime we committed, tolerating the
destruction of six million Jews."
I bring up this holocaust drama because somehow it was also part of God His Plan and the start of the new Israel. It should also be a lesson for many of us. As
Pesach nears, these words should set our consciences aflame. Today,
some of the world’s most inspirational Jews suffer continual persecution
and brutality. Masked troops destroy their communities under cover of
darkness and
jail their children without due process, traumatizing families and empowering the enemies of
Am Yisrael.
Our world should make a big difference between Zionism and True Israel.
Rabbi Soloveitchik says: "Zionism means defending Jews and building
Eretz Yisrael. People who hurt
Jews and surrender Israel to Islamist neo-Nazis are not Zionists, no
matter how fluent their Hebrew is." But does he not forget that fundamentalist Jews taking over the land of others, though they might think it is given by God, should ask for the land and come to the land to use it as it is instructed by the Most High Elohim Hashem?
All people should be aware that nobody shall be able to hinder God His Plan. Soon we shall be confronted with the reality of the prophesies coming to conclusion.
No matter what happens Israel shall be the Land of the Israelites, Israel
God's People.
As
on the night the blood of the lambs was brought on the doorposts to give a sign to the messengers of God, we today should give the right sign to God. We should bring the blood of the Lamb on the virtual doorpost of our Faith life. With the Passover the Jews began their unique
relationship with God. On Passover God redeemed their but also our ancestors from the
slavery of Egypt. And on Passover Jehovah made a commitment to stand by Israel, his chosen people,
forever. They should become more aware of that and act to this special position. They should more to seek to fulfil their mission to be “a light unto the
nations.”
As God liberated the Judaic slaves from Egypt He will save the slaves of this world, who confine to Him and follow His Instructions. Those that keep to the Law of God shall be saved. They shall be able to look forward to the Greatest Feast of Freedom. The Great Passover.
We should light our candles and be ready to see the light of God and be worthy to welcome the Lamb of God when he, Jeshua (Jesus) returns.
The Seder should be a moment of gathering where all those who know God, love the Most High, are wiling to celebrate the liberation of slavery in Egypt, share the love of God and want to show others that Jehovah is a God of love inviting all to the dish on which Jesus also sat a few hours before his death.
The Seder, like many festive occasions, provides a great opportunity to get others to know the wonders God did, to share family experiences and exchange personal stories of traditions (our own and others) so that it will help to diminish the fear that comes from difference and misunderstanding which divides this world of people, who are all created in the image of God.
Edgar Bronfman, Sr. looked at the
long book
with many different ideas. Jews spend hours discussing its profound
teachings. Yet there is one theme that stands out as cardinal concept.
For not only
one has risen up against us, but in every generation they rise up
against us to annihilate us, but the Most Holy One, blessed be he,
always delivers us out of their hands.
Bronfman has produced a new Haggadah for himself and other American Jewish critics of how Israel defends itself against it enemies.
Bronfman rewrites the standard, family favorite “Dayenu” song
stating
“And if we deliver peace between ourselves, the Palestinians,
and our Arab neighbors … that will be enough!”
He concludes with
“commit ourselves to supporting every idea, every
effort, and every carefully crafted plan that seeks to lead Palestinians
and Israelis, Jews and Arabs—indeed all of the world’s clashing
people—out of the dark and narrow straits of fear and violence, out of
the strictures of hatred and war, and into the spiritual Jerusalem—the
true Promised Land—an open and peaceful place flowing with the milk and
honey of justice, compassion, and freedom for all.”
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Please do find to read:
- A Jewish Theocracy
- Observance of a day to Remember
- Around the feast of Unleavened Bread
- Observance of a day to Remember
- Day of remembrance coming near
- Pesach
- Korban Pesach
- 1 -15 Nisan
- 14 Nisan a day to remember #1 Inception
- 14 Nisan a day to remember #2 Time of Jesus
- 14 Nisan a day to remember #3 Before the Passover-feast
- 14 Nisan a day to remember #4 A Lamb slain
- Pesach and solidarity
- Seven days of Passover
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