The seder is perhaps Judaism’s most brilliant creation of experiential education. We sit around the table and are meant to elaborate the telling of the story of the Exodus. We are meant to make the story compelling, we are supposed to make it as if we embody both slavery and freedom in one evening.
In every generation, every person is obligated to see themselves as if they left Mitzrayim, as it is written, “you shall tell it to your children on that day, saying, it is because of what God did for me when I left Mitzrayim” (Exodus 13:8)
This injunction isn’t meant to make us feel like slaves for the purpose of feeling oppressed. We are meant to feel the pain of injustice so that we will go out into the world, find dark corners, and bring them light. We are meant to look at the world and see where we can offer compassion, love, and justice. We say this line at the Pesach seder not simply for the purpose of trying to connect to the pain of oppression, but so that we are moved to action through that connection.
Our community has been championing this cause through our efforts with the Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope (MICAH), training dozens of volunteers to conduct interviews with our congregants, understanding what issues are most important to all of us, and then working towards making a difference in Memphis. It’s a group that is internalizing exactly what the Pesach Seder is meant to instill in us. I’m so proud of our community for engaging in this work so deeply, and I hope that more of you will be involved (we have one more training this coming Sunday morning at 10:00 AM). We’re looking forward to honoring you in our services on Shabbat morning.
This Shabbat, we welcome in the month of Nissan, the month which holds Pesach. May it be a month of embodied liberation, a month where we see the world around us and understand the powerful roles we can play.
