joshwriting: (Default)
joshwriting ([personal profile] joshwriting) wrote2005-04-24 09:24 pm
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What Passover Means to Me - Redux (from Sheroes)

Two Pesachs ago, I wrote the following to Sheroes Central:

The story of Passover is simultaneously one of redemption from servitude by G-d, and an explanation of what is wrong with slavery, to begin with.

The notion of people not being able to choose where to live, not being able to decide whether to remain to gether or not if maried, not being able to KNOW that if they have a child that that child will be left with them, not being able to decide what to do or whether or not to do anything at all - without fear of punishment... not being allowed to have property - but being property - these are all notions that are offensive, to the point of physical illness to me.

In the seder that we celebrate, we mourn, as all Jews do, the Egyptian dead from the 10 plagues visited upon the Pharoah's people - but we, as MANY Jews do, also mourn the so-called MODERN plagues: The making of war, the teaching of hate and violence, despoliation of the earth, perversion of justice and of government, fomenting of vice and crime, neglect of human needs, oppression of nations and peoples, corruotion of culture, subjugation of science and learning and human discourse, and the erosion of freedoms.

That there is still slavery on this planet is an afront to me. To you. To all of humanity.

That we allow - ALLOW! - children to starve in this country (US) goes beyond afront, because even the folks who do not want us to intervene in foreign affairs do not have that argument in this case. They can only argue "It is better that that child starve than that we make the effort to prevent it."

There is a passage in almost every haggadah that I have seen: "Let those who are less fortunate than us join us at this time and also at other times."

Do we? Did you?

Passover reminds me of how much work I have ahead of me. It reminds me of how little time I have in which to do it.

It reminds me of the hypocrites that we have in our political offices - and I do not mean just George Bush, and I do not mean just the Republicans or Just the Democrats, or Just the United States. I mean almost every government on the face of the planet.

It reminds me of the hypocrites in our houses of worship - both leaders and followers.

It reminds me of my own hypocrisy - the gaps between what I believe and what I do.

I am not saying that I am not a good person, please don't misunderstand. I am not saying that I do not do worthwhile things. I am saying that there is more. That I have not done growing. That I have more to do.

Please join me.
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There is also a command to reflect on the meaning of the story. All too often, as I see it, the story is told with as little exploration as possible, the goal is to tell the story and get on to the VERY sumptious meal.

So... reflect.

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