By Gerry Skolnik
Every year, as we prepare to celebrate the festival of Passover, I find myself struggling with the same issue. More than any other Jewish holiday, Passover lends itself to “universalization.” The theme of “from enslavement to redemption” seems to have become a part of the intellectual property of virtually every group which longs to see better times, as opposed to its being the theme of our historical experience in Egypt. I always find myself resenting this co-opting of our story.
I think I’m changing my view.
Without a doubt, the theme of mei’avdut l’heirut – from enslavement to redemption – has a historical dimension that is uniquely our own. It was our ancestors who were enslaved, and our ancestors who were redeemed. We have the right to own our history! The exodus was, after all, the origin of our identity as a nation, and it launched us into our epic journey to ultimate, messianic redepmtion.
But… it is equally true that, in every generation, we must interpret the Torah anew. If the historical experience of ancient Israel inspires those who face oppression in our time to live another day in hope, or believe that redemption is possible, then not only is the timeless message of Passover alive, but it is renewed in meaning again and again. Even if the application of that message takes on a life of its own, its rootedness in our own historical experience attests anew to God’s redemptive power.
And, to take it one step further, it need not be a nation or a people who draw hope from our story. It can also be an individual.
We all know people who live with unremitting physical pain, or the pall of inconsolable grief. The burden of those afflictions can deprive a person of any hope for a better tomorrow, not to mention making every day a nightmare. It can be difficult to even imagine a day where there will be more light than darkness, more hope than despair.
For the individual who suffers, Passover is a welcome reminder that, no matter how bitter the enslavement, whether to a cruel taskmaster like Pharaoh or pain spiritual or physical, the hope for redemption is a powerful vehicle for catharsis. It will not, in and of itself, solve all problems. But it can help us to believe that we can be helped, and often times that is the largest piece of the struggle.
To all I wish a chag kasher v’sameach. May your celebration of Passover be sweet, and meaningful.
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