Before and after we step into the sea

During the Exodus we escape. Today, we escape inward, to our homes, if we are lucky to have homes.

In The Leader's Guide to the Family Participation Haggadah: A Different Night, Rabbi David Hartman writes: “Passover is the night for reckless dreams; for visions about what a human being can be, what society can be, what people can be, what history may become.”

It's hard to imagine being "reckless" right now in a way that I might have imagined it just a few weeks ago.... Reckless today would mean giving my sister a hug! So I find I need to repeat Rabbi Hartman's words: "reckless dreams."

Yes, perhaps MY "reckless dream" is more hugs for my sister! That means making more time to see her, when physical distancing eases.

May we have the foresight of knowing that after the Exodus, what  lies ahead is the wilderness. What freedoms will we need to bring into being? What 'new selves' might we comport into? What will we do to fulfill daring dreams (those that involve our closest relationships, and those that involve our neighours, our communities, our worlds)?

I hope that during the remaining days of Passover you can take some time with any question or moment from our Seder that may have "struck a chord". Set aside time if you can to contemplate or dream.

The pandemic will end. May we who will be its survivors take on the tasks that will allow us to say:

"And then compassion will be wedded to power

"And then softness will come to a world that is harsh and unkind

"And then all will live in harmony with each other and the earth

And to close our Seder we say:

לְשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה בִּירוּשָׁלָֽיִם

L’shana haba-ah biy’rushalayim

NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!


haggadah Section: Nirtzah
Source: Tyler Pearce quote from Rabbi David Hartman