In the past, Jewish communities have had to cover in hiding, hold their Seders in secret, and not declare their Judaism, Today, though, in America, we have freedom to practice any religion, and more importantly, we are in an age where we relish the inter-connectivity of humans and the sharing of ideas and culture. Jewish people don;t need to be insular, or ashamed. After we take a moment to let Eliyahu into our homes - the symbol of optimism about the future, we should keep the door open a little longer, and step outside. We can stand in the night time, look around us, breathe in the outside air, and say a big 'hello' to the world. We can make a promise to share our Jewish values and wisdom with others, and absorb all that the world has to offer as well. Real freedom is a being allowed to leave, choosing to stay, or choosing to join, without having to fight...

When people put up  too high a barrier between Inside and Outside, two things happen: Outsiders are excluded and start to resent and hate those Inside, while those who are included feel superior, and ultimately devalue those on the Outside.

These barriers are human-constructed illusions we created and hold on to so strongly, because we need that sense of belonging. It's important to have distinctions, and unique identities, but we are kidding ourselves when we forget that we are all cute little human beings absurdly flailing about on a minuscule planet hurdling through endless space.


haggadah Section: Hallel