Lighting candles and saying a blessing over them marks a time of transition, from the day that is ending to the one that is beginning, from ordinary time to sacred time, from offseason to spring training to opening day.

Lighting the candles is an important part of our Passover celebration because their flickering light reminds us that "What is to give light must endure burning" - Viktor Frankl (referencing the sweet feeling of victory watching Clayton Kershaw win the WS because of all his failure of giving up bombs in the 7th inning).

Light a candle and your home and say the prayer:

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu l'hadlik ner shel Yom Tov.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Umpire of the Universe, who has blessed us with strikes and balls for the great light of baseball season.

We light the festival candles to brighten our thoughts, words, and stock prices for the many months ahead.

The Meaning of the Matzah on this Passover 2021:

(to be read before HaLachma Anya/When we hold the Matzah) 

Because tonight (once again!) we cannot join together with our extended family, friends and community in celebration. This night is different because, as we tell the story of our people from slavery to freedom from Egypt to the Promised Land, we must also tell about our own time, about our own plagues and immediate needs. 

The mystics taught us that Egypt was not only a historical place of enslavement, but as the

Hebrew word for Egypt, Mitzrayim, suggests it is any state of narrowness, loneliness and fear

a person experiences — a feeling many of us, and those we love, know too well during this

COVID-19 pandemic.

The Passover story is also about our individual and collective efforts to

leave whatever narrow place we are in. This night is different because we are not only remembering and reliving our shared history, but we are deeply mindful of our current crisis, and the urgency of learning about and speaking out about the impact of this plague — and many other plagues — happening around the globe to Jews and all people.

But each of us, and every Jew around the world, though we are more physically separated than ever, is strengthened because of our shared values.

This is our shared story of suffering and freedom.

As we hold the matzah this year, whether with our families or completely alone let us recite together: e,

May we experience our connection to the story of the Jewish people;

to our values and to our shared future.

As we partake in this bread of memory and hope, may we never forget our Exodus story

and our promise to ourselves that even in our new, more limited freedom,

we will not stand by when others are suffering.

Let all who are in need, know that we are with them.

As we ready ourselves to eat this hard bread of affliction,

let us also prepare ourselves to respond to the suffering and isolation all around the globe.

May all who are suffering, whether they are sick, afraid, hungry,

suffering from domestic violence or any other plague,

know that we see you, we hear you, and we will work together to respond to you.

May all who are mourning find comfort and may we collectively find ways to console them.

May we continue to support medical personnel, as well as all service workers

who are responding with all their capacities, generosity, care and self-sacrifice.

May all who are suffering now be healed quickly;

May all who are in need, know that the Jewish people will respond with the best of ourselves.

May we find new ways to learn about each other and to learn together, even virtually.

Let us assure each other that we, the Jewish People, share a common destiny

and we will create it together.

May we look into the eyes of those around us and those who we see from afar,

and assure each other that we are mutually responsible for one another,

for the health and safety and spiritual well-being of ourselves, our families, our communities,

and for all of humanity today, just as declared when our Passover story began.

This year, we are here. We are broken apart,

but next year may we find new beginnings, a new commitment to each other,

a new wholeness, and a new common destiny.

By Rabbi Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi, Ph.D. for www.OurCommonDestiny.org

In December of 2019, a novel coronavirus hit the Wuhan Province of China. On December 31st, the WHO reported a mysterious pneumonia affecting dozens in China which will become a deadly global pandemic which will affect all of us. By mid January, we saw our first death and cases were confirmed in Thailand, Japan, and South Korea. At this point there were 282 confirmed cases worldwide, with 278 of those being in China. January 21st brings the first confirmed case of the virus in the United States followed by a strict lockdown of the incredibly populous Wuhan Province.

By the end of January the WHO declared this a “public health emergency of international concern” and the Trump administration restricted travel from China. Worldwide we saw around 9800 infections and 213 deaths. Early February came with the death of a man in the Philippines, the first death we had seen outside of China. We also saw the quarantining of a cruise ship, with the ship itself constituting as one of the largest outbreaks in China. Finally, on February 11th this novel coronavirus was given a new name; COVID-19. The CO stands for coronavirus, VI for virus, D for Disease and 19 denotes its origin in late 2019. A few days later the world faced the first death outside of Asia, in France.

As the month came to a close the virus had spread to Iran and Italy had begun to enforce lock downs in certain towns in response to a surge in infections.We also saw the first spread through local transmission within the United States followed shortly after by the first death in the US. On March 3rd, the Center for Disease Control lifted restrictions for virus testing to allow for anyone under suspicion for the disease to get tested if tests are available. One week later the President of the United States banned most travel from continental Europe and declared a national emergency days later.

Mid-march is characterized by lockdowns in response to CDC recommendations against gatherings of more than 50 people. Furthermore, France and Britain impose nationwide lockdowns and Hawaii invokes a mandatory 14-day quarantine for arriving visitors and residents as the international forum is characterized by panic. A bright light in all of this comes with the news on March 19th that China for the first time since December reports no new local infections. By the end of March everything seems to be cancelled with even the Olympics being delayed until 2021.By the start of April Global Cases top one million, deaths reach 100,000 and the United states leads the world in confirmed cases of this virus.

When we remember the plagues of Egypt on the Seder night, we are remembering the miraculous things G-d did for us in Egypt. However, for some of us there are things plaguing our own lives that feel far worse, and as much as we spend Passover talking about the plagues of Egypt, we should also talk about the mental health plagues of today. 

As you recite the traditional 10 plagues in your Haggadah, consider adding the following list: 

Fear - Being in a constant state of fear (fight-or-flight) affects our body’s processes, e.g., digestion, blood pressure, body temperature (byjus.com). Our body functions best when we are not on edge.

Self-judgment - Just as life’s pace has changed during the pandemic, so has our daily routines. We are allowed to be less productive than before the pandemic. We must be kind to ourselves during a time where the world is not so kind to us.

Imposter Syndrome - Thanks to social media, it is common to think we are not doing enough. Remember that everyone has these fears –– even the people who post these career updates.

Burnout - It is difficult to draw the line between the work day and the post-work day. Since everything is online, it feels like the work day never ends. Remember to emphasize the demarcation between work and relaxation to avoid burnout.

Bereavement/Grief - The most difficult part of a deadly virus must be not being able to grieve in the traditional manner. At a time when one wants to sit shiva and be physically close to others, most cannot be. With more than 500,000 deaths in the United States, many people are experiencing grief they are not able to deal with in the traditional manner.

Anxiety and depression - As of September 2020, eight out of 10 people experienced severe anxiety symptoms (mhanational.org). And since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, even more people have experienced moderate to severe symptoms of depression (mhanational.org). These people can be a family member, a friend or the neighbors on either side of your house!

Trauma/Stressor-Related Symptoms - More than a quarter (26 percent) of adults experienced symptoms of trauma or stress-related disorders since the start of the pandemic (cdc.gov). This means that one in four people, might be experiencing these symptoms right now.

Isolation/loneliness - Seven out of 10 of those screened for moderate to severe symptoms of depression and anxiety noted isolation and loneliness to be among the top three contributors to their depression and anxiety (mhanational.org). Now is the time to take advantage of technology –– get on a Zoom or Facetime call with your friends and family!

Substance Abuse - More than 13 percent of adults use substances as a coping mechanism for anxiety and depression in 2020 (cdc.gov). This is about three students from my small statistics class of 25.

Suicidal ideation - Nearly 11 percent of adults seriously considered suicide in the past month (cdc.gov). That number is 0.15 percent more than the previous year –– .015 percent might seem like a small number, but it accounts to about 500,000 people.

When we gathered over zoom in 5780/ 2020 with our families and communities, most people thought that it was an anomaloy; that by the next year Passover could be "normal" once again. While we are grateful for vaccines, it is clear that there is no "normal" to return to. Things remain altered; we are changed.

The pandemic reminds me of the Exodus narrative itself. The telling of the story at our seder usually ends as the Israelites cross the sea and begin wandering in the desert. To me, however, the wandering is everything. While the early taste of freedom is met with sweetness and song, the feeling didn't last. Some Israelites long to return to Egypt because even to live enslaved seems preferable sometimes than to live with uncertainty. The people often forget to be grateful for their freedom and kvetch (complain) about their conditions and situation. Moses, their leader, quickly learns he needs help to lead. He builds a team and with that team  the  people figure out how to be  a  people. It can't happen overnight. It takes many many years of wandering.

Here we are together -- online. We are not newly in this landscape, we have been wandering in it for a while. Like all who wander, we are not sure exactly where we're going or how we will get there. We feel uncertain. Like the Israelites, we may long to "go back" to how things used to be, even though, when we really think about it, things weren't all that great for many of us. It is hard to live with uncertainty. It can be hard to remember to stay grateful for the things that can bring us together -- digital technologies, creative programming, and more. Leaders are emerging during this time but the best among them are realizing that to lead is to make sure no one is left behind. We need a team. We need each other. 

This new desert, this wandering, is our opportunity to come together as Jews and as thriving, vibrant, beautiful communities. I, for one, do not wish to "go back." Of course I am glad for a return to some pre-pandemic realities like being able to gather, to hug, to do some of the activities I miss. But there is no "going back," there is only forging ahead. Out of this desert wandering I long for a brighter future in which no one is left behind. I long for a future built on meaningful commitments to diversity and equity. I long for a future in which we work for a future by resolving to protect our planet. I long for a future in which our Jewish communities grow stronger by becoming more inclusive and celebratory of the ways in which our differences make us better, rather than letting difference divide us. Finally, I wish for us that however we make our way through this desert, we rememeber that we need each other and we act accordingly long into the future. 

This has been a hard time but I remain hopeful and grateful. May we celebrate the freedoms we enjoy and may we resolve to keep fighting for greater freedom for all.