Passover 5782 has concluded: are we [all] free?  

which person is free
one willing to relinquish
all they have attained

We live in a culture of slavery.

This slavery doesn’t always look like the slavery of physical oppression and forced labor. Although there are places in the world where that still exists.

Often, as in the case of Americans and much of the “free” world, it’s more discrete. We are our own oppressors.

We are slaves to desire and attachment.

Golden handcuffs that keep us chained to a life we don’t love.

The weight of expectations resting on our shoulders.

Both free people and slaves may work long hours. A slave works because of the fear of consequences for stopping.

Working to preserve what we have. Fear of losing what we have or not having enough.

Working to meet expectations. Fear of being rejected or exiled.

Working to prove our status or worth in a culture that values these things. Fear of being seen as lazy.

True freedom is when we are willing to walk away from everything we have built; when we are willing to risk it all to start again. True freedom is when we are willing to say no to others to give ourself what we need; when we are willing to defy others’ expectations to stay true to our own standards.

Are we – are you — free?

We were once slaves in Egypt, now ‘we’ are free. 

As Jews, we tell the story of yetziat mitzrayim, the Exodus from Egypt, to remind ourselves annually that our people were enslaved in a land not our own. 

“In every generation, we are obligated to see ourselves as though we personally came out of Egypt.”

More than just ritual observance, we are directed to feel in our own bodies what it might have been like to escape from slavery to freedom. The Exodus story asserts unapologetically that oppresson and injustice can and must end, and it lays the foundation for the Jewish vision of a just society.

This yearly reminder is a central tenet of Jewish history and culture. For many of our brothers and sisters, however, there is no need for a reminder of the story they carry. Many feel the lasting effects of slavery in their lives today. Whether they know their family’s histories or whether, tragically, that history has been lost over the generations, the enslavement of people needs no annual reminder.

For some, it is important to remember that we are racially privileged. That privilege, as well as our communal story, should propel us forward into the fight for the full equality and humanity of our brothers and sisters, especially when they call on us for solidarity.

Avadim Hayinu 

We were slaves in Egypt

We remember our histories, we acknowledge our pasts.

Now we are free people

How will we use our freedom? We have a responsibility to fight for justice.

Thank you, Renee’ for your inspiration.