Passover is the “Master Story” of the Jewish people and frankly, for many liberation movements throughout history. The entire journey from slavery to freedom forms the quintessential foundation for the spiritual journey writ large.
And it’s not “long ago” it’s now.
Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav, the great Hasidic teacher says “The exodus from Egypt occurs in every human being, in every era, in every year and even on every day.”
We re-tell this particular but universal story every single year where we wake up to the fact we are in bondage, and we re-tell how we break free. In so doing, we connect to something larger (Wisdom) and community.
The beauty and the challenge is that it’s not a story about an historical incident.
We are supposed to see ourselves in the story and so each year – we get another opportunity to ask ourselves the same questions that the seder brings up. Here are just a few:
- where and how am I not free? what keeps me from being who I am supposed to be? what forces, internal and external, do I need to break from from?
- what does freedom look like to me this year?
- what have I been asleep to? What support do i need to wake up?
Michael Walzer reminds us:
“first, wherever you live it is probably Egypt;
second, that there is a better place, a world more attractive promised land;
and third, that ‘the way to the land is through the wilderness.’
There is no way to get from here to there except by joining together and marching.” (Exodus and Revolution)
THIS YEAR – don’t miss this opportunity to really dig deep and make Passover truly liberating for you – not just one or two nights at a seder dinner – but a process that makes a difference in your life every day.
This is an important chapter in your life’s curriculum. Whether you gather with friends or family and go deep, or take a class, or read some of the phenomenal Passover liberation literature out there, don’t skip class this year.
In Hineni, our Jewish mindfulness community this month, we are delving in with texts and poetry and conversation. I invite you to join us.
The first seder is Monday April 10, 2017.
Our April Hineni sessions are April 4 and April 18 from 6-7 pm pacific.
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