We encourage Ritualwell readers to find their own ways of keeping freedom in their hearts this week.
We have finished our seders, but Passover is not yet over; the feast of freedom lasts a full seven or eight (depending on your community’s interpretation) days. There are many traditional structures that keep us focused on the holiday. The matzahThe unleavened bread eaten on Passover that recalls the Israelite's hasty escape from Egypt when there was no time for the dough to rise. Matzah is also considered the "bread of our affliction," eaten while we were slaves. that we eat is a symbol of both slavery and freedom. People who attend synagogue during this time will note liturgical changes particular to the season. And counting the omerFrom the second day of Passover until Shavuot, Jews count seven weeks – seven times seven days – to commemorate the period between the Exodus from Egypt and the Revelation at Sinai. When the Temple stood, a certain measure (omer) of barley was offered on the altar each day; today, we merely count out the days. reminds us of the connection between liberation (celebrated on PassoverPassover is a major Jewish holiday that commemorates the Jewish people's liberation from slavery and Exodus from Egypt. Its Hebrew name is Pesakh. Its name derives from the tenth plague, in which God "passed over" the homes of the Jewish firstborn, slaying only the Egyptian firstborn. Passover is celebrated for a week, and many diaspora Jews celebrate for eight days. The holiday begins at home at a seder meal and ritual the first (and sometimes second) night. Jews tell the story of the Exodus using a text called the haggadah, and eat specific food (matzah, maror, haroset, etc).) and revelation (celebrated on Shavuot, the end of the omer).
We encourage Ritualwell readers to find their own ways of keeping freedom in their hearts this week. Here are a few suggestions:
• Create a freedom playlist. Some of our favorites are Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” Dave Matthews Band’s “Cry Freedom,” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Freedom.”
• Continue your sederLit. Order. The festive meal conducted on Passover night, in a specific order with specific rituals to symbolize aspects of the Exodus from Egypt. It is conducted following the haggadah, a book for this purpose. Additionally, there an ancient tradition to have a seder on Rosh Hashanah, which has been practiced in particular by Sephardi communities. This seder involves the blessing and eating of simanim, or symbolic foods. The mystics of Sefat also created a seder for Tu B'shvat, the new year of the trees. conversations and follow through on your commitments. Many of us engage in important conversations during our seders. We might pledge to work harder to make freedom a reality for others or promise to liberate enslaved parts of ourselves. Now is the time to make good on these commitments.
• Think hard about your own freedom. All week, pay attention to the opportunities and privileges that are part of your life. Don’t take them for granted.
Let us know how you are keeping freedom on your mind and in your heart this season. We are eager to hear.
