Q:
A: While Passover is about the Exodus from Egypt, it is really about freedom. Freedom is the main message of the holiday, and for that reason it is the most American of the Jewish holidays. It teaches that all people are entitled to be free. America is a nation that had to fight for its own freedom, and all through our history we have continued to be challenged to strengthen that freedom. Passover is a reminder that the goal, and the challenges, have always been with us. Passover also teaches us humility and the commonality of all peoples. In every Jewish family, the Passover story is told in a book called the Haggadah. One of the stories is about the ten plagues on Egypt, which God caused in order to force the Egyption Pharoah to let the Jews go free. But we are taught NOT to celebrate those plagues. When we read about them in the Haggadah, we spill 10 drops of wine from our cups, one for each of the plagues. As long as there is death and suffering in the world, even it it our enemies that are suffering, our cups can never be full. That is an important lesson. Just to make sure, the lesson is taught again later on in the Seder (the special Passover meal), when the Hagaddah retells the story that the waters parted, allowing the Jews to escape, but then crashed down and drowned the Egyptians who pursued them. The angels are said to have shouted praise for this act, but God silenced them: the Egyptians were his creatures too, and if they were dying, no one should be joyful. Finally, Passover is about family. It is about the bonds that tie each generation to the next. The Haggadah reminds us that parents must tell their children the story of Passover, or as much of it as the child is able to comprehend at his age. The Passover story is eternal. Each of us today must "come out of slavery." Passover is a beautiful holiday, and I hope this helps you understand it. Good luck!!