Passover is a week-long (8 days) reminder of hard-earnt freedom. We are asked to contemplate on the meaning of FREEDOM for us. When do you feel FREE? What makes you feel FREE? This week can be an opportunity to contemplate how you can support yourself to be freer in who you are as a unique expression of the Divine.
Below is a list of various activities that people do during the week of Passover. As mentioned before, the first two night (evenings) are spend with contemplating on the ‘passing over the red sea’, a parable from the Old Testament in the Bible. Yesterday, I invited you to contemplate on the metaphysical meaning of the story and answer questions around the meaning of ‘freedom’ for you.
Today, I want to invite you to chose a ‘task’ for each day of Passover from the list below. I would like to encourage you to bring an element of the spiritual to each of the task you do by which you can support yourself to move into greater freedom in yourself.
Cleaning
During Passover Jews refrain from eating chametz, food with leavening such as bread, cookies, or pasta. Before Passover begins, families will clean their homes to clear out the chametz. (Jews refer to leavened items, which must be discarded from the home before Passover, by the Hebrew term “chametz” (pronounced “HA-metz” and also spelled “chometz.”) It includes anything made with grains like wheat, oats, rye barley and spelt.)
Clean your house off leavened items can be seen as cleaning our consciousness of ‘thoughts’ that fester. What thoughts and emotions do you allow to fester in your consciousness that causes you fear or harm? Is there something you often worry about? Eliminate these thoughts by giving them up to God (the Divine), consciously releasing them by affirming that
“I release you into the nothingness where you came from! I stop worrying about … now. I am grateful for your service but now I am OK without you! I love you and release you. I am at peace knowing that I am centered in the Care of the Divine Presence.”
Eating Matzah
During Passover, you’ll probably eat matzah, a cracker-like bread substitute representing the bread that didn’t have time to rise when the Jews fled Egypt. Learn to make your own matzah (CLICK).
How about making some plain food over the week? How about not indulging in heavy dishes and just keeping your food simple and basic. We often eat process food that are full of chemicals because they go through a complicated laboratory-like system before it gets on your table. Make your own food this week. Bless your food this week. There were times when food was scarce and every bite was a grace-filled blessing of nourishment. Make eating your food a spiritual event 🙂 during Passover and see what happens.
“I bless with food so it can nourish my body and keep it healthy and strong. I release all condemning thoughts that I harbour about my body’s imperfections. I love my body with this food.”
The Seder
The seder, held on the first one or two nights of the holiday, consists of a festive meal, the retelling of the Exodus story, and several other rituals and traditions, like finding the afikomen (a piece of matzah hidden during the ceremony), singing songs like “Dayenu,” and opening the door symbolically for the prophet Elijah.
Provocative questions on relevant topics to help bring your Seder to life.
The Haggadah tells us to adapt our Seder to the various attitudes of the people we find present around the table. The “wise son” receives wisdom, the “evil son” receives sharp confrontation, the “simple son” is taught the ABC’s of Judaism, and the “one who doesn’t know how to ask” is engaged in dialogue that will open him up.
Questions that provoke discussion about relevant topics can help bring your Seder to life. Here are some questions for your Seder table that you can pose yourself or discuss with others over the week.
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When dipping the Karpas into salt water: Has anything ever happened to you which seemed bitter at the time but later turned out to be sweet?
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When breaking the middle matzah and hiding it for later: What is a “hidden” aspiration that you have, i.e. something that you have postponed for later in life but you plan/aspire to one day get to?
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When speaking about how the Jewish people were sent down to Egypt: How have the hardships in your life helped you become a more compassionate person?
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When speaking about the harsh slavery: In our day-to-day lives, do we really love what we do or are we more like slaves to our work or lifestyle?
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The word Mitzrayim (Egypt) resembles the Hebrew word for constriction. What is your personal Mitzrayim? What is holding you back the most?
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When speaking about the plagues: Are there signs in our life pushing us to change that we are just refusing to see?
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Are there signs around us that God exists? What are they?
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If you knew for certain that God would help you succeed, even through miracles, what new endeavor would you take on?
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When speaking about jumping in the Red Sea: What have you done recently that defied your fears and you stepped out of your comfort zone?
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When singing Dayneu: What are the gifts in our life that make it all worth it?
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When reciting Hallel: If you could fully express gratitude to someone in your past who really made a difference in your life, who would it be?
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When eating matzah: If you could eradicate laziness from your life and live with complete discipline, what could you accomplish?
The Haggadah
During the seder, families will read from the Haggadah to tell the story of Passover and pass down the traditions and lessons of the story to their children, relatives, and friends. In Hebrew, Haggadah means “telling.” This book is basically a guide for the seder and includes prayers, blessings, songs, and information for how the seder should be performed. Families everywhere add their own personal touches to make the script of the Haggadah their own.
MAKE YOUR OWN HAGGADAH
The word haggadah comes from the same root as “to tell” in Hebrew. The haggadah is meant as a guide to the entire Seder. A good one will serve as a follow-along reader for you and your guests, taking them through each step with instructions, explanations, talking points, ideas for further reflection, and, of course, all of the texts you will be reading, singing, or discussing.
As you can see from the above, there is nothing at all unusual about authoring custom-made haggadot. The whole objective of the Seder both as a didactic and an experiential endeavor is to get people to participate, ask questions, formulate opinions, and generally interact with the Seder experience. Another wonderful aspect of making your own haggadah is that the copies you use at the Seder can double as Passover gifts for your guests to take with them as both a memory of the special time you will have spent together, as well as for future use for years to come.
If you are not Jewish, you can create the Haggadah around any themes that are meaningful to you. The main message of Passover is ‘Freedom from Slavery’. You can choose any story around this message from the Bible or any other source that inspires you and make a Haggadah.
Haggadah is a booklet that you make yourself using pictures, text, colouring, writing, painting. Haggadah can be seen as a reminder of the Passover story as you interpret it. (you can chose another story, if you like). The questions above can guide you and you are invited to contemplate on the meaning of ‘freedom’ for you as you create your own Haggadah.
Opening the Door for Elijah
On each table there is a goblet of wine called “Elijah’s Cup.” During the meal someone will open the door to welcome the prophet Elijah, exemplifying the line from the Haggadah “Let all who are hungry, come and eat.”
Every Passover, Jews set an extra cup of wine on the dinner table and open the door for the enigmatic prophet Elijah, hoping he will enter. An evolving symbol of hope and redemption in Judaism over the centuries, Elijah’s return is said to mark the Messiah’s earthly arrival.
What does the Bible tell us about Elijah?
He first appears as a zealous prophet for God. There’s something wild and primeval about him. He’s totally committed to monotheism. [Elijah’s name means “Yahweh is my God” in Hebrew.]
In that period, [9th century BCE], a good number of the Israelites were wavering in their faith. King Ahab of Israel really wanted to have it both ways, worshiping the Israelite God and [the Canaanite god] Baal.
So Elijah was out to defeat idolatry, but he didn’t entirely succeed. Dejected, he asked God to take his life. He went to Mount Sinai where he had an encounter with God, and God said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
In the Book of Kings, Elijah is taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, in a fiery chariot. In the book of Malachi [the final prophetic book in the Bible], it later says Elijah’s going to announce the End of Days. So, the rabbis assume that he’s taken alive to heaven. But, for the rabbis, he’s too extreme. So, he gradually becomes depicted in rabbinical texts as a compassionate hero. He’s still zealous, but now he’s zealous to right wrongs. He’s zealous to help the poor. He can’t stay away from Earth when somebody is in trouble.
We all need a version of Elijah at your ‘table’ or in our life. Zeal – dedication and enthusiasm – is a quality we all need in order to move through life’s challenges. You are encouraged to invite or, if you already have them, enhance these qualities in your life. What can you do to become more zealous and enthusiastic? What changes do you need to make and where? Apart from being a zealous prophet, Elijah is also a symbol of hope and redemption. In my observation, we all have areas of our life where we can do with more hope. In meditation, invite God/the Divine Presence to fill that area of your life with Hope and Love. Visualize pouring these qualities in and feeling you up. Observe the sensation and ensure that you take these with you all day, every day.
We become freer by releasing what does not work or what does not serve us any longer.
Singing “Dayenu”
Many families will sing “Dayenu” during their seder. The word dayenu means “it would have been enough.” This joyous tune celebrates the many blessings God bestowed upon the Jewish people during their exodus from Egypt in ancient times.
While listening to this fun song, I invite you remind yourself of the wonderful things that are present in your life. Be grateful and celebrate the many blessings that are present and by doing that you will shift your focus from lack to abundance. Focusing into abundance of blessings and goodness frees us from worry about lack and drama.