The Passover season is upon us, folks. And with it, the timeless message of real freedom.
On the Shabbat before Passover, synagogues around the world read the special “Parshat HaChodesh” (inauguration of the special month of ‘Nisan’) in addition to the regular weekly Torah portion. Not one, but two Torah scrolls will be removed from the Ark in honor of the occasion.
The Parshat Hachodesh reading contains the very first Mitzvah (commandment) given to the Jewish people as a nation – to establish a Jewish calendar starting with “Nisan”, the first month. This inaugurates a very special month since the Exodus from Egypt occurred on the 15th of Nisan. The Parshat Hachodesh reading is a wake-up call that Passover is just around the corner. Only 2 weeks to go!
Passover is the festival of freedom, a celebration of renewal. The Jewish people were enslaved in the chains of Egyptian bondage for over two hundred years. God heard the cries of slavery and set His nation free. Liberation. Physical Freedom. Spiritual freedom. That, my friends, is Passover.
They weren’t joking when they said that history repeats itself. These past few weeks has brought with it upheavals, rallies, and revolutions across the Middle-East. The tyrannical Pharaoh’s of today and their dictatorships are being told, “It’s enough, we want our freedom!” and “Let my people go!” The world wants change, growth, and freedom!
Real freedom means the ability to free oneself from enslavement to the world around us. From pre-occupation with the here and now – the quick-fixes and temporary pleasures. Real freedom is to connect with our souls and bond with our Creator. That is what the Exodus from Egypt was all about.
In just 7 short weeks after the Exodus from Egypt, the Jewish nation reached it’s spiritual plateau by receiving the Torah directly from God. An open revelation that brought millions of people to free their minds and hearts to connect with their Creator. That kind of freedom is awesome!
Look around. The snow is melting. The grass is turning green. Flowers are blossoming. Trees are starting to bear fruit. Even Mother Nature is demanding her freedom from the bondage of winter.
The Passover season is upon us, folks. And with it, the timeless message of real freedom.
With Blessings from the Holy Land,
Rabbi Ari Enkin
rabbi.enkin@unitedwithisrael.org