Opening Reflection

We are told to say because we left in a hurry. But the Haggadah goes on to say, quoting the ancient rabbi Gamaliel, that Matzah is a symbol of our hope and therefore our freedom. Is there a connection between the rush to leave Egypt and hope?

In telling us our ancestors were to leave all they knew behind for an unknown future—surely the idea of what was in front of them must have been both beautiful and frightening at the same time.

After all, isn't that what hope is? The belief in a positive outcome that has yet to come?

The ancient Greeks tell the story of Pandora, who was given a gift by Zeus: a box she was told not to open under any circumstance. The temptation was too great and Pandora lifts the lid, and all the ills that plague our world—violence, greed, conceit, deception—come pouring out. Pandora scrambles to close it. But one thing is left inside which never makes its way out: hope.

The ancient Greeks saw human life as hopeless. It was a trivial field where the dreams and battles of the gods would play themselves out on us, their pawns.

But the stories of Passover would shatter that forever. Judaism says hope will not be locked inside some mythical box, denying humans the ability to dream of something better.

I think the one thing Jews have agreed on is the right to dream.

Why eat Matzah? 3,500 years ago, people stood at the cusp of Pandora's box, asking themselves: safety or freedom? Security or hope? Holding the Matzah in our hands, we know the right answer.

My prayer: may we forever be worthy of the great gifts given to us.

Hag Sameach.

Explore the latest insights from our pulpit on Straight From The Pulpit (And Heart) — available on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, and on our website.

Shabbat VaYikra 2025: The Jewish Difference

“What we see again and again and again throughout Jewish history, are lands and people who have been enriched because the Jews have passed through them. But so have the Jewish people. Could you imagine Judaism without all the cultures that we have met? All the languages that we have spoken? All the books that we have learned? All the sadness that we remember?”

Listen Now

Shabbat VaYakhel 2025: Heart or Mind?

“The ancient rabbi said that in the battle between the mind and the heart, let the heart win. If there's ever a mistake that you make in your life, because you care too much, because you gave too much, because you loved too much, let them say that that was the worst mistake you made in your life. As opposed to saying, you didn't care enough, you didn't love enough, you didn't give enough.

Listen Now

Subscribe to the podcast

 Space is limited. Reserve your spot today.

Register Here

Pesah Potpourri: On the Origin and Development of Some Lesser-Known Pesah Customs
Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin, The Schechter Institutes

Why? This article sheds light on the long history Jews have of celebrating Passover and the many places where they've done so. No matter the location, the Jewish world has stopped to tell this story.

Closing Thoughts

As we open the door to Elijah this Passover, may we also open our hearts to possibility, to renewal, and to the future our ancestors dared to dream.

May this month bring peace to your home, meaning to your celebration, and strengthen your sense of hope.

Chag Pesach Sameach,
The Beth Sholom Clergy