07 Apr Pesach; The Seder

Recounting the story of the Exodus from Mitzrayim (Egypt)  is a commandment which we is fulfilled during the reading out loud of Hagaddah during the Seder.    

The word Pesach means ‘skipping, leaping or to pass-over’. The word Pesach can split into the words Peh (mouth) and Sach (conversation).  

Jewish wisdom teaches us that the power of speech creates a reality. It is the purpose of the Hagaddah to read aloud and to ‘feel deeply’ the past oppression of the Israelites so we can come to gain experience and insight to recognize and learn to remedy the oppression and obstacles in our lives today. The remedy of our repeated oppressions are found within the Hagaddah.  

There is a powerful concept in Jewish Wisdom that we Descend to Ascend. We say we went Down to Mitzrayim to Ascend to the Redemption and Freedom; The Torah at Sinai, possession of Israel, and the journey of the Jewish Nation to bring the Final Redemption… Moshiach. There are times we must look back to go forward.  

We begin the Seder by the telling of the story of the seder by asking The 4 Questions. The seder then proceeds with the answers. When looking deeply into the story of the seder or the event of our lives we learn it is imperative todig deep is to ask questions. This is a fundamental teaching in Jewish Wisdom, Chassidut… it may be referred to as critical thinking.  

The commandment to ‘remember and the experience’ by looking back each year at Pesach  and  the reciting  of the Hagaddah is a lesson of digging deeply into the stories of our lives. When we dig deeply into the events of our past we can reveal the powerful concealed sparks of holiness that can then be ignited and we can then rectify ourselves, the Jewish Nation and bring the Final Redemption…Moshiach.  

May your Pesach be meaningful,  

Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Addictions and Counseling
http://lawrencejlax@gmail,com