This year we are
slaves. Next year, may we all be free. --Passover Haggadah
Each year, through the Passover seder, we re-enact the
experience of our people’s liberation from slavery to freedom. The Haggadah
commands us that in every generation we are to experience the seder as if we
ourselves went out from Egypt to freedom. The seder reminds us that while we are
not literally slaves, our freedom may be affected by old attitudes, negative
thoughts, overwhelming worries or out-of-sync values. “Slavery does offer a
certain freedom that can be attractive: the freedom from responsibility for
yourself and others, the freedom from having to establish goals, figure out how
to reach them, or think beyond the moment. It takes strength and guts to walk
out of a known situation, which for all its pain, is predictable. It is human
nature to want to stay put within the stability of the status quo.” (Ross, “Self Liberation” in Celebrate! The
Complete Jewish Holiday Handbook) But Judaism has never been satisfied with the
status quo and each year, with the coming of spring and the acknowledgement of
new growth and renewal, we remind ourselves and teach our children that freedom
is a worthy goal. For teens who are gaining more freedoms, the holiday can teach
the message that freedom also comes with responsibility. For our ancestors in
Egypt, freedom meant entering into a covenantal relationship with God. It was
only after we were freed that we were given the Ten Commandments, which
obligated us in ways that continue to forge our relationship with the Divine.
Like our ancestors in Egypt, we can escape from the things that enslave us, the
things that hold us back. Once the Israelites encountered God and saw that God
could bring them into freedom, “they gave up the comfort of the familiar,
without concern for provisions or how they would get to or exist at their
destination. They left Egypt because they believed a better life awaited them
elsewhere. As Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav counseled, when you are about to leave
[Egypt] ‘mitzrayim’ you should not worry about how you will manage in a new
‘place.’ Anyone who does or who stops to get everything in order for the journey
will never pick himself or herself up.” (Ross) Questions to think about:
Parents
and teens often have unique struggles over the issue of freedom. Below are some
questions to help you explore the issue together.
What makes a person free?
In what ways are you enslaved?
What does it mean for you as a teen when you get new freedoms?
What does it mean to you as a parent to give your teens new freedom?
What would you like to be freed from in this coming year?
How can we help each other gain new freedoms? Work together to identify those responsibilities your teenagers must undertake as they enjoy more freedoms and what your teens can do to alleviate concerns you face as you allow more freedom.
Write a prayer to include in your seder During Passover, we celebrate and thank God for delivering us from Egypt by singing Dayeinu (It would have been enough). We enumerate each step along the way, recognizing that each one was a miracle—parting the sea, providing for us in the desert, giving us Shabbat, bringing us to Mount Sinai, giving us the Torah, and more. At this time of year, while we remember our own oppression and redemption from Egypt, we often forget that Jews around the world are still oppressed whether by their governments or as a result of the economies they live in. Take some time with your family to learn about these communities. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee has information about Jewish communities all over the world who have yet to experience all the freedoms we have come to cherish. Learn about a few and then write a prayer to include in your seder that will teach your family and friends about this community as you pray that they may soon know the freedom that you do.
What makes a person free?
In what ways are you enslaved?
What does it mean for you as a teen when you get new freedoms?
What does it mean to you as a parent to give your teens new freedom?
What would you like to be freed from in this coming year?
How can we help each other gain new freedoms? Work together to identify those responsibilities your teenagers must undertake as they enjoy more freedoms and what your teens can do to alleviate concerns you face as you allow more freedom.
Write a prayer to include in your seder During Passover, we celebrate and thank God for delivering us from Egypt by singing Dayeinu (It would have been enough). We enumerate each step along the way, recognizing that each one was a miracle—parting the sea, providing for us in the desert, giving us Shabbat, bringing us to Mount Sinai, giving us the Torah, and more. At this time of year, while we remember our own oppression and redemption from Egypt, we often forget that Jews around the world are still oppressed whether by their governments or as a result of the economies they live in. Take some time with your family to learn about these communities. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee has information about Jewish communities all over the world who have yet to experience all the freedoms we have come to cherish. Learn about a few and then write a prayer to include in your seder that will teach your family and friends about this community as you pray that they may soon know the freedom that you do.
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