Moving out of Bondage toward Freedom

בְּכָל־דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת־עַצְמוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרָֽיִם

In each and every generation, it is every person's obligation 

to see herself/himself/themselves 

as if she/he/they personally has/have come out from Mitzrayim. 

Mitzrayim - the narrow straits of bondage. The Talmud tells us that only 20 percent of the Israelites actually left Mitzrayim. The other 80 percent identified so fully as Egyptian that they didn't want to leave.

What is it that we don't really want to leave behind? 

And what is it that pulls us toward making that break toward freedom?

Most of us are a mix of the 80 percent and the 20 percent-- 

with, perhaps, slightly different numbers.

It is so very difficult to leave our bondage.

We are enslaved.

We are enslaved by fossil fuels.

We are enslaved by racism.

We are enslaved by privilege.

And so much more.

We resist.

We resist freedom due to apathy.

We resist freedom due to exhaustion. 

We resist freedom due to despair.

And so much more.

What is it 

that can push us out of our personal Mitzrayim

to begin the journey

that will take us 

to that terrifying place

where we stand,

seemingly helpless,

between the army and the sea?

What will it take

for us to put our first foot forward

and take one step

and then another,

to begin the long journey

out of Mitzrayim?

What has the power

to enable us 

to step into the sea

and keep on walking

until the water 

is up to our noses?

How can we find 

the strength we need?

For each of us, 

the answer is different,

very personal,

and for each of us,

the answer is the same,

totally universal.

And so, on this Passover night,

let us do this together.

Let us take the step,

the first step out of Mitzrayim,

out of bondage,

the first step into the sea,

into the unknown--

knowing that when we do,

others will follow,

knowing that when we do,

the waters will part,

and we will cross over

to a new place

beyond our imagination

where we are different,

where we are free.

Chag sameach - may you have a blessed and meaingful Passover.

Rabbi Katy

Rabbi Katy Allen is the founder and rabbi of Ma'yan Tikvah - A Wellspring of Hope, which holds services outdoors all year long, the co-founder and President pro-tem of the Boston-based Jewish Climate Action Network. She is a board certified chaplain and serves as an Eco-Chaplain and the Facilitator of One Earth Collaborative, a program of Open Spirit, and is a former hospital and hospice chaplain. She received her ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion in Yonkers, NY in 2005 and lives in Wayland, MA.