Passover Message 5772

B”H

Dear CIKB and friends,
Greetings and Blessings!
The Holiday of Passover is upon us; in it we celebrate the Exodus from Egypt. With Exodus we became a nation, hence this holiday is central to our belief.
We are commanded to remember the leaving of Egypt every day of our life and to put extra focus on this during the Holiday of Exodus.
A lesson we can learn is found in the name “Egypt”, or “Mitzraim” itself. “Metzar” means “confinement”. Leaving Egypt meant leaving the confinements of slavery and the ideology that it represents. But leaving Egypt today does not mean throwing of the physical chains of bondage and “crossing the Sea of Reeds”.
It means leaving behind all limitation that hold us back from serving G-d and doing the right thing.
One way to leave negative things behind is by running away from it. This is what we did in Egypt of old.
We left so fast, even before the “Matzoth” that we were baking had time to rise. Applying this today would be to ignore our negative traits (our Egypt) and just focus on the good we have, and build upon it.
Another way is to confront our weakness and to change it. To take the evil that is within, and to transform it. That embarrassing past or habit that has held us back becomes our greatest asset and strength, teacher and guide.
In the final redemption when Moshiach will come soon. We will not run but walk into redemption. As it says: “We shall go in calmness”. Through our work and suffering in exile, evil both within and without will cease and be transformed into good. We have nothing to run from or fear any longer.
May G-d help that we celebrate freedom from all our worries and obstacle holding us back this Holiday.
May the tragic events of the past weeks in the Jewish world and in the past year in our Shul be transformed to joy. That G-d protect, watch and only bless us with an abundance of all good things always. Amen
With Blessing for Kosher and Happy Passover and Moshiach’s Coming. May G-d make this happen now!
Sincerely
Y. Winner and family