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The first night of Passover next year:
April 12, 2006

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SpiritLight at Home
SpiritLight at Home
Blessings Dear Ones,

As I wrote at Easter time, it is customary for me to cover both the Easter and Passover holy days in this seasonal message, because I do not believe that there is any separation in the ultimate message. However, as Easter and Passover are so far apart this year, I decided to send my Passover message later, to time it more appropriately.

The holy days of Passover have always been a special time for me, even though I consider myself a member of the Christian faith. As I matured into adulthood and through much inquisitive learning, I began to understand that the religion of Christianity was, in the fullness of time, a comparatively new one. I knew that Jesus was born and died a Jew, yet I was never taught what that actually meant. The fact that Christianity is actually an offshoot of Judaism is a fact lost by many. Jesus did not organize a religion called "Christianity." His followers did. It is not surprising, therefore, that there is much about Passover that seems familiar to me. All of us, no matter what religion, celebrate the same ideal whether the origin comes from an ancient source or a new one. The intent of our worship is identical in both religions. We remember our history and the lessons that came from it. And, in so doing, we are motivated to gain inspiration, renewed energy and a sense of doing good in the passage of our lives going forward.

Regardless of the teachings of any religion, spirituality is an ideal that all people share, and it transcends all forms of teaching. It is original knowledge and, therefore, cannot be taught. It is instinct, born of a free spirit - an innocent, whose journey is just beginning. Spirituality encompasses Original Thought. And all of us are born with it, whether we choose to recognize it or not.

Passover celebrates the struggle and eventual freedom of the Jews (Israelites) of their enslavement from the King of Egypt (Pharaoh). Pesach, meaning "passing over" or "protection" in Hebrew, originated from a particular event in Jewish history. It is said that God gave instructions to Moses to protect all first-born Jews from death by marking their homes with lamb's blood before He cast his infliction upon Pharaoh and his people. They chose to listen to Moses. As a result, the followers of Pharaoh, who were the captors of the Israelites, lost all their first-born children because they were not protected by the mark of the lamb's blood.

History tells us that God "passed over" the houses of Israel and their first-born were saved. It was not until after the end of the plagues (ten of them) that inflicted the land, that the Pharaoh finally delivered the Israelites from slavery. But Pharaoh's army followed the Israelites in their flight from Egypt. It took the parting of the Red Sea to deliver them finally to true freedom.

Whether or not I believe in a vengeful God is insignificant. Who am I to say? I was not there. But, I can say that I prefer to believe that rather than killing the first-born Egyptians, God, through miraculous means, actually saved the Israelite first-borns from whatever was inflicting the land at the time. I do believe that Man is capable of vengeance, however, and there is no doubt that there was great suppression of a People. It is a history wrought with fear, intimidation and enslavement. It is also a history of bravery, determination and a strong faith.

The difference between Passover and Easter is that the tradition of Passover commemorates the tribulations of the tribes of Israel and Easter commemorates the tribulations of one man from that tribe. The reason we celebrate each of those triumphs can easily be paralleled.

Jews celebrate Passover for their freedom through God's assistance in the flight from Egypt (Exodus) and the miracles they experienced throughout that time. Christians celebrate Easter for the freedom from their sins (Christ's crucifixion), the knowledge they gained that life is eternal (Christ's Resurrection), and that miracles are not only possible, but continue even 2,005 years later.

The Seder is the most important event at Passover, and takes place the first two nights of this eight-day holiday. This year, Passover began yesterday at sundown (April 23). Each family all over the world gathered with their loved ones and participated in long-held traditions and customs. One such custom is the serving of three pieces of matzoh, which are placed in a cloth in the middle of the Seder table, along with a special plate containing five foods that remind them of their struggle for freedom. The tradition of matzoh at Passover comes as a reminder that their ancestors left their homes so abruptly after the Pharaoh finally released them, that they did not have time to bake bread to take with them. Instead, they threw whatever raw dough they had into their sacks and as they fled through the desert, they baked their dough in the hot sun, turning it into hard crackers (matzohs).

The other foods served at Passover are: Haroseth (Passover sweets containing a combination of ingredients such as walnuts, wine, cinnamon, dates and apples), parsley dipped in salt water, roasted egg, a shank bone and bitter herbs.

Haroseth symbolizes the mortar the Jewish slaves used to build walls for the Pharaoh.

The parsley is dipped into salt water as a reminder of the tears of the Jewish slaves.

The shank bone is symbolic of the sacrificial lamb, and the herbs reflect the bitter affliction they all suffered.

Four glasses of wine are poured which represent the four stages of the Exodus: Freedom, Deliverance, Redemption and Release.

A fifth glass is then poured and placed on the Seder table. This is an offering to the Prophet Elijah, and a door is opened to invite him into the circle.

During the evening, the Haggadah, the Book of Exodus, is read and the evening is celebrated through stories, songs and prayers.

What a wonderful way to commune with loved ones and remember one's heritage! This is a very spiritual and holy time for Jews everywhere and I join them in their celebration of freedom.

Of course, all of this is very familiar to those of the Jewish faith. However, I feel that it is important for those of different faiths to understand how similiar our celebrations are to each other. The names change, but the intent and essence is identicle. Education is a poweful tool to understanding and peace among us.

For example, the Sunday following Good Friday is the day that Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ, and is one of the holiest days of the year. The Easter message is one of hope and victory over death, for it recalls that Christ rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. Easter symbolizes the love of God and the promise that the souls of humankind are immortal. Is there any difference to the message of Passover?

If a Christian is confirmed, (which means that one had studied and "confirmed" the vows, as one reached the age of puberty, that one's Godparents had made on one's behalf at baptism - similar to the coming-of-age ceremony of a Bar or Bas Mitzvah but with less celebration), one is allowed the privilege of taking Communion during the service. This is the tradition of sipping from the goblet of wine and eating a piece of bread, symbolizing the Last Supper and the tasting of the blood and body of Christ in remembrance of why He died for us.

It was always distasteful to me, as a child, to think that I was drinking the blood of Jesus and eating a part of his body. But, once I learned more about the Jewish faith and Passover, I preferred to think of taking Communion as a way of connecting to Christ in a more ethereal way; to feel connected to Him in a spiritual sense, as though I attended that last Seder with him and that what I am actually doing is tasting the wine and matzoh of those many years ago and celebrating freedom for all people - both Christians and Jews - in the present.

After the Easter Sunday service in England, families return to their homes to a veritable feast, mostly of roast lamb - again, a parallel to the symbolism of the Passover. It is tradition for Christian families to reflect upon their lives and what the celebration of Easter really means to them. Most families are joyous in their celebrations, but some are quiet and reflective. To each, it is a very personal thing and must be celebrated as one's individual spirit leads them.

As I stressed in my last message, there are many parallels throughout all religions. But for me, the celebrations of Passover and Easter reveal similarities in more ways than I can explain. I believe that great men do bring great revelations. To me, Moses and Jesus were two of those men. They were handpicked by God, sent to speak Truth and to lead people to their salvation. The inspirations of these two men resonate with my soul. It is up to us to hear our own truth and to comprehend its meaning in our own very intimately personal way. And, most importantly, not to judge others who believe differently.

For me, this Truth is to love one another, for we were all borne from the very first seed and are intrinsically linked to one another. If we hurt another, as Pharoah did to the Israelites and Judas did to Jesus, we only hurt ourselves. There is no separation of souls, only of minds. Our eternal souls are bonded forever.

A blessed Passover to each of you celebrating this wondrous time. May you have the freedom to celebrate this season in whatever way you feel brings you the most peace. May G-d bless you, keep you safe from harm, and may you feel contentment and love in your life always.

Shalom,
The first night of Passover next year:
April 12, 2006

Part of the research for this page came from:
Please visit them.
"See I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared." Exodus 23:20

"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.' Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant -- the Ten Commandments." Exodus 34:27-28
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