a night of waiting (a poem for Passover)

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Dear Hevre/community,

 I hope everyone has been able to celebrate their Passover as best as possible during these difficult times. I know that many of us were able to have seders with those we are living currently or with others via video chat.  These seders make us both appreciate the miracles of modern communication techniques, connect with those who may live far away, and hope that we don't have to do this again next year!

 Below is a poem that I wrote for seder night last week. However, as we prepare for the end of Passover and continue our physical isolation from the world, I thought it was still appropriate to share.

 chag pesach sameach- may we each find a way to celebrate the end of the Passover holiday and every day during these challenging times.

 L'shalom-in peace,
Rabbi Steve
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a night of waiting
our ancestors sat in their homes waiting
   for what    they did not know
lambs blood on the doorpost
       so death will pass over
meat on the table
as thanks   sustenance eaten
all part of God’s instructions
according to Moses
we sit in our homes waiting
for what      we do not know
doors and windows are closed
to shut out the outside
we prepare for the ritual
we are not sure of the rules and regulations
     they have changed since last time
no blood on our doorposts
    tonight no one is being spared          not death    
but the need to isolate
the anxiety of the unknown
the fear of not being passed over
our ancestors heard the cries of their neighbors
   as the angel delivered the final plague
so we could become free
we hear the silent cries of friends  family neighbors
         hoping that the angels in white   caring for our world
will prevent suffering for us
heal suffering for those already affected
save them from death
waiting for the day   when we can be free
they had already waited     through 9 plagues
doing nothing     always sure that God would protect them
why was this night different
why were they told to sacrifice the life of a lamb
          for blood to protect them
shouldn’t God know who they were    without a sign
but this plague was different   they were not just bystanders
they were commanded to participate    sacrifice  
while an angel     passed over them but not the others
as we sit here    waiting not knowing
we are commanded       
  participate in the story     we are there
no blood    no lamb this time     
still suffering is around us
as we observe through sacrifice
praying for rescue    salvation
sitting here prayer is our sacrifice
we don’t need to find a lamb
        we sacrifice       we give of ourselves
through prayer  song questions stories   ritual
we give up    even for a moment
the fear and the dread    the uncertainty
  that is the only salvation    that we can bring for now
our ritual sacrifice is not meant to prevent
the angel of death’s arrival
it is to beckon the angels of love  compassion peace
    to join us
in person online  across the miles
connecting us all with their blessings
love   compassion   peace joy
community
let all who are hungry come and eat
             more difficult to fulfill this year
let all come and celebrate passover
  that is not so difficult    
even if the means are different
for our ancestors after the plague ended
after the moans and cries of the others ceased
they heard    the silent shout of freedom   
for which they prayed
they knew the time had arrived
to leave the place  they called home
to journey to their true home     an unknown
they could now pass through the blood stained door  
no longer afraid
joining with their  community 
for us after telling the story  the singing
the laughter the questions   
we too hear the silence   but not of freedom     

  there is no blood on the doorposts
but they are still marked   we may not pass through
we cannot join with community
and so we sit with our silence   still waiting hoping
then we remember  
even separate  we are together
the angels of love   mercy peace
bless us all and connect us    across the miles
tonight    each day when we are at home
 eating    sleeping   living each day
it does not matter where we are
this Passover we continue
the new journey recently begun
alone    together       separate as one
let us eat   drink pray   sing question
let us sacrifice       let us give of ourselves
together with the angels
  bringing the divine into our homes  
celebrating     reliving our journey into freedom 
into the future    which is still a mystery
let us remember on this night    
different from all that came before
 our spirits are free     even though we may feel captive
the journey is beginning
in this moment    wherever we are
how   when where   with whom it ends      
we will discover         some day
next year in Jerusalem
next year together
wherever we are
amen

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