Well,
we could answer that although I know the story, I need to tell it to
others. But then why if I am alone, do I need to tell it to myself? We
could answer that although I may know the story, I can and must always
deepen my knowledge of the story. This is what the Rambam says that
anyone who lengthens, who draws out the drash parasha zo, the
interpretation, the midrash, of this parasha is praiseworthy. We have to
come up with new interpretations, new meanings.
But
in reading the Rambam this year, I noticed something else. I have
always wondered, can you fulfill the mitzvah of telling the exodus by
simply saying that we went out of Egypt. Ie. is it enough to tell the
history of what happened to us and what we did or do we have to say that
G-d did it?
At
first blush you would say, of course you have to mention G-d. If so,
the story, the history, the recollections are not just history but a
form of praise of G-d. I can praise G-d in many ways but on Pesach the
way to praise Him is to tell the story Exodus. From this perspective, if
someone opened up a history book and read that the Jews went out of
Egypt, it would not be a true hagadah. A true hagadah praises G-d at
every turn for his hand in history.
However,
when we open the Rambam and look at how he formulates the mitzvah to
tell the story of Exodus, he hardly mentions G-d. He writes that it is a
mitzvah to tell the miracles and wonders that happened to our
forefathers in Egypt. So did the Rambam mention G-d? No. But you might
say, well, who do you think does miracles if not G-d? Saying that
miracles happened to Israel is like saying that G-d did miracles which
is praise of G-d.
But then we look again at the Rambam and how he describes how to tell the story to the wise and to the child or the fool. To
the young child he makes sure to say that the miracles happened by the
Holy One blessed be He. Re. the wise son, he again does not mention G-d
but rather states that we should tell the story of what happened to our
ancestors and the miracles that happened by Moshe Rabbeinu! Not only
does the hagadah to the wise son not mention G-d but it mentions Moshe
which we otherwise seem to avoid at the Seder.
But then we look at it again. Maybe we should translate that we must remember the miracles that were done not to our ancestors but for our
ancestors. What is the difference? Telling about the miracles to our
forefathers puts the emphasis on the praise of G-d, like the hagadah to
the young son. But telling about miracles that G-d did, you know why?
The miracles were done for our ancestors. Here the emphasis is on not
that G-d did miracles but why he did them. He did them for us.
Is
the emphasis simply that G-d did miracles, haleluyah! Or that G-d has a
special, close relationship, a loving relationship with us? Is Pesach
about how great G-d is or about how loving he has been to us?
Why
will we read Shir Hashirim next Shabbat? The Song of Songs which talks
about the love of G-d for the Israelites? Because exodus is not just
about wonders and miracles. That’s kids stuff. Exodus is about the love
of G-d for his people, for us, the potentially close relationship of us
with G-d.
The
mystics say that we didn’t do much to deserve the exodus. In that sense
it was an embarrassment of riches. We did nothing, we were sinners, and
G-d saved us. But from another perspective what a love story it was.
Although we showed no interest, G-d pursued us, he wanted us.
Pesach
is the time of Ata bechartanu, the time of G-d’s loving gifting to the
Jewish people. And why still celebrate so many years later when we still
live in an Egypt of sorts? Because while we may still be in exile,
G-d’s chosing of Israel remains forever.
Yes,
Jews are great at remembering history. We remember the exodus and we
tell the story. But that may not be what Pesach is really about, at
least if we are truly wise. Pesach is about getting close with G-d,
about how much G-d loves us. About answering G-d’s call to come close to
him.
Is
Pesach about how great G-d is, how many miracles he made? Yes, but that
is only the simple story line. Underneath, it is much more. It is about
how much he loves us and how much he saved us and chose us and
betrothed us as a people.
As
we approach Pesach, let’s not only remember the exodus, which is all
very good, but let us remember how much G-d reaches out to us and loves
us and in the next days let’s respond to this love, by figuring out how
we can respond in kind. Good shabbos and a chag kasher ve’sameach.
No comments:
Post a Comment