(Although most of our posts are intended to be funny or show an aspect of humor in Jewish happenings in the news, occasionally we like to post something that's not necessarily funny but gives us a warm feeling and some Yiddishe nachas, as we say on our masthead. As we approach the first seder -- less than three weeks from today, let's imagine that we are personally experiencing the Exodus from Egypt.)
In each and every generation, a person is obligated to regard himself as though he actually left Egypt. As it says: "You shall tell your son on that day, 'It is because of this that God took me out of Egypt.' " (Exodus 13:8)
The Haggadah is the narrative of the Exodus, and we use it each year to recount the miracles that happened when our ancestors were liberated from Egyptian bondage. But it's hard to put ourselves into the picture and keep that picture vivid in our minds as we settle into our pillowed chairs around the table with our loved ones, exhausted from all the preparations, cleaning, shopping, and cooking that have become as emblematic of the holiday as its origins and rationale.
To get in the mood and appreciate just why we are going through all this effort, it's worthwhile spending seven minutes immersing ourselves in the video below. It's a reminder of what this month of preparing for the sedarim is all about. The montage is taken from a TV series a few years ago and the background music is by Vangelis, who wrote the music for Chariots of Fire. We hope you enjoy this interlude, and tomorrow it's back to funny stuff.
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Moses stands on the west bank of the sea and raises his staff. When the good guys are all across, he lowers his staff and the waters return, leaving him, presumably, still on the west bank (not a good place to be, then or now); so how did he get across?
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