January 30, 2009

This week's Torah portion, Bo, chronicles the last of the plagues and the moments preceding the actual exodus - all the directives of Passover, matzoh, marror, paschal lamb, sanctifying the new month, collecting the Egyptians' spoils, etc... As most people note, the Matzoh reminds us of how quickly we were whisked out of bondage by the grace and divine dexterity of the Almighty. True, we were in the midst of some delectable backing when, quite disturbingly, God gave the word "go" and nere did the bread have time to rise; baked on our backs, we 'accidentally' invented Matzoh. Most people don't realize, however, that Matzoh was not something new. In fact, just a few days earlier, we actually rehearsed the whole Passover seder, replete with shank-bone (the real thing!), marror and - you guessed it - Matzoh. The entire Jewish people were commanded to make and eat Matzoh well before the serendipitous quick sprint to the finish which left our yeast in the dust. If so, why do we "need" both Matzhos? That question I'll leave for you to ponder. What we do see, however, is that before we physically experienced freedom, we had to taste it - literally.

The Torah describes how Abraham was purported to have eaten Matzoh on the 15th of Nissan (Passover day); yet he was generations and generations before Egypt!?! His synchronization to the mystical depths of the Almighty's creation allowed him to tap into every last detail - that this is the 'day' of freedom and this is the 'food' of freedom. A careful study of the Passover menu will tell you everything you need to know about what true freedom is. And more than that, one who really knows freedom, wouldn't eat anything else.

Here's what the Egyptians learned about freedom. The ninth plague was darkness. Not just the absence of light, but rather a thick, palpable and utterly restricting darkness which allowed no movement other than vertical - you could sit or stand all you like, but absolutely nothing else. Yet we see that the last day of the plague denied the Egyptians even that limited movement. The Egyptians were able to rationalize their autonomy and freedom of choice, despite their most limited options available to them - standing or sitting. Even so, they were convinced they were free. The last day of the plague rid them of any doubts; they couldn't move an inch, nor blink an eye. The true taste of real freedom, however, is in the Matzoh.

Back to the basics. No leaven (ego), no sweetner (lusts/passions), just flour and water cooked almost immediately upon mixture, lest there . A bread which reduces the world to the necessary components, the true components, and builds it's sustenance on that alone. No posturing, fantasizing, faking, or pretending something is what it's not. No running after flippant and passing pleasures, no selfishness, and on and on and on... The icing on the cake (yeast-less, please) is that everyone spreads a little jam, sugar, or something sweet on top. Sure, there is beauty and aesthetics to the world, and we're meant to partake of them, but in the right order and proportion - they are not part of the essential mix! They are not the goal, but rather are only able to be properly used when the priorities and essentials are in place.

Wishing you a beautiful Shabbos and a speedy personal redemption,

Rabbi Lynn