I am blessed with young grandchildren. I kvell when each one excitedly shows how much he or she has learned by reciting individually and as a group The 4 Questions, the Ma Nishtana. I’m so proud of them as they have begun their Jewish education journey.
Rabbi Daniel Kohn in his book The Way In: Essays On
How The Seder Shapes The Soul teaches The 4 Questions is more than just a
child song.
“Almost any child, when asked, ‘What do you want to be
when you grow up?’ will answer with a dream of impact: ‘I want to be a
firefighter, a scientist, a teacher.’ From an early age, we yearn to make a
difference, to matter, to shape the world. That longing is the seed of meaning
within the human soul.
“True freedom is not doing whatever we wish; it is knowing
that what we do counts-that our choices shape the world and bring new realities
into being. Not all choices are equal. Some align with truth, love, and
holiness; others diminish life. Cheirut
is the freedom to choose what is real and worthy, the freedom to act as a
partner in creation.
“Tonight is different. And in noticing the difference,
we recognize that life itself is not static. We are not prisoners of
circumstance; we are participants in shaping the world’s unfolding story. Just
as the year returns and brings new possibilities, just as the Exodus story
renews itself with every retelling, so too can we.
“Ma Nishtana
is more than a child song. It is the return of the child dream to matter-the
awakening of the soul to its own power to choose, to change, and to create
meaning in the light of freedom.” (page 37)
Passover calls us to become the people we truly aspire
to be. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are only six months away. Avoid the High
Holiday rush by awakening your soul now to its own power to choose, to change,
and by making a positive difference in your small corner of the world. If together
we succeed choosing to align our lives with truth, love, and holiness, our
final redemption will be right around the corner.
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