Time of Our Freedom

Passover is called the holiday of our freedom, not our redemption.

Freedom is greater than redemption, for freedom implies a freshness, a new start, a clean slate, the sheer joy of being able to grow as a person and Jew to the best of our abilities.

Redemption, while it has the hope for a brighter future, also includes the bitter memories of the past.

True, comparing past trials with current successes may show how far we've come, but we run the risk of getting bogged down in the bad memories of our struggles and falls.

The Haggadah does mention our slavery in Egypt and makes mention of our enemies rising against us throughout history. However, the descriptive name used in the prayers and the defining element of the holiday is "Time of our freedom."

It's a charge to not wallow in the past and what could have been, but to push forward into the bright future of the Jewish People.

"And you gave us... time of our freedom" ~ Passover Kiddush from the Haggadah

* Based on the writings of Rabbi Yehoshua Eichenstien, Zidichov Rebbe