The Haggadah teaches us that we should see ourselves "k'ilu hu yatzah mimitzrayim," as if we ourselves had left Egypt. While we could try to put ourselves back in the shoes of the Hebrews, we prefer to bring Egypt to us. The Hebrew name for Egypt, "Mitzrayim," shares the root of "metzarim," the narrow straights, suggesting that Egypt for our ancestors was a narrow place of constriction. As Psalm 118 suggests, when we call out in our narrowness, God answers us with the expansiveness of Divine presence. We encourage you to ask in these days of preparation or at your Seder the following: "What are the narrow places I find myself in this year? How might I call out for support? And how might I find my way out of that narrow place towards expansiveness?" Chag Kasher v'Sameach—May it be a redemptive Passover for you personally, for our people, and for the whole world.
Mechirat Chametz
and Maot Chitim
and Maot Chitim (Wheat Money)