Passover

Since the birth of the Jewish people as a nation, Passover has been their most significant holiday. Symbolically, it represents the moment that the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were freed from 400 years of Egyptian bondage, to become a free people in their own land, the land of Israel.
The word Passover refers to the Lord’s merciful and just ways, as He visited punishment upon the homes of the evil taskmasters, and “passed over” the homes of the long-suffering victims.
Historically Passover has been both a time of joy and a time of trouble for the Jewish people. It has been joyful when Jews were allowed the freedom to observe their religious heritage without prejudice as has been the case in our glorious United States of America, and it has been the traditional flash point for numerous historical anti-Semitic assaults and blood libels by those who practiced religious intolerance.
In a changing world the interpretations and messages we extract from these precious articles of faith are as significant, if not even more significant than ever before.
In our quest to enjoy a safe and secure future, maybe our leaders ought to pass over personal or political bias in favor of honest measures of protection.
In our desire to procure a substantive and robust livelihood for the people of our nation, maybe we ought to pass over to others more opportunities and charity, instead of grabbing greedily for ourselves.
In our wish to be healthy and live longer, perhaps it would be appropriate to pass over the same opportunity of access to good healthcare and medical attention to all our citizens.
In our pursuit of a better education, it is imperative that we not pass over anyone, regardless of color, race, or creed
In our search for the “good old times” and tradition, maybe it would be best if we could find a way to pass over the violence, the vulgarity, the greed, and the disrespect for authority, that has permeated this generation so thoroughly.
Most importantly though, I would trade the conceptual Passover for a forward pass, into a time that peace on earth prevails. To see our brave soldiers home safely with their families, each one enjoying their own equivalence of a family Seder (traditional Passover Supper). To experience, as an American, a new liberation that manifests a common respect and harmony amongst our people. A renewed willingness to extend a beneficent hand to the downtrodden and to be a genuine symbol of environmental responsibility and moral decency to the world at large.
No one gets a free pass in life. We tend to pass the buck too often. Passing relationships are meaningless and when asked for our opinion we pass. We pass a red light, pass on the left, or pass on the right without signaling. We wish EZ-Pass would work on everything we confront in life. Yes indeed, life is about passing.
Maybe Passover can teach us this great lesson - when and when not to… PASS OVER.
— Moshe Faskowitz is the rabbi of the Torah Center of Hillcrest in Flushing.