Rabbi Knopf's Blog

​​​​​​​30 Days of Liberation: Day 30
The first official Pesah ritual is clearing our homes of, destroying, and nullifying our remaining Hametz. We declare that any Hametz remaining in our possession “shall be ownerless, as the dust of the earth.” Echoing this declaration is the Seder’s opening sentiment, “Let all who are hungry come and eat!” and one of its concluding acts, opening the door for Elijah. It’s as though Pesah invites us to say, “all that is mine belongs to you too.” Urging us to adopt this attitude - which, according to the Mishnah, is the definitive trait of the pious - may be the objective of the entire festival. Pharaoh enslaves the Israelites out of a fear of losing what he perceives to be his. He relates to everyone as means to his own ends. Our tradition responds by saying “The Earth is the Lord’s, its fullness thereof; the world, and all who dwell upon it.” All that we have belongs not to us, but to God. In a sense, our possessions belong to others. If it's sinful to see things as our possessions, then all the more so must we never see people as objects to use, exploit, or control. Passover urges us to encounter others, as philosopher Martin Buber put it, as “Thous” and not “Its.” If this holiday teaches anything, it’s to relate to others not as means to our own ends but in the fullness of their humanity and equality, seeing ourselves as infinitely responsible to and for them. Wishing you a happy and sweet Passover!

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