Rabbi Knopf's Blog

The Talmud teaches that 30 days before Passover, we should start learning about the festival and its meaning. In that spirit, over the past several years, I have offered "30 Days of Liberation," a brief message on each of the 30 days leading up to Passover, drawn from the wisdom of the holiday and the Exodus story. I am thrilled to announce that I am in the process of completing my first book, which will be a compilation of those messages from years past. This year, for “30 Days of Liberation,” I will be sending out brief selections from the book. I look forward to sharing the book with you all in its entirety when it is completed. Meanwhile, I hope you find these messages meaningful and inspiring. Please feel free to share/forward.

Day 1: Freedom With Purpose
The words “Let my people go!” memorialized in the spiritual, ‘Go Down, Moses,’ are only half-right. In the Bible, “Let my people go” is followed by “and serve Me.” True freedom requires purpose. Without direction, we will serve some undesirable master even after we are liberated from that which enslaves us. That’s why Psalms urges us not only to “turn from evil,” but also to “do good, seek peace and pursue it.” The Exodus story invites us to freedom, yes, but demands we use our freedom purposefully.