"And you shall explain to your son on that day, 'It is because of what the Lord did for me when I went free from Egypt.'" Exodus 13:8:
Passover, begins today at sundown. For eight days, Jews celebrate freedom.
In the Book of Exodus, a simple Jewish shepherd named Moses was instructed by God to go to Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II and demand the freedom of his people.
Moses' plea to the Pharaoh to "Let my people go," was ignored.
Moses warned the pharaoh that God would severely punish the people of Egypt if the Israelites were not freed, but still the Pharaoh failed to heed Moses' plea.
According to scripture, God unleashed a series of 10 terrible plagues on the people of Egypt: blood, frogs, vermin, flies, cattle disease, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and last but not least, the slaying of all first-born children.
Moses and his people were delivered from slavery in Egypt.
Passover is celebrated with family gatherings wonderful meals called Seders, and the retelling of the story of the Israelites exodus from Egypt.
In our mixed-faith family we have developed a wonderful tradition of sharing our Seder with as many of our friends, Jews and gentiles alike, as our home can comfortably hold.
Whether you're Jewish or not, take a moment to contemplate the joys of your freedom, your responsibility to maintain it, and about those not fortunate enough to have freedom to enjoy.
Originally posted on April 23, 2005.
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