Corona Letters #19

On this Passover:

Tonight is the first night of Passover, and I imagine it will be a memorable Passover for those who celebrate.   I am a Jew by birth but I was not raised particularly Jewish.   My brother calls us “Culinary Jews” because we enjoy eating foods that are historically associated with Jews (i.e. Bagels and Lox), and celebrate Jewish holidays that involve food (i.e. Passover).
But, I digress.

Passover is the story of the Jewish people being released from enslavement by the Egyptian Pharaoh and his people.    God asked the Pharaoh to release the Jews but he refused so God inflicted 10 plagues on the Egyptians, the last of which was killing all their first born sons (see attached photo).

The Jews saved themselves from this particular “plague” by marking their front doors with an X so that God would “Passover” their homes and their firstborns would be spared.

Of course, tonight as Passover is celebrated all over the world, the current plague will be on all our minds, and there is no religious denomination that will be spared from its wrath.

There is a way we can mark our doors though, a way that will let whoever your God is know that this Plague is not welcome in your home.

We need to lock our doors and stay inside.
We need to keep friends and family away who do not ordinarily dwell within our walls.
It is the only way to avoid the plague and send the clear message, “you are not welcome here” to virus that ravages our world.

Your religion does not matter.

Let it Passover us all.

It will be a sacrifice for us all to keep our doors shut to family and friends for both Passover and Easter this year.

It will be a sacrifice to not go to Temple or Church.

At the Jewish Seder, a place is always set for the prophet Elijah to join and the front door is always opened for him as part of tradition.

Not tonight Elijah.

We must not invite visitors into our homes at this time.

As part of the Passover Seder, the participants always chant,

“Next year in Israel”

As these words are spoken tonight, as they are part of the “script”, I’m sure thoughts will wander to what ways we wish next year’s Passover will look different.

We will wish for tables full of all our loved ones.
We will wish for tables of plenty.
We will wish for the health of our loved ones.

We will all wish, whatever our faith (or lack thereof) to be granted a “Passover”.

Happy Passover to all!
May your homes be blessed with health!