"In every generation they rise up against us to destroy us but Hashem saves us from their hands" - Passover Haggadah

There is a notion in Jewish thought that when the darkness is at its greatest that is the moment of redemption. Are we there? Or perhaps it's time for us to adopt a different narrative? Perhaps we can look inward to find the signs of redemption instead of looking at the external pressures.

Passover commemorates the Exodus from Egypt. The Mishna tells us that the purpose of the commemoration is to see ourselves as if we too are leaving Egypt, today. This is a reference to the different types of Egypts in our personal lives, things that restrict us from living fully. These can be internal narratives or external pressures. But there is something more to this leaving of Egypt and that is the Jewish idea of redemption of humanity, the era of the Moshiach.

(This is also the focus of the second half and the last two days of the holiday of Pesach. The theme is the redemption with Moshiach which is openly reflected in the Haftorah of the last day of Pesach, but also the notion of 8 being above the normal cycle of life representing a transcendent era.)

In 1994 just a few weeks prior to the Rebbe having a stroke, the Rebbe edited and distributed a discourse. The gist of the discourse is that we live in expansive times, times of abundance and freedoms. Whereas in the past our path to G-d was through the darkness and difficulty imposed on the outside, our job today is to find that path from within.

I've been feeling a tendency to look at the craziness in the world around us and feel like we are once again experiencing our Jewish identity as it is being pressured from the outside. However, as I think about the Rebbe's discourse, I realize that it is both shortsighted and short lived.

While it is true the Jewish People and the Jewish Soul is awake, I'm seeing the outside pressure only as an awakening for the inner work we need to do. The inner work is not getting caught up in all of the external answers to the anti semitism and anti Israel hate that is out there now.

(Hashem wants us to act within nature so we have to do whatever we can; influencing politicians, marches, having a strong IDF, Hasbarah etc. But the call of the hour is to find real salvation from within.)

The hate has many layers; ignorance, misinformation but most of all a deep irrational hatred towards Jews.

Our response;
Education and being informed - let's get ourselves educated. What does it really mean to be a Jew? What is the soul? What is Moshiach? What do Jewish really believe? How do I live each day as a Jew? (Fun question; what is the first action you do each day that attests {to yourself} that you are a Jews?)

And to combat the irrational hatred let's get supra rational in our connection to G-d and Torah. Stand up and be proud. Let's stop listening to all the voices of Jewish insecurity that prevent us from showing up with inner and outer strength. If we do that from within, our eyes will be opened and we'll see the redemption at hand.

In the coming months we have an abundance of opportunities for Jewish education from "Practiced Judaism" (learn about living each day as a Jew), The World of Kabbalah - (the mystery of the soul and our inner relationship with G-d), Decisions of Fate and the Weekly Torah Studies class + much more. Check it all out here www.intownjewishacademy.org.

Also, I hope you'll join me as we close out Pesach on Tuesday April 30 for a Moshiach Feast, following the tradition of the Baal Shem Tov.

Best wishes for a good Shabbos, Chag Sameach and AM YISRAEL CHAI!!

Rabbi Eliyahu Schusterman