Why Is This Night?
April 6, 2012 
Why is this night different from all others?
Because - the story tells us - this is the night we celebrate our right to be free. Our exodus from the tyrrany of slavery and bondage. On this night - we gather and sit and re-tell this story. This one that has been told and re-told time and time again.
It is the story of one Pharoah's attempt to enslave the Jews. It is the story of Moses - born of a Jewish mother and raised by that same Pharoah. How it is that he found himself exiled and in the desert..answering to God's call to set his people free.
It is the story of the 10 plagues - that began with the all of the waters of Egypt turning to blood..and ended with the killing of the firstborn in every Egyptian family.
It is the story of how - in their hurry to leave - the Jews had only enough time to gather their belongings and bread that had not had time to fully rise. When they arrived at the sea - it magically parted...allowing them to cross over into a land that was safe and free. It was there that it began. The long journey across the desert and search for the promised land.
Why is this night different from all others?
It's the coming of spring. It's the passing over. It's a fresh clean start...a new chapter and a new beginning.
As a young child - I first asked that question...as it is the tradition that the youngest of the children ask.
As an older child - the questions I began to ask were a little different. Yes - I wanted to know 'why'..but the why's were less about the story itself. They were more about challenging the tradition and why this annual ritual and meal? Why the cleaning of every closet and cupboard? Why the need to remove every trace of bread? Why all of this effort and fuss? I was no longer wide-eyed..captivated by the magic...young and innocent.
As a young mother - I returned to my roots and my beginnings. What was passed to me..I passed on to my own. I watched proudly - as each of my three - had their turn to ask these same questions...that I had once asked myself.
Why is this night different from all others?
Because - on this night we gather. We celebrate. We tell the story of how it is we came to be here on this day. We eat matzo - to remind us of the unleavened bread. We dip our spring greens in water that is salted with our ancestor's tears. We eat bitter herbs so as to never forget. We drink four cups of wine. We recline..because we are free.
Now - as an older mother..and with grown kids of my own. I get to sit back and watch. I'm looking forward to that someday when my children will sit with theirs as I did with mine. To their passing along the telling of this story. That this night will always be a one that is celebrated as different.
It is on this night that we not only honor and celebrate the Passover holiday..but every person's right to be free. No matter the race or religion or nationality or language. We eat and we sing and we honor the tradition.
Year after year. Time after time again. We ask the questions. We answer with the telling of the same story.
Once - it is said - we were slaves in Egypt. Now - we are free.
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Cross-posted over at Vision and Verb - where a collaborative group of like-minded women from all over the world share their passion for photography and the written word.
Reader Comments (41)
I love the motion in this...the wings as they touch the sky.
Such a feeling of freedom...like a painting and so beautiful.
Beautifully moving! Thank you.
Wonderful...thank you for a little more insight. Shalom, Marcie.
Nice capture. Again, I like the simplicity and isolation of the subject.
This is beautiful. It is not only Passover, but also Good Friday for Christians. The symbolism is still so appropriate: we are free, indeed, because of this day.
A beautiful picture and I was touched by your story, Marcie. I wish you the very best at this very wonderful time of year.
Sharon
I didn't know you were Jewish, it's quite a peaceful religion isn't it? this is a beautiful picture, heavenly, if i do say so myself... say, marcie, do you not want to comment back and forth anymore? hmmmm?
This is a fabulous picture, so majestic. The picture goes so well with your wonderful story. Yes, it is great to be free, to feel free.
First I paused and savored your image; one of your best, I think. Then I lingered to let your words sink in. The way you share your rich heritage and traditions is always so beautiful... Once again, thank you.
love your soft treatment. beautiful image to go with beautiful words
Marcie your photography is quite beautiful. Thanks for visiting my blog. :)
WOW, what a wonderful shot. Love your work, you are a source of inspiration.
Incredibly moving...your photo supports your words to perfection. Beautiful!
A story of freedom. One that deserves to be told and re-told, so that we never forget. That each of us deserves that freedom.
I thoroughly enjoyed this verbal heritage and family tradition. A beautiful and sensitive element in your family's life.
Your image is absolutely stunning!!!
Blessings on your Passover weekend!
as aline smithson would say, "this post passed the skin test." i got chills.
it was so beautiful and meaningful that i forgot about the 3 geese and the colors of the background in the photo, as passovers passed over me with joyful memories.
we will celebrate tomorrow. with aunt ruth. she will be 93 this may.
here's to free and 93!
The beautiful power of traditions and their importance in our everyday life, for they link us with our past. Thank you for sharing Marcie and telling us the story of Passover.
I didn't realize how deeply your traditions had embedded themselves in my life until I came to your title - "Why is This Night?" - and finished it so naturally -"Different from all others?"
Next year in Jerusalem!
"It is on this night that we not only honor and celebrate the Passover holiday..but every person's right to be free. No matter the race or religion or nationality or language. "
this, for me, is the most important thing.... beautiful post!
I think it is these traditions and customs that brings us together, as families, as humans, that are the very best part of religion. And everyone's right to be free, yes, that is most definitely something to honor and celebrate and pass down, we need to hear these stories and learn from them, again and again and again.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend filled with love and family and the traditions you cherish.
Your photo speaks volumes of the feeling and idea of freedom. What is more free than flying? The view from a plane, to be able to see the streets and houses and mountains and fields from above, paints such a different picture then when you are walking in that world.
One of my best friends is Jewish and I always loved hearing her talk about their traditions and gatherings. It was such a different world from mine. Her traditions seemed somehow richer in valuing the past and incorporating the lessons into now. And once again, I get to hear that rich story. Thank you!
I don't think it ever struck me before this post, Marcie, how we from our different religious heritages have so much in common! Of course, our ancient texts are the same. Though a Protestant Christian by heritage, I had the wonderful opportunity once to share a seder meal that I'll never forget. When I see movies like "Yentl" and "Fiddler on the Roof," over and over again, I am reminded of how moved I am by your traditions...as though they were my own. I wish I could be a fly on your wall during these holy times!
A lovely description of family traditions. Very powerful words, they describe the essence of the story so simply and perfectly.
hank you Marcie for your words about your traditions on this night of Passing over. Beautiful words and image.
Such a beautiful image to accompany your moving words. May your Passover be blessed with peace and happiness.
Wonderful photograph and soulful, touching words!
Just yeasterday I talked with a friend of mine about Passover. She was raised a Catholic and converted later in life, and it felt right for her. She told me that she really loves the social side, the gathering and celebrating together. She was already baking for the seder and brought some samples over - so yummy.
Your post reminded me of our conversation yesterday. I love to read your thoughts here, especially the "every peron's right to be free". So often we take that for granted - forgetting that for so many, it is not.
Thank you for this beautiful, thoughtful post, Marcie.
This is beautiful, Marcie! I noticed an irony in this post for me, because I long for ritual and tradition, but I balk at organized religion. I think it's beautiful how you've honored the ritual to celebrate the freedom. :)
Thanks. Your writing is inspirational and I will read your words tonight at our second seder.
Speaking for myself, each year as i grow older and hopefully wiser (?), i seem to appreciate the story of Passover more and more. Each year i seem to understand the journey, the circumstances, and the symbolism so much more. There are NO WORDS that i can think of now to describe the horror, the inhumanity, and the suffering, that we the Jewish people, were subjected to by Pharohs in foreign lands! The symbolism of the story of Moses really hit me hard last night. The story of baby Moses being saved by a young maiden, who happened upon him floating (unattended) down the river in a small basket was such a miracle in my mind as i heard the story year after year. But the story is richer and much more tangled and symbolic than that. And last night i took full appreciation of that. Moses apparently was only one of thousands of babies that were to be drowned in the river because the Pharoh had a decreed for all of our babies to be put to death! Moses was most likely put in the basket by his grief stricken parents so that he could float down the river as long as possible with hopes that perhaps he may be found and saved. How ironic then that the Pharoh's own daughter finds him and saves one of the very babies that her father wanted killed. And how ironic that Moses the jew grows up as the grandson of the very King who decreed the death of all those jewish children including Moses himself. And how ironic and symbolic is it that in the end, G-d put a plague upon the Pharoh and the Egyptians to kill all of their first born children just as the Pharoh tried to do to the Jews. And how symbolic, ironic, and miraculous is it that Moses, who was put into the river to most likely die, would survive and go on to lead the Jews out of slavery, to become a free and reborn nation. If nothing else the story shows just how mysterious and ironic life can be.
And so we must tell the story every year so that we never forget what we went through and so that it never happens again, and so our children never forget. It is the job of each generation to make sure we never forget. This is what keeps us strong and it is our obligation to stand up for freedom not only for ourselves but for anyone anywhere who is suffering.
I love this Marcie, the telling of the story of your traditions. I didn't realise I think that you are of the Jewish faith, though maybe I remember something from a while back. We used to spend a lot of time in church over the Easter holdiay, Good Friday service and again on Sunday morning and then Sunday evening. We haven't been to church for some time now, lost our faith somewhat 3 years ago and still trying to find where we belong and what we truly believe now. It was lovely to read of the tradition you still follow and have done four your entire life. Wonderful.
Happy Passover
Absolutely beautiful!
Belle synchronisation, on distingue bien les trois volatils, les couleurs sont belles et cadrage bien ajusté.
So hard to find words that have not already been said about this image and story. Marcie, it is all wonderfully moving, instructional, and inspirational. Happy Passover, and Happy Easter from my faith to yours.
This is beautiful....shot Marcie!
Such a clever composition - a beautiful composition
You caught these graceful creatures in a lovely position.
So gorgeous Marcie... I miss your stuff... Sometimes life gets too busy...
nicely framed shot!
Superb capture with this move effect!
I feel that much closer to you now! ;-)