I want to express my feelings towards Passover. My feelings for Passover are like my feelings towards life. Both Passover and life have to be cherished.
We are supposed to celebrate Passover as if we ourselves, personally, had been slaves and had, each one of us, experienced liberation. Intellectually, we all can do this during the Seder in the comfort of our homes. I always wondered how I would really feel in a situation of duress where making the Seder was anything but easy.
During the first Gulf War, I got a little taste of what this means. I was in the inactive reserves and was mobilized to an Infantry Division. We were training 24/7. As a young Lieutenant I had an extra responsibility of loading all our armored vehicles to be taken to the ships when Erev Pesach was approaching.
As the sun was setting I realized that there would be no Seder for me. I looked out over the desert and smiled. I thanked G-d for allowing me to reach that day. It gave me great comfort that all over the world there would be Seders. It gave me even greater comfort knowing that my family would be gathering around the Seder table.
At that point I walked over to the young Sergeant who was helping load the tanks on flatbed trucks. I said to him that I needed to tell him a story, a great story. This young man, who never met a Jew, was about to celebrate his first Seder. I drew a Seder Plate in the sand and took out whatever I had from my MRE's to make a Seder.
My sergeant listened as I then told the story of Passover from memory. This experience has never left me. Every Seder that has followed has been a great gift.
Passover is our story. It the story of our birth as a people. We came to life out of the darkness. In the dark of night the Jewish People were born. Out of the depths of despair and under great adversity.
Why is this night different? Because on this night we not only celebrate the moment of our birth, but we celebrate the meaning of our existence. It is our responsibility to be a source of light where otherwise there would be darkness.
When I think of what came out of this collective experience, I stand in awe. Just think of what we have contributed to the world. Think of the positive values that came out from the desert. The value of human life, the idea of world peace, the concepts of justice, equality and freedom. A strong stable family as a basis for morality. Universal education. Charity. Ethical monotheism. Individual and national responsibility for the world.
This year we are touched again by darkness and adversity. It is precisely now, under these circumstances, that we must embrace our purpose, we must always stand up and bring light into this world.
There are many families that will not be able to celebrate the Passover Seder together this year. Our sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, aunts and uncles and friends are away defending our freedoms. They are standing up bravely to bring light to this world, to make this world a better place for us and our children.
In every generation they rise up to destroy us. In every generation they fail. The forces of evil, ugliness and hate, the murderers and tyrants always fall. Ultimately, the way of truth and right will always prevail. We will always prevail because in every generation there are always the brave few who will stand up for what is right.
The Jewish people once stood at the shores of the sea, frozen with fear, and then one man, Nachshon, walked into the sea up to his nostrils and the sea split. We all face moments when taking the step we know we must seems impossible - yet we must.
We must know that with that seemingly impossible step we are actually walking down an ancient Jewish path. We must all stand up with them.
We all have the gift of choice. I made a choice many years ago. I chose life. I chose to cherish our traditions and what they stand for. I will never forget the choice I had in the desert many years ago.
I will celebrate a Seder this year with my family and friends. I will honor the brave men and women who defend our freedoms. I will honor them by cherishing my freedom and cherishing my Seder. I will not take this gift for granted. The cost is too high, the value too precious.
At the end of the Seder we say next year in Jerusalem. The word Jerusalem means 'city of peace.' Peace is not just the absence of conflict. Peace is the seamless harmony of individuals genuinely embracing a common vision. Our common vision as a Jewish People. We should embrace it with all our might.
The fruit of freedom is peace. All of our military is fighting for our freedom. These great people are ensuring our freedoms so that we all can live in a better world. Every Seder throughout the United States should honor these great individuals. We should cherish every moment. We should thank G-d that we live in a country that allows us to enjoy these freedoms and that produces people willing to stand up and defend us and our values.
I wish everyone a meaningful Pesach and year filled with peace for all of us and our families and for the entire world.
The author is a Jewish US Army LTC who asked that his message be forwarded anonymously.