Wednesday, April 3, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
THE STORY OF Passover, a miracle for today.
Jews around the world celebrate Pesach (Passover) tonight with the traditional Seder, a gathering of family and friends at which the story of the Exodus is passed on from one generation to the next.
That story is one of the great miracles of history because it recounts how the Jewish people, enslaved by the pharaoh in Egypt, overcame insurmountable odds and were led out of bondage by Moses. That the pharaoh was persuaded to "let Moses' people go" only after being visited by the 10 plagues speaks volumes about the power of religion and the belief in a God more powerful than the strongest secular leader on Earth.
Young children, regardless of their formal religion, should know the story of the Exodus because in it is a most memorable reminder of the force of faith. For in the story of the Jews' escape from bondage in Egypt is a lesson for all peoples that, if heeded today, would make life and living a far more enjoyable experience.
Every religion has its wise men and the rabbis of old are no exception. In each and every story there is a message to be interpreted and passed along to succeeding generations so that the mistakes of the past will not be repeated.
The parting of the waters of the Red Sea, the 40 years in the desert in search of the Promised Land and the outrageous 10th plague of taking the first born of those who enslaved the Hebrews are the best-known parts of the incredible story of Passover. Each has its own significance and with each retelling comes a modern-day lesson passed on from parent to child so the miracle stays alive in the hearts and minds of tomorrow's children.
Perhaps the most popular part of the Passover Seder is the eating of the matzos. In fact, this holiday is commonly known as the "Festival of the Matzos." Jews are commanded to rid their homes of all bread and leavened food products throughout the eight-day observance of Pesach.
In their place, we eat matzos which are the flat, unleavened crackers that were the staple of the Jewish people as they fled Egypt with pharaoh's chariots in hot pursuit. There was no time to bake the traditional leavened bread so the quickly cooked matzos became the staple for those fleeing for freedom.
According to the sages, the leavened breads that we enjoy in our daily lives are "puffed up," symbolizing the character traits of arrogance and conceit. The unleavened, flat matzos represents the opposite -- utter humility.
Once a person acknowledges his shortcomings, learns to be humble, he can then accept the shortcomings in others. We are a long way from that kind of world. Rather, we expect perfection from our leaders, our families and our colleagues while we refuse to accept our own imperfections.
Passover was a big-league miracle thousands of years ago. It created a world where religion, ethics and compassion for others became a guide for better living.
As we look around at the state of the world just prior to the next millennium, it appears that another miracle would not be unwelcome.
It doesn't have to free a people from bondage or part the waters of a great sea. All this miracle need do is instill a bit of humility in a world that's too "puffed up" for its own good.
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