As I dusted off my Hagaddah in preparation for the upcoming holiday of Passover, I took a few moments to scan the text. I recognized that this ancient story possessed many current themes that can help inspire us as we emotionally and spiritually prepare for this holiday.
• Passover is a holiday focused on remembering how the Jews were slaves in Egypt and granted their freedom. Why is it so important that we remember this yearly? This can be a time of year to reflect on what enslaves you personally. Is it your thoughts? Toxic relationships? Cancer? What can you do to free yourself?
• In order for matzah to be kosher for Passover, it must be baked for exactly 18 minutes. The matzah has the undivided attention of the baker to make sure it is kosher. Imagine if you had 18 minutes of undivided attention from your loved ones, what would you want to say to them? What messages would you want to convey?
• The Seder includes the four sons: The son who does not know how to ask, simple son, wicked son, and wise son. Think about this in terms of your illness:
- Son who does not know how to ask - When you were first diagnosed with breast cancer, I suspect you didn’t know where to turn, what questions to ask.
- Simple son - Perhaps with limited knowledge about the disease, you let your doctor take the lead. As time passed, you acquired more knowledge, researched more, and became a partner in treatment decisions.
- Wicked son - At some point in your cancer journey did you act on your feelings of anger? Resentment? Rebellion?
- Wise son - Having been touched by breast cancer, you have certainly acquired increased knowledge about the illness. What other knowledge have you acquired? What wisdom have you gained?
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