Two weeks ago a manuscript of a 1916 sermon delivered by the Rebbe’s father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, Chief Rabbi of Yekatrinislav (now Dnipro, Ukraine), was discovered and published for the first time. The content is both painful and uplifting and, most importantly, contains an empowering message for us here and now.
In 1916 Russia was fighting the first world war and every military-aged man from 18 to 45 was forcibly conscripted. Serving in the army was a veritable death sentence for Jewish men at the time, as anti-semitism in the Czar’s army was a matter of course and the threat of being killed by a fellow Russian soldier was greater than being killed by enemy bullets. Evading the draft was punishable by death. Throughout the kingdom hundreds of thousands of Jewish men went into hiding for months, causing irreversible chaos and disruption to Jewish communal and family life.
On the Shabbat before Pesach Rabbi Levi Yitzchok spoke about the paragraph of the Haggadah which discusses the obligation to commemorate Exodus every day. With his brilliant ability to extract relevant meaning from even often overlooked details such as the names of the sages quoted, he inspired his flock to celebrate Pesach that year with hope for a better future.
Rabbi Eleazar ben Azaryah said: "I am like a man of seventy years old, yet I did not succeed in proving that the exodus from Egypt must be mentioned at night until Ben Zoma explained it: "It is said, `That you may remember the day you left Egypt all the days of your life;' now `the days of your life' refers to the days, [and the additional word] `all' indicates the inclusion of the nights!" The sages, however, said: "`The days of your life' refers to the present-day world; and `all' indicates the inclusion of the days of Moshiach."
The two Hebrew names “Eleazar” and “Azarya” both mean “the help of G-d.” Any surviving Jewish man able to celebrate Pesach together with his family was only due to G-d’s help. However, because of their harrowing experiences of hiding from the Czar’s soldiers over the long winter months to evade the draft, everyone can say “I am like a man of seventy years old.” The tremendous trauma and suffering are etched in the wrinkled faces of even eighteen-year-old boys. Hence, they ask themselves, “Will I succeed in mentioning the exodus during the night?” How can we celebrate the Exodus from Egpyt this Pesach as a genuine experience of freedom during this unbearable darkness?
The answer to this can be found in the name “Ben Zoma” and his teaching. “Zoma” is etymologically linked to “deep thought” and the sage Ben Zoma was known for his exceptional meditative abilities. One should “meditate” and “remember the day you left Egypt.” The exile our ancestors endured in Egypt was so suffocating and debilitating that until the very end, redemption seemed like an impossibility. Yet, G-d’s salvation came in the blink of an eye and the darkness of night turned into brilliant daylight. Likewise, don’t allow the darkness of war and persecution to extinguish your hope for a bright and better future.
This paragraph in the Haggadah concludes with a quote from “the sages.” One who is truly wise will realize that we are not merely tormented victims awaiting G-d’s salvation, rather “all the days of your life - in the present day world” is an opportunity to “welcome in the days of Moshiach.” When we appreciate that every mitzvah we do brings the world closer to the realization of the divine promise of Moshiach, we can celebrate the festival of freedom with an attitude of genuine freedom that transcends all the limitations imposed upon us by our circumstances, and bring the gift of freedom to all of humanity.
Although today we can hardly relate to the realities of Jewish persecution in Czarist Russia during World War One, the spirit of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok’s sermon enables us to apply the spirit of Pesach to the rest of the year, empowered by the knowledge that we are active players in actualizing the biblical prophecies of Moshiach, when peace and tranquility will reign for all.