The Rebbe on Passover

The Haggadah speaks of the “Four Sons” at the Seder table, demonstrating that every Jewish child needs to be given the full experience of Passover; if need be, search him out, find him, and invite him together with his family to your Seder table, to celebrate the freedom of our People.

The Torah does not tell us the exact times when many important events occurred. Nevertheless, we are told that Pharoah commanded the Jews to leave Egypt exactly at midnight on the 15th of Nissan. Further, the Torah narrates the exact moment they actually left: The next day, precisely at noon – not delaying even for the “blink of an eye”.

Two essential lessons from the Exodus for every Jew: Pharaoh, the mightiest king in the world, ruthlessly oppressed the Jewish People. Yet his behavior completely reversed, and, instead of afflicting the Jews, “Pharaoh sent the people away...

Every Jew descends from those Jews who were enslaved in Egypt. When G-d freed them, He freed all Jews of all future generations, including each and every one of us.

May your entire family have good preparations for a wonderful Passover. All the children who are old enough should prepare the four questions for the Seder.

Passover is ‘The Festival of Our Freedom.’ The Festival itself calls out: “Listen, Jews – we must be free!” The verse states: “There shall be one law for the Passover sacrifice – for you, the convert and the native-born.” Allegorically speaking, ‘native-born’ refers to the ‘true citizen’ of a country – one who thinks that his country is the greatest. A Jew must recognize, however, that he is “Jerusalem-born” – no matter where in the world he is.

Our Seder eve wish, “Next year in Jerusalem,” doesn’t mean that we wish to wait a year before Moshiach comes. Rather, we anticipate the Redemption today, and then certainly by “next year” we will be “in Jerusalem!”

The Rebbe distributes Matzah before Passover, at his home on President Street.

In his home, the Rebbe sells the chametz before Passover.

On the eve of Passover, the Rebbe burns the Chametz and recites Kol Chamira.