What We Do

Do nothing. This is His job now.

Look up from your wine. The table’s a delicious mess. Uncle Irving looks so serene, snoring into his Haggadah, serenaded by the first chirping of dawn. As you carry the little ones to their beds, the sound of matzah crunching beneath your feet, you wonder, “And who will carry me to bed? Who will wake me in the morning to go to shul?”

Was it the best Seder that could have been? Look, it had its highlights. A few times, the kids got a little over-excited. And the horseradish and chicken soup didn’t mix too well in little Miriam’s stomach. But Grandpa told some great stories. We all had fun with the songs. We told the tale again, with new enhancements and flourishes, just like we have for 3300 plus years. We did what we are supposed to, in our own human way.

And now, let Him do what He has promised to do: A re-run. A modern exodus of liberation. Starring us. With lots of miracles. But this time, forever.

What It Means

Some people think we are meant to make a perfect world. But if that is what our Creator wanted, why did He make us such imperfect beings?

Rather, what He wants of us is our very humanness. Sometimes we do good. Sometimes we fall. But we keep on struggling, and eventually we make some real change.

And then, once we have done all we can, like a kind parent helping with the homework, He makes sure to touch up the job and make it shine.

For 3300 years we have been leaving Egypt. For 3300 years we have been doing our human job of transforming the darkness of His world into light. And now it is His turn to lift us up, to banish the darkness forever, to make our work shine.